Horse Losing weight??

[eden_harper]

i have a 15.2hh irish sport horseXWarmblood now i know that he will be quite skinny. he is ridden most days and does all disiplines. he is in the field during the day and stable at night so always eating,but he is still skinny where you can see his hip bone?? is there anyway for him to put on weight?? suggestions??

 

[Wagtail]

Best thing for putting on weight is ad lib good quality haylage or hay. He probably needs hay putting in the field too.

 

[rockysmum]

What are you feeding him?

 

[Nudibranch]

Agree re good quality hay or haylege. How much grazing does he have and does he share it? Is he on livery? Make sure he has ad-lib hay/haylege all the time. If you want to give hard feed as well, unmolassed sugar beet (e.g. Kwik beet) is one of the best feeds to build them up, and is a healthy option. You could add some oil as well. Or try Alpha-beet.

Also check he is not under or over rugged.

 

[copperlawwill]

Be careful with Alfa Beet - it can send them over the top!!!! Try Baileys outshine, oil based supplement which i found works really well without any change in behaviour at all

 

[eden_harper]

he is in a field with 4 other horses and there is alot of grass in the field, he always has something to eat and i cant not rug him cause just clipped him so he'd be freezing
He is being fed 1 scoop of molassed chaf and 1 scoop of competion mix with sugarbeat
We do give him haylage at night time but cant give it to him in the field cause with other horses and the farmer wont let us

 

[Nudibranch]

I think without being able to feed haylege through the day you'll struggle to put weight on him. The grass at this time of year has very little nutrition (at least up here anyway). Perhaps you could substitute the chaff for something more calorific? Unless he bolts his dinner of course!

Any way you could section off some field for him so he can have haylege outside?

 

[Waffles]

Plenty of hay/haylage and sugar beet works for me

 

[rascal]

Are worming and teeth up to date? I find conditioning cubes good for keeping/gaining weight. Calm and condition if he gets fizzy.

 

[eden_harper]

cant fence off some of the field either only aload to do that if there lame because of thr rules at the farm
yes he was wormed - 2 weeks ago and his teeth where done when we bought him 2months ago

 

[rockysmum]

Does he just get one feed a day, if so try him with one in the morning as well.

 

[Daytona]

Try to give him a night feed too at 10pm that's what I do so my boy gets 3 feeds. He gets a cup of linseed in each feed and a cup of equi jewel. Along with a large scoop of pure condition that seems to be working for him to put weight on quickly