Pure Pleasure Products - What can I feed my horse to give her more energy?

What can I feed my horse to give her more energy?

I have this mare that is 6 and has a bit of coldblood in her but she is a "warmblood". We show dressage but we also do other things like penning and pleasure and jumping and trails. But I have so much trouble getting her forwards. Its like she doesn't have enough energy to move or just plain old doesn't want to. She is better on a loose rein but the minute you pick up a contact she slows down greatly. We ride in a dressage bridle with a flash band, crank nose band and a normal KK loose ring snaffle. Everything fits her great and there is nothing wrong with her. Oats don't work at all. I had her on 16% sweet feed for the last 2 weeks and it did nothing (I was using a bag of feed from our last show). Over x-mas she had a protein/iron deficiency and she had to have 3 large pure protein shots via IV and the vet warned me she would be hot. But she wasn't any different from before. She had to be on 16% complete feed for 3 months and nothing. So what can I do with her?

Public Comments

ecstasy, just kidding, im not sure im sure you could search on the internet somewhere though.
you can look into performance foods, such as Complete Advantage, just watch how much you give her because it's also a weight gainer. but if your working her she should be fine. also try turning her out less. like not over night. and out in the day for a couple hours.
I'm wondering if your horse was trained differently than you ride? How long have you owned her? Was she ridden for dressage and jumping before? I am thinking that if she was trained western she may be used to a long loose rein, and is confused by the rein contact, thinking you are asking her to slow down. Just an idea. If you have ridden her for years, and she's doing this, then I'm wrong. But if she's new for you, just try riding her more and teaching her what you expect...she may just need to get accustomed to your riding style. Also, I've heard adding a few tablespoons of corn oil to the daily feed helps boost energy. That's something I would definitely try. As far as feed for more energy, I would ask a vet or university equine science program. Good luck!
protrien dosnt mean anything! Digestabilty is what your looking for. Dont know where your from, but high quality feeds like MFA EasyKeeper, Nutrena e.t.c. have all the vitamens you need in it. (for the healthy averadge horse) If that dosnt work, along with good hay or pasture, maybe time for some blood work. Good luck! Your on the right path!
I know you said oats don't work, but have you tried a mix of oats, chaff and molasses. My horse used to have psycho energy for days after I have her that!
I'm the poster of this question. But umm a few things I didn't add is. She is an easy easy keeper. And I have to watch what I give her as when I'm showing we get random drug tests (I had one at the last show). Right now she gets (both AM and PM) 1/2 a scoop of 12% complete feed and 1 scoop of beet pulp and 1/2 cup of hoffman's minerals and my friend had an idea of feeding 1/4 cup of black oil sunflower seeds(its a bird seed). They are suppose to give more energy but aren't as fattening as the black seed oil. No she isn't new to me. I've owned her for a year and I rode her for 8 months before I bought her. And I have known her since she was broke. She was trained and broke by my trainer and had never been touched by anyone before she got her. She has always done dressage. Like I said before she was on sweet feed but the kind that has the complete feed in it (both 12% and 16%). I'm from Albera, Canada *UPDATE* I have talked to a few vets. And they were useless. They also said I shouldn't feed too high of protein as that can cuase fondering. She isn't in ANY pain. Her teeth were just done and she isn't back sore in any way. She won't go in a halter either. Penning is just for something else to do. I prefer my show horses to be use to anything and everything. She jumps good at first but then she gets sick of it and won't go at all. I ride her in smooth rowls and have tried starred rowls and western rowls and nothing works. I always ride with a whip. Even for pleasure she won't go. Lately I've been even having problems getting her to canter. I've tried many different types of bits. Everything from eggbutt to pelham to straight bar to curb. I think just for learning for me and some fun I might try her in a double sometime this week.
talk to your vet
for my performance horses i have had amazing luck with omelene 200. http://horse.purinamills.com/products/Omolene_200.asp
I give my horses a substance called Calf-Mana, its a bit of a protein substance. Just put a handful and and you'll notice a difference in about a week. http://www.mannapro.com/CM_horses.htm Also is you want to get them to gain more weight get normal corn oil from the grocery store. This only works with corn oil. Put a cap full into their feed mix it in. Thats my horses diet. Corn oil with gain weight and put the coat look better for shows. Hope this helped
there is a pellet that i mix in with my horses feed to give her spunk. the brand is patriot (blue and white bag)...14%protein and like 12% or so fat. be cautious though, i only mix one or two scoops in with her regular feed. if you give her too much she will become very hyper and maybe hard to handle,especially around other horses. So I wouldn't make it her main feed.
well, when i got my 14.2hh gelding he sounds quite similar to your mare! oats worked a little bit, but no definate improvement. so then we slowly changed his diet to mollychop and bran, which slowly releases energy (the bran that is) and it seems to work, which is why i own the lovely bubbly boy that he is today!
I am shocked that oats or sweet feed added to her daily grain intake didnt do anything, how much were you giving her? Sounds like she needs some type of equine steroids hahaha joking. I would definatley be talking to my vet, an equine nutritionist and seriously researching some top end performance feeds! :) Good Luck
could be just her temperment (physical makeup) you could do what I did, unintentional, feed her oatmeal with molasses. I couldn't feed her sweetfeed as it caused her to tie up, so I fed her this. I mean I didn't just give her a cup of it with molasses I gave her giant bowls of the stuff. WOW! she was like riding a rocket, maybe if you gave her a bowlful per day instead of the sweet feed (I think sugar acts the same in horses if not worse then us, gives a rush and a crash). Just don't feed her as much as I fed lady. I fed her what would amount to a salad size bowl of it everyday for a couple of weeks. Or your problem could be riding problem not a feed problem her mouth could hurt you said when you pick up the reins contact she slows, I am thinking she might be hurting in her mouth or back or just plain needs edged on by a nudged of your legs or even crop, but don't beat her just tap her if she is unresponsive to your legs. You could also could be cueing her to slow and you need to nudge her with your legs. she could be just tired to if you use her for alot of those other things, afterall she has draft in her, which means she is has a long attention span (not necessarily more energy) she could just be bored. also another suggestions is to just ride with a regular fat eggbut snaffle. it is gentler, and use that and see if she improves. if all else fails ride off the halter in the arena and she how she does that way you can eliminate bridle trouble. And sometimes some horses just aren't suited for the discipline we want, she may be happier trail riding (which is more relaxed and less work mentally) or jumping and hates dressage, not all warmbloods do well in dressage. She might be a better pleasure or jumper, does she do well when jumping? I can't imagine also that a warmblood (draft mix) would be physically suited for the rigors of penning. they are not built low in front like quarters and she might hurt from that especially her back. jUst some ideas I am throwing at you. RRRRR
Get a FULL blood screen. check cell count red & white Get a dentist to check her teeth. She may be a latedeveloper and have retained caps or younger than you think.If you are strapping her mouth shut on sharp teeth she would be very uncomfortable. You say she is a warmblood with a bit of coldblood in her. If she is 50/50 maybe the coldblood is more prominent than you think. If she had a protein/iron deficiency you need to talk to a dietitian perhaps. From that you maybe over working her on the feed she gets. You sound American from your terminology so get some alfalfa into her. We use linseed for condition and seaweed for iron. Nettles are good to. Get onto the simple systems web site and read up about forage feeding. No cereals at all (some horses are allergic to cereals)