Weight of three years old.....opinions please

Mizzbecx

Mizzbecx

Well-Known Member
Joined
23 January 2012
Messages
218
Location
Wales
Visit site
All opinions welcome!!

Over two months ago I bought a three year old (he was three in May) “sporty” type Section D, when I had him he was standing around 14.2hh. He came from a place where he lived on mountain grass and sometimes had some hay so as you would expect he came with no neck or bum weight, you could just about see his hips and withers were sticking out. He also had a ribby grass belly if you get me?

So I have always fed soaked oats and I know it’s not everyone’s cup of tea but it has always worked for mine, since I’ve had him he has grown about two inches, he lost his grass belly and is slowly putting on proper weight, his bum has filled out and he neck has too, obviously no topline though. You can only just see his ribs but it’s getting better every day, plus it’s proper weight now and I think every time he puts on weight he shoots up again!!

He has two round large chaff scoops of soaked oats feed over two feeds, seaweed and magnesium oxide and around half a bale of hay a night fed from a trickle net to make it last (it’s all still gone by the morning)

The thing is although he is doing well and has undoubtedly improved massively over the short time I’ve had him the YO has constant digs about his weight, saying I should be stuffing him full or sugary foods etc, when he has already put on loads of weight as it is and looks like a typical growing three year old. I think the YO wants him to look like a 5-6 year old, but isn’t putting too much weight on a 3 year old bad for their joints?

I thought it was better for youngsters to be less weighty (obviously he gets fed plenty and do not go hungry) rather than what people except a typical “show condition” horse should look like?

Sorry for the long question and cake to anyone who got this far :D
 
You do say that you can still see your youngster's ribs so it sounds like he may need a bit of extra weight on still, although I wouldn't be pressurised into making him fat.

However, am confused why you are trying to slow his hay consumption down with a tricklenet. If he needs to put on some weight you need to give him as much hay as he will eat!
 
I'd think you'd be better off feeding a good all round feed - rather than straight oats. What is the point of the seaweed and magnesium oxide?

Also agree with the trickle net - why?
 
He has to have a trickle net otherwise he can eat half a bale in around an hour, he also breaks any other nets and double netting doesn’t help either, when he runs out hay he is very destructive in his stable because he gets bored so I am not trying to curb his hay as he has half a bale a night, it just lasts him longer, trust me he has plenty.

The point I am asking about is whether youngsters should be weighty not about me feeding oats as I will not feed anything else after reading up on “normal feeds” , there is nothing wrong with feeding them and I don’t believe in mixes (not argument intended here at all I’m just not changing feeds :D)

When I say “ribby” I mean he has a layer of fat above his ribs now but due to him being quite “deep” in the chest and stomach you can see them now and again, as I’ve said he is still putting on weight all the time and the difference is amazing from before. I just do want to be pressured into making him a “fatty” :D
 
In that case I would add either sugar beet (unmollassed if you must) or soaked grass pellets (not the alfalfa ones) to give you a bit of 'top'. Northern Crop Driers do one called Graze On (they also do a chaff of that name which is fabulous stuff and the only chaff I would feed now) The soaked grass pellets will go well with the soaked oats too although you only need soak them for about 15 mins. http://www.northerncropdriers.co.uk/products

Most feed shops can get some in easily enough; not sure where in Wales you are but I know Pet and Home near Chirk carry them.
 
Thanks for the inof on the grass pellets, I'll be having a look at those :)

Here's a photo, it's about two weeks old so he has put on more weight since then (you can hardly see his ribs at all now) plus he's grown an inch love him!!

IMG_20120923_164641.jpg
 
I agree with your YO. He needs far more on him.

Personally I'd stop limiting his hay, and re-consider what you're feeding him.
 
I agree he looks poor too and can understand why your YO is concerned particularly as we head into winter. What worming treatment has he had since you bought him?

I would definitely increase his hay - he obviously needs it. I would consider adding something like yea-sacc too so as to ensure his gut can make the most use of the hay you feed him.
 
Going by that picture I wouldn't be wanting much more weight on him at this age at all. He is putting everything into growing just now and as you've brought him down from the mountains to a lowland diet plus you are feeding him extra, it could all get a bit much and start compromising his joints which is something you really don't want.
If he was my problem then I would start him on D & H Suregrow which is a balancer and it has all the vits and minerals he would need so you don't need to add anything else at all. You feed very little of it so I would bulk it out with the soaked grass pellets along with ad lib hay/haylage and as much turnout as possible. I certainly wouldn't be forcing him as your YO wants, that's a recipe for disaster with a young horse. Yes, it can take months, even a year to get something to the correct weight and a a lot depends on the age of the animal as a growing one is also putting it all into growing not just the putting on weight which an older horse would do if that makes sense.
 
amymay said:
Interesting seeing pictures of the horse when you posted in August.

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=559392

He's gone from a well covered youngster, to one rather lacking.

I think your YO is right to be concerned.
Click to expand...

The picture from August showed a grass belly, if you had actually seen him his ribs, hips and withers were sticking out, his condition was awful and he had no energy.

As soon as he started to be fed his grass belly went to nothing and he started to change shape.

This photo was from about two weeks ago, he has put in weight since, plus my phone photo doesn't show he very healthy glowing coat which he certainly didn't have before!!

Plus I'm not restricting his hay grazing as he gets 6-7 big slices a night and they are all gone on the morning, if I give him 6-7 slices in a normal haynet it will be gone in an hour or two, meaning that he will have 8-10 hours without hay, surely increasing the risk of ulcers etc?

Thanks Maesfen - it the moment he is constantly growing so everytime when puts on weight he grows up and looks all out of proportion and slightly "ribby" again and I will def look up the balancer and do some reading, he is changing all the time and we have really awful winter grazing so soon he will probably be on rotated grazing so more hay too!!
 
I agree with AM that he actually looks pooer now than he did in August.
But I also agree with Measfen, that, if this horse has grown 2 inches in 3 months that I wouldn't be unduely concerned with his weight at present - it's not ideal by any stretch of the imagination but understandable given recent growth.

If he were mine he would be on unrestricted hay, ditch the trickle net, I'd halve the oats and add a decent oil source and probably some speedibeat. As much turnout as possible, ideally 24/7.
 
Mizzbecx said:
Plus I'm not restricting his hay grazing as he gets 6-7 big slices a night and they are all gone on the morning, if I give him 6-7 slices in a normal haynet it will be gone in an hour or two, meaning that he will have 8-10 hours without hay, surely increasing the risk of ulcers etc?
Click to expand...

You want to see hay left in the morning. So no, it would appear you're not feeding enough.

If it takes a bale of hay to have some left in the morning, that's what you'll have to feed.
 
That'll teach me to not check other replies before I pressed the button but in fairness, I started my reply a couple of hours ago, got held up until just now and then just finished it and sent!

I do agree he needs far more forage and it shouldn't matter if he eats a bale a day if he needs it, his need will drop off once his appetite is sated properly but if he's being restricted as you are doing then he's never going to be full and happy which is likely to stress any weight gain off at once.

I still stand by my diet for him but you do need to up his fibre intake big style. You can add proper sugar beet (forget the bare foot diet for now, he needs a lot more which your diet isn't giving him so you have to change for his sake beside a three year old is barefoot anyway so I don't see your logic at all, sorry) Add micronised linseed too, it's good for skin and hoof condition let alone being good for weight gain without pumping full of food.
 
I'll def give him more hay, the amount he eats isn't a problem to me, I just don't want him to run out that's all, I'll up his intake in his old haynets and see how he gets on with that. Plus I have someone coming to see him Thursday and she is going to help me do the best for him, without just making him a porker lol

I will post a pic in a few weeks hope theirs a difference!!

I didn't want to cause any arguements so please don't take offence, I will do what's best for my boy and I only want him to be heathly and I will do whatever it takes to get him there.
 
I don't think he looks terrible but could do with a bit more for winter.

Fed him adlib hay, on the floor ideally (build a haybar if ness) and forget about the oats. When Roo arrived he managed to eat an entire large round bale of haylege (the BIG ones) by himself in not much more than a week. They usually last 5 horses for 4 days, adlib!!! :eek: He stopped eating such ridiculous amounts within a couple of weeks.

It won't be particularly cheap but by large round bales are much cheaper than small square
 
If I was you I would stick by your barefoot principles but I would allow him unlimited hay, if he needs a bale a day then so be it. If he is finishing his hay overnight then he obviously needs more. I would increase his hay a leaf at a time until there is some left in the morning. I would never leave him with nothing to eat. For healthy weight gain nothing beats plenty of fibre. I would also try him on micronised linseed I believe you can add about 200g a day for weight gain.
 
First off he needs ad lib hay, from the floor preferably, if not from a large holed haynet.........he should be having as much as he can eat!!!!

Then feed him something like D&H Suregrow with Hi-Fi and Micronised Linseed.

He definitely needs a bit more on him, although yes you are right you definitely do not want a 3yo fat, but he's no where near fat atm.
 
Youngsters are far better light than weighty.

It sounds as if you are doing the right thing by bringing his weight up slowly and with sensible food.

Being the owner of a heavier breed they can get through hay in a very short time - if the trickle net keeps him busy all night then you are replicating natures way of them feeding and this can only be a good thing. Half a bale of hay at night is ample for the size and type.

Please don't give in to pressure - you are doing the right thing and processed feeds are not good for any horse. He's putting on weight therefore you are giving him more food than he needs just for growth, so you've got it right.
 
Tnavas said:
Youngsters are far better light than weighty.

It sounds as if you are doing the right thing by bringing his weight up slowly and with sensible food.

Being the owner of a heavier breed they can get through hay in a very short time - if the trickle net keeps him busy all night then you are replicating natures way of them feeding and this can only be a good thing. Half a bale of hay at night is ample for the size and type.

Please don't give in to pressure - you are doing the right thing and processed feeds are not good for any horse. He's putting on weight therefore you are giving him more food than he needs just for growth, so you've got it right.
Click to expand...

Thanks for this :) I looked at him last night after being upset from all the negative comments on here and you can't see any ribs now, plus his bum and neck have increased too :) he is putting on weight gradually so I'm happy with that, I've been recommended to keep up with the oats and try the NAF pink powder for two weeks to make sure his gut is working well. I don't like the either of processed food either, I saw what it did to my last cob who couldn't cope with all the sugar, molasses etc and as soon as I switched his feed it improvement in his skin condition and weight we fab!! From the photo I posted yesterday he looks completely different so I'm not upset with the negative comments on this post now, I know my horse is happy and healthy :) Lucky though as I was minutes away from deleting my account on here last night from being upset!! So thanks again Tnavas!! :D
 
You didn't have negative comments in the way you perceive them Mizzbecx. Just some of us saying we were concerned about his weight - and that you needed to re-think how you fed your hay. Which would seem to be what your YO was saying. The person who sees the horse every day.

That's called constructive advice. Whether you choose to listen or ignore is up to you.

The advantages of discussing these things is that you get differing points of view. Some you'll agree with, some you won't.

I see you've removed the photo's now - which is a shame. But your right. But an interesting thing to do, nevertheless - bearing in mind the reasons for your initial post.
 
Last edited:
I really don't want to argue about this, I have read what people have said about the trickle net, I am not using it to restrict he hay in take as he would have the same amount per night whether I used it or not, I am using it so that it lasts him longer so he doesn't get bored. He was having the same amount of hay in a normal haynet before I bought the trickle net, and he was eating it by 8, therefore being bored all night and getting very upset about being in over night. So therefore I have bought a net that's takes him longer it eat, so therefore he still has the same amount of hay as it's still eaten by the morning. Plus I have no problem with him having more which he is now getting. I really don't want to argue or upset anyone, I just thought people were having a go, sorry if I was wrong I just know not to post anything like this on here again so I don't cause arguements.

Sorry
 
I just thought people were having a go,
Click to expand...

No they weren't.

He was having the same amount of hay in a normal haynet before I bought the trickle net, and he was eating it by 8,
Click to expand...

Therefore not being fed enough. It's such a basic principle, I fail to see how anyone can't grasp that.

sorry if I was wrong I just know not to post anything like this on here again so I don't cause arguements.
Click to expand...

shame.
 
Last edited:
Nobody's arguing with you but the so called 'negative because they were not what you wanted to hear' comments stemmed from your original post and the worry that your YO was encouraging you to get more weight on your boy and once you had put up the pictures we could see her point.
The advice you were given whether you choose to follow it or not is entirely up to you but it was always meant with the best of intentions towards your boy; I'm sorry you found them negative, I personally would have found them positive in that people were offering their asked for advice based on their experiences in similar circumstances.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top