How long should I be working this mare

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nicole

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way to get her in shape. I am working her in the round pen for 10min in both directions so 20min total. I have been lunging her up hill as well. She is getting (please no flames just don't have a weight scale) two scoops of sweet feed morning and night, with alfalfa/timothy hay 1/2flake morning and night. She was on hay cubes but she was really packing on the weight. SHe is in very good weight right now but I find her a little sluggish (well with the heat too) when lunging. Now she is only getting worked everyother day sense we have had so much rain and the only time I can work her is in the early morning so if it's raining so much for working her.

Anyway am I on the right track should I increase her grain? maybe give her cubes again?

Thanks

She is 2years old by the way.
 
[SIZE=14pt]Cant give you an answer without seeing a pic of her.[/SIZE]

Lyn
 
I think she needs a different feed other then sweet feed when she is working that much. Only our non working horses get sweet feed. If they are working and showing they get a different feed for that purpose.

If it were me, at 2 I would probably stillf have her on Equine Jr.
 
I would be sluggish too if I had to run for 20 minutes in this heat.
new_shocked.gif
Really hard to determine what you are feeding without weight, cups, type of grain, etc. Also 1/2 a flake can really vary from bale to bale so it is a hard question to answer but it sounds like you are on the right track if she is in good weight right now keep doing what you are doing.

Working her in the early AM is probably a good thing, I either do that or wait until evening as it is too hot here to work them in the heat of the day.
 
Here is a picture of her on Saturday at the Kars show, we got 2nd.

Not a very good one but I hope you get the idea

magic.jpg
 
This picture is hard to tell for sure but she seems to be in very good shape and maybe even could use a little more weight. Little is the key here and again it is hard to tell from this picture.

Does she have a slight crease down her back? It looks like she doesn't. THat leads me to believe maybe a bit more weight. I would up the grain just a bit and leave the hay the same.

All in all I think she looks good and kudos to you!
 
No she does not have a crease down her back, she does have a black strip down her back which makes it look like in this picture that she has a crease.

I can just feel her ribs and her back bone has a nice covering over it as well as her hip bones.
 
hard to tell from that pic but she does look a bit under weight to me too. everyone here knows that i hate sweet feed. A horse that is working and showing imo needs a much better feed. How tall is she?? My show horses eat more then any horse on the farm. Remember when a horse is worked and stressed (showing does induce stress) their nutritional requirements are much higher. I imagine her sluggishness is due to being hungry more then heat. For ex my yearling filly (27")that is showing gets:

4 cups equine jr am with BOSS

1 flake of hay

4 Cups equine jr pm with BOSS

1 flake of hay

I have had to put her on as much as 6 cups equine jr when she was showing alot. They always seem to lose weight at shows. I would GRADUALLY switch her over to a better feed and up her feed slowly

Very pretty girl you have there!!!
 
[SIZE=14pt]She is beautiful but needs more wt in my opinion as well..... I would not work her so much ....add more beet pulp to her feed. [/SIZE]

Lyn
 
I can attest the beet pulp therory WILL add weight! I mentioned to hubby yesterday we simply have to come up with a better feed regiman for Buddy to get some weight off him as I can't work him hardly at all due to my poor health.

He confessed he was giving Buddy soaked beet pulp! We have a little yearling filly on it as she was malnourished and down, but it's doing great for her along with the Safe CHoice and BOSS.

SO I laid the law down and Buddy is off the Beet Pulp and cut his BOSS in half! Hubby said he felt sorry for him giving it to one and not the otherLOL

Maxine
 

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