What grain do you use?

I have been feeding my horses a 14% pellet feed but my gutt says there is something else i should be giving my drafts. Personally i think my young clyde needs more weight, when i pet her i am feeling alot of ribs and its bothering me, but im also use to overweight horses. Ben is still looking pretty good but since they are drafts im thinking i should have them on something different, any suggestions? oh i got to ride ben again the other day and he is doing so much better, he has fianlly figured out what we are asking when we cluck or tap. We also tryed for the first time EVER double. My sister is like half or more of me and i was in the saddle and she got on behind me, and to my supprise he didnt seen to care, we just walked him around for a few min. a little at a time lol. i also got his feet trimed finally and by do they look better, but it took two guys to actually trim, one man holding each side of the clipper, i thought that was a little funny lol ok sorry for going on forever thanks everyone.
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What a big lug he is Your feeding hay too right?
I keep mine on free choice hay 24/7 in the winter and pasture grass in the summer. I give them a small 1lb once a day of a pellet feed, but thats mostly just to get them used to coming up every day.
They have a salt block with minerals all the time too.
I'm of the mind if the horse isn't being worked hard, hay/grass is really all they need.

When my Cody was young (11 mos to 2 yrs.) I used Triple Crown Jr. or whatever their feed for youngsters is, plus as much grass hay as he could eat. He stayed in good weight through all the growth spurts. Now he is 4 1/2 and I love Strategy by Purina. He gets maybe a lb. morning and night, loves it, plus all the grass hay (orchard/bermuda) he can eat and he maintains very nicely.

From what I've learned with drafts you need to stay away from alfalfa and "grain" do a low starch diet, up the fats in their diet by actually giving them 1 cup per 1000 lbs. of pretty much any kind of oil over their food. This is to prevent muscle issues some drafts have. Check out "Draft Horse Resource Index" at draftresource.com and there is a section on feeding drafts and people who are really knowledgeable about them.

Your Ben looks good. Looks like you got another girth?

They have 10 acres to run on and graze plus we have had a round bale out so they have hay 24/7 plus each horse gets a coffe can full of grain once a day. Plus we always have a salt block out there. I had orignally bought a bunch of tack from this lady and in the box was two brand new girths, so im using one for each front and back, heck it works. im not so worried about ben he looks really good so im going to look into getting her a youth grain and i'll have to seperate them i guess. I really do appriciate all your guys help. Thanks

My belgian X quarter horse gets a peleted "total" feed, pasture grazing, and mixed hay

My draft is like an air fern. He's overweight right now, and I'm only giving him a few handfuls of pelleted feed a day, along with full access to hay. That boy keeps on practically nothing. ;)

Drafts and ponies are usually the easiest to keep. I think it would be cause for worry of you saw ribs on a draft. Then again, I don't have experience with real young ones, so I wouldn't know.

condensed hay pelets for my easy keeper belgian X qh (just so he doesn't take down the barn when everyone else gets fed) and Alum for my tb thats thinner than a rail.

your draft is getting plenty, need to put loose salt out for any horse, they cant get enough by licking a block. if being worked hard salt need to be mixed in grain. have seen a lot of good horses die from a lack of electrolytes. also most drafters use a rack to work on their horses hooves, should be able to find a pickture of one on the draft forums.

srry 2 bother u in this topic but i need help im new and havnt quite figured out how 2 post new threads. help??

When you go to a particular area, look up at the top and it will say something like "New post or thread" or something like that.