Help feeding a 15 year old TB

[Kelliejoharry]

We have a delightful 15 year old TB at home. We have only had him a year and we are trying get some topline on him without him been fat.
He has very little muscle on his back and from speaking to the previous, previous owner (the lady who sold him to the lady we got him from) this has always been a problem with him (she had him as a 8 year old). He has raced and evented in the past before pulling a tendon where he went to the women we got him off. He was stabled 20-24 hours a day for several years with very little exercise and as he was only been fed chop at the time he has wasted away a bit, especially his back.
He is hacked out a few times a week and has a couple of schooling sessions a week. At the moment he is fed on a mix food for horses in light work and hay. He is turned out prob 15-20 hours a day.
He can get very excited about life so we want to be careful about what we feed him. Also he is prone to look pot belled very easily. Our other horses are on topline cubes but I dont want to give him these if it going to stress him out
Any ideas or suggestions on food or exercise would be great.
Kellie

 

[racebuddy]

Hi I have a tb nearly seventeen now very laid back but does suffer with keeping his weight and also prone to colic he is fed chop Alfa a beet and ready mash extra and ad lib haylage corn oil and a supplement to keep his immune system supported also I would recommend that u feed something for weight gain but non heating could u post a picture ? Feel free to post of u have any more questions I am just going to have my tea then will be back in if I can be of any more help x

 

[SmartieBean09]

Feeds high in protein will help him build top line with correct work. Top line cubes are good but they are high in starch so not something I would feed to a TB personally.

Feeds high in protein as well as calories but low in starch are:
Grass nuts
Alfalfa
Grass chop
Micronised linseed
Spillers slow response cubes (cereal free).
Dodson and Horrell ERS Pellets.


I have used the Spillers cubes with good results. They are also high in fibre and cereal free.

Hope this helps

 

[StrawberryFish]

I have seen good results feeding Lucie bricks (I soak) with my fine ( and aged) warmblood , no sugar which is a big plus for me
It's part of the simple systems feeds,

 

[Tammytoo]

Alan & Page Calm & Condition. It works pretty quickly, but read the instructions as it has to be soaked with speedibeet for a few minutes before feeding. It has worked brilliantly on two poor tbs that I have had.