Ridecamp: Re: [RC] Help me feed my horse

Levon:  Have you heard of fat-pak?  It's a dry white powder and you can use 
it in place of the oil.  I have used it on one horse doing a lot of mileage 
with excellent results.  Once I try adding more than 1/4 cup of oil to 
anything, Rocky won't touch it.  He'll gladly eat the fat pak though.

What I have found works well with the beet pulp, is that I gradually 
increase it until they get up to 3+ pounds a feeding.  I mix crimped oats 
in with it -- however, I am using a great deal more BP -- usually on 
average if Rocky is doing doing a lot of rides (800 miles this season so 
far) I'll go thru one 50 pound sack a week for him.  If I leave it in his 
stall overnight, it's always gone by morning.  It did take many months to 
get him to eat that much BP though.

Another thing I have learned is that the horses preferences 
change.  Sometimes they'll gobble down the BP mixed with oats, and other 
times they don't care for it but will gobble it down if it is mixed with 
Complete Advantage, or Equine Senior.   This is especially true when we are 
out doing multidays and I always have plenty of each item and will switch 
things around with each horse depending upon what mood he is in that 
particular day.  I never feed more than a cup or two of any kind of grain 
or mix with the BP unless the horse has been worked or is going to be 
worked.  (or, just did a ride---you get the idea---grains are not part of 
their regular ration on their off days)

The first season or two, they tend to have a harder time keeping 
weight.  Eventually their metabolisms change over and they get with the 
program.

Good luck,

Karen


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