Feeding for weight gain

[Bobthecob15]

I’ve recently bought a ex racing TB who is on the lean side, I know they are genetically often going to be thinner than our Welsh..but he’s lost a bit of weight since August and I’d like to stop him losing any more. What feeds do people recommend for increasing weight without the fizz? He’s only ridden 4 or so times a week, mix of hacking and a bit of flatwork. He’s on about 10k a day of haylage (we are at livery and this is about the maximum I can get away with as hay included in the price) and I feel Pure Working which I love…big fan of pure feeds our Welsh is on fibre balance and looks amazing on it. The TB has lost about 15-20kg since July…my girth is looser and the tape is definitely saying he has lost.

His grazing is poor now, the fields are pretty barren and won’t improve as they have really overgrazed at the yard unfortunately. He is out about 6-7hrs a day but in honesty some days he wants to come in after 3, he’s hungry I think. He fence walks and calls a lot…they do sometimes bring him in if there are people around.

I’m on full livery so as much as I’d love to give him more haylage in the field and in his stable etc it’s very difficult, YO not convinced he needs more I will Keep working on it though!

I have contacted pure feeds to ask their advice but I’m thinking I need to try something like care & gain or conditioning cubes etc?

Teeth recently checked and done, worm count was zero, no sign of ulcers that I can tell? This is him below, can see ribs but otherwise he looks really good. Thanks so much x

 

[little_critter]

Linseed is good for condition without fizz. If he has typical TB feet then the linseed will be good for them too.
Or copra.

 

[Bobthecob15]

Linseed is good for condition without fizz. If he has typical TB feet then the linseed will be good for them too.
Or copra.

Thank you! Can you add this to any feed?

 

[little_critter]

Thank you! Can you add this to any feed?

Yes I believe so

How much linseed is safe to feed my horse?

Start with 20g per 100kg of the horse's ideal weight, for example 100g for a 500kg horse. If needed you can increase up to five times this amount.

www.simplesystemhorsefeeds.co.uk

 

[Abacus]

I appreciate that your TO can't supply haylage at a loss, but your horse should have adlib forage. Can you offer pay more in order to feed him more? Tricky when he is out for those hours without access to it. I don't think a horse should be on a barren field with nothing supplied all day long, ours always have hay in the field.

As for other feed I've tried linseed and copra, with reasonable success. This year am going to try Equijewel for my two older horses who drop over winter, on strong recommendations from this forum.

 

[Bobthecob15]

Ye

I appreciate that your TO can't supply haylage at a loss, but your horse should have adlib forage. Can you offer pay more in order to feed him more? Tricky when he is out for those hours without access to it. I don't think a horse should be on a barren field with nothing supplied all day long, ours always have hay in the field.

As for other feed I've tried linseed and copra, with reasonable success. This year am going to try Equijewel for my two older horses who drop over winter, on strong recommendations from this forum.

Yes I think I will have to suggest this..there is some grass but really very little. They do graze something…but in my mind it’s not enough. I’ve spoken about putting hay in the field but the issue is he shares a paddock with a fatty so can’t really have any more…so it’s tricky. Not enough turnout for him to be by himself with hay.

Come October they tend to be stabled more as our fields get very wet and be will have more haylage then…

 

[Bobthecob15]

I’ve been considering this..contains rice bran, linseed and lots of oil…thoughts? https://omegaequine.co.uk/products/omega-rice

 

[LEC]

Not getting enough calories… I would stick a rug on, add some serious calories via high fibre feeds in a feed 2x a day and add forage in field.
In your boat I would be adding linseed as highest calories you can add. I would do it as an oil as easy to add to what you are already feeding.

Some horses are good doers and can cope on short grass. Some don’t. The 3 sport horses are all being fed piles in the field, the cob x isn’t!

 

[little_critter]

Not getting enough calories… I would stick a rug on, add some serious calories via high fibre feeds in a feed 2x a day and add forage in field.
In your boat I would be adding linseed as highest calories you can add. I would do it as an oil as easy to add to what you are already feeding.

Some horses are good doers and can cope on short grass. Some don’t. The 3 sport horses are all being fed piles in the field, the cob x isn’t!

See I’d just add a mug of micronised linseed to each feed, no more difficult than a glug of oil and I understood that if you feed oil rather than the micronised linseed then you miss out the other benefits that the linseed meal brings (good protein source I think)

 

[Bobthecob15]

See I’d just add a mug of micronised linseed to each feed, no more difficult than a glug of oil and I understood that if you feed oil rather than the micronised linseed then you miss out the other benefits that the linseed meal brings (good protein source I think)

Thank you I’ll get some I think x

 

[Goldenstar]

With some thoroughbreds ad lib forage won’t help unless the forage is in a really high calorie form .
I would be adding some thing like alfa/oil and some good quality micronised linseed ( Charnwood is where I would buy it ) on a horse of his size I would feed up to 500 grams a day.
I would also keep him warm by rugging.
The first winter is a learning curve with any horse but particularly with a TB
He’s a lovely looking horse I wish you many happy years with him .

 

[TheMule]

Ye

Yes I think I will have to suggest this..there is some grass but really very little. They do graze something…but in my mind it’s not enough. I’ve spoken about putting hay in the field but the issue is he shares a paddock with a fatty so can’t really have any more…so it’s tricky. Not enough turnout for him to be by himself with hay.

Come October they tend to be stabled more as our fields get very wet and be will have more haylage then…

You're going to really struggle with that set up. He needs to be on good grazing preferably, but if you can’t provide that then he needs as lib access to good quality forage. When he comes in more (and you say he's already in for 18 hours a day, so that’s a worry too), it will be easier to pump calories into him, but you risk having an over fed, understimulated, energetic young TB who becomes hard to manage and ride.

 

[Spiritedly]

I've had a lot of problems with one of mine since he had lami...brought on after he did a tendon not by his weight...I've now got him on honeychop topline and shine, Baileys Ease and Excel mix, speedi beet, Coolstance Copra and micronised linseed fed across 2 to 3 meals and his weight has improved...I adjust the amount I feed depending on whether he needs to gain or maintain weight.

He is an Arab x American Saddlebred and very 'hot' and I've found these feeds help his weight without sending him loopy. He is also very fussy so I'll be following this thread for when he decides that he cant possibly eat any, or all, of his current feeds

 

[Birker2020]

I think the mistake we made with Lari last year was not rugging early enough. So he's been rugged early this Autumn.

We changed his diet and he went on to Ready Mash (the red one) linseed and oil.

I need to discuss with the y.o about him going on to Allen & Page Care & Gain instead as I don't feel the ready Mash made that much difference and a lot of people recommended this to me but obviously Lari isn't ridden so doesn't necessarily need a feed for energy.

The dentist was on about an issue with his teeth last year and I suspect he may need one removing. We managed to avoid action last year to see if he thrived this spring which he did but I'm not sure whether this can be avoided again. If we are looking at the amount I was quoted for Bailey (upto £2k) then it's not going to happen.

I'd get your horses teeth checked with an EDT that uses a gag so he can effectively get to the back teeth.

 

[Barton Bounty]

Oh my!!! I love him, he is very handsome!!!

Micronised linseed 1/4 of a scoop twice a day will soon take those ribs away and give him a super shiny healthy coat. It is really fattening so if you feel he is getting too chunky just feed a bit less, but I suspect like most tbs come winter he will be looking for more
Keep him nice and toasty with a rug, most of them feel the cold

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Ad lib hay or haylage is what I try first then linseed, Equijewel or copra, keeping him warm will also help.

 

[spacefaer]

I feed my guys Equerry Conditioning Conditioning Mash and find it puts weight on without adding any fizz. If I need more then I've also had success adding Omega Rice to it. And Spillers Conditioning Fibre is also successful for those that can't rake grain.

 

[Flowerofthefen]

He is absolutely gorgeous!!

My tb looses weight over winter. We moved yards back I may and he has been on great grazing since. He has never had so much grass, I've always had to feed hard feed and ad lib hay all year round. He currently looks the best he has ever done! I've tried all sorts of feeds that have cost a bomb but I'm finding adding veg oil to his feeds has helped the most. They have just started to come in over night with ad lib hay, a handful of chaff with oil and salt etc. I'm hoping he won't drop as much this year as previous years.

 

[dorsetladette]

Rug to keep him warm - even a little warmer than needed (but not hot as that works the other way) to safe calorie burning.

Then linseed lozenges are your friend. You only need to add 70g to each feed and they come in a 20kg bag at around £25 so very cost effective too.

Keep working on the YO for more forage - especially now the temperature has dropped at night.

 

[Bobthecob15]

Thanks everyone!! We don’t have this issue with the Welsh ponies we’ve had My first full TB, previously had IDx and warmbloods so this feeding for weight lark is new to me

 

[Goldenstar]

I love a horse you need to feed it’s so much easier than dealing with good doers .

 

[Flowerofthefen]

Rug to keep him warm - even a little warmer than needed (but not hot as that works the other way) to safe calorie burning.

Then linseed lozenges are your friend. You only need to add 70g to each feed and they come in a 20kg bag at around £25 so very cost effective too.

Keep working on the YO for more forage - especially now the temperature has dropped at night.

Thanks for the heads up on the lozenges!! Not seen them before!

 

[leflynn]

I’ve been considering this..contains rice bran, linseed and lots of oil…thoughts? https://omegaequine.co.uk/products/omega-rice

I use it and prefer over linseed tbh as mine doesn't get fas fizzy and holds weight better! Would also say supplement forage as they need more than you think esp on crap grazing. I also feed in winter a bucket of grass chaff and I would if he would eat mash things feed soaked grass cubes - grass is best!

Rug well (mine is out in a 100g if below 12 degress and he is in good condition), check teeth and protexin in case of any gut issues.

 

[CastlelackSportHorses]

I used a feed for a rescue called Infinity, its amazing stuff and you only need to fee d a little. Its rice bran.

Also I dont know about the UK, but here in Ireland we have a new product out called Precision Microbes made by Interchem, its a game changer.

 

[TPO]

I've had to feed for condition for a non TB that was trying to die on me.

The feeds that worked best for me were micronised linseed, Baileys Outshine and Saracen Re Leve mix. When I did my comparison table of similar feeds those all came out as thr best option. Copra would be my back up option.

If feeding more than 300g of linseed you need to balance it with calcium. I read an informative post about linseed recently, I'll see if I can find it...

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Keeping him warm will help; but not too warm. It's hard with this changeable weather.

Agree with other posters that his current management is not suitable. Horses are trickle feeders and need forage through their digestive system. Out with a good doer and no grazing or hay isn't good for any horse. We still have grass and are trying to keep out 24/7 when possible. There isn't much goodness left in the grazing do hay is out out. Even our Fat Cob needs to have forage through his system to avoid ulcers.

In for 18hrs isn't healthy either. I know it's easier said than done but I'd be looking for a more horse friendly yard.

 

[meleeka]

Soothe and Gain was amazing for my big horse. I had to reduce the amount I was feeding as she got a bit fat on it.

 

[Kirstd33]

He's truly scrumptious - I love an orange boy! I've had great success with Soothe and Gain, post operatively on a coblet x who SHOULD live on fresh air but sadly doesn't and a good slug of linseed oil thrown in to really gain some condition. A good friend with a huge OTTB has had results with Baileys outshine and Spillers mash with the fruity apple aroma can really tempt fussy eaters. Id also make sure i was rugging appropriately, this wet and windy weather really makes them shiver if they arent moving a great deal.

 

[I'm Dun]

with mine, when he came in, he had ad lib hay, a small calorie dense bucket feed and a big bucket of grass nuts, grass chaff and linseed and in the winter rice bran.

 

[Annagain]

I've had success with linseed but a friend swears by the Omega Rice you mentioned OP so I think that's probably worth a try too. It does sound like it's decent grass that he needs more than anything though.

It's not easy I know. I had to move my old boy this summer as there just wasn't enough grass for him at our yard - it's perfect for Wiggy the fatty just not for Arch. He's been there 2 months and just got to a weight I'm happy with. He's not going through another winter so I don't have to think about what to do next but I'm glad I got him back to this before saying goodbye, I didn't want to remember him the way he was coming out of winter.

 

[Bobthecob15]

Thanks all, really good suggestions!

A yard move isn't really an option as its perfect for us (my daughter has a pony there too and the yard is ideal for her)..so if I can I will try the feed/forage plan and try some grass nuts too over winter. There will be more grass next year as they have seeded one of their 11 acre fields, so its really just this winter we need to get through.