IR, Colic, Ulcers management

[doublesstable]

Hello all… I am looking for ideas and how I can improve upon my horses (and now Donkeys) diets.

I have two horses at home which have been boarded for 6 years. I am happy to have them home but they both have some management issues which can be a double edge sword. Don’t want them fat, but they need food in their systems.

Horse 1 - 16.2 WB that is not in much work right now; gains weight easily and has a history of sever ulcers. His current diet is:
6 am -
1/4 flake alfalfa hay
1/2 flake timothy hay

Mash -
1/2 lb beet pulp (no molasses)
1 cup Outlast
1 cup stabilized ground flaxseed
Vitamin supplement
Immubiome G Track (for ulcers)

12 Lunch
1/4 flake alfalfa hay
1/2 flake timothy hay

5 dinner
1/4 flake alfalfa hay
1/2 flake timothy hay

10 pm night feed
1/4 flake alfalfa hay
1/2 flake timothy hay

mash
1/2 lb timothy alfalfa pellets soaked
1 cup outlast
1 cup ground flaxseed
Vitamin supplment
Immubiome G Track (for ulcers)

Horse 2 - 17.2 WB not in work; gains weight easily and has a history of gas colic, displacements and impactions. His current diet is:
6 am
1/2 flake alfalfa hay chopped and wet
1/4 timothy

mash
1/2 beet pulp (no molasses)
1/ cup outlast
1/ cup stabilized ground flaxseed
Vitamin Supplement
IONS
Lactic acid yeast

12 lunch
1/2 flake alfalfa chopped wet

5 dinner
1/4 chopped and wet alfalfa
1/2 timothy hay

10 pm night feed
1/2 chopped and wet alfalfa
1/4 timothy hay

mash
1/2 timothy alfalfa pellets soaked
1 cup outlast
1 cup ground flaxseed
Vitamin supplement
IONS
Lactic acid yeast

I feed small amounts throughout the day. Any ideas of how to reduce calories yet keeping food running through. I am currently building grass turnouts but that will take a while longer.

On to the donkeys. I am picking them up next week. The mare has fat pads. The gelding seems to be in good weight but his feet look bad. He just got trimmed for the first time in a while but looks like some kind of strange growths on the cornet band.

Thanks

[IPEsq]

How much hay/alfalfa in pounds is that? I assume these are large bales?

[candyappy]

Basically 3/4ths of a flake for 6 hours ( even on a large bale) doesn’t seem like it would last long? Are you using the extra large 3x3x8 square bales that weigh 800 pounds? Those would have a decent amount of volume in a flake.

[doublesstable]

@IPEsq

How much hay/alfalfa in pounds is that? I assume these are large bales?

Each flake weighs 5 lbs. the alfalfa would be 1.5 to 2 lbs of hay. Timothy 1/2 flake I’d 2.5 to 3 lbs. At night I do increase my 16.2 horses Timothy at night to 5 lbs

[B-burg_Dressage]

I know with my easy keeper, I try to keep it simple.

I actually ended up buying a lower quality hay this year (still dry and clean and weed-free, just straight grass–fescue/timothy) so that he could eat more of it. I understand wanting the alf for ulcers, but you could maybe lower that some and increase the timothy a bit so they have more foodstuff going through their system at all times with less calories.

I also recently took him off almost every supplement and feed. He gets a double handful of alf pellets each end of the day and a multi-vitamin to make sure we’re not missing something. You could easily continue their ulcer care with the alf pellets too.

You may also find that since they’re home you can manage their ulcer issue without all of the extras. I was able to pull my OTTB off of most of his ulcer prevention after some time being home. 24/7 turnout with a buddy. ACTUALLY keeping hay/grass in front of him at all times. Changing feeds so that he doesn’t have to eat as many pounds per meal. He still gets some alf (pellets during the summer and alf hay in the winter), and I still have him on one supplement but that’s more for my peace of mind at this point than anything else. He’s still in full work too, while it sounds like your guys aren’t.

Also, congrats on moving your horses home! There is nothing better.