Feeding

[Mominis]

Having come from large horses, learning to feed miniatures has sure been an interesting adventure. Yesterday, my husband and I had just finished working Shake and we did our own little evaluation as Nationals is creeping up on us pretty quickly. We decided that he had a few extra pounds of fluff that didn't bother us for A shows, but probably should come off before showing him at Nationals.

It seems to me that poor Shake gets little enough feed and hay as it is, but he does quite well on it. In fact, I have checked my feeding program through with my vet everytime I make a change. That is something that I wouldn't feel I had to do with the big guys, but with the minis, I just am not comfortable making changes in what (to me anyway) is such a tiny amount of food. But, frankly, he is a tad thick and his underline could be cleaner.

He is currently getting a pound of alfalfa hay three times daily with 3/4 pound of Omolene 200 (a feed that I really like and am super comfortable with) three times daily plus supplements. I am cutting him back to a pound of hay twice daily and only a half pound at lunch and dropping his grain down to 1/2 pound at lunch. If that doesn't get it, I'll take him down to 1/4 at lunch.

Did anyone else have such adjustment issues when learning to feed minis? I know dropping the intake is the right way to go, I just somehow feel a little guilty as there's so little he's getting in the first place.

Just wanted to add that he is on a conditioning program and works three days on/one day off. We vary the conditioning methods from round pen work to ponying to free longing. He's quite fit and working harder isn't really an option. I hate working a two year old in the round pen much harder than he's working now. I want to keep him sound. Ponying daily isn't an option because sometimes I'm working him solo.

I'd sure like to get your thoughts on feed amounts.

 

[hobbyhorse23]

Did anyone else have such adjustment issues when learning to feed minis? I know dropping the intake is the right way to go, I just somehow feel a little guilty as there's so little he's getting in the first place.

Nope, I'm right with ya there. Kody is fat, fat, fat at the moment but I absolutely refuse to drop his feed further. I can't drop his grain without making his topline go hollow and I firmly believe they need a certain amount of forage for their sanity so I won't drop the hay. I know from experience if I put him back to work he'd tuck right up so until he's able to drive regularly again he's just going to have to be fat.

Turbo is getting more than twice the grain and massive amounts of beet pulp and with no work at all is staying tucked up, trim and filling out nicely.

I don't know if I should put Kody on the same diet or what!

We decided that he had a few extra pounds of fluff that didn't bother us for A shows, but probably should come off before showing him at Nationals.

Just a reminder, my fellow big-horse friend, but "A shows" in minis does not mean what it does in hunters or Arabs.

For minis it means "an AMHA show," which I don't believe your B-sized friend Shake can enter!

Leia

 

[Bess Kelly]

OK, first is guilt.

SEEING the small amount dished out, compared to your biggies is just mind boggling -- been there. So, if you compare weight of animals, to feeds, it does get more respectable. I mean, look at the wormer -- a whole tube or 1/3 of a tube (or less).

If you don't already, use a smaller container for the feeder. Yep, just like humans, the big plate makes YOU think we need more.

Next, look at the comparative diets you listed -- see that beet pulp? Well, that serves as part of a grain and part of a hay ration, full with a little less calorie BUT it is one thing that almost everyone will tell you, fills the topline. Amazingly so. You might cut some of that alfalfa with a grass hay (timothy/bermuda usually lower in sugars/starches)....or wet beet pulp.

Personally I don't use Omelene for my minis. I like a feed that is not corn based. So, for me the Blue Seal Demand is top notch. Primarily soy based, no corn, my entire herd gets this 16% feed and stay in great shape. I add beet pulp to some where they are not out on pasture -- or if I have them on limited pasture -- but they are not fat padded from the feed. Even my seniors love it. Winter, hay & beet pulp + Demand. Easy. Some of my guys get 3-4 cups a meal. Depends on their needs, activity, etc. at the time.

It takes adjustment. For many, a good grass hay and one of the balancers is a great/workable option.

 

[Shadows Fire]

Having come from large horses, learning to feed miniatures has sure been an interesting adventure. Yesterday, my husband and I had just finished working Shake and we did our own little evaluation as Nationals is creeping up on us pretty quickly. We decided that he had a few extra pounds of fluff that didn't bother us for A shows, but probably should come off before showing him at Nationals.

It seems to me that poor Shake gets little enough feed and hay as it is, but he does quite well on it. In fact, I have checked my feeding program through with my vet everytime I make a change. That is something that I wouldn't feel I had to do with the big guys, but with the minis, I just am not comfortable making changes in what (to me anyway) is such a tiny amount of food. But, frankly, he is a tad thick and his underline could be cleaner.

He is currently getting a pound of alfalfa hay three times daily with 3/4 pound of Omolene 200 (a feed that I really like and am super comfortable with) three times daily plus supplements. I am cutting him back to a pound of hay twice daily and only a half pound at lunch and dropping his grain down to 1/2 pound at lunch. If that doesn't get it, I'll take him down to 1/4 at lunch.

Did anyone else have such adjustment issues when learning to feed minis? I know dropping the intake is the right way to go, I just somehow feel a little guilty as there's so little he's getting in the first place.

Just wanted to add that he is on a conditioning program and works three days on/one day off. We vary the conditioning methods from round pen work to ponying to free longing. He's quite fit and working harder isn't really an option. I hate working a two year old in the round pen much harder than he's working now. I want to keep him sound. Ponying daily isn't an option because sometimes I'm working him solo.

I'd sure like to get your thoughts on feed amounts.

Wow coming from big horses I just think WOW. How wonderful to have to feed only a lb of hay verses 5 to 10 lbs for a horse. Amazing. LOL

 

[chandab]

I don't show, and know that makes a difference, however... My minis do get quite abit of hay, around 5-7# daily minimum (more in winter, 30 below can really take it out of them). [My saddle horses get 15-20# hay, minimum.] I'm one that feeds a ration balancer, and I love it. Main diet is balancer and grass hay; add beet pulp in winter. [i'm sure I'd make changes if I were showing.]

 

[Sue_C.]

I have seen horses, big and small gaunt up in an afternoon at a show, or even a trailer ride in the heat...so don't mind a bit of extra weight on my show horses.

As for the omelene 200, that is what I have fed my minis for years, I now feed the pelletted version, but it is still basically the same. They also get well-soaked sloppy beet pulp, and I am very happy with how my horses look.

 

[disneyhorse]

Yeah, it can be tough... but one pound of food is a MUCH bigger percentage of their weight when the horse is 200 pounds, versus 1000 pounds. So yeah, even small amounts of tweaking can affect them greatly.

Andrea

 

[DianeT]

Depending on the horse, they may also drop some weight on that long drive to Nationals.

Good Luck...

 

[Mominis]

Thanks for all of the support. I just love nutrition and learning to feed Shake has really been a lot of fun! I've noticed that bet pulp was suggested by several of you and it seems to be really popular with the mini community in general. I'm going to have to do a bit of research and see how that would fit into Shake's program.

Leia, you're right...I still do have problems with the language barrier! lol I'll learn. I'm still a 'freshman' this year. lol

Bess, I had Shake on Timothy-Alfalfa before the last show and had to make a change because he was pudgy, but I am in total agreement with you. After nationals and on the off season, Shake and Armani will be on that mix. Durning show season, it just seems to put too much bulk on Shake's wants-to-be-tubby butt. That may change next year when he's doing some performance work. I'm not entirely comfortable with an all alfalfa diet, but that's what Shake had at Taylor's and did just fine on it. I also checked it with my vet and did a ton of reserach on it. When I showed the big horses, it was all grass hay. Occasionally we'd supplement with alfalfa hay at lunch, but Shake is the first horse I've ever had that was on a total alfalfa diet.

SueC and Diane, I am lucky that Shake is one of those horses that sees the trailer like a big rolling stall. He is such a relaxed rider. I haul him loose and make sure he has Gastoguard before a haul and plenty of Gatorade after. So far, he hasn't tucked up at all. Hope he doesn't change that on the ride to Tulsa. lol!

I'm certainly going to look into the beet pulp and just keep a hawk-eye on Shake's weight over the next 60 days. Thanks again for all of the input!

 

[shalamara minis]

When going from large breed horses to the minis I ended up buying an old baby scale. Wow what a differenc it made. I also learned we were over feeding our big horses big time. The scale helped all the way around.

 

[Ellen]

We went thru the same adjustment. Feeding Arabs, then to minis. Needless to say I had some fatties. Then we got into shetlands. And that too was a difference. We finally got that down pat and we had the rescue come in. Needless to say, after that I think they all got extra and are all super fat again! Diet time before the last few shows!

Good Luck at Nationals Mominis! We won't be there, but will pull for those who will!

 

[Mominis]

Thanks, Ellen!!

 

[midnight star stables]

I just want to share my experience.

A good friend told me the best thing for a National bound horse is fluids and weight. I was very leery of fattening my show horses, but I was told the trip would be hard on my horses. Now my horses are very seasoned show horses, and not much bothers them.

Here is my mare the Saturday before we left. She was on wet beat pulp, electrolytes, lots of grain and 2 pounds of hay through out the day. She was very fit, even though she looks heavy in these pictures. We left on Wednesday, I believe.

She looks HUGE huh? I was told by a few people that she looked way too heavy and that she wouldn't do well at Nationals looking like that. I was very worried, but trusted my friend.

It was a 30 hour trip and the horses took it in stride. My horses did not look stressed, but I sure they were, as they have never been that far from home. I do feel a combination of heat, stress and traveling did have them loose weight. Not too much, I a feel they looked good. I hardly worked the horses when I was at Nationals, just let them relax. I wanted to share. The "after" pictures, at Nationals.

In this last picture, we were nearing the end of the show, and I had started to pack on the weight again for the ride home.

Do as you feel best, just sharing my story

Good Luck!

 

[Shadows Fire]

I wonder if after weighing it to get proper amounts if instead of using a coffee can to measure feed for them switching to a coffee cup would make it easier to feed smaller amounts without feeling guilt?

 

[Mominis]

I do weigh my feed, as I mentioned in the original post. I also weigh hay. I package his meals in ziplocks, both for hay and grain, three feedings/day.

 

[MyBarakah]

What works very well is using shredded beet pulp. I actually use the beet pulp and oats. Most of mine do not need ANY extra like grain. They do get some supplements. And then of course the alfafla. But I soak my beet pulp & oats together and make it very soupy.... Beet pulp is VERY GOOD to give especially going to shows, it keeps them hydrated. But I love what the beet pulp does with a horses body condition. It fills it out in places and gives a horse a topline and over all nice condition. Could not go with out it!!