Skinny TB feed advice please

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rowdreyer

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Hi i have a 6 year old ex racer that I've had for 7 months, I'm struggling to keep weight on him.
Over summer we eventually got him looking great on good grazing plus Top Spec balancer and Topspec condition cubes. Since coming in he's running up light again so swapped him onto Topspec Conditioning flakes (16MJ DE) he's been on them a week so far plus adlib haylage at night and still on good grazing during day. Last two mornings he's been sweating when i get to the yard, only in thin amigo stable and in 100g Rambo Duo and neck during day when turned out. Not clipped yet but very fine coat anyway, i want to clip as he sweats up when exercised but really worried about weight issue. Plus we're going to lose grazing down to two days a week when the weather turns...panic! Teeth, worm ect all fine and done within last month. Also he doesn't like 'big' feeds or Soya Oil! What else would you try? I want to hunt him this season and can't see it happening unless we sort this fedding issue...HELP!
 
I have always fed calm and condition with amazing success, i fed it with Alfa a oil and topline cubes with Ground Nut oil or treacle to get the weight on then just calm and condition, topline cubes and chaff to maintain it. Good luck
 
If he's sweating he'll be sweating weight right off and you'd be better to clip.... has he been box walking?

I would keep him on the topspec flakes, maybe add in speedibeet, usually quite palatable... and alfa a oil if he'll eat it.
 
as dressage diva calmand condition fan it added 40 kilos on my tb this summer with fast fibre in winter.Mines ott on alpha a so I use ozzie chaff
 
Fibre, fibre, fibre...Ad lib hay/haylage and grass. If extra required then I've found Bailey's No.4 with a good basic chaff and speedibeet good plus Pink Powder and a blob of veggie oil.
Keep it simple and low sugar/high fibre
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eta: I'd lose the turnout rug too
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Tilly (my horse) has been on the conditioning flakes before, really worked I dream (she's a skinny tb). Try Linseed aswell, and definitly oil, and alpha beet.
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Good luck
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My bay can be stressy and never use to keep weight on so well! I spent a small fortune on all the different weight gain feeds! I moved to a yard where there was quality grazing and it solved our problems!
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But... when he was at this other yard, I made the mistake of using too many different weight gain feeds, which counter balanced each other, and came out as negative energy rather then weight gain! Causing more weight loss! I simplified my hard feed to a bog standard mix and chaff, and used equilibra. It seemed to help mine
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Do you think he might be stressed in the stable? Perhaps not eating as much haylage as he could because he is just thinking about going out again? How much haylage does he actually eat overnight? The fact that he is sweating in the mornings might indicate that he is getting stress and excited knowing he is about to be turned out?

If he is not relaxed about being in, then you may struggle to keep weight on him - I know quite a lot of TBs who do better out if well-rugged and with access to adlib hay/haylage in the field. Is there any chance that could be an option for your horse?
 
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Do you think he might be stressed in the stable? Perhaps not eating as much haylage as he could because he is just thinking about going out again? How much haylage does he actually eat overnight? The fact that he is sweating in the mornings might indicate that he is getting stress and excited knowing he is about to be turned out?

If he is not relaxed about being in, then you may struggle to keep weight on him - I know quite a lot of TBs who do better out if well-rugged and with access to adlib hay/haylage in the field. Is there any chance that could be an option for your horse?

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Ditto above.
Could you maybe invest in a stable mirror? Worked a dream with Tilly, she used to hate going in, but now sometimes you can't get her back out
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Thats the weird thing he's very happy about being in at night, doesn't box walk or stress. He eats a full haybar's worth of good quality haylage a night anymore than that he leaves it. I've tried calm and condition, was a lot of feed when soaked and overfaced him a bit. Anyone tried Copra feed, the 'coconut stuff' or Equi Jewel I've been recommended that too.
 
My friend use to work at a profssional eventing yard and they used copra for weight and condition. So, as you can imagine, she swears by it on all of hers... but just not on her top eventer!!! He's extremely stressy, and it doesn't matter what she does, he will not hold any weight! He looks like a whippet! She has had him vetted, tested for all sorts and there is no underlying reason for his lack of weight. The vet put it down to 'just one of those horses that won't!!'
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Have to agree with TGM. Sounds like you need to look at the 'big picture' not just the feeding issue.

I would certainly be looking for turnout 7 days a week for him on good grazing. Small feeds several times a day. And a good add lib supply of quality haylage. You may want to re-think the rugs. A sweaty horse is a warm horse.

The problem you're going to have with him being boxed 5 days a week where you are is that if you are wanting to feed conditioning feeds you're going to have to make sure he gets adequate work alongside it - every day. Otherwise you're going to have an unexploded bomb.
 
QR- i feed my ex racer this per day and he looks fab off it (so fab in fact that i've had to take the outshine out as he was getting too fat! and this is a horse thats always been skinny!) it keeps him nice and calm!
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1x square scoop alfa a original
3x cups baileys lo cal
2 x cups baileys outshine

ad lib haylege, grass for about 8 hours a day
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mine eats saracen endurance mix,alfa a, top spec flakes and barley rings most of the year and late sept and early march time he gets a sack of equi jewel to help with the coat change as he tends to look a bit lacklustre at these points. I feed four meals a day which seems to help sustain his weight as well. Fibre wise he gets a huge haylage net each night and a big tub trug(next one up from a water bucket size of readigrass,hi fibre cubes and dengie good doer which he clears as well. Like yours though too much of the same stuff esp hay and he will leave it
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Ok I've always rated Showmix.....the majority of TB's I've fed it to have been fine but like any mix some get heated up by it! Puts weight on and gives them a lovely coat and condition!
 
Could never get weight on my ex racer. Now fed Saracens Show Improver Mix (which includes Equi Jewel) & Alfa-A Oil and is putting condition on so well I've had to have her saddle re-fitted 3 times in last 4 months!
 
clipp him and rug. Have you tried allen page calm and condition or alpha beet,alpha oil, ready fibre mash extra, d&d barley conditioning feed? all are great for weight gain keep going with your ab lib haylege.
 
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