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What to feed my new horse...
I've got a new horse coming next week that has been turned away for a year and I do not have any winter grazing, so he's going to have to live in all thetime. His owner said she has been feeding him hay to supplement the sparse winter grass and a once daily feed of chaff and pony nuts.

I am going to put him on ad-lib hay with twice daily feeds of chaff, nuts and sugar beet with succulents too. I'm wondering if the
sugar beet needs to be introduced gradually and what
weights of food should I give him. He's 15hh, not over
or under-weight and very high-spirited.

I will be riding him for 1-2hrs every day. Also, are there any
other feed types or supplements you would reccommend?
Would coarse mix be better than nuts or should I feed
straights? Hope you can help.

Thanks. Katy from UK.

Dear Katy

It sounds like you are planning the right approach to the feeding of your new horse! Providing ad lib forage is ideal for any horse, particularly one which does not have access to regular grazing. A horse of his size is going to weigh in the region of 450-500kgs, depending on the breed or type, and I would rate his work load as light to moderate. Because you describe him as high spirited, I would certainly recommend cubes, as they tend to be lower in starch than coarse mixes or straights, and for your horse I suggest 2.5-3kgs per day of a low energy, high fibre cube like Baileys No.2 Working Cubes.

These are based on micronised wheat, rather than traditional cereals like barley, maize or oats, and contain fibre and oil to provide non-heating energy. Remember to introduce them gradually into the diet over a period of 7-10 days. Sugar beet is an excellent additional digestible fibre source but, again because of your new horse's fizzy temperament, I would ensure it is the "unmolassed" variety to keep the level of sugar, which provides readily available energy, to a minimum. Succulents are great to add variety and as an additional source of natural vitamins and minerals.

When fed at the recommended levels, compound feeds (cubes and mixes) shouldn't need any further vitamin and mineral supplementation. If however, your horse sweats a lot during exercise, you could consider using an electrolyte to replace the salts lost in the sweat. It may also be worth using a prebiotic, such as Baileys Digest Plus, to help your horse overcome the stress of being moved to a new home and a change of diet. Digest Plus provides a food source for the beneficial bacteria in the gut and helps maintain the bacterial balance vital for gut efficiency, which can be disrupted when the horse is put under stress.

Time will tell you whether your horse is likely to be a good-doer or poorer doer but it is good that you are happy with his condition at the moment. If you find that your horse loses or gains condition on his new regime, do come back to us to review your feeding programme. You can either contact us via Stable Talk or visit our web site on www.baileyshorsefeeds.co.uk. Best of luck with your new horse!

Regards
Lorna Jowett BSc (Hons)
Equine Nutritionist, Baileys Horse Feeds