Help building horse weight / muscle back

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Hawks27

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I have an APHA 8yr gelding hes not a great doer needs fair bit of feed and all though only does light / occasional work hes always been naturally muscular and well built with reasonable weight.
Normal summer feed (split am/pm) is 1 stubs unmollased alfalfa + 200g micronized linseed + 1measure pro-balance, hay as required we have good grass here and normally out 24x7 in summer
Winter I up the linseed to 600g and add a scoop of soaked unmollased sugar beat morning and night.
When I first got him he was a little lean and I also fed calm and condition he filled out lovely and after 1 bag we stopped and he held weight fine. he wasn't in work his first year with me.
he was backed last winter but has only done very light schooling and hacking and didn't need any extra feed.
now queue this winter hes out of work 4months now due to minor injuries and ops and a move of home. he is rather lean all muscle has gone I dropped the alfalfa and have had him on calm and condition for 2 months and its made no difference. He has 8-12hr daily turnout in winter there is grass and he has all the hay he can eat in field and stable.
Am at a loss as to what to feed him now to get his condition back he is happy healthy plenty of energy he has undulating sloping pastures and he has always kept him self reasonably fit playing in his field I also walk him out in hand regular and loose school gently when not riding and hes always been fit and healthy looking, had bloods run just to be on safe side and all ok. he doesn't look or act sick he is his same old self so I don't believe the lack of condition is because he is poorly I was concerned as he so much leaner and lacking In muscle than normal for him and I now daren't get back on him till ive built him up a bit first as think its too much to ask of him while hes so lean.
He is barefoot and on a low sugar / starch diet no sugar and crap is prone to mud fever and had shocking feet when I got him and the diet he is on improved all of this massively. so feed suggestions based on this to get him some weight/muscle/condition would be much appreciated
Many Thanks
Hawks and Mr Tea
 
For weight and muscle you need protein to build tissue - alfalfa is higher in protein than other chop, I wonder why you dropped it? Other than that, micronized linseed is good for weight and condition, as are all vegetable oils but some horses don't like the liquid oils. And if all else fails, whey protein? I had a thread recently asking for nutrionists to help with ideas for a poor doer I have out on loan, search for that, there are some ideas on there
 
Did he have antibiotic treatment for his minor injuries? If so, this may have disrupted the friendly bacteria in the gut that help digest the fibre in the diet. The stress of having an operation and moving yards may have contributed to this as well. Might be worth trying a probiotic to try and help re-establish the gut bacteria (some people are sceptical whether probiotics can actually reach the hindgut, but lots of people swear by them, so might be worth a try).
 
Thank you for coming back to me jill, would you suggest more than 600g linseed? when reading about it before I first started him out this seemed to be the higher end of the recommendations in the summer he usually has less but ive always upped in the winter as he does drop a little and added the calm and condition I only swapped the alfalfa for the cc as his bucket was too big with both in and thought hed be better with cc than chop, usually use the chop in the summer to mix all his supplements into and his weight is normally ok.
 
Hi tgm, thanks for the response, he was moved back home in November and I but his initial weight loss down to a little stress even though he showed no signs outwardly (he is an incredible calm laid back horse he settles very easily), he had lazer surgery for some small lumps in his groin area and I was surprised but no post op antibiotics bute or anything and was quite worried to start but have to admit he recovered very smoothly and quickly and was eating well immediately after and since. I will certainly look into a pro biotic it certainly cant hurt, I think I used one previously on my stresshead filly think it was brewers yeast but will check on herbal hosrie supply site as not used any of the herbs for him as he always been such a cool cucumber not need to calm him like I did my crazy filly.
 
My pony lost all his muscle following a course of medication over two years ago, he cannot have linseed or alfalfa because it makes him itch so he gets Coolstance Copra now, its very cost effective and goes a long way and I have just started him om Agricell live yeast supplement too
 
600gms of linseed is more than anyone else feeds, I think he may need a summer out at grass to sort his problems, whatever they may be.
I am not sure why he is geting C and C if he is not in work, as that is what it is designed for, and it often does neither for certain horses.

Can you post a photo, when he was satisfactory[in your view], and now, and tell us what sort of condition you think he is in, in your opinion.

If a horse is not right and has had vet ops etc, a few months at pasture should sort him, assuming he has company, has been wormed and the vet says he is OK.
Once upon a time I had a X Andalusian who actually caused me more problems than any of the hundreds of TBs and WBs I was used to because he "internalised", so never seemed to be stressed, but he needed to be "secure", and when asked to do anything out of his comfort zone he got stressed, his stress led to him shutting down. I just put this in because, your horse may be stressed even though he seemes fine. Does he have company? A human is not company for a horse.
 
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I'd try alfabeet instead of calm and condition, c&c did nothing for my poor doer tb, he looks great on alfabeet!
 
I would be doing as TGM said..
but using the best probiotic i could get hold of, possibly off a vet. Cheaper herby types dont work quick enough if at all.(imo).
Summer is on its way and if you want to be doing stuff you need results asap.

PS well done for the sugar free diet... we changed a few years ago and the differance has been huge. Good luck
 
yeah ive ben a barefoot convert and no sugar and s*** for several years now, I was using cc as ive had excellent results with it in the past including with this horse but as its not working this time around was wondering what else might be best to try as he is ready to bring back into work now but im not willing to get on him as all though im not fat am tall so cant be classed as a lightweight rider.
he has company over the fences he is an ex stallion and has never been turned out with other horses he is quite a human orientated horse and loves to play. we are a very low stress yard no comings and goings they all go out at same time and all come into together its nice and peacefull, I am also hoping that summer grass sunshine and paddock rest will fatten him up and he will come back but in meantime id like to try alternate feed as the cc not working this time around. thankyou for the suggestions I will have a good research this evenng and see if I can get at my feed merchants as can get there in my lunchbreak or will order online to the office.
 
I was recommended to try Thunderbrook Equestrian feeds for my ex steeplechaser. He looks great on it, well muscled up and covered. Its non heating too which is essential for my boy! It contains pre and pro biotics plus all the essential vits, minerals,no sugars, low starch, no c##p, and is economical as i dont have to buy a load of other supplements to add to it. I love itand so does my horse!
 
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