Veteran Vitality Challenge - win free feed

[LovePinkBitsOfMyHorse]

Don't know if this is of interest to anyone but my new best friends at Allen and Page have sent me some money off vouchers for entering this competition - we'd recently switched to that feed anyway so I just have to keep a diary and take regular photos.

Or you could just get the vouchers and send them to ME.

If you are using this stuff already the vouchers make each sack less than half price. Horse is losing weight though but was expecting that as he can't usually live in without getting a bit skinnier, never mind out and he has only lost what he would have lost if stabled so am quite impressed.

link

Oooh - that looks interesting Pinky

Have been wondering whether it is time to switch my girl onto a more veteran-oriented feed but haven't got round to it yet. She's 18 and has always done well on a high-fibre diet but she's dropped off quite a bit after the recent cold snap.

Would be really interested to hear how you're getting on with it. Is it a mix or a cube (hoss fizzes up on mixes)? Also, am I right in thinking your horse has a certain joie de vivre....does this one make any difference - hot him up/calm him down?

Am tempted to give it a try but would love to hear your feedback before I do

Fanks

He's 18 too, seems a good age for it! They're cubes, have to be soaked (always seems so wet but he loves it) and they don't seem particularly heating - he was worse on barley rings last year. Think he's only lively because of lack of work, seems to be settling with a hack every other day. Hooray!

Anyway have increased to a whole dry scoop twice a day (with scoop and half sb and half scoop fast fibre and generous glug of soya oil) and also upped the hay even though it is a severe trauma to make so many trips! If he can maintain or gain a little I will be very impressed, he's lovely to ride at the moment - but the pony has been a monster and he's on so called CALM and condition. Might switch to a proper quiet mix for that one. Found the people at Allen and Page very helpful, they came out to see us and looked at the horses but possibly because yard as a whole was switching to them and there were over 50 horses then.

They assured me I don't need to add any balancers or vitamins even though I am a bit addicted to them.

Thanks for that - think I'll give it a whirl!

My girl gets just chaff and pony nuts with a joint supplement (more preventative than out of necessity) and has always done very well on that, so was a bit alarming to see quite how much she's lost over the last couple of weeks.
Hasn't helped that a. I'm 36 weeks pg and b. the weather has been so shocking so she's lost topline over the last few months as well. Hopeing to be back in the saddle in 2 months and can't wait!!!

Same as you, have uppped the hay and have also added an extra rug overnight and am giving her some boiled barley a couple of times a week which should all help.

Can't believe she's 18 tho....fingers crossed this stuff does the trick & she's back to behaving like a 4 year old in the spring

Can spring come soon enough?

Will be interested to hear how she gets on with it, hope she regains condition and that you win something!

Am a bit in denial about her age and prob hadn't considered she would need a bit extra tlc - easy thing to do when they still behave like a youngster, no?

Roll on spring - days are getting longer already so is just around the corner [hopeful emoticon]. Just need the snow to stay away now and come March we can get back into some sort of normal routine.

Thanks again and will keep you posted!

Just wanted to add that weight is definitely creeping back, he looks amazing and is safe and fun to ride (behaviour on ground not ideal but that's just anxiety about being separated from pony now his old gang have dispersed - he must wonder where they are and miss them? When his great love died he called for her for days :(). I am only topping it up with linseed oil and cortaflex, they say no need to add vitamins so am trying to believe them.

GD's pony (17)has gained, and kept, weight really well on Bailey's outshine, balancer and speedibeet, and is lovely and calm, but still loads of energy and forward going. I am a total convert, and because he had laminitis last spring I'm really pleased to have cut the starch out of his diet

sadly my 23yr old is doing very badly this winter.

Worked hard all summer to get weight onto her in readiness for winter, but she still looked like she needed a decent feed, but its dropping of at moment.

Have had to stable her , which she hates to get her feeding a bit more.

She's a flippin fussy eater, will not eat wet food.. so no beet etc and picks at other food and won't eat it at all if we add oil.

Adding as much powered foal milk as I can at moment to get calories into her.

Had teeth done, and bloods have all come back from vet fine. Not riding her at all, but takin gher out for walks to keep muscles active, and she bright and lively.. jsut looks like an RSPCA case.

Does she have haylage? I suppose you can't make linseed jelly if she won't eat anything wet. What a nightmare, hope it gets warm soon (how long until spring now?) and she can fatten up on lovely new grass. Can she have lots of smaller meals a day, 3 or 4?

I couldn't find the go button yesterday admittedly we are just doing road work as tracks are so sludgy they can only be walked on sideways with half of me in the prickly hedge. I like a bit of unplanned lateral work as much as the next rider but it's a bit of a waste out there with nobody to admire it and after the first half an hour it was boring and scratchy in the hedge.

He is being so well behaved I am worried there is something mentally wrong with him