Weight Gain Feed

[luci_king]

Hi all,

I'm just looking for a little bit of advice on what to feed my 24yr New Forest Pony. King really struggles to maintain his weight even in summer, his teeth are ok but obviously not as good as when he was younger, he rarely drinks so does end up become dehydrated (fine in himself, his skin just shows that loose, lacking elasticity skin) and he's also in full time work - 1 / 2 days off per week with hacking, schooling and lunging in between.

King's currently fed on 1/2 scoop (dry) Equerry Conditioning Mash and 1/2 scoop Dodson & horrell build up mix - 1 meal per day during summer. At the moment he looks good and is maintaining his weight fairly well, although I would like him a little on the large side before he comes in for winter.

In winter I feed him on 2 feeds a day - 1/2 scoop (dry Equerry Conditioning Mash, 1/2 scoop Dodson & Horrell Build up Mix and a cup of micronised linseed. This helps to maintain his weight but he again he doesn't really gain anything.

I feed him electrolytes and an airways supplement all year round too.

I'd like to keep the Build up mix as he enjoys it (he can be fussy if the feed is very bland) and that is the main component that seems to maintain his weight, i feed the mash with it to make it more palatable for him.

I've been looking at Sacacen Recovery Mash as this is supposed to help with hydration, but I can't find any reviews on it and it doesn't seem to say that it helps to condition. I've also thought about pink mash as it helps with digestion, but again doesn't specify that it's conditioning.

I'm thinking about giving him 3 feeds during winter, but I'm a little dim on how much I really should be feeding him. I don't want to feed him too little but in the same sense I don't want to feed him too much in 1 meal as it'll just pass straight through and he won't absorb any nutrients from it...

I'd be ever so grateful for some feed recommendations and amounts - in scoops I can't do ratios!! thanks!

 

[ester]

I'd consider copra if he will eat it.

 

[be positive]

I am not going to recommend a feed as I prefer to find one they like and feed an extra feed, 3 or 4 times a day, rather than add too many components into the diet and unbalance it even more but I would reconsider the use of electrolytes in a pony that is not drinking very much as it will dehydrate them not rehydrate them if they do not increase their water intake which from the sound of things is already lower than ideal.

I had a NF that was similar although a very good doer so for different reasons he did not always drink much and needed encouraging, I used to give him a soup of soaked grassnuts which he could slurp as and when he wanted but it could work with any mash type feed as long as it is not his main feed because you want him to eat that normally, this could be an extra to increase his water intake, I used the same method with a horse that was very unwell and needed a constant supply of fluids and was not taking on any water unless it came with tasty additions.

 

[Nudibranch]

(Unmolassed) sugar beet has been very useful in building up skinny TBs in my experience. No fancy name or big marketing behind it but it does work! You can also feed it on the sloppy side to increase fluid intake.

 

[Sasana Skye]

I find good old simple soaked grass nuts are fab for putting on and holding weight on my horse when she's at her fittest. She drops weight very quickly and easily when doing lots of fast work.

 

[Shoei]

I have an old arab and she is a nightmare. I have had good results from adding rolled barley to her feed but she is very fussy and changes her mind on what she likes every few months. Linseed has been recommended to me

 

[peanut]

I find good old simple soaked grass nuts are fab for putting on and holding weight on my horse when she's at her fittest. She drops weight very quickly and easily when doing lots of fast work.

I started feeding grass nuts to my skinny pony after asking for advice on here. They are working brilliantly

 

[Leo Walker]

Saracens recovery mash is palatable and can be made soupy. It doesn't contain anywhere near enough electrolytes though. I feed a small amount after competing but its not a regular feed. I feed releve mixed into pink mash day to day. Mine doesn't need the calories but she wont eat without the releve so we have reached an agreement!

The one thing I have found that piles weight on even in small quantities is rice bran oil pellets.

 

[Chinchilla]

[QUOTE="Leo Walker, post: 14074312, member: 106866"

The one thing I have found that piles weight on even in small quantities is rice bran oil pellets.[/QUOTE]
Ditto this, they're brilliant; in winter our dickhead TB and geriatric Shetland both get rice bran pellets, Alfa a oil, micronised linseed and beet pulp (alongside adlib hay obviously). Works to keep weight on both with added benefit of lovely shiny coats.

 

[luci_king]

I struggle to make things ‘soupy’ as he just won’t eat it! He’s such a diva! He’s been on soaked grass nuts previously, didn’t seem to make a difference in his weight. I think I’m gunna give rice bran pellets a try, thank you! What’s the best brand to use?

 

[Chinchilla]

I struggle to make things ‘soupy’ as he just won’t eat it! He’s such a diva! He’s been on soaked grass nuts previously, didn’t seem to make a difference in his weight. I think I’m gunna give rice bran pellets a try, thank you! What’s the best brand to use?

It depends how much weight your horse needs to gain really/what your budget is: I use keyflow keyplus which is 15.3mj/k of energy but there is also a saracen version that gives 18/mg/k but is more expensive.

 

[Theocat]

If soupy mash is out, will he eat sugar beet? You might need to approach the hydration and nutrition in two parts.

 

[windand rain]

The saracens restore is neither one thing or another does not supply anything like the right amount of liquid in the right place. If he is dehydrated but wont eat sloppy food personally I would make up some soaked grass nuts, linseed etc or equidgel then add a quality chaff to make it a consitancy he likes.

 

[honetpot]

With something like soaked sugar beet the water in the beet stays in the body for longer, the difficulty being it’s bulky.
Someone has suggested rice bran pellets, which it condensed calories. Defated soya flour is also good for calories and it’s pretty bland so easily mixed into an existing feed he likes.
Weigh everything and work out the amount of calories you are giving him, chaff provides bulk but little energy.
I take a feed that they like them add dense calories, so they are more likely to eat it.
I would also leave a bucket of sugar beet and hay cobs soaked and treat it as forage with the haynet.
He is doing a lot of work so adding extra feeds on top will increase calories.
Because he is not drinking a lot I would just get the vet to check his renal function and see if he does need extra electrolytes.
I think if you keep feeding simple it saves money and also makes it easier to spot problems/ allergies rather than multiple ingredients. Every-time I had the vet out for weight loss, they haven’t found anything it’s been down to lack of calories. Something has happened that has increased their requirements and I have just missed the signs. You never stop learning.

 

[Barton Bounty]

I'd consider copra if he will eat it.[/QUOTE


I really rate copra! You dont need much of it but its so good!!! And micronised linseed too!!

 

[Follysmum]

Really rate grass nuts and linseed

 

[windand rain]

Could need extra calories to grow a winter coat so possibly upping the oil/linseed part might be enough until his coat is through dont carry on if that is the problem as hell come out of winter huge

 

[jenni999]

Allen and Page Veteran Vitality. Fed sloppy so will get the water in and is very tasty. I use it to get liquid in after hunting for a horse that won't drink but I know a lot of friends swear by it for their oldies