WEIGHT GAIN NEEDED

[staceyhollins]

Hi,

My tb x ID always has a tendency to lose weight over winter. i did advise the guys who have my horse on loan he needs really feeding up before winter sets in, i told them what i feed. he was on Alpha A original, garlic and horse mix, and when he lost weight i gave him alpha a, oats, barley rings, sugarbeat, garlic and molasses (no he never exploded LOL) and i hasve always given him as much haylage as he can eat. This winter he has really dropped, they are feeding Alpha A Oil, sugar beat, nuts and top spec balancer but still no joy. I have suggested maybe adding oats or something similar but they arent as yet, Does anyone know what is good for weight gain?

Many thanks

 

[Spyda]

500g Copra meal, 300-500g full fat linseed meal, sugar beet, HiFi & a decent multi vit/min supplement along with AD-LIB hay/haylage day & night. Works great for short term weight gain. Once Spring grass starts coming through the linseed meal and Copra can be slowly reduced until fed no longer. Copra can be brought from here online (http://www.4dobbin.com/p-CoolStance-Copra-Meal-Stance.html)

PS: I assume his worming is up to date and he's had a recent worm sample done? And his teeth have been routinely floated? And he's being kept warm enough?

 

[ofcourseyoucan]

more hay/haylege? ie ad lib!! upping the amounts of what they already feed him? is he being fed am/pm perhaps add a fibre based lunch? obvs Q worming and teeth? and is the horse happy? if he is not happy or stressing about something he wont put on weight. Rugs is he warm enough or using his calories to stay warm?(or too hot?!!) as he is on loan i would make sure you do reg checks if the loaners are concerned that he is looking lean. Dr green will soon be here though. copra meal (coolstance) is good tho some dont like it. also do take into the equation the amount of work the horse is doing! if he has hunted all season he may well be lean but very fit! also bear in mind that if you up the bucket grub versus work you could induce tying up etc.

 

[TGM]

Make sure they are giving him truly adlib haylage if that is what he had before - some people say they are feeding ad lib when they are not. Also echo the suggestion about whether he is stressed at all. We took on a big horse in light work who was very lean on adlib haylage and three feeds of conditioning cubes a day, but who got very limited turnout. He is now a much better weight despite going down to two feeds a day and being hunted regularly, and we put this down to the fact that he is happier out in the field. When confined to the stable excessively he spent a lot of time stressing over the door rather than munching on his haylage!

 

[AdorableAlice]

Hi,

My tb x ID always has a tendency to lose weight over winter. i did advise the guys who have my horse on loan he needs really feeding up before winter sets in, i told them what i feed. he was on Alpha A original, garlic and horse mix, and when he lost weight i gave him alpha a, oats, barley rings, sugarbeat, garlic and molasses (no he never exploded LOL) and i hasve always given him as much haylage as he can eat. This winter he has really dropped, they are feeding Alpha A Oil, sugar beat, nuts and top spec balancer but still no joy. I have suggested maybe adding oats or something similar but they arent as yet, Does anyone know what is good for weight gain?

Many thanks

Before thinking what you could add to that lot, I would be running bloods and a worm count to see if there is anything wrong. If all is ok I would be using ad lib top quality haylage, Spillers conditioning cube, a high fat chaff and equi jewel with sugarbeet.

 

[BillyBob-Sleigh]

I have the same problem with my stressy DWDxISH 4yr old - not helped by the fact he is stressy and growing! he is maintaining weight with Calm & Condition, Alfa A, Barley Rings, Veggie oil and Coligone (gut balancer). He is out on good grazing and comes in for a few hours during the day for brekkie, 3 x haylage nets and then goes out again after an early dinner (4ish)

 

[Box_Of_Frogs]

SH, all horses have a tendency to lose weight over winter - 10,000 years of evolution have enabled their bodies get fat during the summer and then use up this fat over winter. As long as your horse is well, happy, eating, I'd chill - the spring grass will start growing in a couple of weeks and that should start your boy putting on weight again.

 

[PonyRiders]

I feed my IDX Alfa A, Sugar beet and barley. Worked really well for him, I know of some horses who have done well on maize aswell, although I haven't used it personally.