# What do you feed your horses?



## EquiEquestrian556 (21 November 2014)

Just curious 

My mare is in heavy work, and her winter feeds contain these things: Spillers Cool Mix, Speedi Beet, Just Chop, 
Feedmark's Meadow Blend Seaweed, Soya Oil, Magnesium and electrolytes. She also is turned out in the day, so gets grass, 
and gets two big haynets in the evenings when she comes in 

Other four have similar 'base' feeds (mix, chaff & beet), but different supplements.  

So what do your horses get?


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## JFTDWS (21 November 2014)

I don't do commercial mixes.  Mine get fast fibre and whole oats in winter, electrolytes and magnesium when competing.  Dae just gets FF mostly (turned away over winter) while Fergs gets the rest with his - he's schooling at medium-ish level but is naturally an insanely good do-er.  In the past I've used grass nuts, linseed and barley to keep weight on other horses.


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## NZJenny (22 November 2014)

Lucerne chaff, oats, hemp seed cake, salt, vit/min supplement.  Hay in the winter.


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## lazybee (22 November 2014)

Mixed grazing and hay. No supplements, no additives. Thriving and working full stop.

Why does horse feeding have to be high tech?


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## MillionDollar (22 November 2014)

Some of mine are on Topspec All-In-One, Graze On and Sugarbeet (and Topspec Turbo when needed), others are just on a fibre nut which has vits/mins included and then others (not in work) are just on grass/hay. All of mine are on ad-lib hay when in.


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## Moya_999 (22 November 2014)

EquiEquestrian556 said:



			Just curious 

My mare is in heavy work, and her winter feeds contain these things: Spillers Cool Mix, Speedi Beet, Just Chop, 
Feedmark's Meadow Blend Seaweed, Soya Oil, Magnesium and electrolytes. She also is turned out in the day, so gets grass, 
and gets two big haynets in the evenings when she comes in 

Other four have similar 'base' feeds (mix, chaff & beet), but different supplements.  

So what do your horses get?
		
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fibergy - nut- fast fibre. No mixes i will not give them any of that supplements too


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## ellie11987 (22 November 2014)

Mine gets 2 scoops Alfa A Oil, 3 mugs Topspec Comprehensive balancer and 2 mugs linseed split between two feeds. She also gets a double handful of chaff before work. When she is in harder work she gets up to 1.5 scoops of rolled oats.


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## Silmarillion (22 November 2014)

Mine both get Speedi-Beet, Formula 4 Feet, a handful of Dengie HiFi molasses free, and salt. One gets MSM. The other has Superflex, and linseed. Both ridden once a week over winter, and live out with hay.


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## PolarSkye (22 November 2014)

Nothing!  He lives on rainbow sparkles, unicorn breath and turmeric - plenty of turmeric.

Tongue in cheek?  Just a little.  But really, the feed companies make such outlandish claims that the above could be true.

Feeding correctly isn't hard.  High fibre/forage (as in good quality hay/haylage/grazing), and (if necessary) a bucket feed that is also forage-based and is low in sugar (artificial or otherwise), low in starch (ditto) and appropriate supplements to support joints (in older or otherwise compromised) horses, etc.  

Horses don't need mixes  (since when did horses need to eat "extruded" corn/maize and peas and carrots?).  They don't need molasses.  They probably shouldn't have soya.  Oil is good, fibre is good . . . anything that supports growth of cartilage/horn/skin/coat in a natural way is probably fine.  All the rest is feed company spin/flim flam designed to get you to part with your money.

Rant over

P


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## apachediamond (22 November 2014)

Haylage, grass, fast fibre, speedibeet and hifi original.  He's in light to medium work and a good doer.  He won't have anything added like mixes, just amounts increased if it turns colder and he drops more than I'd like.


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## Arizahn (22 November 2014)

From October to the end of March mine have about half a kilogram (when soaked) each per day of well soaked plain beet pulp with a handful of whole oats, linseed oil and apple cider vinegar, along with ad-lib hay (round bale feeder) and any grass they can find. During April to the end of September they have whatever grass and hedgerow stuff that the sheep leave for them, and do far too well on that anyhow. No supplements at all, aside from a salt lick in their stable. I make sure that they are never without forage, so ad-lib hay if kept in for any reason, but I prefer to keep them out 24/7 year round.


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## EquiEquestrian556 (22 November 2014)

PolarSkye said:



			Nothing!  He lives on rainbow sparkles, unicorn breath and turmeric - plenty of turmeric.

Tongue in cheek?  Just a little.  But really, the feed companies make such outlandish claims that the above could be true.

Feeding correctly isn't hard.  High fibre/forage (as in good quality hay/haylage/grazing), and (if necessary) a bucket feed that is also forage-based and is low in sugar (artificial or otherwise), low in starch (ditto) and appropriate supplements to support joints (in older or otherwise compromised) horses, etc.  

Horses don't need mixes  (since when did horses need to eat "extruded" corn/maize and peas and carrots?).  They don't need molasses.  They probably shouldn't have soya.  Oil is good, fibre is good . . . anything that supports growth of cartilage/horn/skin/coat in a natural way is probably fine.  All the rest is feed company spin/flim flam designed to get you to part with your money.

Rant over

P
		
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I don't feed my horses molasses. Nor peas, or corn or maize and they have the very occasional carrot. Soya oil is a high energy, and supports skin, coat and hoof quality.


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## skint1 (22 November 2014)

My gelding is retired, my mare is in light hacking only.  
Both have:
Fast Fibre, chaff, Horse First Keep Me Sound General Supplement - and then a range of of other supplements.
They graze during the day and have ad lib haylage at night.


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## Kacey88 (22 November 2014)

Ad lib hay/grazing and a scoop of sloppy speedi beet with micronised linseed and a copper supplement (we are lacking). 

I add more linseed if needed. Nice and simple. Not to mention cheap!


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## thatsmygirl (22 November 2014)

EquiEquestrian556 said:



			I don't feed my horses molasses. Nor peas, or corn or maize and they have the very occasional carrot. Soya oil is a high energy, and supports skin, coat and hoof quality.[/QUOTE

Horse mixes will inclu most of these things and are totally un natural for horses to eat
		
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## Ditchjumper2 (22 November 2014)

Alfa A, oat straw chop, oats and nuts.


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## PorkChop (22 November 2014)

Ad-lib hay/haylage/grass and Simple Systems Lucie Pellets, all in medium work.


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## EquiEquestrian556 (22 November 2014)

thatsmygirl said:





EquiEquestrian556 said:



			I don't feed my horses molasses. Nor peas, or corn or maize and they have the very occasional carrot. Soya oil is a high energy, and supports skin, coat and hoof quality.[/QUOTE

Horse mixes will inclu most of these things and are totally un natural for horses to eat
		
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The ingredients in the mix I feed my horses does not.
		
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## Charlie007 (22 November 2014)

One off games till spring, good doer. Other ex racehorse just starting his retraining, both on adlib hay 24/7. Out during day. Spillers conditioning fibre and oil. Both looking a picture of health.


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## PolarSkye (22 November 2014)

EquiEquestrian556 said:





thatsmygirl said:



			The ingredients in the mix I feed my horses does not.
		
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What mix do you feed?

P
		
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## EquiEquestrian556 (22 November 2014)

PolarSkye said:





EquiEquestrian556 said:



			What mix do you feed?

P
		
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As I said in my first post, Spillers Cool Mix. I do know what horses should and shouldn't have in their feeds (i.e. peas, maize or corn etc.), hence why I feed some of our horses this mix.
		
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## Equi (22 November 2014)

Grass and hay. They all get a handfull of meal (little ones on a cool n cooked and mare on a pasture mix) and a handful of dengie hifi lite. All in light work


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## PolarSkye (22 November 2014)

EquiEquestrian556 said:





PolarSkye said:



			As I said in my first post, Spillers Cool Mix. I do know what horses should and shouldn't have, hence why I feed some of our horses this mix.
		
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Good for you.   I wouldn't feed mixes to a goat - and they'll eat anything.

P
		
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## MyDogIsAnIdiot (22 November 2014)

Grass. Maybe an eggcup amount of Fast Fibre if she's having her hoof supplement, though the dozy sod will lick it off my hand so don't tend to bother now.

She's got a massive variety of grasses, flowers, hedgerows, trees, bracken, nettles etc to eat and tends to eat a bit (lot) of everything.

Any sort of mixes send her into orbit so I avoid all hard feed now.


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## JFTDWS (22 November 2014)

PolarSkye said:



			Good for you.   I wouldn't feed mixes to a goat - and they'll eat anything.

P
		
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+1.


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## paulineh (22 November 2014)

Twice a year I do soil testing as at different times of the year there can be certain thing missing in the ground. I have a balance of vitamins and minerals made up that complement those that are low.  

My horses are also blood tested twice a year to make sure that everything is okay and balanced and they are not lacking anything. Also horses of different ages need different requirements. 

They have a forage based feed with grass nuts and Sugar beet plus the Vit/min mix. When working hard they will get some oats.


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## Doormouse (22 November 2014)

EquiEquestrian556 said:





PolarSkye said:



			As I said in my first post, Spillers Cool Mix. I do know what horses should and shouldn't have in their feeds (i.e. peas, maize or corn etc.), hence why I feed some of our horses this mix.
		
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Just been trying to look up the ingredients in Spillers Cool Mix, I can see that the starch content is 20% and as far as I am aware starch is not great for horses. I also found some info on Spillers Cool Concentrate that said 15% flaked maize, 6% peas etc etc? I would be astonished if their cool mix didn't contain both of these as well.
		
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## Nudibranch (22 November 2014)

Grass, hay and a scoop of alfalfa chaff for their Pro Balance; our grazing is magesium deficient. They also have a Rockies mag lick. Admittedly the new TB arrived very thin and with a dull coat so he has micronised linseed too but really the grass is filling him out nicely.


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## druid (23 November 2014)

Ad-lib Haylage, 3-4kg of Alfalfa hay (one flake), 2kg of Saracen Releve, 1kg of Alfa-A, 750g Outshine, salt.


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## EquiEquestrian556 (23 November 2014)

Doormouse said:





EquiEquestrian556 said:



			Just been trying to look up the ingredients in Spillers Cool Mix, I can see that the starch content is 20% and as far as I am aware starch is not great for horses. I also found some info on Spillers Cool Concentrate that said 15% flaked maize, 6% peas etc etc? I would be astonished if their cool mix didn't contain both of these as well.
		
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I can't see any peas or corn in it. Can I just say that when I say I feed them Spillers Cool Mix, I think people think that I'm giving them 2 scoops of it, however, my mare gets a sprinkle of it, about a quarter of a VERY small scoop. It's not like she's having loads of it, as I too think that fibre is much more important than 'hard feed'. She has a lot more Just Chop & Speedi-Beet in her bucket than the Cool Mix.
		
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## EquiEquestrian556 (23 November 2014)

PolarSkye said:





EquiEquestrian556 said:



			Good for you.   I wouldn't feed mixes to a goat - and they'll eat anything.

P
		
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Can I just say, that when I say I feed some of our horses Spillers Cool Mix, I think people think that I'm giving them 2 scoops of it (or something to that extent), however, my mare literally just gets a sprinkle of it, about a third of a VERY small scoop. It's not like she's having loads of it, as I too think that fibre is much more important than 'hard feed'. She has a lot more Just Chop & Speedi-Beet in her bucket than Cool Mix.
		
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## Slave2Magic (23 November 2014)

My 2 have ad lib haylage, ready grass, speedi beet and micronised linseed. My mare also has brewers yeast and magnesium oxide.


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## Supertrooper (23 November 2014)

One high fibre equi blox in am (1kg) and a small amount of high fibre Horsehage pm, he's out unruggged 24/7 on two acres of poor grazing


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## Leo Walker (23 November 2014)

I'm just changing over from fast fibre to copra. He gets a small handful dry weight, a small handful of graze on, 1/4 round scoop of oats, 50gms linseed, 40gms salt, magnesium, and a mineral balancer. He gets a couple of scoops of graze on in a trug, and ad lib hay, although this year he has finally learnt to moderate his eating and is eating a sensible amount. He looks pretty good, and feels pretty good too


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## Cortez (23 November 2014)

Hay. And grass.


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## PolarSkye (23 November 2014)

EquiEquestrian556 said:





Doormouse said:



			I can't see any peas or corn in it. Can I just say that when I say I feed them Spillers Cool Mix, I think people think that I'm giving them 2 scoops of it, however, my mare gets a sprinkle of it, about a quarter of a VERY small scoop. It's not like she's having loads of it, as I too think that fibre is much more important than 'hard feed'. She has a lot more Just Chop & Speedi-Beet in her bucket than the Cool Mix.
		
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http://www.britskakrmiva.cz/fotky17631/fotos/_vyrd11_10cool-mix.jpg

See those golden flakes?  That's extruded corn/maize.  

I do have another question, though - what do you class as "hard" work?  I'm only asking because it is pertinent to what you should be feeding (along with type of horse/metabolism, type and quality of grazing, type and quality of other forage, whether she lives in or out, how long she is stabled for and when, if she is clipped, how she is rugged, etc.)  To me, hard work means top level competition - eventing, endurance, racing, pointing.  My own horse works six days a week - varied work (so hacking, schooling, pole work, lunging) - for an average of 40 minutes a day (longer if hacking) and I'd say he is only in light to medium work.

P
		
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## meesha (23 November 2014)

One mug topspec lite morning and night plus handful chaff at night to hide synequin joint supplement.  AdLib Haylage


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## EquiEquestrian556 (23 November 2014)

PolarSkye said:





EquiEquestrian556 said:



http://www.britskakrmiva.cz/fotky17631/fotos/_vyrd11_10cool-mix.jpg

See those golden flakes?  That's extruded corn/maize.  

I do have another question, though - what do you class as "hard" work?  I'm only asking because it is pertinent to what you should be feeding (along with type of horse/metabolism, type and quality of grazing, type and quality of other forage, whether she lives in or out, how long she is stabled for and when, if she is clipped, how she is rugged, etc.)  To me, hard work means top level competition - eventing, endurance, racing, pointing.  My own horse works six days a week - varied work (so hacking, schooling, pole work, lunging) - for an average of 40 minutes a day (longer if hacking) and I'd say he is only in light to medium work.

P
		
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OK, sorry, now I see that it has corn in it  

She hunts every weekend all day with bloodhounds, and also sometimes competes at weekends if a meet has been cancelled, is ridden 6 to 7 days a week for 3 to 4 hours, including schooling for 2 hours, jumping up to 1.05m mostly for about an hour & a half, hacking for 2 hours+ etc. (she events and competes very regularly in the spring & summer).

To me, she is in hard work. She is in at night and is hunter clipped, she wears heavyweight rugs. The grazing at this time of year is poor to average, as with many pastures at this time of year  

As I know my own horse, I have chosen a diet that is good for her individual needs. It works for her, she is happy and very healthy, so I don't see why I should change that. The vet & farrier both think she is looking great too. 


I didn't really ask people if they think what I'm feeding her is correct for her though, so please could I ask that we end this discussion 

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## Auslander (23 November 2014)

EquiEquestrian556 said:



			ridden 6 to 7 days a week for 3 to 4 hours, including schooling for 2 hours, jumping up to 1.05m mostly for about an hour & a half, hacking for 2 hours+ etc
		
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That's a typo right? Quite apart from it being way too much schooling/jumping for any horse, how on earth do you find the time?

I used to work with international three day event horses who did less work than that in the run up to Badminton!


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## saddlesore (23 November 2014)

Grass, hay, haylage, mollichop  hoof kind and protexin.


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## GermanyJo (23 November 2014)

24 hour access to haylage, staypower cubes, build and glow, pro hoof and salt


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## EquiEquestrian556 (23 November 2014)

Auslander said:



			That's a typo right? Quite apart from it being way too much schooling/jumping for any horse, how on earth do you find the time?

I used to work with international three day event horses who did less work than that in the run up to Badminton!
		
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Oops, yes it was a HUGE typo :'P Ridden 5 to 6 days a week, for 2 to 3 hours, schooling for 1 hour, jumping up to 1.05m for 30 to 45 mins and hacking for 2+ hours at walk, trot and sometime a canter in the fields (not all in one day obviously) And also does regular galloping once or twice a week!  Thanks for correcting me haha


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## xgemmax (23 November 2014)

1/2 scoop hifi unmollassed, small scoop micronised linseed, turmeric, pepper and equinatural minerals


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## lurcherlu (23 November 2014)

2 kg dry weight power and performance split into two feeds and a scoop of barley each feed , some yeast , salt and turmeric , a pinch of fenugreek and a mug of linseed . 4 year old appyx Welsh , was at peak fitness ridden 5-6 days a week hacking , hunting , show jumping all mixed up , stamina of an Arab but never sparkly enough so put her on power and performance and tadah a sparkly sane horse, managing to keep her bsrefoot too


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## PolarSkye (23 November 2014)

To answer your original question:  micronised linseed, Copra, Dodson & Horrell ERS Pellets, a molasses free chaff (although I'm knocking that on the head when we run out - he gets enough fibre), pure MSM.  

I feed the ERS Pellets because they are very low in starch, high in fibre and oil and have some added goodies like electrolytes, lysine, selenium, calcium and magnesium.  

Also ad lib hay (and haylage in the winter) - fed from the floor - and good, old-style pasture (was used for cattle many years ago, has never been sprayed or fertilized and is full of lovely herbs and grass mixes).

P


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## Stormynight (23 November 2014)

Safe & Sound, and Spillers Lite balancer. Ad-lib hay. No real purpose to the feed other than to pump some vitamins into him, and keep him happy at feed time


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## NellRosk (24 November 2014)

Alfa A molasses free, speedi beet, pro balance (vit and min supplement), brewers yeast, micro linseed and turmeric for my older horse. Oh and salt. Fat one gets hay, young one gets ad lib haylage and they're both turned out in a field with not a lot of grass every day.


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## NU ABO (24 November 2014)

18yo Ridden/Competition good-doer horse in medium work gets (in one feed):
-1 Stubbs Scoop Dengie Hi-Fi Original (Autumn/Winter) OR half a Stubbs Scoop Hi-Fi Good Doers (Spring/Summer)
-250g (one measure cup) TopSpec Lite Balancer
-Handful of TopSpec FibrePlus Cubes
-10g Bespoke joint supplement from Hack-Up

My ISH Yearling gets (in one feed):
-Half or less of a stubbs scoop Hi Fi Original (Autumn/Winter)
-One level cup of Dodson&Horrell Yearling cubes (technically designed for TB yearlings, but he's got 3/4 TB in him so close enough)
-Small scoop of TopSpec FibrePlus cubes

Both of them are fed twice a day, given a pile of haylage each twice a day and are turned out in (as of recently) quite bare field 24/7

At the moment they both look happy and healthy and I'm pleased with their condition going into winter. If baby horse gets a bit podgy I'm planning to take out the HiFi chaff, but at the moment everything's fine *touch wood*


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## Lucyad (24 November 2014)

2/3 scoop speedy-beet (dry volume), 2/3 scoop of calm and condition (dry volume), soaked, 2/3 scoop of alfalfa pellets (dry volume), all soaked, with linseed oil, turmeric, Cosequin and pro balance + vits and minerals.  makes a big bucket, but he picks at it all night when in, and won't eat breakfast. 1 large hay nets overnight (gets 2, eats half of each).  Sparse grass in winter during the day, so gets hay in the field as well. 

In summer, grass, and a smaller version of the above feed - but with all the supplements and vits/mins in it.

I have added oats in the past - not sure if they might help him hold weight, as he has a tendency to drop off a bit over winter.


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## ilvpippa (26 November 2014)

Mines on 2 handfuls on mollichaff veteran. Cup of top spec cool balancer @ topspec calmer. She is on this throughout winter & then nothing apart from a token feed in summer whilist her field mate gets hers 
She's a 15.2 tb


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## amandaco2 (28 November 2014)

the PSG dr horse gets copra cool, soaked whole oats, grass nuts (for flavour to get him to eat it all) and pro balance plus and salt. a good 3 nets of hay per day at the moment. gets worked 6x week.

the 2 mares at ele to medium get the same as above but less quantity, except the hay... work 6 days per week.

old retired mare hacking 1x week gets a small amount of copra and grass nuts, plus the salt and pro balance and hay of course.

all happily working BF.

once they move onto the 10 acres around xmas they will get no hay unless they somehow run out of grass and reduced amount of bucket feeding.


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## amandaco2 (28 November 2014)

MDIAI-
i always thought bracken was poisonous for horses?!


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## EquiEquestrian556 (28 November 2014)

amandaco2 said:



			MDIAI-
i always thought bracken was poisonous for horses?!
		
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Who are you talking to???


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## ihatework (28 November 2014)

11yo, 16.2hh Medium dressage horse, ridden 5/6 times a week (moderate work).
Grass during day, late cut meadow hay overnight. Handful of dengie healthy tummy with equimins advance pellets & protexin acid ease am &pm.

20yo retired TB type. Lives out at grass, topped up with hay in mid winter. Small amount of fast fibre once a day just to carry his prascend.


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