How long before you see a difference?

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LegOn

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When yo put a horse on a new feed, how long before you should see a difference?

My 19 year old cob has come out of winter looking a bit lean, he was in full work over winter & our fields are closed still cause there is no grass :(

I've changed his feed cause I had him on Baileys Outshine over the winter & dont think it did anything for him!

Anyway, he is currently on one scoop Gain Cool Mix (what the yard feeds so cant change this) in the morning with a half scoop of Alfa A Oil.

Gets half scoop Alfa A Oil at lunch & then one scoop Gain Cool Mix in the evening with a scoop of beet pulp, half scoop of Alfa A Oil & cup of Top Spec Senior Balancer. Gets ad-lib hay He is in light work at the minute and on this about 7 days so far. His coat is really shiny but its come through quite heavy so not sure this is a good sign :( Otherwise in great form, but I can see ribs & I dont think it suits his type!

How long before I should see a significant difference? 4 weeks? If not, should I look at pulling bloods - his worm count is back clean.
 
I would say about two weeks for small changes but have previously noticed after less depending on how desperately I'm trying to put weight on and how closely I monitor. Keep an eye on how he feels over the ribs, I find the top behind the withers will start to cover first, and works back towards the last ribs over a longer period. I take regular pictures from front, back and side to keep track!
 
Also don't worry too much, I have a haflinger who became a bit ribby during March/April and is looking almost right now, winter has gone on a long time and a lot of good doers have lost more than usual this year. I have upped her usual feed and am adding micronised linseed, but Alfa A Oil is a good thing for gain, plus the grass is doing well now :-)
 
How much outshine we're you feeding? It's very calorie dense so if not getting results from it, your probably not feeding enough of it. A feed that is less calorie dense probably won't put weight on if the outshine hasnt
 
Research is showing that horses that lose weight through winter months are better protected against the risk of Laminitis.

Putting on weight takes a bit of time - the feed you are giving sounds fine and with the spring grass growing well you should soon see a difference
 
LEGON as your horse is now 19 years old ,has a heavy coat and ribby ,it may be worth asking your vet to test for CUSHINGS I am not sure if the free test is still available ,if it is you only have to pay vet for taking the blood sample .
 
Thanks for the replies guys! Alot of the horses on our yard havent let go their coats properly so I'm trying not to worry too much about his coat but Shergar, I have thought about Cushings but I'm wondering should I give him a chance to put on weight before I go doing that. But I have no issue with pulling bloods & having him tested for anything! Thats what I'm wondering how long I should give it before I should be seeing a difference.

Wench - you could be right that I wasnt feeding enough of the Outshine, thats very possible! But I'll checked with Dengie & I'm going to up the Alf-A Oil to the recommended amount slowly over the next 2 weeks & its pretty calorific so I think I'll give it a chance to work! Plus its cheaper than Outshine!
 
LegOn said:
Thanks for the replies guys! Alot of the horses on our yard havent let go their coats properly so I'm trying not to worry too much about his coat but Shergar, I have thought about Cushings but I'm wondering should I give him a chance to put on weight before I go doing that. But I have no issue with pulling bloods & having him tested for anything! Thats what I'm wondering how long I should give it before I should be seeing a difference.

Wench - you could be right that I wasnt feeding enough of the Outshine, thats very possible! But I'll checked with Dengie & I'm going to up the Alf-A Oil to the recommended amount slowly over the next 2 weeks & its pretty calorific so I think I'll give it a chance to work! Plus its cheaper than Outshine!
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One of the problems with Cushings is also the failure to thrive and often along with laminitis type symptoms. I remember 20 years or so ago one of the school ponies who had laminitis symptoms but was quite light in condition and along with coat retentioni he was diagnosed with a Pituitary Adaenoma - the condition now referred to as Cushings.

It would be best to get the test done ASAP so that if necessary he can be put on the right medication early.
 
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