mydaddysjag
Well-Known Member
Every winter I look over my horses condition in the past year, and decide if they are where I wanted them or not. Looking over this past year, domingo was all over the place. When I got him he was on a 12% sweet feed mixed with oats. Honestly he looked pretty good when he came home, he wasn't conditioned, but he was not fat nor thin, and with work he would have been muscled. I couldn't get the brand of sweet feed that he was getting, and honestly I really dont like sweet feed. In our area it seems to freeze in the winter, "melt" in the summer, and attract bugs. I decided to switch over to Strategy, because that's what we fit Midas on, and had good results. Well, even feeding a minimal amount of the strategy and working the horse 5 days a week, I couldn't get him to stay in condition. After two months, I switched again. The next grain was Purina Equine adult. It is 12% protein, 3% fat, 25% fiber. Now, Domingo is eating MUCH less of this than the suggested amount on the bag. He almost keeps condition on this. He looks pretty good, but when he moves out he looks a little ribby. If I up the grain even slightly he gains a bit of weight and loses condition. What im actually worried about is that he probably is not getting the correct amount of vitamins and minerals on this small amount of feed.
What I am considering doing is putting him on a ration balancer, and oats. He did look awesome on the sweet feed and oats, so Im thinking that this might work for him. Im just worried that he will lack "bloom". Im wondering if I could just add something like body builder for that though.
I know when we fit quarter horses for halter its grow n win, oats, alfalfa pellets, and supplements. I always fed the minis differently than the big horses, but now im thinking that going back to what I know from big horses and adjusting it to size might be my best bet.
Does anyone have their show horses on a ration balancer, and if so, do they keep bloom? any pictures?
What I am considering doing is putting him on a ration balancer, and oats. He did look awesome on the sweet feed and oats, so Im thinking that this might work for him. Im just worried that he will lack "bloom". Im wondering if I could just add something like body builder for that though.
I know when we fit quarter horses for halter its grow n win, oats, alfalfa pellets, and supplements. I always fed the minis differently than the big horses, but now im thinking that going back to what I know from big horses and adjusting it to size might be my best bet.
Does anyone have their show horses on a ration balancer, and if so, do they keep bloom? any pictures?