Answer

By Your Horse

Nutritionist Clare Lockyer replies:

This horse is lucky you now own him and want to do right by him. I estimate he should weigh around 550kg. Any horse’s diet should be based around his ideal bodyweight, temperament and workload – I assume yourgelding is currently in light work. He needs a balance of energy and protein in his diet, alongside appropriate exercise (eg, working correctly on the bridle) to help him build muscle in the right places.
Feed forage ad lib – as much as he will eat – but at least 8kg hay or 12kg haylage per day.
For hard feed, I suggest you gradually change to a conditioning feed – these contain more calories and protein to help build condition. Go for one with a limited cereal content such as Spillers’ Conditioning Cubes or Allen & Page’s Calm and Condition. Start by feeding the same weight of conditioning feed as the low-energy mix you use now, and slowly build up to 3 to 4kg per day.
Ensure you are using chaff with a good feed value such as Dengie Alfa Oil or Spillers’ ReadiGrass. You can also use some additional oil, containing concentrated calories. Add in a broad-spectrum vitamin and mineral supplement to keep his diet balanced and all his requirements met.