Halley's feeds blox.?

[rowanrachel]

Does anyone use these? I was looking at switching from my molasses free hi fi to either halleys Timothy chop or oat straw (or the mix) to cut out the alfalfa from Honeys diet and came across the blox and wondered if anyone uses them and how solid they are, whether they could be easily halfed if needed or broken and soaked or if they are just given whole an the horses pick away at them?

[jen1]

I think a freind of mine used them as an occasional feed for her highlands who can live on fresh air , think they keep well and the horses liked them thats all I know about them, did you not have a few foot issues a while back, whats your aim in chaning diet x

[rowanrachel]

Hi Jen. I was wanting to try something without alfalfa in as just now she gets fast fibre and hifi molasses free but that still has alfalfa and I've never tried her without any alfalfa whatsoever. My physio today suggested the alfalfa could agitate her feet as some are sensitive to it and id also considered it being a negative in the sweet itch battle come summer too so thought id see what shes like without it. physio suggested looking at halleys as they are all sugar free. I could just give her the fast fibre to mix her sups in but I like her having something a bit more to munch on as someone goes round early at my yard and puts the breakfasts in before I get there so it gives her something to have a munch on until I get there . She's a good weight just now but wouldn't want her losing any weight. She currently gets half a round scoop of FF and a full scoop of hifi in breakfast and dinner mixed with forage plus winter balancer, linseed and Brewers yeast with one really big net of good quality hay and a salt lick in stable. She was getting two nets at night but since they've got a round bale in the field now she wasn't needing two. She's in from 5.30pm-7am and has been a consistent good weight. But is really footy again due to a lack of work mostly - or a lack of work on solid ground more to the point, and standing in a muddy field! so I'm trying to build up her feet again by little walks out in hand on the track and riding in the indoor arena. Physio says she's very tight in her back end and has a very short stride in trot and thinks it could be partly due to being in alot of pain in the past with her feet and not striding out as much as he should (not so much since I've had her but before that).

[Katieleeown]

I use the Timothy hay ones - amber loves them!

[jen1]

Fast fibre on its own would be ok, with linseed and seaweed, my shire x was recomended to have 500 grams dry weight then soaked per day, im pretty gob smacked just how much they dont need, if there in work speedy beet might be ok too, seems everything has alfalfa in it, try adding 100 to 200 grams of wheat bran into fast fibre 50 grams of oats, 200 of linseed from charnwood there is some one selling it in your neck of the woods, the wheat bran is very good at mopping up ecsesses of unwanted minerals, I took mine of alpha a years ago but I have found no differace really, foot with, heavy 98 p, cent mag ox is a must for us, the seaweed is only fed at 1 gram per day, its costing me about 6 quid per week in hard feed for 4 horses, im relying mostly on our hay

[mandal]

I'd feed just fast fibre if she tends towards being a good doer with micronized linseed and your minerals. If she needs a bit more then speedi/kwik beet or even copra.

ps. My personal feeling is you don't need to add the blox, most horses should get most of their nutrients from forage with only what might be missing (minerals/oils) added in a bucket.

[Deleted]

I tried the simple system ones but must admit I wasn't impressed, I thought one of those to replace the same weight of hay might last longer but it didn't, he just bit socking great chunks out of it and gobbled one in about 10 mins. I also found the alfa in the SS ones to be very short chop and quite powdery. Now I'd rather give hay or a bucket of dampened chop.

[rowanrachel]

Yeah I think I'll just go with ur suggestion mandal of sticking with the FF but maybe get a bag of plain oat straw chop to add a tiny bit to slow her down eating it a bit?

[jen1]

Go on why do you want to slow her down eating it, im always intrested in myth magic and reality, 500 grams of fast fibre makes almost a kilo of grub, this is enough for a horse in light work, aka 6 hours or more per week,

[rowanrachel]

Well just so it lasts her a bit longer, as I said earlier someone at my yard comes around before I arrive in the mornings and puts all the breakfasts in and that normally does her until I get there but if its just fast fibre she'll eat it much quicker. She doesn't need the extra calories of more feed or hay as she's a good weight just now and prone to getting over weight if im not careful but don't want her standing with nothing ... Similar to the conversations going on on Kelly thread just now about feeding. I'm new to all this low sugar low starch healthy way to feed since Ive got Honey but find it all very interesting and makes so much sense.. Half of my yard feed their horses what must be the equine equivalent of blue smarties!! im just still trying to work out what works best for Honey and still very much learning as I go :-).

[mandal]

Honey is very lucky to have an owner prepared to learn and work out what is best for her.
I find it takes a bit of me getting used to changes I make but as time goes on I get more confident and if I do make an error, no panic, I just readjust.
Use the chop if you feel more confident with it and over time reduce the amount and see how she responds. Just one thing less to buy really in the end. lol They do seem to love FF and gobble it down!

[jen1]

It wont hurt her to have token feed of fast fibre, id maybe rely on your hay, 1 of our cobs gets 100 grams perday,

[Deleted]

I haven't fed fast fibre but do definitely find a chop with straw in it takes them longer to eat than anything else I've fed. Seems sensible if you want to keep her munching for longer without adding calories

[jen1]

Jan 7, 2013 11:22:50 GMT 1 @michellep said:

I haven't fed fast fibre but do definitely find a chop with straw in it takes them longer to eat than anything else I've fed. Seems sensible if you want to keep her munching for longer without adding calories

Is that not what hay is for, im not being bloody minded, but I just cant work out more in a bucket would be any better than hay soaked or low grade, I still dont get what more feed in a bucket will achieve, is it not just us being anthropomorphic, if your only feedding to get minerals in thier faces , im just really intrested why a token feed would have to last?

[Deleted]

Because rowanrachel explained that before she gets there someone else puts buckets over their doors and her fast fibre is gone quickly leaving her with nothing. No dobut if she asked them to put hay over as well as a bucket she'd probably have to pay them to when a 50% straw chop is basically the same thing and will be given without question.