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Another Feed question......

2K views 9 replies 7 participants last post by  proficientcowgirl 
#1 ·
At the moment, Thunder is getting around 3 flakes of Eastern oregon grass hay which is mixed with alfalfa 2 times a day, In addition to about 1 1/2 quarts (might be little more) of oats. I have the option to change what he eats (grain, vitamins, ect) if I choose, but I don't know exactly if there is something else I should be giving him. I have noticed his energy has been a little pokey lately (past couple weeks). He is feeling fine, and is fairly spirited, but doesn't feel the need to run and jump unless I get him going with the noise of the whip. I was also told he is about to go through a growth spurt soon. I just want him to be healthy and nutritious. The vet doesnt have a lot of advice because there are so many different feeding routines out there, they gave me some options, but I don't even know what to think. He is 21months.....

TIA,
Lacy
 
#2 ·
What breed id he? my horse is 2 1/2 years old and i have him on a 14% grain called Equine Atvantage it has really help him bc about 6 months ago I had him on a 10% grain and he was just not getting something that was in that greain bc he got lean looking..so i would say if u were going to change his grain to put him on a pretty high percent gradually not all at once! :) Hay wise i give my horse 3 flakes of just reg hay and he gets that one time and day and grain on time a day :)
 
#3 ·
Oats are actually quite hard for a horse to digest. I would go more for a pelleted feed. My barn does the soaked beet pulp, rice bran, soaked flax seed, Mormon's Senior Glo. Rice bran adds shine, fat, and a bit of energy to the horse. Beet pulp is a fat, and the senior Glo is a low-sugar/low-carb feed that really puts weight on and is incredibly digestable. We also use products from KAM animal services.
www.kamanimalservices.com
Good luck!
 
#4 ·
Thanks for your responses! He is a mustang (21 months). I asked the gal who works there if she had any suggestions and she said that all the horses there are fat and healthy and that since he is not a spectacluar show horse or performance, then he would do just fine on oats. But i have noticed his energy is lower, so I just wasnt sure. My vet suggested Advantage or the purina stuff (forgot which one, but the most common one). I want him to be healthy and I don't want anything to be hard on his stomach. I feel like if I change it, they'll just roll their eyes at me because they already don't think I know what I am doing (I am learning). I have heard a lot of good things about the pellets and about the beet pulp. I'm really wondering if I should just feed him the stuff myself to ensure that he gets it. I'm sure they would do it for me, but I'm new there, so I don't want to be taken advantage of for laziness. I mean, I don't feed my dogs or cats filler food, why would I do that for my horse??? She also said I could get on their vitamin routine, where they buy in bulk and charge extra on the boarding each month. I don't know if I want to do that....maybe Ill just get my own.
 
#5 ·
I like Purina feeds and have just recently switched back to it. Its whats available at our co-op. I was buying from Atwoods (a chain store) but decided to give my business to the locals instead. I do give a Vit/min supplement to the babys, they are the same age as yours I think. So they just get the 14% horse feed pellet and a vit/min supplement and free choice hay. I am thinking of going to the Strategy by Purina I fed it a few years ago and always liked it.
 
#6 ·
We feed twice a day, hay 2 or 3 flakes depending on who i am feeding.... We also grain twice a day in the winter, once a day in summer "Sweet 16" and add vitamin supplement...
Keep in mind I have fairly large horses that have a little harder time generating heat in the winter. :wink:
 
#10 ·
i have a 5 yr old mustang and she stays on just a 14% sweet during winter and then 12%pellet during summer. open to all the hay and grass she wants. also have the little mineral blocks in the bottom of there feed buckets. the mineral blocks give them what they need and also gives them something to do when there bored.
 
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