Putting weight on a worrier

[stevieg]

We have a 17hh Trakehner who could make worrying an Olympic sport. He was bought in poorish condition and I am looking for suggestions to put weight and condition on him without breaking the bank.

 

[ImmyS]

Well first things first you need to try and establish the sources of what causes his anxiety and reduce/remove them (a lot easier said than done I know), but unless you can help him chill out then it will be difficult for him to hold his weight whatever. For feed keep it simple - adlib hay and then something like speedibeet, micronised linseed and a good supplement such as forage plus, split into a few meals across the day.

 

[stevieg]

Thank you for the tips about feed. We have done all we can to establish the cause but there are some horses that are naturally made that way just as there are people. Maybe worrier was the wrong word but he is very buzzy as if he finds it difficult to switch off. We have had a Trakehner before and he was of a similar temperament.

 

[ImmyS]

I know it can be difficult - I had an ex racer who was very similar - very buzzy, reactive and easily wound up. I did a lot of ground work with her in a rope halter and it really helped her settle - she still had her moments, but the transformation was incredible and she just learnt to cope a lot better with exciting or scary situations. May help your boy channel is energy a bit more? And again just with the the feed my racer was emaciated and just simple feed as above made her improve no end. She looks more like an ID cross than a lightweight tb now she's muscled up and on a good diet

 

[Pearlsasinger]

With horses like this a strong routine is important, preferably within a stable herd. For some horses avoiding haylage, alfalfa and carrots helps, for all horses keeping to a high fibre, low/no cereal diet is vital. Speedibeet and soaked grassnuts with dried grasschaff can be useful in putting weight on, some people find copra and/or micronized linseed helpful. I would avoid brand names, they are usually just expensive versions of basic feeds, unless they have an array of unwanted ingredients.

 

[ozpoz]

I agree with the ad lib hay and micronised linseed. Lots of turnout too, can help and an old calm pony who will eat regardless of what ever is happening can be the best companion, setting a relaxing model for this type of horse.
Maybe worth checking for ulcers etc.

 

[stevieg]

Thank you all.
We do prefer to feed straights because at least that way you do know what you are actually putting into them! Micronised linseed seems a popular choice so we'll try that.

He is in his own paddock as he has recently decided that kicking our 4 year old is an amusing way to pass the time but he can see other horses at all times whether out or stabled

 

[DiNozzo]

Oil, once you have eliminated as many sources of anxiety as you can. Some are just naturally worriers.

Oil has quite a high calorific content for such a low volume, meaning you can feed quite a lot of it (provided they like oily feeds) without them feeling full off it. It does have to be introduced slowly though, and increased slowly.

We use linseed oil or sunflower oil and they all seem to do quite well on that- even the stress head ex racer turned ex eventer seems to agree with it!

 

[spookypony]

Really good advice on feeding so far. I'd second Copra as a good calorie-dense low-starch feed for putting weight on. Is he getting minerals? May be short on magnesium?

 

[tangoharvey]

I swear by calm and condition it's ace plus ad lib hay

 

[JillA]

Have you tried magnesium oxide just to establish if the stressing is a magnesium deficiency? Cheap enough and should show a difference within a couple of weeks if that is the cause.

 

[Pinkvboots]

I feed copra to my Arab who can drop weight this is the first winter his had it and I have had to cut it back as he looks so good.

 

[TGM]

With a horse like him who is a natural worrier and has recently moved to a new home, it is quite likely that the bacteria in his gut have been adversely affected by all the stress, and therefore won't be able to make the most of the food he does it. It would be worth trying him with a probiotic to try and re-establish the gut flora first. Presumably he is on ad lib forage already, but sometimes simply things like where you place the haynet can make a big difference. If he is the sort who is constantly staring over the door, then any hay placed at the back of the stable is unlikely to get touched, but a haynet by the door is more likely to get consumed.

 

[whizzer]

One of mine is a stressy worrier & drops weight easily. He has a strict routine of certain things as he hates change & anything being different. He's wintering out for first time & is very realaxed at the moment, he'll only eat feed in certain places & likes some of his field companions next to him luckily our set up means I can do that. He will eat without them nearby,as long as they're in view,but it takes twice as long & he always leaves some! When he was stabled or if he's in a stable for any reason now he has to have his hay right next to the door or he just didn't eat much. He's a nosy beggar but I've always found him better shut away in stables in barns as if there too much to see he gets distracted all the time.

 

[Under-the-radar]

My old boy was also a worrier - best thing I ever did was feed a good calmer to him. He actually slowed down enough for 5 minutes to put some weight on!

For a poor doer, I swear by feeding readigrass instead of any other chaffs. I don't rate any of the sugar beets / speedibeet type things for putting condition on. Good quality hay / haylege and lots of it - and then a big bucket of readigrass alongside. Copra can also be useful for putting condition on - but only if you have a horse that will eat it!

Also, Topspec Comprehensive balancer has done wonders for my mare this year.

 

[fatpiggy]

With a horse like him who is a natural worrier and has recently moved to a new home, it is quite likely that the bacteria in his gut have been adversely affected by all the stress, and therefore won't be able to make the most of the food he does it. It would be worth trying him with a probiotic to try and re-establish the gut flora first. Presumably he is on ad lib forage already, but sometimes simply things like where you place the haynet can make a big difference. If he is the sort who is constantly staring over the door, then any hay placed at the back of the stable is unlikely to get touched, but a haynet by the door is more likely to get consumed.

Agree with the haynet. They will snatch a mouthfull and watch what is going on outside but they are at least eating and gradually the snatch becomes bigger and the time watching gets shorter.

 

[dianchi]

I have one of these, for us calm and condition, with linseed and equijewel is the answer- but i always feed by the door so she can look out while she eats.
Hay I dont have by the door as i cant stand haynets- do more damage than good and loose hay would end up on the yard.
But she can still look up from her hay and see out.
Plus she has a rear window in her stable.

TBF this yard just works for her, no box walking anymore and she only weaves for attention

 

[MrsNorris]

Equibeet, oats and linseed.... cheap, nutritious and does the job. Equibeet is only £5.50 a bag round here, about half the cost of speedibeet/kwikbeet and its the same stuff, just needs soaking for longer. Add supermarket veg/corn oil as well if needed (make sure it contains no anti-foaming additives), if you get the 5L bottles it works out very inexpensive, a couple of glugs a day will increase the calories significantly. I don't buy commercial feeds anymore after doing a bit of research into what's actually in them, just feed the above minus the oil, in fairly small amounts (mine's a good doer), plus a mineral supplement.

 

[pennyturner]

Second winter for our stressy Welsh, and the difference is incredible. He came from a home where the two resident Shetland mares bullied him. It took 18mths for him to mix calmly with the rest without feeling threatened. He was a bony, poor looking carty lump and he's now filled out in all the right places (on just grass), looking like the showy welsh he is.

Food was never going to do it for him. Hard feed would have wound him up, and he didn't settle to forage well. I nearly sold him, as I need my boys to be thrifty, but I gave him a little longer, and now he feels part of the herd, he's happy to focus on eating...

 

[stevieg]

Thank you everyone. Some great advice. Already been down the probiotic route but will probably look at a magnesium supplement and micronised linseed. Also some kind of calmer which may hopefully keep him still long enough to eat