How to boost our cob's energy

[Deleted]

Does anyone have any experience of feeding to boost a horse's energy? Ours is a traditional cob. He's not overweight and we don't want him to be. Currently being fed competition mix with a chaff, sugar beet and micronised linseed. He's worked 4-5 times a week either schooling or hacking. We find when we show him he tends to 'die' in his gallop and whilst we've thought about giving him an energy shot I need to know more about the risks to them? Likewise feed. Any thoughts please x

[gillwales]

what is he like when you gallop him not in a showing class? If he is the same then try taking him hunting next season.

Feed more protein for more get up and go, add a little at a time so you get him to the level you want. I would add some oats; briused and clipped.

You say he is ridden 4 to 5 times per week, work on his fitness; introduce some lunging... this is hard work if done correctly so take it easy to start with, you need him to engage his back end for him to work, be careful he does not end up on the forehand.

If you live near a beach that allows you to ride on it, go there for a good gallop once you have him a bit fitter.

If all else fails, make it look like he is giving you a good gallop in the ring, dont make it obvious that you are urging him forward, keep the gallops to a few strides only.

Good luck

[judyh]

Agree re oats. Used to be the only hard feed fed to horses - introduce gradually to see how he reacts. There is too much to choose from now - too many companies making a lot of money from horse owners.

[Deleted]

Thank you both . Gillwales he is not much of a galloper out of the ring to be honest. He's used to working from behind as that's how he's been brought on since breaking a couple of years ago. No one seems to use oats anymore do they? Will look into that in think Do we feed them all the time? (Presumably in place of competition mix) or a couple of days before a show?

[gillwales]

I think we can be blinded by science, however mixes and nuts are only a combination of the grains availible, therefore using straights is far more economical and can be adjusted horse by horse; also you can be certain of the grade of grain this way. Hunting to me sounds like the solution, or go for a short cross country course. In fairness gallop is not the natural pace for a cob, in truth trot is their pace the way that canter is the naturel pace for a hunter. when you turn a fresh horse or pony out in the field the will naturally display their favourite pace.

I would add a small amount on a daily basis, maybe start of with a cup full per day, then increase to a cup full per feed. I would stick to what you are feeding and just add a little, maybe cut back on the sugar beet a little , unless he needs that to tempt him. Only you can tell how he feeds and how he goes on it, just remember make changes gradually. Once you have him on an even keel you can adjust accordingly. However fittness is the real key to this problem.

I hope this is of help

[sjw87]

Agree completely with Gillwales.

I am of the younger generation but was lucky enough to get experience on a dressage yard who used traditional methods so I feed straights.

I tend to use a balancer as a base, speedibeet to add fibre (you don't mention whether you are feeding unmolassed or molassed beet) and then add whatever straights are needed to tailor the diet to the individual horse. For me that's usually linseed and then barley, oats or even soya flakes as required.

It is far easier to tailor a diet of straights to an individual horse than compound feeds. By feeding a balancer you know you're providing all the vits and mins they need so can then add straights as required without worrying they may be missing something they need. I have a yard of 8 ranging from 8 months to 22 years and tb types to traditional cobs and this way of feeding keeps everything looking and feeling well whilst also saving money, space in the feed room and time as feeds are so easy to make.

You also don't mention whether you are feeding hay or haylage and what kind of turnout he gets. Bear in mind that the amount of bucket feed he consumes is a tiny amount compared to what forage he gets so good quality is vital. I personally prefer hay to haylage as I believe it's better for their digestion but that's personal opinion.

If he spends a lot of time in the stable or in a paddock on his own, fitness can be improved by turning out in a hilly field and with company so he's moving round more in everyday life as well as when ridden.

It really does sound like hunting/beach rides would help him to open up and learn how to gallop.

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[sjw87]

Just to add, gill made reference to bruised, clipped oats - it is important when feeding straights that you choose the most digestible type for horses.

Linseed - micronised ideal as has replaced the traditional boiled whole linseed. Lozenges are higher in starch and lower in oil so not as good for horses.

Oats - bruised are far more digestible than rolled.

Barley - the husk of whole barley is hard so horses cannot digest it. Micronised is the easiest to feed and more digestible than rolled. Boiling whole barley is a lovely feed and has more fibre content than micronised but an old fasioned feed.

Soya - soya hulls are mainly fibre as they are the outer of the soya only. Micronised soya flakes are extremely high in protein so will provide the highest energy level but should be fed with care as horses aren't really designed to have such a high protein intake.

Also, don't be tempted to feed him an iron rich 'energy supplement' unless a blood test shows him to be anaemic. It is very rare for horses to require iron supplementation and too much iron can cause problems.


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[cg]

I have had the same problem with my pony and over the last few years we finally have it right! Oats never had any effect on him, it may be different for your boy though.
I feed Winergy Equilibrium Medium energy, its fantastic! There is a low and high available so you can go up or down if needed, I just feed a scoop between two meals a day with some sugar beet and its great. He is very fit and hunts over the winter but is on this feed all year around. I also add a maintenance level of Equine Americas Propell plus to his feed and double it the week before a show.

I have used energy shots and again found they didn't work. I also found schooling in a field helped with my gallop to 'sweeten' him up and so he learnt that going faster was fun!

I hope this helps

[hazeysunshine]

I had the same issue with my fell. I fed him oats which made no difference whatsoever and tried various different competition mixes which didn't work either and were too high in sugar for my liking.
I now feed him Allen and page power and performance works like a charm. He has more oomph without fizz, I don't need to feed the recommended amount either.

As well as that I mix it up doing some jumping and hacking as well as schooling to keep him entertained.

Took him hunting last year and he most definitely found his gallop there, I did pre season hunting not main.

He seems more forward now and his gallop/extension is much better. I've not been to a show as yet so be interesting to see if it is the same there but all good so far

[claired]

I think fitness is the key in a lot of cases and then you feed for the work being done, not in advance of it. Being a cob he will fat store anything he doesn’t use up and that will only make him less inclined to work.

My hunter isn’t the greatest of gallopers – he just doesn’t see the point bless him, so I am finding that its about how I present him in the ring. I will shorten him up around the corner, straighten him up and then ask him to lengthen, rather than falling around the corner and going all flat. If I get half a dozen good ‘electric’ strides then I start to ease off. I also don’t gallop him at home at all, preferring to do lots of steady canter work with some changes of pace within the canter to teach him to react better to my leg aids.

Lots of hill work, walking through streams for water resistance, (do you have access to a water treadmill – if so do try it, really helps build muscular strength) and making any faster work more fun rather than a chore. If he jumps, introduce some grid work. I think horses that are not naturally built to gallop, or don’t have the adrenalin levels to excite them into speed, need to have this pace made as easy as possible for them, so getting them fit and asking for the gallop only very often will make it easier (& fun) for them in the long run.

[Deleted]

Thanks everyone. Really interesting. He's out on good grass but not 24/7. I tend to leave him in alternate nights. Hoping to get him to the beach this week. When I get back from work later will look through posts properly but thanks so much for those thoughts x

[flee]

We take our less forward going ponies out in pairs , canter them side by side round the field , and then 'race' each other down one side ,back to a steady canter and then repeat a few times ( depending on fitness and size of field !). Most of them quickly learn to anticipate the racing bit and you can build on it by really gathering them up to the slowest canter possible as you approach your gallop , make them wait , wait , wait and then , on a vocal command , let them really go for it . If you make the vocal command something reasonably subtle ( a low growl or whistle maybe ) you can use it in the ring - but definately no " Yee- hars !"


I was thinking some more about this whilst I was out poo picking this morning ( as you do ) , and about the methods I use to teach my ponies stuff and the reasoning behind it , so have edited this post just to clarify a little . This is how I think about it anyway . When I'm doing anything like this with a pony I always bear in mind from the very start that , at some point , I will want to be able to reproduce the result in the show ring .With that in mind I always have a picture in my mind of what I want , what I want it to look like and how I would like to be able to ask for it . The joke on our yard is that whenever a pony does something a bit flamboyant ie piaffes when they're showing off or spins on their hocks cos they're spooked at something , we say " Quick - think of an aid !"
So , to ask for a gallop in an ideal world , on an ideal pony , I would simply half halt before the corner and then use my leg for the extension as I straightened up . But as we all know , our ponies are very different , so we just adapt those basic aids ie on my very keen and super sensitive pony the signals are very subtle and refined - I momentarily sit taller ( half halt ) and then bring my shoulders very slightly forward, soften my hand and off she goes .
On a really unenthusiastic pony I'm going to need every tool in the box so I create a whole load of 'cues' which says , very clearly , " Wake up ! You're going to gallop !". I build these in right from the start so he associates them with the gallop and there is no doubt about what it means - sort of one massive aid written in capital letters if you like ! However , it still has to be reasonably subtle because it's supposed to look effortless ( HA ! ).
With that in mind then , with a worst case scenario ( ie a really backed off pony ) I will start by getting him in the bounciest canter I can muster and then as I approach a corner ( whether in the field or the ring ) I will really sit up and shorten the canter with a series of half halts and as I do so I will say , quietly but firmly , " Wait . Wait . Wait" with each stride. For my ponies " Wait " means 'pay attention - something's about to happen ' whereas " Steady " means calm down/slow down/everything's okay , and they know the difference .
So I'm building it all up , mentally and physically , and ( hopefully) I've got the pony sat on his hocks and psychologically prepped for what's coming .As I come off the corner I use my leg and give a vocal cue at the same time ( personally , I go " Ppppsssshhhttttt" 'cos I can do it quietly and without moving my lips !!) and I ride strongly forward , ideally all the way down the long side but if I feel the pony dying on me I sit up immediately , ride the transition back to medium canter ( so it's always my decision - not the pony's ) , keep the canter going for a bit before going into a good , strong trot before coming back to walk and your final halt .
With a backed off pony you must ALWAYS ride him forward after the gallop , and NEVER let it be his decision to stop . You see so many riders just grind to an abrupt halt after their extension and the pony can actually start to associate the gallop with the halt and so the end of the show and back to the line for a rest . At home I always practice extensions in the middle of the session , never at the end and , with a lazy pony , I NEVER let him walk/halt immediately after a gallop , riding him forward in a strong canter or trot instead , before letting him have a breather .
Apologies if this all sounds a bit complicated and convoluted but it's easy to assume that just because you know what you mean - so does everyone else !

[gillwales]

good luck with your beach ride... please let us know the outcome.

[Deleted]

Thank you flee . Thanks Gill. Have got some great ideas x

[sarahp]

Just a factual correction - it's starch that fizzes them up, NOT protein. A very common mistake.