Feeding a nervous OTTB

kimberley mine · Postby **kimberley mine** » Mon Apr 04, 2011 4:25 pm

OTTB, very nervous, hot, spooky, extremely intelligent but he's so emotional that he is difficult to work with. It's very frustrating because when his brain is engaged, he's wonderful, and when it's not, he's a damn nuisance.

Right now he gets alfalfa hay, timothy hay, and coffee can scoop of some kind of pelleted feed (can't remember the name) with corn oil on top. He is in training to be a polo horse so he will need the added calories, and also doesn't keep condition on hay alone.

I've looked at product info for Nutrena Safe Choice, SS Safe Starch, and Strategy. Any suggestions, recommendations, observations from real people who are not trying to sell the product very, very welcome.

LB · Postby LB » Mon Apr 04, 2011 6:49 pm

I'd get him off the alfalfa and check the protein content in the pelleted feed (the lower, the better.) Then I'd put him on 24/7 turn-out if possible. If that's not possible, then as much as I could get. I've never had a TB that wasn't racing that needed alfalfa and most of them find the turn-out to be very settling.

kimberley mine · Postby **kimberley mine** » Mon Apr 04, 2011 8:29 pm

LB wrote:I'd get him off the alfalfa and check the protein content in the pelleted feed (the lower, the better.) Then I'd put him on 24/7 turn-out if possible. If that's not possible, then as much as I could get. I've never had a TB that wasn't racing that needed alfalfa and most of them find the turn-out to be very settling.

Thanks. I'll look into that.

He's already on full turnout--most of the polo ponies where I play live outside.

madelyn · Postby **madelyn** » Mon Apr 04, 2011 9:29 pm

You could look at brewers yeast or some other kind of B vitamin supplement - usually helps to calm them down a bit.

Shannon · Postby **Shannon** » Tue Apr 05, 2011 2:45 pm

I agree, get him off alfalfa, my gelding is Jekyll and Hyde on alfalfa, and I can tell by the next morning if he's had it!
BEET PULP, BEET PULP, BEET PULP!!! I LOVE the stuff, it's cheap, and does many excellent things. Add Rice bran (I like Custom Fit the best of all the ones I've tried, made by PHN), and Cool Calories 100 (made by PHN) and that's are my go to's for hot, skinny TB's (actually skinny anythings)! That's pretty much all I fed for hard feed when I had my horses at the track as my one gelding started tying up on anything else, and my horses were in excellent shape. I always feed a vit E/Selenium supplement with rice bran.
I have never had one yet that didn't thrive on it! And it's mostly fat, so doesn't make them hot.

My next best choice is Nutrena Senior with beet pulp. Except it WILL make them a bit hot, but does an excellent job putting on weight and bloom on the coat. Nutrena Safe Choice would not be my choice for what you describe...it's a great feed, but not for what it sounds like your guy needs. I winter fed my TB's on it with beet pulp, and they maintained very well but they were mostly at rest, with walks on the dutch mill. Anything skinny that is working needs way more fat.

I personally find corn oil a waste of time. Hard keepers just can't eat enough of it to make a difference, and I found it often gives them the runs, even if you try to wean them onto it.

griff · Postby **griff** » Wed Apr 06, 2011 8:43 pm

try grass and non alfalfa hay.. Burmuda grass hay is good stull if yiu can get it

griff

Cree · Postby **Cree** » Fri Apr 08, 2011 2:21 pm

I have my sometimes neurotic OTTB on beet pulp, Step 6 Senior feed, rice bran, and local hay with one flake of Timothy a day.
He has really put on weight and is not hot.