Feeding

[ManyMinisFarm]

My show diet this year is:

1 cup of Beetpulp

1 cup of Legends Show and Pleasure Sweet feed

1 cup of oats

1-2 pounds of Alfalfa Hay

My two show horses will get this in the morning and at night. They get their hay during the day and at night.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

I do not think mine could survive on that- how big are they??

 

[ManyMinisFarm]

He is 30 inches tall and weighs 130. I had my vet look him over and she said he was a perfect weight.

 

[chandab]

Wow, that seems light.
My smallest mini is a 31" stallion, he weighs 175# on a scale. [His weight doesn't seem to fluctuate more than 5# either way.]
He is in his mid to late teens if that matters (and just pasture shape). Oh, and he typically gets 1.5# senior (or complete) pellets and 2# mixed hay daily. [i don't know how many cups that is, as I weigh his feed.]

Here is Che`:
In July fully shed out one year


And, May (a couple years later) right after a haircut (also this would be right out of winter, since our winters last so long):

 

[fourluckyhorseshoes]

130 does seem very light for a horse of that size. I read in one of your other posts that you are trying to add muscle and I would add a little extra food if you are working your horse more. Something to note is that when horses digest hay it helps keep them warm in cold temperatures so you could probably give a bit more hay.

How did you weigh the horse?

 

[Marty]

Are you feeding that once or twice a day?
Post a picture

 

[chandab]

Are you feeding that once or twice a day?

Post a picture

Marty, I had to reread to get it, but OP does say AM and PM on feed. So, actually should be a decent sized daily ration for a horse around this size. [At least best guess, on what a cup of these feeds would weigh, it should be a decent ration.]

 

[ManyMinisFarm]

They get fed this in the mornings and at night

 

[Marty]

Twice a day, yes, sounds alright I suppose. Not sure about the hay factor and add in pasture grazing time too.

Still would love to see a picture.

 

[ManyMinisFarm]

I don't think I have any pictures from summer. Right now he has a winter coat

 

[Casey0Lee]

Mine aren't in any work yet, but my 16yr old mare is on 2c/day (.72lb) of Triple Crown Lite and free choice mixed grass hay in a slow feed net. She also gets remission daily.

My yearling is on 1c/day TC Lite (.36lb) and free choice hay as well.

The feeding directions for TC Lite for Minis is 1lb per 500lbs body weight.

So, that seems like a lot of hard feed to me. I also choose not to feed anything with an NSC over 10% to ANY of my horses (Mini's and barrel horses). My mare was previously foundered and has a history of laminitis and lamness so I have her on a strict diet.

I feed the TC Lite to my barrel horses as well. I chose TC Lite b/c it is low calorie, low NSC and grain free.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

That is 58kgs! My 27" yearling weighs 65kgs. That is a lightweight horse, or the scales are wrong! Sorry.

 

[ManyMinisFarm]

1 cup of Beetpulp

1 cup of 7% Fat 14% Protein Sweetfeed

1cup of oats

1 pound of Alfalfa

And a supplement

And the get this twice a day, that's 3 cups Mornings and Night.

What should I add then? And Thank You guys for any and all advice

 

[Little Wolf Ranch]

Its really hard to know what to tell you to feed when we can't see or feel the horses condition. I agree it sounds like too little to me as well. If I fed that little I would have some underweight horses pretty fast. If I were you I would give him as much fiber (hay, beet pulp, etc) as I could get him to eat because its great for digestion.

Can you feel any bones on him or have a pot belly?

 

[disneyhorse]

Is the cup of beet pulp before soaking?

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Be careful with people, even experts, assessing your horse's weight while in winter coat by sight. It is misleading. Has he actually been weighed on a scale? Most vets will let you use their dog scale, or you can take him to a public scale at a local grain elevator to be weighed. Then you will know for sure. 130# seems too thin, as you will want to build up muscle and muscle adds weight.

 

[chandab]

1 cup of Beetpulp

1 cup of 7% Fat 14% Protein Sweetfeed

1cup of oats

1 pound of Alfalfa

And a supplement

And the get this twice a day, that's 3 cups Mornings and Night.

What should I add then? And Thank You guys for any and all advice

Going on what I know of feeds I've weighed...

1 cup of dry beet pulp pellets would be about 6oz (dry shred would be less)

1 cup of sweet feed about 5 oz

1 cup oats 4 oz

So not quite 1# hard feed per meal.

Fed twice a day, that's going to be almost 2# hard feed daily plus it looks like 2# alfalfa daily, total diet of almost 4# daily. If he is 130# that is over 2% of his bodyweight daily, and even over 2% of his BW if he should be say 150-175#. From a mathematical standpoint it should be enough, but if he has a high metabolism it might not be.

 

[ManyMinisFarm]

I measure the Beetpulp dry, and I can't feel any bones, his doesn't have a pot belly but its a bit big, and its hard to tuck it up.

 

[disneyhorse]

How much work does he get?

 

[ManyMinisFarm]

Right now he is worked 3-4 days but next month he will be worked for 5 days.

Here is a pic of Trilogy, about 2 weeks ago.