Grain-free diet... WHAT A DIFFERENCE!

[matryoshka]

@rodawn;4324252

…Where I said grain produces jitters… there is a yes and no to that fact. NO grain does not directly correlate to increased nerves and jitters. YES to the fact has increased nutrients available the them and they start feeling really good and get up to what would be their normally highly-energetic selves and perhaps some of those horses also have a lower ability to contain themselves and their enthusiasm. Reducing the grain reduces the available calories and so their enthusiasm also diminishes.

This is my question about horses who get hyped up on alfalfa or other feed (not sugar). I wonder if perhaps the “hotness” is the horse feeling good enough to act his normal self rather than it changing him from a normally calm horse into a neurotic one, as people seem to think. I’ve never personally seen a horse get “hot” on alfalfa or grain, but that doesn’t mean I disbelieve others who have. My horses are out 24/7, so perhaps I’d notice a difference if they were stalled or if their herd behavior went from easy-going to mean. I’d definitely notice that. Under saddle, I like the horse to have enough energy to do what I ask rather than hanging back. Feed proportions get adjusted accordingly.

I wish I’d known about rice bran pellets when I had my hard-keeper OTTB. He did much better on low-carb feed than on sweet feed, but I still couldn’t put a finish on him. I think rice bran would have helped.

[Cashela]

I’d love to go grain free. We don’t have pasture They are getting fed a nice timothy alfalfa mix from NY right now.

I have three horses, a 9 year old MFT who is short and fat. A 6 year old who is taller but not too tall (about 15 hands) and is lanky. Then I have a yearling who goes from looking good to looking lanky and ribby.

The 9 year old gets a handful of grain in the morning and at night, Poulin Revolution. The other two get a pound and a 1/2 of Revolution and a pound and a 1/2 of 10:12 Performance by Poulin morning and night. I put out 60 pounds of hay a day, all are turned out together and have 24/7 turnout 365 days a year.

I’d love to get rid of the grain but know the colt needs more and the 6 year old loses weight when it work. We trail ride and the season for me at least is coming to an end. We usually ride through November and give them time off until March but this year I am more in relax mode and just got back from our week vacation of trail riding every day for any where between 12 and 20 miles each day. The 9 year old doesn’t need any extra energy but the 6 year old could use a lot.

I’d love to go to BP and alfalfa pellets only…

[Wheel_Whip]

Another benefit to an all roughage diet (hay, a few stretcher pellets, Mega Cell) is no rats in the barn! They would eat the fallen grain and pooped grain. Now we have happy, shiny hossies and no rats!

[Chall]

[QUOTE=trainingtree;4318922]
I am very interested in this thread. I have a horse on lease to a lesson barn, They say because of the work he needs grain- the “work” is only walking and trotting in a circle for 30 min 3x a week, what most people would not really call work. .[/QUOTE]
At a barn I boarded at once they took camp horses for the winter and they worked, worked, worked them. Then a month before summer they stopped and fattened them up. The camp never knew how much the barn used their ponies and thought they were fat and happy the whole time. NOT. You might want to drop in some time unannounced just to check out their schedule…

[Mickee]

I am so happy to have found this forum and this particular topic. My barn gave me rolling eyes and pessimistic view of changing to grain free. My gelding had gotten aggressive, kicking, always with pinned ears and no one could enter his stall safely. Within 4 days of transitioning to grain free he has become the sweet boy he once was. He still needs work, he isin’t perfect, but a dramatic change is occurring. We are using alfalfa pellets, Timothy grass pellets, Rice bran pellets, all the hay he wants to eat, and 2 supplements, Element, and Excel from Dr. Mark DePaolo. He has been a Godsend for us as I was about ready to try to rehome him as he was proving too much for me to handle. Thank you so much for all these success stories!! It lets me know we are definitely on the right track.

[Mouse_amp_Bay]

@CatOnLap

The German Olympic Team in Atlanta was consdiered revolutionary because their olympic athletes received no grai- only really good quality hay. Horses do not usually need grain if the hay is good quality. it is just a matter of convenience and expense for us.

I hadn’t heard this, very interesting. Do you have more information anywhere?

[Scribbler]

@Mouse&Bay

I hadn’t heard this, very interesting. Do you have more information anywhere?

You are responding to a thread that is nine years old. More useful to start a new thread with a question.