Looking for feed suggestions for semi-spooky horse

[kiwifruit]

I'm reevaluating my horses diet since I've put him on a consistent exercise program and turn out schedule, he still has a bit of a spook in him so now I'm looking at his feed program. He currently gets Triple Crown Complete and beet pulp with free choice timothy. He is a bit of a hard keeper so cutting out feed is really not an option. I originally had him on Ultium a while back which really made him hot. Just trying to tweak his diet a bit to get him more focused on me. Any suggestions where to start? Perhaps a pellet?

[goeslikestink]

drop the feed for 2 weeks and give him hay as in ab lib horses can live on hay and good quality hay keeps there weight- then work the horse as normal you wont see any dfference to begin with but the horse will calm down then when he has slowly re introduce small meals
trial and error till you have a happy medium ie if too much ennergy reduce it to little increase it

[Saddith]

Uhm, you could try goeslikestinks advice, but it sounds like you know that your horse is a hard keeper already. Some horses can not keep weight on with just hay alone. Some horses have trouble keeping weight on if they are worked regularly - so feeding JUST hay is not always the answer for all horses. Mine can't keep weight on with just straight hay either, and he isn't worked all that much. =/ It's probably because I don't get great hay out here on the west coast.

I would try cutting out the grain. Feed timothy hay free choice like you are doing, and keep feeding the BP. If you want, add some pellets to the beet pulp (are you feeding shredded BP?), either straight timothy pellets if you have them in your area, or a mix alfalfa/timothy pellet if you horse can tolerate some alfalfa. That would help. How much BP are you feeding? You could always try rice bran too - some people have good luck keeping weight on feeding rice bran. Rice bran makes my horse spooky, so I stay away from it. My vet suggested good ol oil, so I use that and my horse has kept his weight fairly well now.

It's always hard to figure out what works, because every horse is different.

[Fessy's Mom]

I've had great luck with my two hot-blooded TB's on Blue Seal Vintage Victory. It's mostly oats and it definitely seems to have a calming effect on them. It's pricey, but you don't have to feed as much because of the high fat content.

[kiwifruit]

Thanks for some good advice to start my research. He is getting feed soaked beet pulp with the TC. I did do some research her at COTH forums but my mind is spinning. Some say it is the sugar, others fat, maybe the culprit is corn that makes then spooky. I guess what it boils down to is trial and error.

[ThoroughbredFancy]

I don't remember my hard keeper TB being hot on TCC...I know he had to eat a heck of a lot of it to come close to maintaining weight.

I have him on Vintage Performance Low Start by Blue seal now and he gets less of it and maintains his weight better. Doesn't make him hot at all. Has good amount of fat, protein and fiber.

I also feed alfalfa pellets, flax and canola oil with no hotness seen.

Yeah he has his days but he's 6 and the weather changes every thee days here it seems! :D

[Taglet]

spooky? My guess would be ulcers. Why not treat for 5 days and see if you notice a difference. Nearly 80% of horses are thought to have ulcers and distracted, unfocused behavior is always seen with ulcers. Just a thought.

Raspberry leaves are an inexpensive way to introduce magnesium, a calming agent.

[BornToRide]

All you can eat hay , perhaps add some alfalfa and/or beet pulp.

What most people do not understand is that grain often makes problems such as being a hard keeper worse, by increasing the risk of developing ulcers and fretting weight off because of the excess energy it can create.

[mammadoc]

my guy got really jacked up on tcc. he is a hard keeper. i have switched him to tc lite, and i add 3/4 c. of canola oil to each feed. he is a totally different horse now. the nsc of tcc is around 21% whereas the tc lite is around 9%. since my guy is so much calmer, i gotta think it was the starch that was making him show me the whites of his eyes!:eek:

[sk_pacer]

Also, make sure he can see properly. My spooky boy is still spooky despite the retirement diet of hay and beet pulp with enough oats to make him eat the beet pulp. His problem is the same as mine - so myopic things loom at him.

[deltawave]

Is the spooking clearly made worse depending on what is fed? If not, I wouldn't necessarily try to "cure" something that may simply be temperament with food. :)

Some kids are shy, some kids aren't. Some kids are risk-averse, some you have to watch all the time so they don't jump off the roof. Again. :lol: I daresay horses are the same. Some are spooky, some are not.

But if it definitely seemed feed-related I'd back off to just hay, then start over again with one ingredient at a time. Trial and error indeed--which is at least a plan of sorts. Listening to too many experts coming only from the direction of their pet stances can make your head spin. :)

[kiwifruit]

True that, Deltawave! Now to add something else for me to think about/research, a vet/acupunturist came out today and said that my horses trigger point on his stomach were very reactive. Thought his weight was low because of his stomach issues. Okay, if we put this together with the spookiness and anxiety from time to time, maybe ulcers? Should I try treating him with Gastroguard for a few days to see what I have? Gotta love horses! Always a problem!