Putting weight/muscle on without sugar etc, what's the best way?

E

Ellietotz

Well-Known Member
Joined
26 June 2014
Messages
2,274
Visit site
My pony has dropped weight a little over winter, she gets plenty of hay/haylage and dinner everyday which is only a big handful of high fibre/low sugar chaff and a scoop of light working pony nuts plus turnout all day between 8am to 6pm approx but her neck seems so flimsy and she lacks top line. How can I improve this? I don't want anything with a lot of sugar/energy in as she's energetic enough as it is plus exercise tips to help?
Also need recommendations for a calmer for grumpy mares?
Thank you!
 
Does she have hay left at the end of the night?

Maybe consider micronised linseed, nothing I've read has indicated it hots them up but really helps with weight gain.
 
LD&S said:
Does she have hay left at the end of the night?

Maybe consider micronised linseed, nothing I've read has indicated it hots them up but really helps with weight gain.
Click to expand...

Yes, always got loads of haylage left at the end of the night and only nibble the hay put in the field for 20 minutes then leave it to graze so can't be hungry. Will look into that, thank you!
 
I would also recommend starting by adding micronized linseed. It has a lot of benefits as well as being full of protein to aid building muscle mass.
Don't forget you will need to team this with the correct work to help build the muscle.
After two months off work I was panicking as I thought my boy had dropped tonnes of weight, but when I looked properly, he had a great big hay belly, but was just lacking in top line. We're now using a mixture of hill work, poles work and 1/2 lunges in the equi ami a week and he's starting to pick up nicely :)
 
Pinkvboots said:
agree with above try some linseed but the right work is what really builds muscle and top line, how often is she worked and what do you do?
Click to expand...

This is what I was just thinking. I don't have a floodlit school plus it's only grass so too hard or damp at the moment so don't do anything after work, I could lunge for 20 minutes though with a head torch but the ground isn't suitable at the moment. But currently at the moment, she will be ridden twice a week. Either both times will be a long 1 hour + hack or one day schooling and one day hacking. How often are you supposed to feed linseed? How much would work best with the amount of work she is in?
 
As a guide I have a 16.1 approx 520kg and I feed a 12oz mug full twice a day. I would recommend, as with anything, start off small and gradually increase. Linseed is one of those things where there isn't really a specific amount, it just depends on what you're feeding it for :)
 
I would aim for an average coffee cup per day to start with, but start with very little and gradually increase over 10 days and maybe split the ration so she gets 2 feeds a day, getting 2 smaller feeds a day is more beneficial for weight gain and see how she goes on that, you would be able to feed slightly more for her size but that amount might be all she needs, I change what I feed through the year mine are on half a mug a day at the moment but depending on how they look depends on how much they get, I drop it right back in the summer if they are looking a bit heavy.
 
Ad-lib good quality hay/haylage is the main thing. Allen and Page's Calm and Condition and Topspec cool conditioning cubes seem to work for my stressy Hunter for keeping weight on. As far as muscle goes, nothing substitutes exercise and getting your horse working correctly to develop topline, etc.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top