Help! Underweight fussy tb

[Rambo82]

I need some help putting weight on my new thoroughbred! Looking for a none heating alternative to my current feed as he currently takes 45mins per feed!

I have only had him a few months and a secondary dental and vet check after I bought him showed he had a fractured tooth. He was underweight when I got him and dropped even more weight before his tooth was fixed

He is very fussy but have managed to find a feed he enjoys and slowly has gained weight with. He gets (a day):

3 kg of soothe and gain
1kg of ulsa cubes
1 cup of micronised linseed
Biotin
Supercalm
Protexin gut balancer
Healthy tummy chaff (2 Stubbs scoops)
Fenugreek but the vet says he's not gaining enough

Corn oil has also been added on request of the vet

He has access to adlib hay aswell. And is rugged in a very heavy weight rug
He has gained weight but not as much as the vet would want to see.

I wanted to see if anyone had recommendations for something that worked well with their tb? Looking for something non heating as he currently takes a very long time

 

[Lots of Gift Bags]

Can you swap him to haylage rather than hay?
I've always found sugar beet to be great for non-heating weight gain.

 

[criso]

If you can get hold of Agrobs where you are, I find my fussy tb loves the Musli and the Grunhafer (green oat chaff). I mix in just enough Copra to dampen it and a small cup of linseed, he won't accept any more than that. This has him eating enthusiastically and licking the bowl clean.

 

[Flowerofthefen]

I would stay on hay if hes eating it as haylage can upset some. I feed mine grass nuts, honeychop lite, baileys stud balancer, protexin gut balancer and salt. He has always looked good but started to look really good when the balancer kicked in.

 

[Ownedby4horses]

Soaked grass nuts? Never had even the fussiest refuse it.

 

[windand rain]

Max gut health available on Richard Maxwells page on Facebook. Grass nuts, and grass chaff with up to three mugs of micronised linseed all split into as many meals as you can get into him as often its the volume that is the issue

 

[TPO]

Keyflow Pink Mash. It's not terribly high calories but I've found it to be more conditioning than other higher calorie feeds.

It contains protexin as well and is good for the hind gut. My take on it is that it helps the gut so that I can absorb more goodness from other feeds.

My standard diet for ex racers is:
Pink Mash
Micronised Linseed
Unmolassed chaff (Dengie Meadow Grass)
Salt
Vit/min supp (Progressive Earth Pro Balance).

When the goodness is going out of the grass and/or need extra calories I add grass nuts.

Having said all that last year the rain had ruined the grazing and the amount of feed needed to keep condition on the TB was overtaking him even when it was split.

I tried Baileys no.21 Ease & Excel after being recommended it in here. It did the trick perfectly.

This year I've also swapped the TB onto Healthy Tummy chaff as he is fine with alfa.

So in short Pink Mash and Ease & Excel

 

[The Xmas Furry]

Your vet has run bloods to check all is ok?

 

[AdorableAlice]

Equi Jewel is my go to for a poor horse. It is fed in small amounts which was ideal for my lad as a big feed turns his appetite straight off.

 

[Rambo82]

Can you swap him to haylage rather than hay?
I've always found sugar beet to be great for non-heating weight gain.

Can you swap him to haylage rather than hay?
I've always found sugar beet to be great for non-heating weight gain.

Unfortunately he has ulcers. He was on haylage originally which did help the weight but not his ulcers.

Sorry I meant non soaking! I did try fibre beet in the past tho and he wouldn't eat it

 

[Rambo82]

Your vet has run bloods to check all is ok?

He had a 5 stage vetting and a couple of tests on his blood which came back normal.

They want not to scope him again and run tests on something related to his gut (can't remember what exactly)

I'm just hoping the slow weight gain/quick loss is related to him being a ex racer tb who can easily get stressed.

He is also having another dentist check to see if something was missed

 

[Rambo82]

Equi Jewel is my go to for a poor horse. It is fed in small amounts which was ideal for my lad as a big feed turns his appetite straight off.

Oo this sounds perfect! That's the problem, his feeds get so big once soaked and he just takes forever and sometimes just gets bored of eating. Will have a look

 

[whiteflower]

We have had success with fibergest no starch for weight gain for a very fussy eater who needed a low sugar and starch diet. It's fed in small amounts and doesn't need to be soaked, mine refuses linseed and everything else was above the sugar and starch level I could feed

 

[deicinmerlyn]

Are you able to feed him 4 times a day? Might be better than two big feeds a day which might over face him.
what you are already feeding is fine although I found Agrobs gut restore mash was good at piling on the pounds.
often it’s when the grass cones through that a lot of Tb’s eventually put on weight and maintain it once he gets to an ideal weight.

 

[Squeak]

We have had success with fibergest no starch for weight gain for a very fussy eater who needed a low sugar and starch diet. It's fed in small amounts and doesn't need to be soaked, mine refuses linseed and everything else was above the sugar and starch level I could feed

I also use low starch fibregest. It's great because you don't have to feed huge quantities to be able to give them the amount they need. All of GWF's feeds are also good for stomachs.

 

[meleeka]

Equi Jewel is my go to for a poor horse. It is fed in small amounts which was ideal for my lad as a big feed turns his appetite straight off.

A friend had great success with this when nothing else worked for her old horse.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

He had a 5 stage vetting and a couple of tests on his blood which came back normal.

They want not to scope him again and run tests on something related to his gut (can't remember what exactly)

I'm just hoping the slow weight gain/quick loss is related to him being a ex racer tb who can easily get stressed.

He is also having another dentist check to see if something was missed

How long has he been out of racing? Some take time to adapt and huge feeds hold no interest to them. They are used to being fed 3-4 times a day at set times. Worked at certain times. Groomed at certain times etc and they need time to adapt. They also need time to swop muscle for fat and it's harder in winter when you can't just punt them out in a big grassy field to chill and let themselves down.

 

[windand rain]

I must admit I was wondering if he was skinny or extremely fit. It does take a lot of time for them to let down and relax into a new routine. It is my experience that winter bought OTTB take until mid summer on good grass to look right trouble is the perception on looking right is in my experience too fat.

 

[twiggy2]

How often is he given a hard feed?

 

[Northern Hare]

As other posts above, can you break the feeds down to 3 or 4 smaller feeds - especially as he's a slow feeder? I had a TBx who I really struggled to keep weight on (he was also an incredibly slow feeder!), and it was only when he was moved onto the more frequent smaller feeds that he ever put any real weight on. Good luck! ?

 

[SussexbytheXmasTree]

I also recommend Equi-jewel it’s made a difference to my oldie when other feeds weren’t. He’s also on Saracen Releve, conditioning cubes, micronised linseed. Decent grass is the best thing though not easy to find this time of year. I’ve also found Pink Mash very palatable but feed that to my fatty.

I was giving a “second breakfast” after riding to add another meal in but the field they’re currently on is quite decent grass wise.

 

[Rambo82]

Are you able to feed him 4 times a day? Might be better than two big feeds a day which might over face him.
what you are already feeding is fine although I found Agrobs gut restore mash was good at piling on the pounds.
often it’s when the grass cones through that a lot of Tb’s eventually put on weight and maintain it once he gets to an ideal weight.

He was originally on 4 feeds a day but with work etc am now only able to do two. He does eat it all, he just is never interested in eating anything with excitement (grass/hay/feeds). Even treats he eats slowly and is never grabby for them.

 

[Rambo82]

How long has he been out of racing? Some take time to adapt and huge feeds hold no interest to them. They are used to being fed 3-4 times a day at set times. Worked at certain times. Groomed at certain times etc and they need time to adapt. They also need time to swop muscle for fat and it's harder in winter when you can't just punt them out in a big grassy field to chill and let themselves down.

He's been off the track from just over 2 years, been out 24/7 for 1 year and stabled during winter the second year (this wasn't with me). He was always very slim winter and summer! He's put on the most weight with me but it's been a long road.
I moved him to a very quiet yard a month ago with acres of grazing, companions, adlib hay, shelter etc to have a holiday and this hasn't improved his weight at all. Its can only be maintained with maximum feed amount.

He was on 4 feeds before but with work etc just no longer possible. But it doesn't matter what it is (grass, feed, hay) he's just never very interested. And with small feeds it was the same. He does eat all his feed he just takes a long time

 

[AdorableAlice]

Reading your description of the horse I do wonder if he has pain in his jaw and eating is painful for him. If you are anywhere near Gloucestershire/Worcestershire it might be worth speaking to the Three Counties Equine Hospital. They have a world renowned dental specialist Neil Townsend.

 

[Fastasflames]

is he on treatment for the ulcers and has he been rescoped?

my go to is equerry conditioning mash