Weight gain urgently needed - Oils? HELP!!

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MagicMelon

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My grey has been on box rest since March and this is set to continue for a few more months, with a serious tendon injury. I've been leading him out in hand twice a day for about 15/20 mins grass and also walking him out in-hand for his controlled exercise. The problem is that he is a light weight anyway (luso x TB), and he's been steadily losing weight as he's not out at grass. He normally drops a little weight over winter and then gains a bit over summer with the grass to see him through the winter again. So we've never had any issues with his weight, he just always stays slim and healthy. He's always lived out 24/7 although he's got used to being stabled now and isnt stressing.

I'm getting really worried as he's looking worse and worse to the point I can almost start to see his ribs in the right light. He's quite picky with hay. He eats it casually but doesn't demolish 2 haynets in a night lets say (I always give him 2 haynets in case he doesn't like one - thats the type of horse he is!). I have tried him on haylage which he loves BUT it sent him too loopy to walk out in hand (and he has to have this on vets orders to strengthen the tendon). Grass is what he needs IMO so I've now set up 6ft high steel fencing in a circle a little bigger than his stable (so he still cant run around) which he now goes out on during the day. I have to move the fencing every 3rd day as he eats the grass down so quick. I dont know if the vets would allow me doing this but he doesn't move around anymore than he does in the stable and his weight is really worrying me, plus its made him so much happier. I should say that I am also very careful about keeping him warm enough too.

I dont really want to change his hard feed as such (he's on Baileys Conditioning Cubes, Alfa A and speedi-beet which he's always done well on and I know doesn't make him fizzy). My thoughts are to try adding oil to it to try and add calories. Does anyone know out of soya oil and vegetable oil which would be best calorie-wise but also which is less heating? I've fed him soya oil in the past but he was in quite hard competition work so different situation. I thought about giving him a big tubtrug full of chaff but I know he'd just pick at that too. Any other ideas would be brilliant as I'm panicking we only have about 6 weeks left of summer up here in NE Scotland before it gets a lot colder and he'll end up looking like a cruelty case by then and it'll be pure hell getting him through the winter!!
 
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I think if you can only 'almost' see his ribs, I wouldn't panic just yet.

But, have you thought about feeding him a purely high fibre diet, rather than the conditioning cubes, as he may be able to process that better?

Also, how many feeds a day are you giving?
 
Dodson and Horrell Barley Rings are very good for putting on weight. Soya Oil - 250 ml a day - is also a very good source of highly digestible calories in a slow release form which will not make him fizzy.
 
I dont know if you can get it, but I really rate rice bran oil,
a cup a day has made a really big difference to my tb, I give him a cup a day between his 2 feeds.
Kx
 
Having just started using micronised linseed on one can totally rate it for putting on weight and with no hotting up. Charnwood Milling deliver it direct and lasts for ages.
Also you can get these grass block things that I've found help with the lack of grass available on box rest and you can get a dozen for about 7 pounds and keeps them occupied too but has the same amout in them if letting them graze naturally.
 
Allen & Page Fast Fibre has really helped my boy put on some weight and he goes mad for it. I used to feed Baileys conditioning cubes and since I switched his temperament has changed for the better. He was always good but now he is so chilled out. I find a bag lasts far longer than the baileys and it's cheaper. He has a fantastic shine. My YO now using it for his young show horses as he's seen what good results i've had with it.
Good luck for the next few months. There's nothing worse than box rest :(
 
When my poor doer starts looking ribby I normally buy a big bottle of sunflower oil at the supermarket and add a splash to each feed.

I was told not to use blended vegetable oil, but to use sunflower or corn oil.

I've considered linseed or soya, but her normal feed has these in and buying in extra would mean mail order, whereas a bottle of oil can easily be grabbed at the supermarket as and when.
 
FlyingCoo said:
Having just started using micronised linseed on one can totally rate it for putting on weight and with no hotting up. Charnwood Milling deliver it direct and lasts for ages.
Also you can get these grass block things that I've found help with the lack of grass available on box rest and you can get a dozen for about 7 pounds and keeps them occupied too but has the same amout in them if letting them graze naturally.
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What are these grass blocks and where do you get them from? I'd be interested in something like that for winter to keep mine occupied in her stable and get extra food into her at the same time.
 
Is there really no way he can be turned out completely to recuperate in his own time? What is the purpose of prolonged box rest as it doesn't do the horse any favours at all and it's only a tendon injury, not damaged bones (when yes, box rest would be necessary) Popular thinking from vets now for tendons is box rest until it stabilises then regular gentle movement to improve elasticity which is generally permanent turnout for as long as possible which is actually the old time way too though they like to think they've just invented it, lol! I've treated many tendon injuries in my time (usually racehorses or hunters) and this is how we've always treated them; I can't think of one that hasn't come right by this method and been able to start work again perfectly sound within 18 months, many times earlier. Those turned out have the advantage that it keeps them fitter and occupied in their minds too rather than the brain numbing boredom of box rest when they're only too happy to have a fling as soon as you open the door and undo all the box rest has started. The constant exercise of grazing (which you've said he does eat happily) means they only do as much as their body feels it's up to but their brain and body are in much better shape.

Anyway, that's not what you asked, sorry.

If he doesn't need a small feed for medicines then I'd be inclined to demote him down to just plain hay, ad lib and a cup of balancer for vitamins and minerals which would help his body repair. He'll eat it when he's hungry and it will do his insides better than anything else because he's not burning off the energy the feed you're giving him produces; it's no wonder he's doing a frilly when you take him out, that energy has to go somewhere.

They all lose muscle definition on enforced inactivity, it's to be expected but by only feeding roughage you are not adding to the problems. You can also feed clean straw alongside or as a treat which he might enjoy, the more roughage the better. If you continue feeding what you are could you change to Alfa A Oil, that is higher calorie wise? My favourite weight gain item has to be soaked grass pellets which they all seem to enjoy too, never had one that turns noses up at those; you could use it in place of the speedibeet or leave a trug for him to pick at. The best I've found are Graze On by Northern Crop Driers, about £7 for 20kg. The only things I'd add would be micronised linseed and brewers yeast, both available from Charnwood; both would help his body to repair.
 
amymay said:
I think if you can only 'almost' see his ribs, I wouldn't panic just yet.

But, have you thought about feeding him a purely high fibre diet, rather than the conditioning cubes, as he may be able to process that better?

Also, how many feeds a day are you giving?
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This! I'd be looking into things like Readigrass and grass nuts, not only for the weight issue but because I'd be worried about azoturia with a box rested horse on conditioning feeds.

Don't see why there would be an issue with his grass pen as long as he's not walking too far to get to it :)
 
Thanks everyone.

I've just been down to the feed merchant and bought a bag of the Charnwood micronised linseed. However, it doesnt say on the bag how much to feed? Can anyone advise?! I think I'll leave the oil for a while and see how he gets on with this.

In reply to the other replies - I'll look into the grass nuts or grass brick ideas as they might be worth a shot too. I've tried barley rings in the past and he actually seemed to lose weight on those (even though they were great for another horse of mine). He's on 2 feeds a day. I'd like to make it 3, but we cant always guarantee someone is around during the day to be able to do so (the horses are at my mums, not a livery yard where someone is perhaps always around).

Maesfen - My horse had surgery on the tendon at the Royal Dick Vet in early April. The advice was discussed via them and my own local vet so this is what they told me to do. I've just gone with what they've advised as I'm claming on the insurance so doubt they'll continue to pay out if I went against their advise and turned him out properly? I'd love nothing more than to put him out 24/7 again, even in a small paddock. Some days I think its pointless carrying this on as I have a feeling he's never going to be rideable again (the chances the vet has given are very very slim), so maybe I should just give up and chuck him out in the field for the rest of his life.
 
Sorry, I didn't realise he had had an op' on it, that does put a different slant on it especially with insurance involved. I can't see that you can do much different in that case. Has it been rescanned lately, is there much improvement? If not, perhaps I would ask the vet for an up to date realistic prognosis as it can change during treatment, it can progress better or worse than expected for the time scale so far and take it from there as after all this time the operation site should have healed by now so if he says it's nothing but time now throwing out in the field might be the best thing. I know some that have been pretty hopeless cases, been given up on and chucked out into retirement and come sound again in their own time so able to go back to work; they're all different though, one size doesn't fit all so I hope you can find something that works for him.
 
amymay said:
Does the horse have company during the day MM??
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He has contact with others at all times - a shetland during the day stays in the yard right in front of his stable so they can touch over the door and at night my other pony comes in with the shetland too. The only time he cant touch another is when he's in his fenced pen bit (as my ponies aren't allowed on the decent grass round about it) but I always ensure other ponies are very close by so he can always see them. I have also taken to riding the pony and leading him for his exercise as he behaves so much better this way!
 
Maesfen said:
Sorry, I didn't realise he had had an op' on it, that does put a different slant on it especially with insurance involved. I can't see that you can do much different in that case. Has it been rescanned lately, is there much improvement? If not, perhaps I would ask the vet for an up to date realistic prognosis as it can change during treatment, it can progress better or worse than expected for the time scale so far and take it from there as after all this time the operation site should have healed by now so if he says it's nothing but time now throwing out in the field might be the best thing. I know some that have been pretty hopeless cases, been given up on and chucked out into retirement and come sound again in their own time so able to go back to work; they're all different though, one size doesn't fit all so I hope you can find something that works for him.
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He's been rescanned about 3 times since his op. He was about a week after the op once they took the stitches out. Unfortunately he went lamer than usual a few weeks after so was re-scanned and they thought he had re-damaged the tendon (made it slightly worse thus the prognosis has worsened), then his leg swelled up badly about 6 weeks ago which they dont know what caused that (but it went back down on its own a few days later). Basically the type of injury he's had is rare, even the Dick Vet have only seen one other case hence they admit they really cant give much of a prognosis as they just dont know. He's happy enough with it, I mean he rests it more than a non-lame horse but you'd only know he was lame in trot - walking about he looks fine. I'm just worried that they wont give me an idea of rehab past about 2 months from now, I guess it depends, but if they tell me he needs months more box rest I think I'll just have to stop there and put him out in the paddock properly. I cant put him through much more in the stable, he's so good about it but he clearly doesn't like it.
 
Most people feed a mugful a day of micronised linseed so I'd start there and then increase it if he's not putting as much weight on as you'd like.
 
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