Too thin!

[yhearia]

I have a 16.1hh TB mare, she is 16, and really too thin! I have been trying all sorts of feeds and things to help her gain weight, and have now turned her out into a 12 acre field with plenty of grass. However does anyone have tips that could help me with her weight? Thanks!

 

[MontyandZoom]

What feeds and quantities are you currently giving her?

 

[3Beasties]

Has she been wormed and had her teeth checked?

 

[Nailed]

better too thin than too fat.

Is she rugged? Whats she fed?

Lou x

 

[PapaFrita]

How are her teeth, and has she been wormed regularly? What've you been feeding her and how much work is she doing? Is she cold at all (I don't know what the weather is like in the UK at the mo... or even if you ARE in the UK

)

 

[yhearia]

She was on a scoop of sugar beet, and half a scoop of soaked calm and condition twice a day, but now on nothing as i am hoping that natures best will work!

 

[yhearia]

She has on a 425g stable rug and a rhino full neck medium weight turnout over it! She has been wormed and the teeth are in the pipeline! Will probably book them in today!

 

[3Beasties]

I smell a troll

 

[Cliqmo]

People seem to recommend pink powders to help with gut balance and better weight retention, although I have to admit I've never used them

 

[lexiedhb]

[ QUOTE ]
She was on a scoop of sugar beet, and half a scoop of soaked calm and condition twice a day, but now on nothing as i am hoping that natures best will work!

[/ QUOTE ]

Thats really NOT an awful lot of feed if you are trying to get weight on her. In fact its next to nothing!!!!!and you should still be feeding her dispite the grass as at this time of year theres not as much nutrients in the grass as say spring grass would have!!

 

[kandm]

What about adding oil into her feed? Or possibly Linseed?

 

[lexiedhb]

[ QUOTE ]
I smell a troll

[/ QUOTE ]

sniff sniff sniff.......... hmmmmmmm you may have a point there!

 

[3Beasties]

And if you're not a troll....

Your poor horse is probably weighed down with the weight of those rugs, no wonder she is thin, she is probably sweating any goodness from the grass out!

 

[ThePony]

Assuming teeth and worming are both fine, and she isn't getting chilly. Then I would add calm and condition to the grazing she is getting. We are having another spell of spring grass here so I would make sure she is getting enough minerals, as the grass here can be deficient. When I got my mare it was in the spring and she was underweight. We got her on a worming plan and had the dentist to see her. I also made sure she was well rugged to keep any chilly breezes out, fed her calm and condition (even though it is mainly sugar beet it seemed to suit her well so we stuck with it) along with pink powder (which I think is fab!). I kept her off rich grazing and haylge as it seemed to upset her system. So adlib hay in the stable and calm and condition with some hifi original and pink powder for her feeds. Slowly is better to put weight on.
Best of luck with your lady.

 

[3Beasties]

[ QUOTE ]
She was on a scoop of sugar beet, and half a scoop of soaked calm and condition twice a day, but now on nothing as i am hoping that natures best will work!

[/ QUOTE ]

My 14 year old TB who is the correct weight gets fed twice a day. He has a scoop of calm and condition soaked in the morning and a scoop of chaff with a scoop of Sugar Beet at night. He is also fed a feed balancer. If he starts to drop weight this will be increased.

You were not feeding your horse enough if she is thin and I don't think cutting her feed out all together will have helped at all!

 

[f_s_]

again "if not a troll"

You need to up her feed quality and quantity, make sure she has the required vitamins in her feed, possible add a balancer to help her absorb all the nutrients, AND let her graze, perhaps with hay/haylage to supplement her forage.

Also, rug according to the weather,and whether the horse is cold or not, not according to the condition of the horse! Too hot is just as bad (sometimes worse) than too cold!!

 

[RhiannonE]

I wouldn't say she needed that much ruggage at this time of year?! Even the fully clipped, constantly worked competition horses at our yard aren't rugged that much or the oldies either and your girl is only 16?? My boy is getting too sweaty in a 180g some nights!! It was 18 degrees yesterday day time...
My ISH had trouble keeping weight on and so he had sugar beet, hi fi and calm and condition, ad lib hay and the odd pot of milk pellets- think they are called "body builder".

 

[yhearia]

1) not a troll, thanks.

2) she isnt too hot under her rugs

3) I am used to feeding cobs etc

4) and I was asking for help and advice, not to be told I am treating her cruely, as this is not the case.

Thank you all anyway.

 

[Spudlet]

Are you sure she's too thin? Seems like a funny question but so many horses are fat that people's perceptions can easily become skewed! Is she one of the horses in your sig?

 

[yhearia]

She is the grey one, and yes she is definately too thin, but I will try the pink powder/vitamins and get her teeth done asap!

 

[Nailed]

Im also smelling a troll.. Catos fully clipped and onluy in 220 g LMFAO

Bye bye.

Lou x

 

[Spudlet]

Have to say I don't look at that horse and think 'Argh! Emaciation case!' although it is a difficult angle to tell from. What is her BCS?

 

[3Beasties]

[ QUOTE ]
Im also smelling a troll.. Catos fully clipped and onluy in 220 g LMFAO

Bye bye.

Lou x

[/ QUOTE ]

Same with Charlie! He is a wussy TB and even in his 200g he has been a bit too warm

 

[ihatework]

[ QUOTE ]
1) not a troll, thanks.

2) she isnt too hot under her rugs

3) I am used to feeding cobs etc

4) and I was asking for help and advice, not to be told I am treating her cruely, as this is not the case.

Thank you all anyway.

[/ QUOTE ]

Well if you are not a troll then:

a) you are over rugging, you know how jockey's go in saunas to loose weight ... perhaps consider you might be doing exactly the same to your horse
b) the amount you are feeding would not be sufficient for a poor doer
c) consider a blood test from the vet for tapeworm and biochem/hematology

 

[yhearia]

Thanks for the help, no thanks for the slagging off. I was asking for advice, being only 18 and my horse is the first fine type I have had, and I would not have expected this type of response.

 

[Hippona]

My hard to keep weight on veteran is fully clipped and warm in a MW rug.

He is fed alfa-A oil, spillers slow release cubes and speedibeet and is looking good at present.

I would recommend the alfa-a oil for condition- great stuff.

Perhaps if you are used to feeding good-doers it will feel weird giving so much feed by comparision.....I have 2 cobby/natives on permanent low-cal diets and the older lad on conditioning feeds...their buckets look completely different lol

 

[f_s_]

Please except our apologies, if you think that you have been treated cruelly

I understand why you are asking the question now, if you are used to feeding cobs,it is an altogether different ball game for finer horses

Up her feeds, give more forage, and add some balancer to the diet. Look for a steady weight gain.

Calm & Condition did wonders for our mare, but you probably need to increase the amount you are giving. Also, a veteran mix is good for the essential vitamins and minerals, and Old Faithful is good for gaining weight too.

I hope this helps, and good luck

 

[Scranny_Ann]

[ QUOTE ]
And if you're not a troll....

Your poor horse is probably weighed down with the weight of those rugs, no wonder she is thin, she is probably sweating any goodness from the grass out!

[/ QUOTE ]


My thoughts exactly!

 

[yhearia]

Thank you f___s__ and poppymoo

I will try the alfa a, and more C+C.

 

[Spudlet]

I would also advise increasing her feed fairly gradually, as a sudden change in diet could upset her digestive system.

Plenty of forage.

Definitely a lighter rug as she is probably sweating weight off as many have said.

Keep a close check on her, you don't want her to go too far the other way! Condition score regularly, get to know the shape and feel of her so you are able to monitor her well and recognise changes.

Remember she'll always look lean compared to cobs, but think of it like comparing a rugby player and a distance runner - they probably have the same amount of body fat but distributed differently and with differnt muscles developed. Aim for fitter, not fatter.