Pedigree Query

Okay so- I just got two extremely nice tb mares out of new jersey this weekend! They were fed extremely nice straight alfalfa hay- shipped from california! It was so good that it was lime green in color! They were on Purina's Omolene 200® Performance because one mare was racing and the other is a broodmare. They get fed cooked oats in the winter! I want to be able to change their feed, and hay without them loosing weight! What can/should I do?

I would really like to mix my own grains- does anyone know of any good combinations for broodmares and stallions? Then I would need one for the regular pleasure horses that really do nothing!

Can anyone tell me exactly how to cook the oats, and if I need to add anything else to them? Regular oats or crushed?

Thanks everyone!!

I don't know about what to feed "regular horses" as I forgot how. :lol: But cooking oats is easy, all you need is preferably whole oats and a heat proof container, we use to use an aluminium garbage can and one of those heat coil things that have long "stems" . You just put the amount of oats you want in the can cover with water, they need to be covered by 2-3 " and plug in the coil and cook for about 2-3 hours. I always dish it up about an hour ahead of feed time so it can cool but some eat it steaming hot if you let them. I don't think thats such a good idea my self. I also add a couple handfuls of whole corn when its really cold for more body heat generation.

If you don't want to mix a large amount you can use a electric teapot or pot on the stove to heat the water and cover the bucket with foil. I cook my feed during the winter to provide a little warmth

A couple more things about cooking oats (which I learned the hard way ) - First put the heater in the can, then add the oats, then the water. This seems really obvious, but when you are in a hurry and put the oats in first (especially when cooking a lot) it is quite tricky to get the heater coil down to the bottom of the can...... Another obvious one - make sure you have the water in before you turn on the heater. Once, as I was dragging the hose to the can, I passed the outlet to plug in the heater and thought - 10 seconds certainly can't hurt (without having any water in the can)....it does. At first the oats just stick to the heater coil, but as you cook they burn, then the whole can of oats is ruined. When we cook oats I usually plug them in only for about an hour, then just leave them to finish cooking with the lid on. This prevens overcooking, in my opinion and I can leave the barn without thinking that I am going to burn dinner. Finally - after trying every possible type of oat - whole crimped cleaned oats are the best. Absolutely avoid rolled oats - you will end up with paste/spackle.

As far as the aluminum pail/can goes - chances are you will have to seal the bottom of it. When I got mine I thought that certainly it was waterproof - didn't test that thoery until the oats and water were already cooking and noticed a puddle. So, I just got some silacone sealant and treated all the seams in the can.

I second the comment adding the corn - and I actually cook it with the oats . If you are cooking the corn you can actually use whole corn, as it will split and become soft like the oats. I also mix in (after cooking) barley, wheat bran, and a little brewer's yeast. I can honestly say that the horses love this in the winter and it smells great too!