Feeding a Draft

[2DogsFarm]

Just got back from accompanying a friend to the vet hospital with his ginormous (19H) Belgian.
Horse seemed NQR/colicky Tues evening. Banamine , along with hour+ trip did not produce any manure
Vet found vitals in normal range, blood normal , rectal exam found soft, cowpie manure < vet said she could not reach far because: Large.
Ultrasound also inconclusive, because See Above
They kept him overnight, scoped for ulcers in the morning.
No ulcers, back to himself, so we took him home last night.
Vet advised more forage, less grain, both fed more often & in smaller portions.
But, friend tends to not hear all that is said while waiting to add his 2¢ (mansplain ) & does not ask all that I would.
I try to insert some questions or info as I know it.
For example: Vet asked how much banamine paste had been given.
Owner just said 2 pre-filled dose syringes.
I suggested maybe 20g per tube.
His vet is very Old School, doubt any CE happens.

I Googled ulcers in Drafts yesterday & found info that Draft metabolism is slower & less grain-type feed is needed.
I.E.: do not feed commercial feeds as bags direct.
Currently they feed a 12% pelleted feed “low in sugar” that contains some oats.
From my mini(horse) experience, I know oats are not the best choice for any sugar issue.

Anyone here feeding a Draft?
How often do you grain, how much per feeding & what ratio protein/carbs/NSCs?

TIA

[M_al]

Yes to more forage, add low-starch concentrate as needed. Also, make sure the draft is getting ENOUGH hay. They’re thrifty, but still need hay based on body weight then adjusted a bit.

You might want to send a few hairs off for a PSSM test, which would also held determine if additional fat/vit E is needed, as PSSM horses struggle with turning carbohydrates into energy.

PSSM horses don’t need full IRD removal of carbs, it just works better as fat is added.

[Chief2]

Here is a resource that is popular with draft horse owners. https://www.ruralheritage.com/new_rh_website/index_green.shtml

When I got my Percheron he had been on a grain that was 44% sugar, with carrots, peppermints, candy and treats thrown in. Before changing the diet I put the forage as my horse’s base, broke it up into three periods of feeding a day (am/afternoon/night), and then worked the ‘grain’ portion into that baseline. I switched him over to a low carb grain and split it over the three feedings. To appease Mr. Hungry, I also added some haystretcher into each of his three daily meals. On one of those feedings he also got beet pulp and supplements. By the dead of winter he was getting 10 to 11 pounds of his grain/haystretcher mix per day split over three equal feedings (one feeding with the added bp, supplements and canola oil), all sugary treats were banished, and he consistently ate one 45 pound bale of grass hay per day. He was a much happier horse under the new system, so we kept it into his senior years. At that point, the low carb grain was replaced with a senior high fat/ low carb grain, and he remained happy. Figure out the forage side of the equation first, then work the ‘grain’ into that.

[B_and_B]

Right now, since he isn’t doing much, my full grown draft (Shire) who weighs in at just shy of 2000 is on mixed grass hay, a ration balancer at the smallest amount I can get away with, and a half pound or so of beet pulp (dry weight) and about two pounds of timothy pellets. The bp/timothy pellets are simply there to keep him from tearing the fence down to get at the other horses’ feed.
In work, hay, ration balancer, and extra calories from fat (usually Cool Calories or Renew Gold)
High fat, high forage, and stay as far away from sugars as possible. Dr. Valentine’s articles on Rural Heritage are a very good starting point.

[B_and_B]

I’ll bet that 12% is that standard 12% sweet feed, it is a very common, old school feed because everything on the farm can eat it and it is cheap. Drafts in hard, full day work can work on it and work well, but the chances of PSSM/EPSM eventually causing problems go way up. And very few drafts are in genuine work.
But this sounds more like a colic issue, I hope the horse has free access to water? That is not always the case, I know some people who still offer the horse water a few times a day and that is it. Yes, the horse usually learns it better drink Now but not something I would do!

[lenapesadie]

Mom’s drafts eat grass hay and a few pounds of alfalfa pellets to carry their VMS. Occasionally a flake of peanut hay. They are fat as pigs.

ETA grass hay or pasture: fee choice. Alfalfa pellets: once a day. Peanut hay as an occasional treat or cleaning up stems that sheep leave.

[2DogsFarm]

Thanks, All.
I’ll pass info to friend as tactfully as possible.
I do know the pelleted feed has no molasses, so not the standard “sweetfeed”.
Free access to water now, but when it was frigid & horses were not turned out, they were offering water only twice a day. No buckets hung in stalls.
Made me worry, but not my horses…

@M_al not my horse & little chance of any genetic testing. These are at least 3rd generation horseowners/breeders (not Drafts) & a lot of Old School Think goes into their care.
But friend is the latest generation & does take some of my suggestions.

[four2farm]

@B_and_B and @Chief2 The rural heritage article is spot on that is posted above.

Dr Beth Valentine designed my warmblood’s (Canadian Sporthorse , 1/2 percheron, 1/2 Oldenburg) diet over 10 years ago. He eats daily - Ultium 7lbs, beet pulp 4lbs, 1/2 cup BOSS, 6oz Flax, 4oz cool calories 2 flakes alfalfa and free choice grass hay. He is an incredibly hard keeper. Before the Epsm diet he had intermittent colic episodes, tying up issues and muscle tenderness/lameness issues. I actually emailed back and forth with Dr Valentine, she was extremely helpful. The goal was to feed him, 27k calories (to maintain weight), low carb, high fat. We have had no tying up issues, no lameness issues and only one colic episode. He had a laceration on his rump that needed stitching and we found he is also allergic to ace, he had a reaction and had light colic that resolved with banamine.

Not all drafts/crosses are hard keepers like him. The secret is as much fat as you can stuff into them to maintain a healthy weight. I watch his high sugar grass consumption, keep treats limited to carrots or alfalfa pellets and those few and far between.

He is 16 now, still trim, holds muscle well with no work and keeps his weight steady.