# Feeding Barley - How do you cook yours?...



## Chloe_GHE (6 December 2010)

My instructor has suggested I try feeding my boys Barley, pop a cup in the slow cooker in the morning and then they can have a mug full added to their feed at night.

She said it is really good for fattening (much needed quality for slinky tbs!) and is also pretty cheep (also good feature as they recently ate a bag of Baileys No4 each last week!!!!!!!)

I know it's fairly unusual for peeps to feed straights theses days, so anyone feed Barley?... any stories to tell, horses go mad/itchy/colicy on it?....

Barley better than Linseed?... Advice needed really, have a slow cooker being given to me so just need to buy the grub and get cooking!!!!

Oh also massive thanks to the HHOer who suggested Zoflora to me, have blogged about it and my other 'money saving tip' on my blog see here - http://www.gifthorseeventing.co.uk/2010/12/false-economy-bad-smells.html

hot choc and thermal socks for all contributors


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## K27 (6 December 2010)

I'm rubbish at cooking so probably not the best person to advise!, I've never fed  home cooked Barley, but it is very very good for adding condition and a shiny coat- quite a few years ago I used to feed my old SJ pony Oats and Barley Rings that you soak, when she was in hard work and it really did keep the condition on , she loved eating it and as you say, it is a cheaper way of feeding them too.

Some (but not all) horses can be allergic to barley- itchy  lumpy skin/hives and can get swollen hind legs or they can get a bit over the top on it- I have one who I cannot feed barley too as he gets too sharp on it,  you would just know if it wasn't suiting your horse or they were allergic to it.

Thats a really good idea though, to put it in the slow cooker!-


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## kez1001 (6 December 2010)

good and bad things to say about cooked barley!

the good - does put the weight on and is quite cheap, though (probably dont need to say this) watch it doesnt unbalance what you are already feeding

the bad - unfortunately it does tend to blow some of their brains a bit, i think people say to cook it to get rid of the starch but if you boil rice it still has the starch - not a good comparison - sorry think the snow has froze my brain we have just had another foot fall up here argh 

my TB has got through a bag of conditioning cubes this week so know how you feel! I have a big bag of readi grass so have been giving him a bucket to munch overnight, though he is a grubber and the human equivilant of a person with hollow legs lol 
will be interested to here others experiences.


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## ihatework (6 December 2010)

I'm not sure why you would go to the hassle of cooking the barley, especially when the barley rings are realtively cheap and have linseed as well. Maybe I'm just lazy 

http://www.dodsonandhorrell.com/products/horse-ranges/weight-condition/barley-rings.html


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## TGM (6 December 2010)

I used to boil barley in the old days, but if I feed it now I just use micronised flaked barley - I can get it in 25kg sacks which work out really cost-effective.  One of my old horses did use to get skin lumps when fed it, but others have been fine. 

Linseed is probably better though, as low in starch, less likelihood of allergies, gives a fabulous shine and lots of good Omega 3s.  (But again easier to buy ready micronised these days).


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## NR99 (6 December 2010)

Another fan of Supa Barley Rings, when mine had to live out as stable build was delayed I gave them these and they looked super on them, did not hot up and it made me feel better soon as they were getting something warm  Sad I know, they probably didn't care if the food was hot or cold as long as there was plenty of it!


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## juliap (6 December 2010)

Does the micronised barley have the potential to hot up horses - I'd love my boy to be a bit less laid back - he's a v good doer so have to be careful how much he eats - he managed to put on weight despite being out in these temps just because he had a lot of haylage out in the field.

Oats do nothing to fizz him up. Have tried NAF energy which helped a little.


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## Steeleydan (6 December 2010)

Yes you can do boiled barley in a slow cooker. Iam not a great fan of it and have never really bothered with it, only when I worked in hunting and boss insisted on it. I think it does nothing if you look at the horses' droppings the next day, they are full of it and it looks exactly the same as when it went in, so they dont even digest it.
There are far better and easier thing to feed to get weight on.


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## Daddy_Long_Legs (6 December 2010)

I use micronised barley! Swear by the stuff and it's very reasonable. We feed it to 3 horses and it doesn't hot them up at all.


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## Chloe_GHE (6 December 2010)

Hhhhmmm mixed responses.....

I'm using straights because have been advised that barley rings are not as good
Apparently it needs to be cooked all day so that it is fully broken down so that they can digest it all, and as a result you shouldn't see it in the droppings as it should be totally digested

Fingers crossed what everyone said about it being fattening works as Soap has a show champ in March and he looks more like a whippet than a show horse atm!!!!!

I hope they don't go loopy on it! eeeeeeke


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## TGM (6 December 2010)

Chloe_GHE said:



			I hope they don't go loopy on it! eeeeeeke
		
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If you are worried about whether it will make them loopy, then linseed would be a better bet!


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## Tnavas (6 December 2010)

I gave up boiling barley when the Steam flake variety came on the market . The smell the mess and the power it used really didn't save me much. MIne all get barley when I am feeding - which I don't often do these days. Fresh ground Linseed for the oils & Omegas.

For TB's it is great for plumping them up and I've not usually found thatit hypes them up - being out 24/7 generally keeps a TB sane and happy.


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## kez1001 (6 December 2010)

correct me if im wrong but does soya oil not have more energy than linseed??


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## Shazzababs (6 December 2010)

Soaked barley rings are great.  

Used to feed them to my TB instead of sugar beet in the winter.

Current horse is a good doer, so doesn't get let within 100yds of a barley ring.


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## Orangehorse (6 December 2010)

It is a rather old fashioned idea, to give boilded barley once a week to keep condition on.  I can remember some hunt horses having trouble with internal fat from being fed too much boiled barley (I think they died) and don't hear about it much now.

I can remember having a large saucepan of boiling barley on the stove one day and I was going through a "healthy wholefood" diet at the time for he family.  My OH came into the kitchen and saw this saucepan bubbling away and said "Oh no, that's not our dinner is it?"  I eased off the wholefood after that, poor chap.


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## Jane_Lou (6 December 2010)

I used to boil barley but now use the mincronised flaked and barley rings with as much success and not nearly as much mess! 

The Zoflora was my tip - nearly everyone in our indoor barn used it now - its brilliant isn't it!


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## pinktiger (6 December 2010)

Chloe_GHE said:



			Hhhhmmm mixed responses.....

I'm using straights because have been advised that barley rings are not as good
Apparently it needs to be cooked all day so that it is fully broken down so that they can digest it all, and as a result you shouldn't see it in the droppings as it should be totally digested

Fingers crossed what everyone said about it being fattening works as Soap has a show champ in March and he looks more like a whippet than a show horse atm!!!!!

I hope they don't go loopy on it! eeeeeeke
		
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im trying not to hijack your post chloe but i have a slinky TB and he needs fattening up but i have to be really careful he gets illuminated on sugarbeet, so hes on firbre first a&P and calm and condition does anyone have any recomendations on feed to fatten,,,, but deffo  not blow brains????????????


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## Chloe_GHE (6 December 2010)

Argh just read that uncooked Linseed it poisonous! I didn't know that, think I may try Barley first because being on a livery yard you never know what might happen if people don't realise what the feed is etc....


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## star (6 December 2010)

barley rings always worked well for me.


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## wench (6 December 2010)

Trigger was on barley over summer when YO was trying to fatten him up. It did bugger all apart from send him loopy.

Henry was fine on it when he was alive!


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## TGM (6 December 2010)

Chloe_GHE said:



			Argh just read that uncooked Linseed it poisonous! I didn't know that, think I may try Barley first because being on a livery yard you never know what might happen if people don't realise what the feed is etc....
		
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You can buy micronised (ie precooked) linseed, if that is your worry.  (Although the subject of whether uncooked linseed is poisonous is rather a hot potato - been lots of debates over it on t'internet.)


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## TGM (6 December 2010)

ORANGEHORSE said:



			It is a rather old fashioned idea, to give boilded barley once a week to keep condition on.  I can remember some hunt horses having trouble with internal fat from being fed too much boiled barley (I think they died) and don't hear about it much now.
		
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TBH, that is not a problem specific to barley itself.  Any feed fed to excess can cause a horse to lay down too much fat, which can cause all sorts of problems (laminitis being one of them).


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## TGM (6 December 2010)

kez1001 said:



			correct me if im wrong but does soya oil not have more energy than linseed??
		
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Any of the pure liquid vegetable-based oils (eg soya oil, linseed oil, rapeseed oil, corn oil) will have more calories (ie digestible energy) than whole linseed.  However a lot of horses can be fussy about pure oil in their feed, so then high-oil feeds like whole linseed can be useful.  Whole linseed also contains quite a bit of protein, which isn't present in pure oil.


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## Baydale (6 December 2010)

Chloe_GHE said:



			My instructor has suggested I try feeding my boys Barley, pop a cup in the slow cooker in the morning and then they can have a mug full added to their feed at night.

She said it is really good for fattening (much needed quality for slinky tbs!) and is also pretty cheep (also good feature as they recently ate a bag of Baileys No4 each last week!!!!!!!)

I know it's fairly unusual for peeps to feed straights theses days, so anyone feed Barley?... any stories to tell, horses go mad/itchy/colicy on it?....

Barley better than Linseed?... Advice needed really, have a slow cooker being given to me so just need to buy the grub and get cooking!!!!
		
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Old Person Alert! 

Will keep it simple as don't want to get drawn into new-fangled vs old style feeding systems, - we feed all ours boiled barley and linseed from Opening Meet to the end of the hunting season. For 12 horses (yep, the Baydale eventers get it too, even though they don't hunt - didn't want to start a riot ) I soak a scoop of whole barley and 1/3 scoop linseed in the morning, put it on to cook at teatime and voila, it's done by morning and ready to be mixed into their evening feeds. It bulks up a lot so I'd say each gets about half a jug (3/4 pint) of the gooey soup-ey stuff.

Here endeth the post of an old-person-with-very-fat-and-shiny-ponies.


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## OneInAMillion (6 December 2010)

From my personal experience it sent our horses wild! They were turned out 24/7 so it wasn't stored up energy!


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## kez1001 (6 December 2010)

TGM said:



			Any of the pure liquid vegetable-based oils (eg soya oil, linseed oil, rapeseed oil, corn oil) will have more calories (ie digestible energy) than whole linseed.  However a lot of horses can be fussy about pure oil in their feed, so then high-oil feeds like whole linseed can be useful.  Whole linseed also contains quite a bit of protein, which isn't present in pure oil.
		
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ah thank you 

had a dumb bimbo moment there and thought OP was talking about linseed oil! feeding my boy soya oil at the moment and just wondered if i would be better swapping to linseed. Though as already mentioned he eats "like a horse" lol but is putting weight on slowly which i guess is good as he is full TB and it it minus 10 up here!


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## help1 (6 December 2010)

Got to say we have fed linseed and boiled barley glupe for years - never sent anything loopy and all looked well in their coats. It was especially good for fussy pointers who were racing. We haven't fed it to the rather rotund WBs they are resembling v shiny hippos already! 

Right off to make my wisp and practice my thatching whilst making a few haynets from old bailer twine................old v old!

ETA Whatever you do don't let it boil over its a complete nightmare to clean up - turns to superglue like concrete substance


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## Baydale (6 December 2010)

help1 said:



			Got to say we have fed linseed and boiled barley glupe for years - never sent anything loopy and all looked well in their coats. It was especially good for fussy pointers who were racing. We haven't fed it to the rather rotund WBs they are resembling v shiny hippos already! 

Right off to make my wisp and practice my thatching whilst making a few haynets from old bailer twine................old v old!

ETA Whatever you do don't let it boil over its a complete nightmare to clean up - turns to superglue like concrete substance
		
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I was going to quote from the Manual of Horsemanship - "feed according to the work done" - it shouldn't send anything mental if it's getting enough work. I'd rather feed barley than sugar beet as I think it can make them stuffy and thick in their wind if they're doing fast work; don't know why that is, no doubt there are feed experts here that will tell me.

Just off to find more blankets to put under my jute rugs as it's parky out there tonight.


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## Baydale (6 December 2010)

Doh.


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## Britestar (6 December 2010)

If you ar worried about fizzing them up, you could tried cooked soya meal. Inexpensive, and works a treat. I used to get it from the local farm merchants.


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## seabsicuit2 (6 December 2010)

Sounds good! Where can you buy 'grains' from these days?


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## help1 (6 December 2010)

Baydale said:



			I was going to quote from the Manual of Horsemanship - "feed according to the work done" - it shouldn't send anything mental if it's getting enough work. I'd rather feed barley than sugar beet as I think it can make them stuffy and thick in their wind if they're doing fast work; don't know why that is, no doubt there are feed experts here that will tell me.

Just off to find more blankets to put under my jute rugs as it's parky out there tonight.

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Hmmmm just don't forget to dry off those new zealands while you at it and limber up your muscles ready for the heinous amount of strapping you need to do tomorrow!!


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## Baydale (6 December 2010)

help1 said:



			Hmmmm just don't forget to dry off those new zealands while you at it and limber up your muscles ready for the heinous amount of strapping you need to do tomorrow!!

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Good point, who needs gym membership when there's strapping to be done?  *Baydale sighs wistfully, remembering the old days*


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## Tnavas (7 December 2010)

Chloe_GHE said:



			Argh just read that uncooked Linseed it poisonous! I didn't know that, think I may try Barley first because being on a livery yard you never know what might happen if people don't realise what the feed is etc....
		
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Only poisonous if fed in large quantities. 1 cupful a day freshly ground is fine - you get all the benefits of the Omega oils for joints and a shiny coat as well. I have a small coffee grinder it's brilliant at grinding linseed.


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## Tnavas (7 December 2010)

Baydale said:



			Good point, who needs gym membership when there's strapping to be done?  *Baydale sighs wistfully, remembering the old days*

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Baydale - I remember the good old days when nothing was bathed and we brushed the dirt out with the body brush at least 45mins a day and our horses gleamed then work banging muscles with a damped wisp - that was if your horse hadn't scoffed it! A hose pipe on the yard was non existent. Always felt sorry for the people looking after greys as they would rush around all day clutching their bucket, water brush and stable rubber - we were not allowed stable stains on any horse ever! - then work banging muscles with a damped wisp

Our horses ate crushed grain, maybe whole oats, ate boiled barley and linseed in bran on the night before their day off. Were fed unsoaked hay - in haynets. We used to get the waste stuff from the Horlicks factory - our horses and ponies had this in their feed by the scoop full - mostly sugars and malted grains - no one got laminitis - because they were worked according to their feed and fed according to their work load. Along with sugarbeet, (in answer to your musing - sugarbeet retains a lot of water and is high in fibre so bulks up the intestines so may cause them to be a bit stuffy - great for endurance horses not so good for racehorses) 

They had shoes on - all four feet - were trotted daily mostly on the roads for an hour each day - heaven forbid and generally stayed sound and fit. They didn't eat processed feeds so didn't get allergies and head shaking. We hacked to many shows and rarely used the indoor arena - it was boring - far more fun to hack out or school in the field.

My pony a New Forest was never hard fed in all the years I had her. She lived out uncovered 24/7, I'd get her out of her field at 5:30 in the morning, ride 15miles to my friends place. We'd have a break then go for a ride in Black Park for a couple of hours and then I'd ride home again - often get home at 6 or 7 in the evening. One time at a show the vet judging remarked on what a fit pony she was.


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## Chloe_GHE (7 December 2010)

Firstly thanks TGM for the useful advice 



Baydale said:



			Old Person Alert! 

Will keep it simple as don't want to get drawn into new-fangled vs old style feeding systems, - we feed all ours boiled barley and linseed from Opening Meet to the end of the hunting season. For 12 horses (yep, the Baydale eventers get it too, even though they don't hunt - didn't want to start a riot ) I soak a scoop of whole barley and 1/3 scoop linseed in the morning, put it on to cook at teatime and voila, it's done by morning and ready to be mixed into their evening feeds. It bulks up a lot so I'd say each gets about half a jug (3/4 pint) of the gooey soup-ey stuff.

Here endeth the post of an old-person-with-very-fat-and-shiny-ponies.

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Baydale do you know the 1st thought I had when Amanda said 'feed them Barley they will get fat and shiny' was of your boys!  I had an inkling you must have some sort of old school secrets to be able to keep tbs in such good condition! I have just (last 2 weeks) swapped from copra meal back to speedi beet, have upped their bailey topline cubes, and moved them onto HiFi lite, and into that mix I'm gonna add a balancer for Soap and Barley for both in their suppers. I am officially on a 'feed offensive' and determined to have the plumpest looking eventer turned show horse at our ROR champs in March! 

I'm hoping with all this rocket fuel they won't go loco, they are pretty sensible 90% of the time (I may live to regret this comment!)

We will just have to wait and see, look out for a blog post about it, I'm gonna get geeky and weigh them to do before and afters, the opposite of fat fighters......flab finders!


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## WellyBaggins (7 December 2010)

Slightly off point but I can recommend the Baileys Performance Balancer, my TB is like Brick **** house after being on that stuff for just over a month, I add a cup to his normal feed and he has grown about a hand in ALL directions   He was on SB, chop, outshine and Flaked Barley but the barley blew his brains, lots of waving of the front legs  so swapped the barley for the balancer  = FATTY!


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## Chloe_GHE (7 December 2010)

emmyc said:



			Slightly off point but I can recommend the Baileys Performance Balancer, my TB is like Brick **** house after being on that stuff for just over a month, I add a cup to his normal feed and he has grown about a hand in ALL directions   He was on SB, chop, outshine and Flaked Barley but the barley blew his brains, lots of waving of the front legs  so swapped the barley for the balancer  = FATTY!
		
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I'm so glad you said that I bought a bag last night!


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## WellyBaggins (7 December 2010)

I hope it works as well for you as it has for me


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## Daddy_Long_Legs (7 December 2010)

Must try the Balancer Performer! 

Do you feed that aswell as outshine?


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## WellyBaggins (7 December 2010)

Yes, I feed 1 cup of Outshine and 1 cup if the Performance balancer (plus SB and Chop). Horse looked good on the outshine, looks AMAZING on both!


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## Daddy_Long_Legs (7 December 2010)

Great thanks for that!


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## WellyBaggins (7 December 2010)

NP


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## Baydale (7 December 2010)

You can tell me to shut up if you like, but I reckon you can get the same results ie. round and shiny ponies  on just soaked oats, Alfa Oil and cooked barley or sugar beet. Ok, so your feed merchant may not love you so much but you'll have more money to spend on lessons and entries.


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## Ditchjumper2 (7 December 2010)

Baydale said:



			You can tell me to shut up if you like, but I reckon you can get the same results ie. round and shiny ponies  on just soaked oats, Alfa Oil and cooked barley or sugar beet. Ok, so your feed merchant may not love you so much but you'll have more money to spend on lessons and entries. 

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I quite agree!  Not a regular so don't know which version of the dreaded cancer you have, but would like to wish you well.  You sound like a "half full" rather than a "half empty"  sort of person so that is half the battle....had it 10 yrs ago and still here and hopefully there will be a few more years.  Good luck


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## loobylu (7 December 2010)

Agreed on not being the feedman's best friend. Inexperienced, but well meaning and hard working, fellow livery was concerned that her cob was being awfully silly on his chaff and handful of cheap nuts so went to ask advice. She came back with 'cool mix' and 'cool' chaff. . . .


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## Orangehorse (7 December 2010)

Re the comment about any food leading to internal fat.  That is true of course, but in the case I was referring to it was feeding too much barley that led to the trouble.

Barley is a fattening feed, it is what is fed to cattle to fatten them up, and why vets recommend feeding oats to sheep rather than barley. That is why feeding horses get oats instead of barley, traditionally.  (Other than the once a week treat after hunting - yes I used to do this as well).


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## WellyBaggins (8 December 2010)

Baydale said:



			You can tell me to shut up if you like, but I reckon you can get the same results ie. round and shiny ponies  on just soaked oats, Alfa Oil and cooked barley or sugar beet. Ok, so your feed merchant may not love you so much but you'll have more money to spend on lessons and entries. 

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Baydale, you are correct and this method has been tried trust me, my option is rather pricey BUT I am alive  6yo retrained racehorse, super fit, super well, SUPER PSYCHO!!! Hence I go for the no concentrate option  looks well and is more sensible to ride


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## Baydale (8 December 2010)

emmyc said:



			Baydale, you are correct and this method has been tried trust me, my option is rather pricey BUT I am alive  6yo retrained racehorse, super fit, super well, SUPER PSYCHO!!! Hence I go for the no concentrate option  looks well and is more sensible to ride 

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I wasn't knocking it, honest, more pointing out to Chloe that she could get the same results cheaper. We've got 12 in work so OH is keen to find the most thrifty way of feeding, obviously!


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## WellyBaggins (8 December 2010)

Thrifty is good  I like thrifty  can you suggest it to "Welly"


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## Baydale (8 December 2010)

emmyc said:



			Thrifty is good  I like thrifty  can you suggest it to "Welly" 

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Welly must be one of the high maintenance "because I'm worth it" horses; we only have the common or garden low maintenance plods.


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## WellyBaggins (8 December 2010)

baydale said:



			welly must be one of the high maintenance "because i'm worth it" horses; We only have the common or garden low maintenance plods.

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rofl


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