What to feed...

Question
I will be getting a throughbred racer(ex racer soon to be). I am wondering what type of feeds and supplements I should get for the horse. Also how should I take the horse off high feedings of oats?  Should I use a supplement like Next Level to help keep the joints lubricated or should I use something like Vita Plus? Also which type of block minerals should I get for my horse? The horse will be turned out into a pasture for a few months after I buy him. The most riding I would do during that time would be walking.

Answer
the best way to let your horse down is to cut back on the feed...a race horse will generally eat from 10 to 12 quarts of a mixture of sweet feed and oats a day. (there are as many feeding programs as there are trainers but generally whatever the horse is eating, it's usually 10 to 12 quarts a day. if your horse is not racing now, they are probably letting him down and the job will be done when you get him...i wouldn't worry about any supplements. get a trace mineral block (it is brown) and just put it in the pasture. the horse will decide how much he needs it. i'd feed him a couple of quarts of low protein (10 or 12 %) in the morning and about four quarts in the afternoon as long as he (or it) is on pasture. i'd keep the same program during the winters making sure the horse has grass hay (not alfalfa) available at all times. again, don't worry about supplements...many of them are a bunch of hooey anyway. good feed and good hay will always do the job. your horse should gain some weight, even with the reduced feeding program, because it won't be expending as much energy. if it starts getting "fat" cut back on the feed even more.