I have several older school horses that need that bit of extra TLC. These guys are terrific and are the heart and soul of my lesson program. Their value to me is NOT just monetary, because honestly, I love these guys dearly and want the best for them. I have a pretty well developed feed routine. I currently have them on Pennfield All Phase and Pennfield Fibrogized Omega for daily supplementing and on Sundays, we celebrate Psylluim Sunday with Red Bran and you guessed it Psyllium. That in my husband's words makes it a "crappy Monday" (he does the am stall cleaning and can verify this). In the summer I add electrolytes and add electrolytes as needed after a tough fall or winter ride to replace what my equine partner might have lost.
I believe in daily complete vitamins for my active middle age to senior horses. So, I supplement with Adeptus' Nimble. I have NOTHING but great things to say about this product!! I actually was referred to it by a top level trainer/competitor who swears by it (and is also sponsored by them... lucky girl!!). Long story short, I figured that I'd give it a go. This supplement replaced daily isoxuprine on my older guy with full blown navicular and REDUCED his need for bute!!! So, while it may initially have seemed more costly, it actually SAVED me about $100/month because it provided the same support the prescriptions provided in a daily supplement that I would have been purchasing anyway. The one draw back is perhaps it's palatability... my other golden oldies have consistently left this precious powder at the bottom of the bucket (despite it being mixed in; what a feat!). The guy with navicular will eat anything, so he's never left so much as a speck behind... oh well, you win some, you lose some!
The last, but perhaps MOST important part of our routine is access to quality hay. Sadly because of the prohibitively high price of orchard and timothy hay, we use bermuda hay. I would prefer to use orchard, but until the day when I win the lottery I am using bermuda. Secondly, I use alfalfa... being a native from Illinois, I am partial to alfalfa... that was the most common hay, and ALL of my horses there were on it. Alfalfa does have a lot of protein and does tend to give the horses a bit of extra go. I like my farrier's comment though, "Bermuda with skinny horses is like an anorexic with iceberg lettuce"... in other words it has almost no value and provides filler calories. I find the bermuda useful in keeping the horses munching all day, but the alfalfa is the main course. Since I believe very firmly in horses having access to hay throughout the day, I provide up to 3 flakes per feeding rather than the one to two that I have seen offered at other barns. My goal is to see hay left over from the evening feed in the morning so that I can be sure that they were grazing rather than gulping the hay. Since, my current supplier has TOP NOTCH hay, and very reasonable priced bales for bulk purchasing, I can offer the extra hay without a hike in pricing. The company I use is "We Got Hay"... delivery is fast and efficient, and the bales are ALWAYS neatly stacked for me.
Over the years, I have heard MANY different opinions on the topic of hay and feed, but like everyone also says, ask a horseman their opinion, and be prepared to hear 4-5 differing ideas from the SAME person. At Symmetry, each horse is fed on a case by case basis taking into account each horse's individual needs. Some horses need to gain weight, but slowly and safely. Other horses are at a solid weight, but need to maintain and build muscle. So, the reality is that each horse that is brought in is placed on a feed routine that meets their needs; be they a grand gentleman to a plump pony. Of course the most important part is monitoring the outcomes of the feeding program and making changes with the consent or at the request of the owners.
See you in the Ring!!
Crystal
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