# Best fibre nuggets/cubes for a laminitis prone horse



## Slightlyconfused (25 January 2014)

As title, he was on fast fibre, hi fi molasses free To get his vits and tablets into him but started refusing his feed and he needs the metformin so I swapped to alpha beet, a very very small amount in each feed, but in the three weeks he has been on it his energy has tripled and my normal sane pony is wanting yo charge every where.

Turnout wise we have been on restricted or have to be in but this does not affect him, when he was on box rest for 9 months for his lami, the sixth month we could walk our in hand then start getting on, he was a chilled as can be just walking out on the buckle. 

So as he will no longer eat fast fibre and the alpha beet is sending him loopy I was thing about maybe some fibre nuggets. The tb has baileys high fibre nuggets but I swear I heard that spillers are good for lami prone horses.

He cants take too much molasses,happy hoof makes him footy, so have to be careful.

Short of shoving the metformin and vits up his nose anyone have any advice?


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## noblesteed (25 January 2014)

Not exactly nuggets but my lami prone does well on Mollichaff Calmer. Only very little mollasses in it. He's a terribly picky eater. When he was laminitic he had it mixed with fast fibre. It's not just chaff, it's got cubes, herbs and interesting bits in it, bit like happy hoof but I think it's better.

The people who make fast fibre do something called L Mix which is for lami horses. You have to soak like fast fibre but it's got more tasty bits in it. My picky horse didn't like this though.

You could try simple systems if you want fibre nuggets. Google them. I had a good look at their stall at Bramham, really nice natural molasses-free stuff, but my dobbin won't touch lucerne/alfalfa.


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## Darkwater (25 January 2014)

Try Topspec Fibre plus cubes, my lami mare went off fast fibre and wouldn't touch L Mix but she absolutely loves these, you can feed them soaked or dry


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## flaxen tail (25 January 2014)

Another one for top spec fibre plus cubes ,mine love them and I mix them into the fast fibre with salt and mint /herbs and so far they have not gone of the fast fibre.


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## MotherOfChickens (25 January 2014)

I like Baileys-they were the Badminton Horse Feeds ones.


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## Tiddlypom (25 January 2014)

I use half a mugful of soaked Spillers high fibre cubes. I soak them for 12 hours before feeding and they bulk up to form a crumbly mash, into which I add my pro hoof, salt and micronised linseed.


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## OLDGREYMARE (25 January 2014)

Spillers lite balancer,hifi molasses free.micronised linseed,salt and unmolassed sugar beet along with soaked hay are what my ems mare gets and she does very well on it,What ever you choose make sure its less thsn 10% sugar and starch combined.


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## ILuvCowparsely (25 January 2014)

Slightlyconfused said:



			As title, he was on fast fibre, hi fi molasses free To get his vits and tablets into him but started refusing his feed and he needs the metformin so I swapped to alpha beet, a very very small amount in each feed, but in the three weeks he has been on it his energy has tripled and my normal sane pony is wanting yo charge every where.

Turnout wise we have been on restricted or have to be in but this does not affect him, when he was on box rest for 9 months for his lami, the sixth month we could walk our in hand then start getting on, he was a chilled as can be just walking out on the buckle. 

So as he will no longer eat fast fibre and the alpha beet is sending him loopy I was thing about maybe some fibre nuggets. The tb has baileys high fibre nuggets but I swear I heard that spillers are good for lami prone horses.

He cants take too much molasses,happy hoof makes him footy, so have to be careful.

Short of shoving the metformin and vits up his nose anyone have any advice?
		
Click to expand...

D&H http://www.dodsonandhorrell.com/our-feeds/restlight-work/hackinglight-schooling/high-fibre-nuts.html  good for lami's


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## Rosie'smum (25 January 2014)

Another vote for baileys fibre plus nuggets. Mine loves them and are great for those shires treat balls.


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## Nugget La Poneh (25 January 2014)

Top Spec Fibre cubes, Baileys Fibre nuggets and D&H Fibre nuts have cane molasses in, as do the majority of compressed compounded fibre products.

Simple Systems is one of the very few that are molasses free. When my boy went off fast fibre, L mix helped, but he now seems happy enough on plain speedibeet.

Other option is a small bit of bread mashed to make a dough ball and mix the metaformin in the dough ball.


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## Slightlyconfused (25 January 2014)

OLDGREYMARE said:



			Spillers lite balancer,hifi molasses free.micronised linseed,salt and unmolassed sugar beet along with soaked hay are what my ems mare gets and she does very well on it,What ever you choose make sure its less thsn 10% sugar and starch combined.
		
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thanks will have a look.

am very picky on how much startch and sugar are in the fees as tb has had ulcers in the past so his feeds are all looked at under a micro scope.


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## Fuzzypuff (26 January 2014)

Have you tried adding some dried mint in with the fast fibre and supplements? Mint has helped me to get feed down my fussy warmblood. Also, you can mix the mint in some hot water and then add it as it seems to bring the flavour out, or just make your fast fibre and mint up with hot water.


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## TGM (26 January 2014)

I would check the various websites for details of starch/sugar content of the fibre nuts/nuggets/cubes, because they do vary a lot.  If it is not listed on the website then email the manufacturer and ask them.  When I had a laminitic, I found the ones with lowest starch/sugar content were Spiller's High Fibre Cubes, but that was several years ago so product ranges might have changed a lot since then.  Just be aware that 'high fibre' does not necessarily mean 'low starch/sugar'.

I know you say you have tried AlfaBeet, but have you tried Speedibeet?  This is low sugar/starch and usually more palatable than Fast Fibre.  It could be the alfalfa in the AlfaBeet which is causing the problem.


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## putasocinit (26 January 2014)

Happy hoof or shoved in to a slice of pear, they still get oxidants from fruit even though it is sugar it is a different kind apparently


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## Silmarillion (26 January 2014)

My sugar-sensitive chap is on Speedi-Beet. I have two on Fast Fibre to get them to eat their powdered vitamins, but the new boy can't have linseed so he has just enough Speedi-Beet (and a handful of HiFi molasses free) to take up the bits he needs in his food. I find some sort of slop is eaten more readily than mixing things with nuts, even when soaked.
Then again, my chap eats his tea every time like he's never eaten before and licks the bowl cleaner than I can scrub it, so I may just be lucky...


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