# what to feed a hunter??



## fitzaud2 (21 September 2010)

Just wondering what do you feed your hunters?? I had a conversation with an elderly man this evening, and it has me thinking - he thought that us "younger" people over feed and add too much to a hunting horses diet, that the traditional diet of plenty of oats and hay was sufficient to "keep" a hunter in very good working order.  He thinks that you should feed them from day one, and when you get them going properly, they will go properly forever, whereas, if you only start feeding them when they are riding well, they will act up, because of the change in diet. I'm just wondering is he right, or is he talking about a different type of hunter??  I think that i dont over feed my horses, they get oats, barley, beet pulp and coarse mix, and I do put garlic through there feed. I'm feeling a bit insecure now, am I over feeding???????


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## Simsar (22 September 2010)

Well if you were told by an Irish guy in Ireland (Oh to live in Ireland) then I would listen to him, he is telling the truth.  A lot of people are scared of Oats don't be rolled oats are the best to buy IMO.

But I feed just mix nothing else not beet, additives, just damp mix but I have ID's not TB's, and even the ID/TB's get mix.  If you need more umph (SP) then feed competition mix.


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## TGM (22 September 2010)

fitzaud2 said:



			I think that i dont over feed my horses, they get oats, barley, beet pulp and coarse mix, and I do put garlic through there feed. I'm feeling a bit insecure now, am I over feeding???????
		
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Well, I don't know whether you are over-feeding, because I don't know what amounts you are giving and what condition your horses are in.  However, I must say it seems to be a bit of a strange diet if each horse is getting all of those things!  Would make sense to feed either oats OR barley OR coarse mix - not all three at once.


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## maggiesmum (22 September 2010)

My preference is for adlib hay, speedi-beet, alfalfa pellets and soaked whole oats.
It gives good quality fibre and then I can play around with the oat quantity as and when necessary.


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## kirsty 1 (22 September 2010)

i feed my tb x hunter oats ,barley ,sugarbeet and alfalfa and as much hay as she wants but obviously i dont feed that much in the summer as the grass is good and dont want her to get too fat so i dont think that you feed too much


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## JanetGeorge (22 September 2010)

There are hunters - and there are hunters!!  Some horses don't tolerate oats well - and oats give quick release energy (which might mean they buck you off at the Meet - and run out of steam at 3 pm!)  For MOST hunters (excluding 2 horse/days in  fast country) you re often better feeding for SLOW release energy - so your horse behaves at the Meet but is still going at 4pm when you have the best run of the day.

Plenty of good forage - and a choice of - say:  oats balanced with SBP; or a non-heating coarse mix; or a competition mix - depending on breed, type and temperament.  Add a generous quantity of a good quality chaff to prevent bolting of feed if you have a greedy guts, a good min/vit mix, and a good dollop of oil (for coat shine and slow release energy) and that's it.


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## JenHunt (22 September 2010)

I agree with JG - my boy doesn't tolerate starch well at all, so he only gets a handful of oats (soaked!) on top of as much fibre as he'll eat and full fat soya, a balancer and electrolytes.

try this for a description of what I feed.


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## oakash (22 September 2010)

Yes, fibre every time! And there are a v. wide choice of energy levels available in, for eg, Dengie fibre feeds. I don't agree with your old boy - am one myself - feed just behind the work for a safe horse. And if he was Irish I would be LESS inclined to believe him! Sorry,Irish, but some of you still twitch horses on the ear.


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## holiday (22 September 2010)

After working with Masters horses for many years, I found the best to be Alfalfa, barley, a "normal mix", sugar beet, plus adlib haylage.  The looked fantastic, well covered, didnt heat up and could do a full day.  My horses were all in late teens doing two days a week as masters horses and I never had a sick or sorry horse.  However if they werent hunting say due to the weather they were very sharp!!!!!!

This worked for me and our horses however there are many different opinions on feed.


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## LizzieJ (22 September 2010)

Mine hunts twice a week on just Happy Hoof and a few pony nuts!

ets she hunted hounds on the same diet and is now in her 11th season


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## maggiesmum (23 September 2010)

JanetGeorge said:



			There are hunters - and there are hunters!!  Some horses don't tolerate oats well - and oats give quick release energy (which might mean they buck you off at the Meet - and run out of steam at 3 pm!)  For MOST hunters (excluding 2 horse/days in  fast country) you re often better feeding for SLOW release energy - so your horse behaves at the Meet but is still going at 4pm when you have the best run of the day.
		
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Thats why I like the beet and alfalfa pellets as a base, one of mine needs nothing else but the other definitely needs his oats.


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