Thin horse - any supplement ideas

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Vicki_Krystal

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I got a new one yesterday, who shall we just say is a little on the lean side.

He is having 2 feeds a day now he is with me, has a haybar stuffed with haylage at night and has grass / hay in the field.
The only supplement ive used before for weight was pink powder, and it really worked so was thinking along the same lines.

I would love to just put him on the good old Dr Green, but i dont really have a lot at the moment so additives are needed.

He is fed Dengi Hi Fi and just pont nuts - i dont really want to put him on a lot of feed as i was warned he can blow up on feed (which is why he is probably this think to keep him quiet) I also refuse to ride him while he is this thin, so i dont want to be pumping feed into him for him to deck me when i do get on!
 
I fed my mare on Rowen and Barbary Readymash extra and she went from this:
blueresize2-1.jpg


To this:
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It's actually a feed - not a supplement. It's nothing like Calm and Condition - I hate that stuff - it's a feed which you then put water on and soak for 5 minutes. I put a handful of alfa a in with mine, although it's not necessary - I just do - in fact I don't actually know why! My mare is a fizz bomb at all times anyway, but I didn't find this fizzed her up any more than normal and I was giving her two HUGE feeds of it per day....it's about £13 per bag, but a bag lasts me about three weeks, although she is still on two feeds per day - just slightly smaller than the fattening period. You should be able to get it from a feed shop, although they might have to order it in for you as not a lot of them do it.
 
Pink powders have been fab for my tb but i would be careful with the ready mash extra as it gave 3 at our yard the squits and didnt suit any of them. If you did want a feed (you said you didnt but if you did) equilbrium condition has been fab for my tb and not fizzed him up at all. sorry cant be of more help

DD xx
 
Holly Hocks said:
It's actually a feed - not a supplement. It's nothing like Calm and Condition - I hate that stuff - it's a feed which you then put water on and soak for 5 minutes. I put a handful of alfa a in with mine, although it's not necessary - I just do - in fact I don't actually know why! My mare is a fizz bomb at all times anyway, but I didn't find this fizzed her up any more than normal and I was giving her two HUGE feeds of it per day....it's about £13 per bag, but a bag lasts me about three weeks, although she is still on two feeds per day - just slightly smaller than the fattening period. You should be able to get it from a feed shop, although they might have to order it in for you as not a lot of them do it.
Click to expand...

Hi, yeah thats what i meant, id probably have to order in as my feed shop sell just the 'norm'
 
well, i guess if you don't want to feed too much hard feed which i understand if your not riding, and with a new horse any feed changes should be made gradually anyway. You should just see how he goes, if he is being fed good quality hay or haylage, just stuff him with as much as he will eat, if you only got him yesterday it will take a week or 2 to show an improvement, the previous owners may have just not fed enough forage.

then i would add a broad sprectrum vitamin supplement or a balancer such as Top spec or blue chip.

Oil is very good for conditioning horses without heating them up, preferbly soya oil. Introduce gradually with just a dash, then up it to as much as 2 or 3 mug fulls a day if he will eat it.

Sugar Beet is also a good conditioner which doesnt heat them up if unmolassed.

I suggest if you haven't already done so, give him a good worming and get all the usual checks such as teeth done.

if you see no improvement then you will have to try more hard feed and move to some better grazing or get a nutritionalist or vets advice.

hope this helps and he puts on weight soon :)
 
delicious dapple said:
Pink powders have been fab for my tb but i would be careful with the ready mash extra as it gave 3 at our yard the squits and didnt suit any of them. If you did want a feed (you said you didnt but if you did) equilbrium condition has been fab for my tb and not fizzed him up at all. sorry cant be of more help

DD xx
Click to expand...

Wow I'm really surprised at that! It was recommended to me by a racehorse trainer who gives it to his horses which won't gain condition and are stressy....I suppose some it suits, some it don't.
 
Try baileys outshine good for weight and will give a boost to the horses coat. I've fed it to my daughters pony and hasn't fizzed him up at all, infact I'm having to look into some higher energy food to keep his energy up for the shows and work he's on.
 
remember the big grey i had? due to the reccomened amounts your ment to feed and his size etc we chose to feed blue chip original.

the main resons being, the amount a horses tum can actully digest.,
the amount of feeds given (4 day)
minerals and vits needed (it included all)
and of course also cost.

we feed along side with alfa a oil.

i personally would always stick with something along the lines of the blue chip as you feed per mug full compared to schoop full for my 18.2 a sack of mix would of lasted 3 days. thats an awful lot of money!
 
You're on the right lines with ad lib forage and as much grass as poss - I'm sure you're getting the teeth checked asap. Pink powder is a great pick me up, and I'd suggest Simple System - we feed 50/50 Purabeet/lucienuts, with micronised linseed supplement for Condition without fizz.
 
I fed my oldies Power On (Mitavite) through the winter and they where the best they have ever been. Its expensive at about £24 a bag but you only feed a small amount so it lasts a while and works out cheaper in the long run.
 
Vicki_Krystal said:
I got a new one yesterday, who shall we just say is a little on the lean side.

He is having 2 feeds a day now he is with me, has a haybar stuffed with haylage at night and has grass / hay in the field.
The only supplement ive used before for weight was pink powder, and it really worked so was thinking along the same lines.

I would love to just put him on the good old Dr Green, but i dont really have a lot at the moment so additives are needed.

He is fed Dengi Hi Fi and just pont nuts - i dont really want to put him on a lot of feed as i was warned he can blow up on feed (which is why he is probably this think to keep him quiet) I also refuse to ride him while he is this thin, so i dont want to be pumping feed into him for him to deck me when i do get on!
Click to expand...

Do get a worm count and check for red worm.
Had a mare come to eat my grass as she was 'thin' and we tested her and she was riddled! Ended happily....wormed...gained weight...owner sold her to event and doing very well at Novice!:)
Bryndu
 
One of OH's boys (who has been owned by OH for 15 yrs) can look like a hat rack, whatever he gets fed, (also a fussy eater so makes it extra difficult) for the last 2 yrs we have given him Fenugreek he has never looked so good and and never required such small amounts of hard feed. Its the cheapest thing we have ever tried and works a treat.
 
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