Re: Carbs - only part of the picture

[flemmerl@rcbhsc.wvu.edu (Flemmer, Linda)]

Truman Prevatt wrote:

>  I saw this and about passed out.  How much grain do other people
> feed?

Our old guy is a 15.3H 16 year old TB/QH cross.  He is a good eater
(vaccuums up everything).  He has free choice hay or lush
timothy/orchard grass pasture, free choice mineralized & plain salt, and
gets 8 lbs of a 10% protein, 4% fat sweet feed as a retired horse (just
pleasure riding).  He is always "a little ribby", but good fat at the
tail head, neck is filled out, a little fat behind the shoulder.

My gelding also acts like a vaccuum cleaner.  He is the original "easy
keeper".  12 yo gelding, 16H Arab with massive bone (8 3/4" cannons).
He gets 1 lb same sweet feed, lush pasture, free choice hay when needed,
access to salts, etc.  He is FAT!  Even when he's working hard!  He
keeps a large fat pad behind the shoulder, along the spine, and over the
loins & hip.  If we don't watch to limit him when he isn't working, you
can't find any ribs and there is a gutter down the middle of his back.

My last mare was a 14.3H Arab mare - very slighly built and a picky
eater.  She had all of the above free choice hay & salt & grazing, + 16
lbs of feed with 2 cups corn oil daily.  She was eternally underweight
and a management problem.  (Rice bran & beet pulp were not popular then
- I didn't know about them to try them.  She has long since passed
away.)

Three such different horses...  I wish I had that mare's metabolism,
too!

Pass the chocolate cake!

Linda Flemmer