Feeding an underweight tb - my new project (hopefully to keep) pony :D

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R2R

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As people may know, I have just picked up a new project tb gelding who needs condition and muscle. I plan to do the following however if anyone else has any hints and tips I would appreciate them, I have always had tbs straight out of racing and never with 3 months off in a field post hunting finishing etc...

I have had him since Sunday so very early days.

I plan to give him 4 feeds a day consisting of 1/2 scoop alfa a oil, 1/2 scoop pony nuts, 1/2 scoop sugar beet, oil, cider vinegar, garlic and equivit body builder. I may swap the nuts in for build up mix eventually?

I also plan to long rein and lunge him for 10 mins a day, slowly building up to lunging for 20 mins with Loose side reins, and then a pessoa. I hope to have him ridden in less than a month in walk.

His routine will go something like this – 6.00 feed, turn out on mixed grazing (good grass but varied quality, not cow pasture!!) 11.30 am bring in to stable for feed, 12pm turn out again in paddock, 3.30pm bring in, rest for ½ hour, groom and lunge, feed around 4.30, then a late night feed approximately 9pm.


Here is a pic of him

Oscar1.jpg


And a headshot becasue I think he is gorgeous :D

Oscar2.jpg
 
I wouldn't be in a rush to pack too much food in too quickly, you may find that some decent grass and a change of scenery and workload may do a lot of the work for you.

I like Copra for adding condition, and you don't need to feed very much of it.
 
He's a really lovely sort.

I really like D&H Build up cubes, and would feed those alongside the pony cubes. But it's personal choice I think at the end of the day. I'd go steady on all feeds though. Dr Green may be enough.

I wouldn't feed oil, cider vinegar, garlic and equivit body builder. As at this time of the year 3 or 4 good feeds a day, plus good grazing and hay should do the trick. You'll also upse the balance of the feeds......

I'm a huge fan of walking to build muscle. And if he were mine he'd walk, walk, and walk some more until he told me he was ready for more. It's actually much less stress on an under developed skeleton, and the pessoa and lunge lines would stay in their box.

Good luck with him. I think he's fabulous.
 
Thanks Amymay - as I said on the other thread I have got a really good feeling in my bowels about him lol!

Do you think 3 feeds a day would be better, take out the suppliments, good grazing and a big haynet at night?

I am happy to start walking him (and agree with you about the walking) but thought lunging would help build his topline up a bit before I sat on him, he has got withers like a pyramid :D
 
I think your routiene and feeding/working regieme is fine and one I'd prob follow myself. I'd prob feed twice a day initially and then add the extra two feeds after a week or so, depending on how he was looking and start the lunging work after a week, otherwise the feeding may just go to his head.

I'd be slightly concerned that he may of been kept poor because if he's feeling well he's difficult/sharp and if you overload him with feed initially he'd become explosive! Alternatively he may be a good do'er thats just been starved and by having too much feed too soon and decent grass it'd just fo straight through him.

Good luck with him, he's very nice :)
 
Do you think 3 feeds a day would be better, take out the suppliments, good grazing and a big haynet at night?
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Personally - yes. But there's nothing wrong with a good all round suppliment, such as Benevit from Feedmark. I personally just don't like bits of this and bits of that - and really don't like garlic, unless fresh. You may have more experience of TB's needing that bit of extra support than me though.

I am happy to start walking him (and agree with you about the walking) but thought lunging would help build his topline up a bit before I sat on him, he has got withers like a pyramid
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You'd have to lunge for months....... My horse came with no top line - and I've lunged him once. His neck is now magnificent just through ridden exercise - with no thought of making him work to an outline, just to a contact.
 
bexwarren24 said:
I cant help with the feeding thing (tend to go for fatties) but he looks lovely :) How old is he? Whats his story?
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He is 9, raced 9 times, had a couple of wins, has hunted :D

BJ - I dont think he has been 'kept poor'..he was in a field with rubbish grass keeping a 2 year old company since the end of the hunting season :D He has the most adorable soft nature, I sat with him last night and he tucked his head up in my armpit for love! I also was legged up onto him in a field bareback, have lunged him and he really listens to voice commands etc, and as I say I have got a really good feeling about him but we'll see...

Amymay - so you think get on and start walking? I might go out tonight!!
 
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he is lovely!

I would try giving him ad lib speedibeet (soaked) over night as well as hay. Once they get over the novelty (usually only one or two nights) a largeish bucket is enough. it is a brilliant way of getting more fibre in to them to help with condition.

If he's not been laid off due to injury I see no reason why you can't get on and start walking him, but equally lunging won't hurt build up the muscles either. so maybe alternate?
 
I am a big fan of allen &paige calm and condition and also bailys no 1 has worked wonders on any underweight tbs I have had, also grazing add lib hay. Lunging, and hacking and hill work should all help :D
 
Does that work jenhunt? I might try it – I have to say after a day on grass yesterday he looked better to me but that might have been my imagination?!
 
The top spec conditioning flakes are really good for adding condition - I fed them to my first racer and have just started my second one on them as well. The first got them along side an endurance mix as he was working a bit harder and the second is having them along side a build up mix but he is a bit fussy so isn't eating the recommended amount of mix so he has them as a top up. He looks gorgeous though - sure you will have alot of fun with him :)
 
I tried everything to get the weight on my TB and found the best thing was sugar beet and baileys no 1, fab stuff :)
 
He looks like a really sweet guy.

OH has 15/16 TB who is a nightmare to keep weight on and if you over face him with large feeds/ nets, or several feeds a day he downs tools and stops eating completely:(

Over the last 2 yrs we have been feeding him Fenugreek from www. naturalhorsesupplies.co.uk, it is only £2.99 for 900kg and lasts ages. Has worked really well, Sir actually looked slightly overweight a few weeks ago for the first time in his 14yrs, only down side is that he smells like he has had a good curry every night!
 
What a lovely looking horse - he looks lovely and honest.
As to feeding I did really well with 2 feeds, Alan and Page - there is calm and condition and also weight gain, Alan and Page feeds are so fresh and they have no sparky ingredients so you shouldn't get any heat with him. When I moved yards and couldn't get it readily, I used Baileys number 4 and also number 1 - the cereal. Both of these with Speedibeet and chaff did the trick - the horse I had was in the same state as yours and we were in the depths of winter so no grass!! He also had ad-lib hay and haylage.

I am also a firm believer in balancers, the 2 horses I have now are good doers and only have low cal balancer and a handful of chaff for the supplements they require, it just means that I know they will get the right amount of everything they need without them getting any fatter.

I also agree with Amymay about the walking to strengthen him up, definitely not a pessoa - he looks far to weak for that. Good luck he really looks gorgeous!
 
Cheapo own brand food with a slosh of oil in has worked wonders for my horse who has been a bit underweight recently! I got him a tub of bodybuilder, he has had that, but havent bought him anymore, as I just wanted to give as a kick start for him. (He also has a feed balancer.)
 
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