underweight welshie - no grass!

cob&onion

cob&onion

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My welsh D is still pretty lean. The grass just isn't coming!!!
Thinking about introducing some hard feed. Practically half way through June now and still not much growth in the field. Welsh is 3 yrs old now and he really needs to put on some weight!! he lost alot of condition after his op (retained testicle) back in Feb and hasn't really filled out since then. I was hoping the grass would help but since there is none and hay is very hard to get hold of am thinking of giving him some hard feed and trying haylage (which is available at the local feed store)

I really wanted to take him to a class in July but he just looks too under weight at the moment. :(

He is well in himself and has a lovely glossy coat, he's just ribby!!

Ideas?
 
Suregrow and a bit of chaff is what mine is going well on even now she is still on 1 feed a day even though she is out 24/7, she is nearly 4 Ive owned her since feb she didnt have the best start in life but she is slowly looking good.
 
Any pics? I wouldn't worry too much - being lean is waay better than being fat, and being a native it won't take 5 mins to put weight on when the grass does come through, so if you put weight on him now and then the grass comes in you'll have the reverse problem!! My grass doesn't look like much at the mo but they are eating it as fast as it's coming through and putting weight on gradually which is the best way really rather than the usual 5 mins of spring grass and off to the fat paddock!!:p My 2yr old is still a bit ribby but he's putting on the growth spurt he should have done earlier in the winter so I'd rather he was ribby now, it seems everything is late this year and way behind what it should be so don't panic!
 
Jeez,we have so much grass we don't have enough horses to keep it down.

To start, make sure he has access to ad lib hay, then I would feed Alfa A Molasses Free with 365 Complete and Micronized Linseed :)
 
Just uploading the pics now.

half the field is resting in the hope of some grass!!
We have had some warm weather and now a bit of rain so fingers crossed.

The cob is perfect, normally am struggling to keep the weight off her but shes doing well!

As you can see he is on the lean side....and my lack of grass!!

2uel4lh.jpg
 
Ad lib hay or haylege will probably do a better job than hard feed although you could give a balancer as well for minerals.

I feel a bit envious actually - the new cb is a fatty, I've always found it easier to manage poor doers than good doers as we have a lot of grass!
 
Just called the feeding helpline.
They have recommended:

hifi nuts (1 stubb scoop per day split 2 feeds)
Chaff such as alfa A
Oil - soyA or corn oil are most palatable for a fussy eater.

Going to give it a blast and see how he gets on. Also separate him from fatty and feed haylage.
 
cob&onion said:
Just called the feeding helpline.
They have recommended:

hifi nuts (1 stubb scoop per day split 2 feeds)
Chaff such as alfa A
Oil - soyA or corn oil are most palatable for a fussy eater.

Going to give it a blast and see how he gets on. Also separate him from fatty and feed haylage.
Click to expand...

I'm in a similar boat with my new boy - 15hh and weight taping 335kg. I've put him on an unmollassed chaff, (vegetarian) cod liver oil, and Bailey's conditioning cubes, plus all he can eat forage-wise. It's making a difference, the ribs aren't as prominent as they were.
 
Don't worry too much, my haffy is also on the lean side so I am giving her happy tummy to help her pick up, as I think she is quite sensitive also. I was originally giving her high fibre cubes and chaff in increasing amount, plus some linseed but it just wasn't enough so this has helped a lot. My field is pretty tired and has a lot of bits that need mowing, so I'll do that before winter comes. I like the fact it is a complete (alfalfa) feed so all the vits and mins, oil as well plus herbs for digestion.
 
I've been using a supplement of linseed and fenugeek from "Naturaliving Horse".

It's done the trick, great coat and she seems to be getting more from her food.
 
cob&onion said:
Just uploading the pics now.

half the field is resting in the hope of some grass!!
We have had some warm weather and now a bit of rain so fingers crossed.

The cob is perfect, normally am struggling to keep the weight off her but shes doing well!

As you can see he is on the lean side....and my lack of grass!!

2uel4lh.jpg
Click to expand...

He looks exactly the same as my WB mare. Grass looks pretty similar too. Don't really know what to suggest, I'm assuming mine will pick up naturally. Have you wormed recently though? I had a 3 year old like this and wormed with equimax twice in 3 weeks and the difference was pretty conclusive.
 
I dont think he looks to bad, he is ribby in the middle but looks fine everwhere else.
Id give him a big dose of wormer and ad lib haylage till grass comes through!

Have you spread fertiliser on the half that is resting to help grass come through
 
He was wormed approx 3 weeks ago :) he is done regularly


Its after his operation he started losing his condition. (feb time)
He Just hasn't really picked up again.

No, haven't put anything on the field.

Currently split in half and one side been resting for just over a week now. Grass is slow but looks greener than what they are currently on!!
There are 2 of them on 3.5 acres.
Currently grazing on about 1.5 - 2 acres.
 
I have a Welsh A that had and op for a retained testicle, it has taken nearly two years to get him into a well covered condition even with extra food. In the end I need to feed him more like a 14.2 giving him high calorie feeds and as much hay as he could eat. As I have other native ponies that get a handful of chaff and low-cal its a bit hard to adjust to.
There are a few high calorie feed that do not have huge amounts of cereals/starch but at the moment I am using for a rangy youngster that has just been gelded, D&H mare and youngstock mix as a base, not too expensive and has the vitamins and then adding Charnwood linseed which is cheap,
http://www.charnwoodmilling.co.uk/horse_specs/micronized whole linseed.htm one or two mugs a day depending on the animal. Very high in calories.
I also like,
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mitavite-Vitamite-Golden-Oldies-Horse/dp/B004ORI2QE
because its rice based, is very palatable and works out cheaper than others like Equi-jewel
 
My section A has lost weight this winter for the first time EVER! I'm gobsmacked! Normally by June I'd have had him in a muzzle on reduced grazing for a couple of months and be working him like mad to get/keep the weight off.
I started feeding him pony nuts back in April then when he didn't put on condition I started adding micronised linseed but its made no difference, he's being worked as well (little riders so not in an outline generally) and I'm lunging him and doing loads of trotting poles (in an outline) but I just can't build up his top line at all, and I'm going to have to look at the fit of his saddle because its sitting a bit too close over his withers for my liking because he's so lean!
My concern is that he is ridden by novice children off the lead rein so I can't give him anything that will give him too much energy as he gets spooky.
And I haven't wanted to give him large amounts of feed as I didn't want him to balloon when the grass eventually came through, but its pretty much through now and he's still not changed. I feel a bit stuck like the OP!!!
 
Sorry I made that all about myself didn't I??? What I should have mentioned is that like the OP I too would appreciate similar advice and to let her know she's not the only one in this predicament this year!!!😊
 
trottingon said:
Mine's on ad lib hay it's made no difference ��
Click to expand...

Sorry forgot to mention!!

Yes he gets hay although not ad-lib. Theres a big shortage of hay around here!! hence the reason planning to move to haylage.
Half the time he does leave the hay and nibbles at the grass.
 
I think the problem is until you have had one of these no one will believe a small pony would need so much food, even if they have hay, haylage and descent grazing.
I had done all the basics, vet etc and at the time non of the others where thin, in fact my other A needed slimming.
I buy in youngsters and find that the year when they are 2/3 they at their scrawniest. I have a Highland that has blossomed in the last month, before he was very backward and immature but not thin. He is now strikingly chunky and a couple of people have commented on how good he looks.
 
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