Feeding Troubles...Need Advise

[yorkie09]

[SIZE=12pt]I hope someone can help me. I've had large horses for 15 years and mini's for a couple. These mini's aren't anything like my big ones. I am doing something wrong with feeding I'm pretty sure I'm just not sure where to start. I need some advise from you guys that have been raising mini's for years. Here is my problem...[/SIZE]

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I have 4 mini's and all are bloated huge. [SIZE=12pt]I just gave them what the lady (I bought them from)was giving them which was a soup can of strategy grain twice a day. They get hay twice and are a[/SIZE][SIZE=12pt]lso on pasture 8 hours a day. (Although there isn't much pasture to speak of right now) What am I doing wrong? [/SIZE][SIZE=12pt]They have skinny necks and no ridge of fat along their backs, [/SIZE][SIZE=12pt]Their backs are flat, just big bellies. I cut back on their grain and hay but today it accured to me I could be doing the wrong thing. I started thinking of the kids in Africa with the big bellies from no food and a light bulb went off in my head. [/SIZE]

Is this what I should be doing is feeding more? I worry about them getting fatter. I sure hope someone has a fix for this! Thanks!!

 

[kaykay]

Yes you need to feed more. It would help if you post pictures so we can be sure. I am not at all a fan of stragey and a soup can is not very much. I prefer pelleted feeds but everyone has to feed how they feel is best. Also is it a good quality hay???

 

[Miniv]

Two things that can cause big bellies..........One is worms, so be sure they are covered in that dept. The other is LACK of enough protein. So, it would be good to find out what kind of hay you are feeding and how "hot" it is. A soup can of grain is not very much, so that isn't the problem.

 

[Marty]

Besides pictures can you include the age and height of these minis please? And your location would also give a clue.

 

[yorkie09]

I will try to get some pictures. They do get good quality hay and are wormed every two months. Strategy is a new food I'm trying I was feeding platform miniature horse food.

I live in a dead area and it is hard to get feed here.

I live in PA. mini's very in age. One stallion 16, a mare 11 and two yearlings. Height's very from 29" to 32".

 

[chandab]

I will try to get some pictures. They do get good quality hay and are wormed every two months. Strategy is a new food I'm trying I was feeding platform miniature horse food. I live in a dead area and it is hard to get feed here.

I live in PA. mini's very in age. One stallion 16, a mare 11 and two yearlings. Height's very from 29" to 32".

Your area sounds like mine, I have very limited selection when it comes to quality horse feeds. Luckily, I do have a Progressive Nutrition feed rep local, he carries limited stock, but I do really like the products.

 

[Matt73]

My two boys get maybe two flakes of hay/day and .5lbs of Gro 'n Win and look great! A bit of grass to and from their dry lot. They have a nice layer of fat over their ribs and are not bloated. So I really can't fathom how much some minis are fed. Mine smell food and gain a pound

 

[chandab]

My two boys get maybe two flakes of hay/day and .5lbs of Gro 'n Win and look great! A bit of grass to and from their dry lot. They have a nice layer of fat over their ribs and are not bloated. So I really can't fathom how much some minis are fed. Mine smell food and gain a pound

Isn't that the truth...

However, I really think when we discuss feed, we really need to include size of mini and work done. There is a big difference between maintenance diet and performance diet; easy keeper diet and hard keeper diet (yes they do exist in minis); and, between feeding a 30" mini and feeding a 36" mini. And, what is fed; there is a big difference in amounts depending on type fed; ration balancers plus forage, complete feeds, fortified grains plus forage, etc.

For example: 8 of my 9 minis are B-size, for maintentance they get 1/2# ration balancer (1.33 cups daily) and about 6-7# grass hay daily (hay comes to 3-4 flakes daily), one is pregnant so gets more ration balancer and free choice hay (they are all looking pretty good right now). The last mini, is a 31" aged stallion; he gets 5 cups senior (has some bad teeth, dentist was just here and worked on him), 1/2 cup Lo-Carb (he likes it) and free choice hay (he's not a big hay eater, but it keeps him occupied) daily and he's looking pretty good.

 

[Alex]

Matt, be happy you have easy keepers! Hard keepers are no fun. I have a light working mare that gets about a flake and a half of grass hay, alfalfa cubes, some slowly dieing pasture for a few hours, 4 cups beet pulp, a Blue Seal grain mix I do 9 cups, and corn syrup a day. This mare is even more frustrating because she will stop eating her grain when shes full and not touch it again. Yorkie-I would increase their Strategy a lot too and see what that does. Imthinking they need more food. Good Luck

 

[Bess Kelly]

Are they being fed separately or in a group?

You say Strategy is a "new" food for you as you were feeding Platform. So, how long has the condition been as you describe? Was it what made you change? Perhaps the food change will help........

The yearlings will normally need and consume more than most mature minis, due to growth needs.

That said, it STILL depends on the individual animal, their metabolism, the quality of feed, the activity level, etc.

How are their toplines? Coat condition? Hoof condition? etc. Got pics?

 

[attwoode]

I have some horses here that would be very fat from what you are feeding, especially if the hay is high in carbohydrates. The part that confuses me is the skinny neck part. A flat back can still be fat, I look for muscling near the spine to judge condition. I'd say they need more protein and less carbohydrates, but that is just a guess. When you post pics you will get more meaningful responses.

 

[Ashley]

I agree they probably need more or something different. My minis who are all fat only get hay right now. They are on pasture but there isnt much for grass in it, they get grain as a treat. They only get grass hay as well.

The yearlings will require alot more then a soup can. Also the older horses can require more just because of there age. My stallion that I recently sold required alot, and he never got fat. My pony is also a hard keeper. I have several hard keepers here and would for sure prefer them to be fat and easy keepers then then the hard keepers they are.

 

[mydaddysjag]

How long ago did you switch from the platform mini to strategy? IMO, the platform mini as the worst feed Ive ever fed, and I would feed $6 sweet feed over it anyday. That said, I really dont like sweetfeed, and The strategy had too much fat for my senior gelding. He's on Purina Adult right now, its a complete feed, and I really like it.

Im in PA also, where are you located in pa?

 

[mizbeth]

Hi

In my opinion Strategy is one of the best feeds you can feed. I would give them TWO soup cans full of feed twice a day and see if that does not help, or for a while you may have to increase it. I would also cut the "grass" hay back and feed them alfalfa hay but not too much of it, only a handful or so two times a day. Alfalfa has a lot of protien in it.

Pasture "feeding" makes them look and be bloated. When a horse grazes he also sucks air. When taking them off of the pasture you will see them lose a great deal of the bloated look.

Worming is a good idea, I would worm them again with Zimectrin Gold.

JMO