Dietary advice required

[frostyfingers]

I took dhorse hunting today and he scared me sideways on a couple of occasions so I came home. There are a few mitigating circumstances but I am wondering whether he is getting too much of something in his diet.....

Currently he has three large scoops of Countrywide light mix daily, plus a net of haylage in the evening and a pile in the field during the day as there's barely any grass. He was out 24/7 last year with hay rather than haylage but had about the same hard feed and thrived and was pretty manageable. He's now in at night, which he loves, but he was manic a couple of times today. He gets plenty of exercise and is pretty fit but I was wondering whether it was the haylage that was giving him the extra looniness and if so what I could do. There is no alternative to the haylage, but I was wondering whether I should change some or all of the mix for something like Alfa A or just cut the mix back. He's quite fussy (I mixed nuts in with the mix and he refused to eat them, just picked them out) and very suspicious of new things.

Thoughts and suggestions welcomed!

might he just prefer being out? I don't know about coarse mixes but didn't think they were particularly heating.

But I suppose he is clipped out now?

the only thing that crossed my mind is to ask how old the haylage is?

also you say he was used to hay which does not have as much protein as haylage, therefore as you say, perhaps cut back on the hard feed.

That seems like a lot of hard feed. But then in my defence, none of ours are hunting! I'd cut the mix right back. I'd say he is getting too much food, and you don't want to cut his fibre. It may be a non heating mix, but it just might not be agreeing with him. Our old tb pony used to go mental on plain simple cheap grass nuts! Haylage also has scary effects on some of ours.

Unfortunately he can only be out during the day - we've moved house and he's at farm livery who are v strict about the fields. If I had the choice he would be out 24/7 (he was fully clipped last year and was fine being out). The haylage is from this year and from my limited knowledge seems good quality. The mix is one that he's had all the time I've had him, and he was fine on it last year so I'm beginning to think the haylage is the culprit.

I've given him a bit less hard food this morning and will try that route I think rather than introducing more new things which he's so wary off.

In his defence he had only just been clipped and it was chilly yesterday, also it was his first day out this season (for medical reasons rather than me being slow off the mark) so I'm hoping that once the novelty has worn off he'll settle better. I'm taking up on the hills for the next meet so hopefully a bit of up and down will wear him out.

feel so my horse is tricky on all counts (cold air hitting newly clipped tummy, hunting and being kept in overnight) but also so much more exciting to ride!

hope the next meet goes better for you both though

I have certainly heard of haylage sending some horses loopy. Is there no way you can get hold of some hay instead?

yes I agree about the haylage, IME sometimes it is fermented and really affects their perception of everyday objects or it is too rich somehow, depending on when and where is was cut.

If it helps, my horse has always been easy in the summer but an absolute lunatic in the winter.

So far this winter she's been a lot better. The difference, no haylege. The only reason is the two tiny ponies don't need haylege and I can't get through it fast enough for her, so she's had hay. She has been less psycho and more her normal self.

However, I'd still expect her to be mad hunting to start with as that's just her personality?!

I've taken out about 1/3rd of his hard feed and replaced with a double handful of Dengie Hi Fi (borrowed from a friend before I invest in a bag!) which he seems happy with. If that goes down well for the next week or so I'll look at getting some - I'm intending to hunt him again on Wednesday so will report back! I'm not expecting the food to make a difference that quickly, but I'm hoping he will be less het up this time round anyway.