Feeding TB's

JEmily

I own a 16h2" thoroughbred. He's involved in RC activities.

Anyway, just wondering what you all feed yours. He is a hard keeper and ontop of that is a fussy boy.

I have him on Dodson & Horrell ERS Pellets at the moment as they are high in fat but low in starch. They seem to be keeping weight on him and no fizziness but the price is expensive and sometimes the size of his meals are a bit too big. I can't feed 3/4 times daily, only twice a day. He does eat it all up eventually and i've weighed it out so not over the "allowance" for his size. But he's just not a great grubber as such!

Is there anything else more cost effective? Or anything you feed yours to keep the weight on with no fizziness which is also value for money???

Any ideas welcome:)

Dark Phoenix

gain prep and condition is very good for adding weight and condition. Do you add any oil to his feed? You could try adding some vegetable oil or sunflower oil each day it helps condition and also gives great shine to the coat. Linseed will add weight but be careful of dosage as too much will damage kidneys

if he is fussy try adding some fenugreek to his feed it is an aromatic herb that increases appetite. You can pick up a tub for about ten euro from orachard equestrian

This stuff is amazing for adding condition to horses without fizzing them up it increases appetite and condition

http://www.copa-ireland.com/PolyO-F.html

JEmily

Thanks for info, heard the Poly OF is good. Must try that next.

He won't touch straight oils, will go on hunger strike if it is added to his feed. Does the Poly OF smell or is it like an oil consistency, he might not eat it if so?

The Gain prep & cond is lower oil/fat level than the feed i currently have him on (mine is 10% oil) and my feed has a higher fibre % so would like to keep this high too. Was looking at the gain freedom, do you know anything about this - good or bad?

Dark Phoenix

gain freedom is great stuff have used it on horses that have tied up / had colic in the past. Its a lovely consistency and the horses seemed to like it. If you know someone using it you could try the horse with a small sample taste test before splashing out on a bag

If a horse is a fussy eater the poly of should get them eating. What you do is syringe it down the neck for the first 5 days to stimulate appetitie and then put it in the feed there after. It puts on condition very well and keeps it on I have had very high success with it. It definately has not a oil consistency its a thick liquid kinda looks like a smoothie consistency, its got loads of vitamin B and yeasts in it.

You can pick up a tub of fenugreek very cheap I saw some on old mill saddlery earlier today (the global herbs one) for about 8 pounds. Fenugreek will stimulate appetite and will also help build condition. I have used it successfully in the past. The aromatic affect it triggers is a bit like what happens to you when you come into a kitchen and smell home cooked food - you get hungry and your stomach is stimulated and disgestive juices are triggered. Fennel, fenugreek, rosemary, garlic are samples of aromatic herbs that people use in cooking for this very reason.

Friskyfilly

I have come across fussy eaters in my time but never had to go to extremes to get them to eat. Make sure he is well wormed. Put a rug on him, company is good also will keep him relaxed. know that might be mad but unless the sun is splitting the stones I would have a light rug on one that falls apart as the best of times. There is lots of things on the market such as oils and stuff but they can work out very expensive. Try him on the normal fatty stuff such as beet pulp, barley, can't think of the name of it but it looks like corn flakes flaked maize, just thought of it, all cheap to buy but do need to be soaked, along with some oil, and molasses if you want to sweeten it up. Again you will need some sort of course rashion to go with it normally about 12% keeps them from blowing the head and again two three feeds a day throw another scoop into him at lunch time or a night which ever is possible. Lot's of the stuff on the market ya it's great stuff but at the end of the day try out the cheaper stuff too and you could end up getting the same results and not breaking your back on feed. Can't beat the rugs tho! along with the feed and a drop of veg oil and grass where possible.

Ave Sodalis

Not quite sure what to do however I can tell you what we feed one of our TBs.

She gets a scoop of pegasus cool and cooked with a half scoop of maize and a bit of beet pulp (if she's working) in the morning and evening. She gets silage in the morning and evening with a small bit in the afternoon, only an armful.
Try different feeds and even brand names to see if that helps.

Hope that helps. Never really had a horse who was very fussy, so I can only really tell you that.