feeding a 7 month old filly sweet feed?

[Laci7210]

Can I feed my 7 month old sweet feed? I just got her and sweet feed is what she's been on so far, but do you think I should keep her on that? Should I mix it with anything? And how much grain should she get everyday? Thanks!

 

[Bunnylady]

You know what they say - ask 4 horsemen, and you'll get 5 opinions; that's particularly true when it comes to feeding. Some almost seem to feel like sweet feed is the invention of the Devil . . . .

Personally, I prefer to avoid it, and my horses seem to do quite well. I prefer a pelleted feed without extra sugar, but that is only a small part of what my horses get to eat each day. The majority of their diet is a good quality hay, fed in a slow feeder to keep them busy longer.

The amount of grain a horse should get varies. A horse should not be allowed to get too fat, and a young horse should not be pushed to gain weight too fast. It takes more fuel to keep a horse warm in the winter, so I up the feed a bit during cool weather, adjusting it down when the weather warms in the spring.

 

[Laci7210]

Thanks bunnylady! I have been mixing her sweet feed with oats and soaked alfalfa pellets.. should I keep her on those 3 mixed together? Since she's used to sweet feed, she isn't very fond of alfalfa pellets so I have to mix them in

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

I agree very much with bunnylady!

Alfalfa can have a lot of protein which isn't always necessary for horses that aren't being used for strenuous exercise. Same with sweet feed. I've had experience with horses where the sweet feed made them "hot" and aggressive. The transformation after taking that particular horse off sweet feed was amazing. However, I've also had horse do perfectly ok on sweet feed. So I very much think it is an individual horse thing.

We ended up switching to a brand called Strategy and it is good stuff. Our filly did well on it (she is 8 now) and they get copious amounts of Timothy grass hay. This winter, they are actually quite plump!

 

[Prairieview]

Sweet feed is not really an economical choice nor a really great feed. You are paying a lot for corn, grain by-products and sugar. Pelleted feeds are not much better and you are paying a lot for grain by-products and incomplete cheap mineral. You are onto the right track with soaking alfalfa pellets, but a better choice is hay chaff. Many stores now carry bagged chaff so you don't have to cut your own like I do. A simple and easy mix is to take crimped oats, mix it with chaff, wet and feed. Growing foals need quality protein, fiber, fat and vitamins. Buying a good vitamin supplement is essential to proper growth. Foals actually need fat for proper joint development. I've seen just as many foals ruined by the "keep them ribs" method as the super fat method. Unrefined soy oil works well, or you can get a powdered fat supplement, moderation is key. If you switch to a chaff based diet I guarantee you will see a difference and your feed bill will drop.