Warmblood losing condition

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MilosDad

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Does anyone have any advice/experience on possible causes why my 17.3 warmblood has lost condition over the last 12 weeks?
Wormed in June. Shod front and rear. Daily turnout to grass. Rugged at night to ensure energy isnt lost to keeping warm.
No change in diet, slight increase in workload from hacking to ridden daily and once weekly schooling for dressage/eventing. Fed on scoops of Alfa A and show mix plus sugar beet twice daily. Still weighs over 1 tonne but I just cannot get him to put condition on
 
When were his teeth last checked? and what is your grazing like at the moment (ours is quite poor due to hardly any rain)
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If your grazing isn't great due to no rain etc is could be that he just needs more fibre going through his gut - so try putting out some hay or haylage. He will eat it if he needs it - he is a big horse so needs plenty of fibre going through his gut at all times.

I would try a couple of small tweaks and see how you get on. Maybe swap the Alfa A for the Afla A Oil and add NAF Pink Powder - you should start to see the difference in a couple of weeks. Which show mix are you feeding? the contents vary so much and it may be that he is just not digesting a lot of the cereals etc in it and getting any benefit. Some times the simple fibre diets with added straights is a lot more effective. I think of the mixes as convenience foods for horses - lots of sugars and additives to make it taste nice and look nice but not always good for you.
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My wb is worked most days - schooling and hacking - and has a lesson once a week and does well (to well!!) on just Alfa A, high fibre cubes and some speedibeet.
 
Thanks Slinky. Teeth were done in June as well. Our grass is rubbish at the moment and I have been wondering if that might be part of the problem. The Alfa A Oil noted so I will give that a go (there was something in H&H today about that) and I am going to get him onto haylage as soon as it becomes available.
Can't remember which particular show mix brand he is on, sorry.
 
Ditto the above comments. Can he have hay whilst you wait for the haylage? Oil in his feed if he will take it. Step up the number of feeds a day if you can. Readigrass in his stable. Chestnut Horse Feeds have been helpful regarding feeding the Dizzy one - I'm dreading the winter and hoping that her skinny bout was pure stress from going away to the vet's for a week and box rest, etc., otherwise I'll be hounding all the feed manufacturers nutritionists 'till the Spring grass comes in!

Definately worth a word with the vet. It might be that worming needs doing again (must be due soon anyway?).

We used to feed our skinnies milk powder, but I think that is now out of favour (I am old
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Agree with the others that it is probably due to deterioration in the quality of the grazing - it can be quite surprising how much of their calorie requirement can be met by good grazing, which leaves a big deficit when the grass nutrition tails off.

Make sure there is adlib hay or haylage in the stable overnight - give him enough so there is a little left in the morning. Also put some out in the field if you can.
 
you say he his wormed and teeth are done. Give ab lib hay if you have no grass and maybe gets some bloods done to be on the safe side!
 
For what its worth DITTO with my WB athough he was lethargic aswell. It took some while to get weight on (spillers cond cubes,oil,Simple systems lucerne and pink powder ) and he was looking great. I decided to have bloods taken when I took his temp and it was down 2 degrees to his usual.
Showed he had a very low white cell count although all else appeared ok .
He has been on Equistro tonic since and is due another blood test on thur (4 weeks from the last).
He is looking better having put some weight back on and is brighter in himself.
So hopefull these second bloods will be ok and get the all clear to bring him back into work .
I would agree that if he has lost weight for no great reason then bloods might give an answer.
 
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