Canelo and Poppy +1 and feeding questions pic heavy

[ABS9590]

Canelo is still gaining weight but he seems overly spooky and I read that this may be because of his diet-he gets free choice grass, 2-3 flakes of alfafa a day, and twice daily scoops of pelleted feed (a mix of SafeChoice Maintenance, alfalfa pellets, and a little all stock sweet, like a 3:2:1 ratio). He also has an equine protein tub, loose minerals (Purina 12:12), a once daily scoop of hoof supplement pellets, and a salt block. How can I adjust his diet where he chills back out? Or is this just the personality change caused by feeling better? Or did I go a little overboard on the minerals and such? He doesn't actually seem interested in the minerals, just his food
His feet are also not as sore and he even trotted and bucked a tiny bit today!
My dad keeps telling me I need to hurry up and start riding Canelo before he's strong enough to buck me off, but he looks so pitiful when he thinks he's about to have to work and I feel like a jerk. Plus I have yet to find an adult saddle and pad that fit him. I don't actually even care if he's rideable, but it would definitely help him gain muscle tone if I did ride him. Also pretty sure he's still holding a grudge over the gelding and antibiotics.
Poppy has calmed down quite a bit and is much easier to lead now. As you will notice in the pictures, she and Canelo are together. Why? Because Miss Poppy can jump 4 foot fences. Luckily, she only appears to do it when she's out of sight of Canelo. Hopefully she grows out of it. Vet went ahead and prescribed both of them antibiotics. She's definitely not pregnant or even old enough to get pregnant, her fecal came back clean, and she had a slight fever but that has cleared up.
She is not at all spooky, despite being on a similar diet to Canelo, except with mare and foal instead of maintenance pellets. Turned them out to the pasture for the first time today and she had great fun doing the zoomies and worrying the cows. Canelo, on the other hand, just wanted to nose around in the dirty cow hay in case they left something tasty behind.
Sooooo was not planning to get anymore horses, but my dream horse was a well-broke gaited gelding, bonus points for being registered and maybe a palomino or cremello, but one day I got a notification that the Bowie kill pen had posted a gentle and well-broke cremello TWH mare, registered with the TWHBEA, had lovely gaits and manners in her video. So. I have a horse chillin in quarantine in Decatur. And DEFINITELY NO MORE. Shoutout to Miss Jo's Rescue Ranch, she is awesome!
If someone else has room in their heart, wallet, and barn, there's a gentle and well behaved 10 year old standardbred gelding also in the Bowie kill pen, his ship date has already passed, and he looks like a very good boy who needs a safe place to go. He could be viewed on their website or YouTube channel if anyone was inclined to rescue him.
Now for pics!

First meeting up close

Stealing hay

Nomnomnom

Look at that face! Saddle was tried, not cinched up or ridden

On the way to freedom! They're only allowed out here when I can supervise, so many hazards.

Straight for the bull!

Exploring the cow pens

Vrooooooom!

 

[Duckfarmer1]

Beautiful horses...good quality looking hay...if you’re worried about the weight, has anyone told you to cut back on the sweet feed? Or how about cutting back on the amount of grains you give in a day? They should be eating mostly hay...pasture. As for the riding..I’m with your Dad! He’s obviously feeling better..he does need the muscle tone, and think about, us, once we exercise...we always feels better! Help him do that! There’s not many horse people on here, but this one has a sister site...backyardherd....basically the same thing!

ps..love that mane!

 

[ABS9590]

Beautiful horses...good quality looking hay...if you’re worried about the weight, has anyone told you to cut back on the sweet feed? Or how about cutting back on the amount of grains you give in a day? They should be eating mostly hay...pasture. As for the riding..I’m with your Dad! He’s obviously feeling better..he does need the muscle tone, and think about, us, once we exercise...we always feels better! Help him do that! There’s not many horse people on here, but this one has a sister site...backyardherd....basically the same thing!

ps..love that mane!

Thank you! He's still supposed to be gaining weight and I'd like to find a happy medium the keeps him a good size but also doesn't cause an attitude problem, if it's really the food causing it.
Actually tried joining backyard herds but kept running into an error message
Thanks! Wonder if she will stay that color?

 

[Skye'sDucks]

It sounds like they are doing great! I've never had the pleasure of owning a horse, so I really don't know much about feeding, so I'm really sorry I can't help there.

I'm no expert on weight, either, but I agree from the pictures and from what you've said as well that Canelo could probably be ridden a little to get some exercise.

 

[Jac Jac]

Beautiful horses...good quality looking hay...if you’re worried about the weight, has anyone told you to cut back on the sweet feed? Or how about cutting back on the amount of grains you give in a day? They should be eating mostly hay...pasture. As for the riding..I’m with your Dad! He’s obviously feeling better..he does need the muscle tone, and think about, us, once we exercise...we always feels better! Help him do that! There’s not many horse people on here, but this one has a sister site...backyardherd....basically the same thing!

ps..love that mane!

So humbly jealous of you and your "herd". And such beautiful pics of some wonderfully beautiful horses. That's what I'm talking about when I say I need room for my flocks to roam. No over-crowded backyard and such. I want my critters to be free, but protected. Cowboy... I'm with you in/on your way of thinking.

 

[Duckfarmer1]

Thank you! He's still supposed to be gaining weight and I'd like to find a happy medium the keeps him a good size but also doesn't cause an attitude problem, if it's really the food causing it.
Actually tried joining backyard herds but kept running into an error message
Thanks! Wonder if she will stay that color?

Oh my gosh...my too with error message..I even contacted the people here, since they’re the same company, and they told me everything looked ok...still had no luck. (

 

[Bunnylady]

My dad keeps telling me I need to hurry up and start riding Canelo before he's strong enough to buck me off

Uh-huh. If I recall, your dad is the one who insisted that Poppy was pregnant, too.

If I knew someone who apparently knows so little about horses, I'm not sure I'd take their advice - just sayin'.

A horse bucks for a number of reasons; the primary ones being pain and fear. Think about this - if Canelo's feet are hurting him, when you get on his back, is it going to magically make his feet feel better? No. If anything, the extra weight will make them hurt more.

If he associates being ridden with being in pain, how likely is it that he will become a willing, happy participant in whatever riding activities you have in mind down the road?

Canelo needs to be sound of body and mind before anyone gets on his back, and that includes his feet.

Another reason to hold off on riding him is because you have winter moving in, and he is still quite underweight. Every calorie he burns hauling you around is one he won't be putting into weight gain, or just keeping himself warm. He may actually start losing weight if you ride him.

Mentioning calories, I'd skip the sweet feed if I were you. Frankly, I don't know why the feed companies still make the stuff; there have been so many studies that have shown that sugar is not a horse's friend. If you wander around in a pasture after a good rain, you will see grain growing in the manure piles left by all the horses that are getting fed sweet feed . . . a horse's simple digestive system lets most of those whole grains pass right on through, undigested and completely wasted. If I'm going to spend money on feed, I'd prefer that it be something that the horse can actually use.

Good trainers will tell you that with proper preparations, the chances of a horse bucking when you get on him should be practically nil. You won't be doing anything to hurt him, or scare him; you will be sure that the tack fits and is adjusted correctly, and he's had enough exposure to it that it won't be in any way frightening. Young horses often buck in play, but if there is any chance of that, working him in a round pen or on a lunge line until he's tired and ready to listen and be sensible is the prudent thing to do. IMO, getting on a horse that you think has a good chance of bucking is just plain dumb, whether he has the energy to buck hard enough to dump you or not.

If you are concerned about Canelo's mind set, there's a ton of groundwork you can do, to get him responsive and respectful. Work with him enough, and when you do actually get on him, it will be no biggie, even an anticlimax, which is how it should be. You need to be absolutely sure you have control of him on the ground before you even think of mounting up, because on the back of an out-of-control horse is one of the most dangerous places you can ever be.

 

[Folly's place]

x2! Cut out the sweet feed. Talk to your vet about feed; if he needs calories, consider oil instead.
Ground work, lunging, or round pen work, not just hoping he'll be fine riding, especially if he's hurting somewhere.
Both horses look so much better, good for you!
Mary