Horses weight.... at a loss as what to do ..

[Parkbridge dream]

I have a 12y/o Thoroughbred who i can not put any weight on at all.. he has been on literally every feed going, with pretty much no results. I have had him for 4 years and he has never really looked "well". Other than him being abit angular he is perfectly healthy, forward going and responsive.. His coat is shiny and soft and nothing to suggest he is unwell, he has had blood tests. He does have ulcers but they are being managed.. just hitting a wall now, have seen people mention milk powder but unsure as to how it would affect him.

 

[Pinkvboots]

I don't think he looks that terrible in the picture, have the ulcers been treated and gone? sometimes with feed it can take a while so to keep changing is not always the answer.

what have you tried and what is his feed routine?

 

[Equi]

I think he looks perfectly FIT as opposed to skinny. There is a huge difference! And frankly i would rather see a fit TB than a fat one, but If you are looking a bit more condition the best thing is always going to be good summer grass...forage adds weight more easily than any feeds are going to. My friends TB suffers in winter and i suggested she put him on fibrebeet and sixteen plus - which bulked him out a fair bit. Its also what a yard mate feeds her 30yo tb over winter, and he didn't loose any condition despite not having much teeth to eat forage with, along with a good two cups of micronised linseed.

 

[HashRouge]

He looks fine in that picture. Do you have any photos of him standing still?

I think sometimes people are so used to seeing slightly overweight horses that a lean, fit horse like that one looks strange. I used to work with show jumpers though and I can tell you he wouldn't look out of place with them.

 

[JillA]

What are the protein levels like in the food he is getting? I have one similar and the only thing that enabled him to cover his ribs was a high protein diet - whey powder, feeds with a decent percentage of protein in, spirulina (WHW use that on their underweight horses as Myoplast - sugar coated spirulina) and above all, amino acids, the building blocks of protein. I also give him yeassac to ensure he absorbs as much as he can.
I get mine from Forageplus, along with good advice very often.

 

[ycbm]

I agree he looks like s fit TB, but I had one who looked identical (colour as well!) and he had kidney failure. Because it's not common in horses, it was not tested for. Did your blood tests include kidney function?

 

[JillA]

I agree he looks like s fit TB, but I had one who looked identical (colour as well!) and he had kidney failure. Because it's not common in horses, it was not tested for. Did your blood tests include kidney function?

Was there any treatment or was it a case of PTS? Curious as mine spent some time severely emaciated and I always wonder about his vital organs as a result

 

[WindyWitch]

I had the same problem with my TB and all the blood tests and checks came back clear so I put him on Micronised Linseed - one cup morning and one cup at night and the results could be seen within 3 weeks. Highly recommended.

 

[nikkimariet]

Have you had a culture taken from the ulcers? There may be an underlying infection which requires anti b's to clear.

 

[Birker2020]

I can recommend supa barley rings and an oil based chaff might work. My mare is on A&P Veteran Vitality and this has put on weight as she lost a considerable amount a while back. The vet commented on Monday how well she looks weight wise for her age and type, ribs are just visible.

 

[JillA]

I can recommend supa barley rings and an oil based chaff might work. My mare is on A&P Veteran Vitality and this has put on weight as she lost a considerable amount a while back. The vet commented on Monday how well she looks weight wise for her age and type, ribs are just visible.

Barley (and other cereals aka starch) are contraindicated with a horse prone to ulcers - the sugars/starch breaks down to acidity in the gut and makes them worse

 

[ycbm]

Was there any treatment or was it a case of PTS? Curious as mine spent some time severely emaciated and I always wonder about his vital organs as a result

PTS I'm afraid. By the time I actually found a vet who was prepared to listen to me that my lovely shiny, slim horse was ill, his kidney function was effectively zero.