# Linseed Mash or Calm and Condition



## The Trooper (6 December 2018)

Hey guys,

I have a Shire Mare that is not very good at keeping her weight on. She also reacts to conditioning feed by getting hot and a little psychotic and stressy.

Currently she gets fed - Calm and Condition, Carr's Billington horse and pony cubes (Basically fibre), Micronised Linseed and a small scoop of Conditioning Mix.

I'm wondering if i was to reduce the pony nuts and stop the C&C in order to feed an increased amount of Linseed mash (Top Spec) would i see any benefits in terms of weight gain?

I know no one can say for sure as every horse will react differently but what are your experiences?

Thanks,

William


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## tda (6 December 2018)

Basic and cheaper, unmollassed beet, grass nuts and more micronised linseed x

Pic please, love shires x


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## Roasted Chestnuts (6 December 2018)

My boy wouldnâ€™t eat the linseed mash. 

Iâ€™m another that got better results with grassnuts, beetpulp, linseed good high calorie/protein chaff and frequent feeds. I also used equerry mash which he found quite palatable for a fussy boy.


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## The Trooper (6 December 2018)

I'll post some photos later tda, she's a beaut 

She also gets Alpha A chaff, i have another mare who is a good doer and as is my Parents gelding so i've just had to suppliment with stuff i can, she doesn't get alot of linseed currently, only a cup. The bulk of her feed is pony nuts. She gets a large round scoop of those. I currently only hard feed once per day (At night) but i am prepared for feeding in the morning if needed.


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## Ouch05 (6 December 2018)

That's a lot of different feed and you don't say how much of each, I can only assume you aren't feed at the recommended level for work and type as that would be far to much for one feed. 

I could increase the C&C and linseed a good scoop of chaff, stop the pony nuts and conditioning mix 

I have a very fine TB that he gets the C&C, linseed and Alpha A with oil twice a day he is worked 5 days a week for 45 minutes (good hard work so he is sweating (is clipped))


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## The Trooper (6 December 2018)

I should really weigh what i give her, i don't know if the Scoop sizes are the same or not but i'll let you know what she gets. 

This thread is very much me looking for advice, she is not really in hard work, she has a blanket clip and is rugged and out 24/7 currently, only really gets ridden at weekends at the mo.

1x Cup of (dry) C&C - Soaked after measuring
1x Cup of micronised linseed
1x small scoop conditioning mix
1x Large round scoop of nuts
1x hand full of alpha A.

I'm conscious of feeding too much in one go as i don't want the feed to just flush through her system and come out the other end without being processed and digested


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## Roasted Chestnuts (6 December 2018)

Id lose the nuts and the mix
Full scoop of the alpha a
Two cups of linseed
Two cups of CC 

Better feed rather than more


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## ihatework (6 December 2018)

You are feeding 3 different sorts of compound feeds and Iâ€™m not quite sure why! Plus the ones you are feeding wouldnâ€™t necessarily be top of my list for horses that can be feed reactive.

Iâ€™d simplify things and stick to one nut or mix (I generally would stick to nuts) and then if you want to add a bit of chaff / beet / linseed then fine. 

In terms of compound feeds look for those that are marketed for ulcers or muscle myopathies as they are generally high fibre & oil and suitable for any horse needing condition.

If your horse is ok on Alfa, which I assume she must be then something like Baileys Ease & Excel might be worth it as pretty much a sole feed. A slim shire is never going to be cheap to feed so you could top that up with beet/soaked grass nuts.

Ad-lib hay/haylage and if you can do a 3rd hard feed that helps.


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## Hormonal Filly (6 December 2018)

Mine look great on ad-lib haylage and small feed of just alfalfa, equilibria balancer and micronised linseed but when they need more I just add calm and condition. It is a good feed and doesn't heat mine up. 

You're feeding a lot of different feeds, i'd limit it down and just feed fibre based so alfalfa, the micronised lisnsed, calm and conditioner and a add balancer. She won't be getting enough vits/minerals.


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## Bellaboo18 (6 December 2018)

What Ouch05 says. I feed my tb mare exactly that (C&C, micronised linseed and chaff) and she's looks great on it. We tried the linseed mash, she liked it but she was a bit 'hot' on it.


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## The Trooper (6 December 2018)

All great advice guys thank you so much!

I don't know alot about feeding I'll be the first to admit that so all your help is really appreciated.

As a result of these posts I'm intending to feed the following...

2 cups C&C
2 cups linseed
1 (round?) Scoop of alpha a oil chaff

And I will add a balancer. How much balancer would you suggest adding in? I'm unable to give adlib hay or haylage until the YO puts hay out so I may need to start 2x daily feeds.

Thanks again all.


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## The Trooper (6 December 2018)

This is her and Belle (Belle lives on fresh air!) Belle is a Comtois X Belgian Draft (I think)


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## tda (6 December 2018)

Lovely mare x

I know I do go on about this, but C&C is unmollassed beet as a base with linseed. At Over 10/bag as opposed to 6.75 FOR beet â˜º I know I am tight, sorry


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## The Trooper (6 December 2018)

tda said:



			Lovely mare x

I know I do go on about this, but C&C is unmollassed beet as a base with linseed. At Over 10/bag as opposed to 6.75 FOR beet â˜º I know I am tight, sorry
		
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I've just bought another bag of C&C the other day, but I will look into cheaper alternatives. I'm Scottish, we're all tight ðŸ˜‚


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## Noble (17 December 2018)

I started feeding cushcare condition, it isnt just for cushings horses also for those needing a low starch and sugar diet but requiring calories. It is low starch/sugar (obviously) approx 10% and alfalfa free, reasonably high oil and protein, no iron (that I can see).  It has been a great feed for my reactive gelding, a TB 17 hands, he is looking great on it and is as sane as he can be! Luckily for me it is fab for the 27 year old too so one less feed bin.  All you would need is a little fibre to mix in.


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## gallopingby (17 December 2018)

Calm and condition whilst helping to condition wasnâ€™t suitable for some of my ridden natives, they became quite scatty within a very short time and after investigating the content were quickly taken off it!


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## The Trooper (18 December 2018)

Ok, so we're now a couple of weeks on from changing up her diet. Thank you everyone for your advice as it seems to be making a difference, i appreciate that it is going to take time but i am convinced she is less ribby and some friends have commented the same.

Instead of feeding a balancer I feed Selenavite-E by Equine Products UK Ltd as this has all the vits and mins required on a day to day basis.


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## southerncomfort (18 December 2018)

gallopingby said:



			Calm and condition whilst helping to condition wasnâ€™t suitable for some of my ridden natives, they became quite scatty within a very short time and after investigating the content were quickly taken off it!
		
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I found this too.  In fact they were hooning around so much that they were burning off all the calories I was trying to get in to them!


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