So confused

[shannonw]

I am so excited to be able to post to this forum! Okay, last July we bought two minis, a gelding and a mare. The man we bought them from said he fed sweet feed which we started out with. They were both rather hefty when we bought them. We took them off of the sweet feed and started them on 14% horse pellets. Our vet said that they could do completely without any feed and just live on hay alone and we could just give a handful of feed a day as a treat, but it does not sound like anyone on here does that. We went up to a better feed last week, Purina Nature's Essentials Enrich 12%. Per their weight (mare around 350 and gelding I am guessing around 425) we were told to feed 1/2 pound a day plus hay. We have a large round bale of blue stem hay that we give them free range to since we have then on a dry lot. We also give them each a couple flakes of timothy hay everyday.

The mare was acting like she was starving so I upped her feed as she is about 8-1/2 months pregnant. When my husband was at the feed store getting the Purina feed he asked about oats and they told him it was not good for them.

Anyway, as you can tell I am pretty confused on what is the best thing for them. I had thought about switching them over to Stradegy as it is quite a bit cheaper than the Nature's Essentials. Any recommendations or thoughts on what we should do? Thanks!

 

[WhiteTailsMinis]

Yep, pretty confusing with all the feeds out there. Everyone does their own thing for what works best for their horses (and their pocketbook).

There is a separate topic on this forum specifically about oats. You may want to read that - might help you some.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

It's VERY confusing! Different parts of the country have different products, which makes it even more challenging!

I would do a search of the forum about feeding a mare that far along. I think they need maxiumum nutrition in the last few months. There is always a lot of discussion about feeding programs here.

Blue stem hay, unless it is cut right, is not as good a forage as timothy. I have used it myself and I probably wouldn't use it again unless I couldnt' get anything else. Timothy is much better! Blue stem is used more for cattle than horses. Timothy is also low in starch, which is desireable for weight.

But welcome to the world of miniatures and the mind-boggling dilemma of what to feed!

 

[shannonw]

Thanks for the suggestions! When I sent my husband to get the hay last time I told him I thought a round bale of timothy would be a good choice but the lady at the feed store said it was too rich and could cause them to founder since they would probably overeat on it. I think part of the issue is most people around here are not that knowledgable about minis and their needs. I am so happy to have found a place where I can hopefully get some answers to my questions!

 

[targetsmom]

Yes, feeding is very confusing as there are a lot of "diets" out there. My suggestion is to find out what brands you can easily get and contact the nutritionist for that brand (assuming they have one). I use Nutrena feeds for most of my horses because delivery used to be free and now is only $6. I talked to the nutritionist that I contacted through the Nutrena website and she suggested Safe Choice for our broodmares, and really as a general all around feed. Most of them get that except our mare that is insulin resistant (IR) and needs a low starch diet; she gets Blue Seal Carb Guard. One thing I learned from the nutritionist was about the high level of starch (especially sugar) in sweet feeds, which might be OK for some horses, but not our IR mare.

ETA: We have a mare who is about 9 months pregnant and she is getting about 50% more grain now than she was earlier.

 

[wingnut]

Welcome!!! We are about to celebrate our 1 yr anniversary in the miniature horse world ourselves. We currently have 4 girls (11 yr old open mare, 2 yr old filly, 2-1 yr old fillies) and it seems they all have slightly different needs! It's crazy! Or we're crazy...it's a toss up at this point

Even after a year, I'm still trying to read, read, read and then talk to people I feel can offer me the best advice. Then I try to do what works for us. As long as you work to do the best by your herd as you possibly can, you'll eventually find your way and what works for you.

This board is an amazing source of information, although sometimes conflicting. That's the nature of the beast.

 

[Ellen]

I have tried different diets. The best we have found for ourselves is ADM nutrition. They carry everthing we need. Mineral blocks, 14% feed and 16% feed. The broodmares double their intake of hay and grain in the last trimester. And we up them to 16%.

Legend, Kalambach, Tribute, Prurina and Progressive are all great products and carry similar products to ADM. What is available to you?

 

[Marty]

Holy cow. I think you have gotten a whole load of mis-information that I would disagree with.

First off, Enrich 32 is not "food". Its technically what they call a "ration balancer". In English, that means it is a whole load of assorted vitamins and minerals compounded into a pellet form. Its not "food" as such. Its not grains. Its like you taking a daily dose of vitamins. It is made to be given to horses with grass or hay pasture to be sure they are getting enough required minerals/vitamins that they could be lacking.

When I had some seriously obese horses, I fed them nothing but this Enrich 32 with pasture and good quality hay. If anyone got to where they needed a few extra calories, I added a couple cups of oats.

Then Enrich 32 hit a whopping $20.+ around here no one would buy it so now no one carries it anymore. I feed mine Strategy which is "food" and I don't worry about them lacking anything and I did feed it to my pregant mares and I do provide a salt block good hay and pasture. Your mare might convince you she is starving and needs pity and sympathy as mine always do so I do give a third feeding of beet pulp with chopped carrots or something fun for them. I think it apeases me as much as them and their begging faces. I am also not a fan of sweet feed so I don't use any of that.

Some people use round bales; I do in winter. But I do usually control it so they don't stand around in front of it all day long and blow up like balloons unless its freezing like crazy out there. Others feed it free choice. Depends on what is working for you. They key to feeding round bales or any hay is to be sure its clean, smells really good and is not coarse so they can chew it up really good.

Good luck and best wishes.

 

[shannonw]

I have tried different diets. The best we have found for ourselves is ADM nutrition. They carry everthing we need. Mineral blocks, 14% feed and 16% feed. The broodmares double their intake of hay and grain in the last trimester. And we up them to 16%.Legend, Kalambach, Tribute, Prurina and Progressive are all great products and carry similar products to ADM. What is available to you?

I have not seen most of those brands. I have seen Purina, Nutrena, Kent, and our feed store started selling a feed more aimed for minis called Platform.

 

[shannonw]

Thanks for your reply, Marty! Yes, I do think we have gotten a lot of misinformation! I think we will go ahead and pick up a bag of Strategy tomorrow so we can start working that feed into their diet.

I cannot thank you all enough for your help! This really brings me some peace of mind knowing I have found a place where people know what they are talking about!

 

[AJ]

A feed store that specifically states that oats and timothy hay are NOT good for horses is totally suspect in my opinion. Because oats and timothy hay are the two most basic and recommended foods for horses. Perhaps your feed store either does not carry the product or the profit margin is less than that of the prepared feeds referred to by Marty.

 

[Ellen]

Purina, Nutrena and Kent are all similar. But my favorite out of the bunch IMO is Purina's Strategy. And I like Enrich 32 minerals, as a top dress a few days a week.

But we always monitor feed hay.

 

[Marty]

You know AJ that comment about Timothy and Oats really raised my eyebrows too.

Many farms I know of use just that and is the mainstay of many feed programs!

 

[shannonw]

I thought it was weird too about the timothy hay. Maybe she said that because we were looking at a round bale and they would probably overeat on that if we left it avaliable all day. I don't get why oats would be such a bad thing. We actually picked up a bag of oats today for them which they loved!

One other question though, where do you buy beet pulp or is that something you make yourself?

 

[Tab]

I may not have agreed before I got busy with my own family and actually tried it, but I do agree with your vet. You usually can maintain open mares, geldings (especially), on grass or grass hay alone. IF YOU ARE NOT CONDITIONING for show, there aren't growth requirements, lactation, or the mare isn't in late gestation.

However, a mare within 3 months of foaling requires a greater amount of nutrition than just grass hay. She should be getting some grain. After she foals her feed requirements increase. Lactating mares can become thin quickly. I have never found it necessary to feed a grain higher than 12% protein ever. I have fed good pellets or sweet feed. I have been able to maintain excellent condition of my horses on good-quality pellets. You definitely get what you pay for when it comes to grain-concentrate quality, though. I tend to look for grains that contain digestive enzymes and plant fats. It is necessary to avoid feeds that contain animal protein byproducts.

Are they furry? I've always adjusted grain amounts based upon how my horses feel beneath their fur coats. Gently feel beneath the fur with your fingertips. You should feel ribs beneath a layer. If a horse still feels ribby (without a layer) at 2 cups per meal, you raise the amount gradually. Don't trust the whinny, because if they could have at the grain they would eat the whole bag and out themselves!

 

[Reijel's Mom]

A big thing - how do your horses LOOK? Horses can and do live off of hay, and yours are getting quite a lot of it it sounds like! They may not need anything extra but a ration balancer.

Good luck to you with the expected little one!

 

[Make A Wish Miniatures]

I am not sure where you are located in Texas, But I have all my pregnant mares on Strategy and coastal hay. You might need to find a different feed store where the people know a little more about nutrition.

 

[shannonw]

Thanks for the replies! I am posting pics of them on here to see what you guys think. I know they are overweight. I cannot feel any ribs and the gelding has a "gutter" down his back. He is pretty furry right now. He is a pretty big, stout mini though. He stands about 38" tall and the mare is about 34" tall. Right now I have adjusted their feed so that they are getting 1/4 pound Purina Enrich 12, 1 cup oats, and one flake each timothy hay in the AM and a carrot (because they have come to expect that daily...lol), 1 cup oats, and a flake of timothy in the PM. They do have access to grass hay (bluestem) all day but I really don't see them eating on it a lot. Here are some pics of them: The first is of our mare, April, about 260 days along and the second of our gelding, Poncho. Thanks for all the help!

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[Marsha Cassada]

Do you have a farrier coming soon?

Do they get excercise?

They are nice looking horses! I like their markings. Pretty manes and tails, too!

 

[shannonw]

Do you have a farrier coming soon?
Do they get excercise?

They are nice looking horses! I like their markings. Pretty manes and tails, too!

We are doing the trimming on their hooves ourselves. They are due for another trimming for sure!

As for exercise, right now all they get is when we walk them or when they run around and play. We are in the process of building a round pen so we can get a better place to work with them. We are newbies when it comes to minis so we are still learning.