Feeding Question - getting weight on! Any ideas?

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horsefeed

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My mare really struggles through winter, she is 10 and looks 30 at the moment!! She suffers from the cold badly, she has a MW Stable with neck and HW turnout over the top and is only just warm! She has dropped weight and muscle and now looking rather poor. Bloods done last winter as she went similar and no issue then, wormed, teeth and regular back checked so no pain. She is just a stress head, during summer on grass she picks up lovely and looks amazing.
She hates being stabled, will tolerate it from couple of hours and then box walks so she is in a yard with 4 others. They have adlib hay, never runs out.
Due to my work commitment I can only hard feed once a day.
Feed wise currently she is getting
2 stubbs scoops Alfa A Oil
1 Stubbs of soaked sugar beet
1 scoop Barley rings
General Vit/Min
She takes ages to eat this and quite often doesn't even finish.
Previously tried Topspec, pink powder and various calmers but not helped.
Done some research and think I am going to try ....
1 Stubbs scoop of Alfa A Oil
1/2 Sugar beet
500g Blue Chip Pro
500g Micronized linseed
This would be a considerably smaller feed with significant more calories and goodness in it, what are people thoughts on this?
Thanks for help!
 
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Is there no way at all you can split her feed? You've said she's sometimes struggling to finish what you are giving her, what about the weekends, do you visit twice then?
I only feed once a day but I give them half when I arrive and the other half as I'm leaving anything from 2-4hrs later but if need be I would have to find a way to do two visits or ask someone to stick a bucket in.
 
I think you are right you need a small nutritionally dense food without a lot of cereal you new regime sounds a lot better. You might find well soaked alfabeet a good alternative to sugar beet though or even half and half grass nuts and sugarbeet soaked together
 
Definitely add micronised linseed, it really does put weight on without adding bulk. If you can get hold of it, Slobermash is also excellent for weight gain, can make them sharp though.

Any chance you can feed haylage?

I presume her teeth are fine?

I have one that feels the cold, but is luckily a good doer. I really have to rug her up, she is currently in a HW turnout with HW liner, which is ridiculous. Our other two are in 100g rugs! Make sure the rugs aren't too heavy iykwim, ie that they are made of lighter modern material.
 
I can only get to the yard once a day, they get checked on by my a friend in the evenings but due to her erratic behaviour nobody will handle her and she can't be fed in the yard as she shares with 4 others so they obviously would fight if you tried to feed just her and they are hugely fat at the moment so don't need extra feed!
Last time friend brought her in to feed she put her in hospital, she spooked, pushed her over and stood her on face, cracking her cheek bone!
Weekends only go once but normally there for 4ish hours both days and then I bring her in tie up her with feed until she stops eating, then I take it away do chores, ride etc and then give her the remainder before I leave.
2nd visit from me not an options as yard 30mins drive each way from home/work, today is pretty typical for instance, was yard at 6.00am left 8.15 work 9-5.30, then 2nd job 6.30 - 10.
 
She doesn't like Alfabeet tried that previously too, she won't eat unmolassed sugarbeet either, she gets plain old molassed stuff at the moment so not ideal!
Have been looking at grass nuts and was tempted to try replacing the sugarbeet with them to cut the molasses out but thought too much change at once probably not the best idea.
 
You could try alfalfa pellets. They are lower in sugar than grass pellets and very palatable.

I find most horses really like micronised linseed and my fairly fussy Welsh D will eat coolstance copra as long as there is a generous serving of micronised linseed with it. Copra is a really good "safe" feed BUT some horses will not eat it.

You may find her behaviour improves when you cut out the cereals and molasses.
 
Never tried Slobermash but she wouldn't eat a readymash sample I tried, she really is super fussy!
Haylage not possible as the 4 that share yard with her are doing very well on adlib hay and token of Alfa A oil and beet so they really don't need the calories.
Once the fields dry out and I can get her out I she'll be happy in a paddock on her own so will be able to give her haylage then.
Teeth checked 6 monthly and due again in march.
 
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FfionWinnie said:
Have you tried feeding mag ox? Also fenugreek or mint can make things more attractive.
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I have tried Mag Ox on its own and various calmers on the market and none had any effect. Feeding additional Calcium (Limestone Flour) has more of a calming influence on her then Mag Ox. Never tried Fenugreek or mint to be honest. Although she won't eat polos so not sure whether she would eat mint
 
There's actually not really a lot in what you are feeding, even the revised version.

You need something with a higher DMG all round to be honest.

Cut the sugar beet and replace with soaked rolled oats. Better for the tummy too.

Mine can't have them but many horses do great on rice bran feeds like Equijewel or Keyflow.

If no good, a high oil feed like Winergy Condition would be great.

You could try feeding Copra as well as the linseed?

I would also feed a bulk building supplement like Elite Equine Mega Build.

It might be worth trialling an ulcer supplement if she's stressing.

Blue Chip is full of fillers and not much else imho.
 
horsefeed said:
I can only get to the yard once a day, they get checked on by my a friend in the evenings but due to her erratic behaviour nobody will handle her and she can't be fed in the yard as she shares with 4 others so they obviously would fight if you tried to feed just her and they are hugely fat at the moment so don't need extra feed!
Last time friend brought her in to feed she put her in hospital, she spooked, pushed her over and stood her on face, cracking her cheek bone!
Weekends only go once but normally there for 4ish hours both days and then I bring her in tie up her with feed until she stops eating, then I take it away do chores, ride etc and then give her the remainder before I leave.
2nd visit from me not an options as yard 30mins drive each way from home/work, today is pretty typical for instance, was yard at 6.00am left 8.15 work 9-5.30, then 2nd job 6.30 - 10.
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Ooops not the one to do then asking someone else to feed her. hopefully the change of regime will be enough especially as the weather (down here at least ) is improving, perhaps give her a little extra when you are due to leave at the weekend.

Just to add, you have my admiration having a horse and doing the hours you do, I couldn't manage it for a week let alone all the time. good luck and don't forget to let us know how things go.
 
I feed my poor doer that woun't eat amounts or more than one feed a scoop of alpha a oil, limestone flour, scoop of oats, yea sacc and linseed. I added about a third of a scoop of top spec cool conditioning cubes and the difference in two weeks is fab, I needed a bit more perk as well as bit more ocndition but I think he might need a mew saddle soon if this ocntinues as he is visibly much more plump! I can't increase the volume or he won't eat it so this was perfect for me :)
 
i was debating what to feed my oldie and gave allen and page a ring. They were really helpfull. It might be and idea to give them a ring and ask what they suggest.
 
LD&S said:
Ooops not the one to do then asking someone else to feed her. hopefully the change of regime will be enough especially as the weather (down here at least ) is improving, perhaps give her a little extra when you are due to leave at the weekend.

Just to add, you have my admiration having a horse and doing the hours you do, I couldn't manage it for a week let alone all the time. good luck and don't forget to let us know how things go.
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Thank you, I absolutely love my work so it not a chore. She is 100% better then when we brought her but still along way to go. There are 4 of us on yard with 11 horses between us, we all help each other out, I do all of them 4 mornings a week, then the other 3 do evenings and 1 morning a between them so works out I get 1 day off which is god send :)
 
I know you already feeding Alfa a with oil but you could add even more oil but you would need to add vit e too.

If she's taking ages to eat I would cut out the sugar beet, I'm pretty sure there is much less energy in that than the Alfa a oil, so add an extra scoop of Alfa a, no sugar beet, glug of (linseed?) oil, vits&mins.

Appreciate that other horses don't need an extra feed but if your mare is really poor I would ask friends if they couldn't split their feeds into two and give them something slow to eat such as unmolassed sugar beet so your mare has time to finish. I know it's a pain for them but if it was one of their horses I'm sure they would want her fed at least twice/day.
 
benz said:
I know you already feeding Alfa a with oil but you could add even more oil but you would need to add vit e too.

If she's taking ages to eat I would cut out the sugar beet, I'm pretty sure there is much less energy in that than the Alfa a oil, so add an extra scoop of Alfa a, no sugar beet, glug of (linseed?) oil, vits&mins.

Appreciate that other horses don't need an extra feed but if your mare is really poor I would ask friends if they couldn't split their feeds into two and give them something slow to eat such as unmolassed sugar beet so your mare has time to finish. I know it's a pain for them but if it was one of their horses I'm sure they would want her fed at least twice/day.
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It really isn't an option, 2 of them are owned by a friend who isn't even impressed that they have adlib hay as hers are so fat, she is pushing for adlib straw and slice of hay each morning and evening! I am in discussion with OH about moving water trough and building a fence to make yard into 2 smaller ones so her 2 can go 1 side and then mine the other.
Apparently it a mahoosive job that involves diggers and re-concreting!
I have bitten the bullet this morning and turned her out, she settled on her own and has quite a bit of grass plus left her with a trug full of beet and alfa a oil and a huge hay net with the same left again for friend to hang/chuck out tonight. Fingers crossed she doesn't now get mud fever as we are on very heavy waterlogged clay!
 
Oh the fun of the farm :)

I remember a poster on here saying owning horses was like being a contestant on the crystal maze, the truest thing I've ever heard!
 
I have one that sometimes stresses and loses weight in winter. She always had ad lib hay, but after observing her for longer periods of time, she would leave the hay far sooner than the other two horses (who were holding weight well) and return to it less frequently. Switching to haylage has improved her forage eating times a lot, I think she just finds it tastier, so therefore eats much more. Also I second the oats suggestion, again my mare finds these very tasty, so a feed with oats in is more likely to be finished than one without oats, but with all the other ingredients.

So my approach has really been to find food that is more tempting, it's got to be so tasty that her urge to pace/boxwalk and stare into the distance is overcome by the prospect of eating some really yummy food.
 
I take it her teeth are OK and she isn't in pain for any other reason like ulcers.
Micronised linseed is a good idea. I used soaked grass nuts for weight gain on my elderly Shetland and it worked a great.
Alternatively, is there any way she can live out....my stressy, poor doing tb did so much better living out even in the most harshest of weathers
 
I'd try cushcare, has got mine back to a great weight. I know a few people using it now not even for cushings horses (though mine is). I was orginally feeding it twice a day with micronised linseed but have now dropped the linseed and he just gets one feed a day - one scoop alfa a oil and one scoop cushcare, looks great on it.
 
_HP_ said:
I take it her teeth are OK and she isn't in pain for any other reason like ulcers.
Micronised linseed is a good idea. I used soaked grass nuts for weight gain on my elderly Shetland and it worked a great.
Alternatively, is there any way she can live out....my stressy, poor doing tb did so much better living out even in the most harshest of weathers
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She reacts badly to sedation so vet was reluctant to scope, we have tried 2 courses of gastro guard and no improvement at all so have presumed not an ulcer problem.



Teeth done 6 monthly.
 
She wasn't keen on being out, even with company she fenced walked and then barged through the gate knocking me over and ran blindly into a wheel barrow knocking it over and somehow got back leg caught in the under frame/leg and has skinned it. She now has a sore and slightly swollen leg so is back in until its heals. She is walking completely sound so should be fine again within a week.
I have started on the Blue Chip Pro and Linseed, small handful of each and I have cut the chaff and beet back. She ate all her dinner this morning for first time in weeks, so fingers crossed this continues as I increase BC and Linseed.
 
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