Young horse struggling to put on weight.

[Lizzyclarkeventing]

I have a five year old half tb mare who I have been producing for eventing, I have had her around 5-6 months and she hasn’t really gained weight at all. I am wondering if this is just because of the winter months but even still her ribs are more prominent than I would like.
She is in relatively light work so not super fit but goes for a forward 2hour hack with ease. and has not been clipped all winter and she is rugged.
Two hard feeds a day with Dengue meadow grass chaff, balancer, linseed oil, Baileys no.17, and speedi-beet.
She is out 24/7 on quality pasture grass. (Photos aren’t super helpful but as good as I have atm)

 

[KittenInTheTree]

How much are you feeding her? My youngsters have all needed 2.5% to 3% of their bodyweight per day in feed alongside 24/7 grazing. Also, living grass is less nutritious over the winter months. Hay, haylage, and grass nuts/chaff all have the nutrition locked in from when they were harvested, which will have been outside of the winter months.

I feed Dengie Alfa-A Oil for weight gain. It's 14% protein. I feed it along with soaked grass nuts (also 14% protein or more), molassed beet pulp, micronised linseed, and rolled oats. I've also had good results from Heygates Equi Balancer Pellets, which are 25% protein. The latter product contains soya, in case anyone reading this has a horse that is intolerant of soya.

Editing to add that OBVIOUSLY one doesn't feed the whole 2.5% to 3% of bodyweight as bucket feed! The bulk of it will be hay or haylage.

 

[AmyMay]

Is she getting access to good quality hay?

 

[ycbm]

Is she just built like a TB? Many people in these days of well covered horses are surprised at how thin a fit TB looks in comparison.

Do you feed a good whack of vitamin E? If not, I'd recommend it.
.

 

[ihatework]

I don’t see anything wrong with her weight.
She’ll gradually bulk up with training but looks perfectly healthy to me …

 

[IrishMilo]

Looks like a good weight to me. Assume her teeth have been done recently? My go-to chaff for putting weight on is Alfa A, there's a really good amount of fibre, digestible energy and protein compared to most other chaffs.

 

[Lizzyclarkeventing]

Is she getting access to good quality hay?

Yes, She actually gets haylage - all fresh and good quality for a few hours a day

 

[Lizzyclarkeventing]

Is she just built like a TB? Many people in these days of well covered horses are surprised at how thin a fit TB looks in comparison.

Do you feed a good whack of vitamin E? If not, I'd recommend it.
.

I will get a photo today, but I do think she is underweight. My instructors often also comment on her. I will look into the vitamin e, thank you

 

[Lizzyclarkeventing]

Looks like a good weight to me. Assume her teeth have been done recently? My go-to chaff for putting weight on is Alfa A, there's a really good amount of fibre, digestible energy and protein compared to most other chaffs.

Yes up to date on all of that, I will get a photo today that’s better, that was her start of winter.

 

[Lizzyclarkeventing]

Is she just built like a TB? Many people in these days of well covered horses are surprised at how thin a fit TB looks in comparison.

Do you feed a good whack of vitamin E? If not, I'd recommend it.
.

She isn’t hugely fit either, for example she could go do a day hunting

 

[Lizzyclarkeventing]

I don’t see anything wrong with her weight.
She’ll gradually bulk up with training but looks perfectly healthy to me …

I don’t see anything wrong with her weight.
She’ll gradually bulk up with training but looks perfectly healthy to me …

Sorry, the other images weren’t very helpful. This is what she looks like in good light, she also has a winter coat on at the moment.

 

[AmyMay]

Is she usually rugged? If you’re happy in what you’re feeding it might be an idea to run bloods to ensure all is well.

 

[alibali]

Yes, She actually gets haylage - all fresh and good quality for a few hours a day

She could probably do with access to good quality forage all the time not just for a few hours. That's always my go to when looking to get weight on. Good luck

 

[Lizzyclarkeventing]

She could probably do with access to good quality forage all the time not just for a few hours. That's always my go to when looking to get weight on. Good luck

Thanks, she does have a really good paddock but maybe we do need a round bale in there

 

[Lizzyclarkeventing]

Is she usually rugged? If you’re happy in what you’re feeding it might be an idea to run bloods to ensure all is well.

Yep, super hot today so took it off, but has been rugged all winter

 

[alibali]

Thanks, she does have a really good paddock but maybe we do need a round bale in there

Don't underestimate how little energy there is in grass after the growing season has stopped! My Welsh A was losing weight too quickly in November last year when grazing ad lib on a rested paddock for 12 hours and in overnight with a net of 1% bodyweight hay. As a laminitic I weigh his nets and look for weight loss over the winter but this was quite dramatic. I was worried and preparing myself for vet, blood tests etc etc when I remembered the hay I've bought this year was very late cut. There was little energy in the long rested paddock and less than normal in his hay and the weight just dropped off him, oops! He's had his idea of the best winter ever with ad lib hay overnight and out during the day and has maintained nicely since, no vet required

 

[Lizzyclarkeventing]

Don't underestimate how little energy there is in grass after the growing season has stopped! My Welsh A was losing weight too quickly in November last year when grazing ad lib on a rested paddock for 12 hours and in overnight with a net of 1% bodyweight hay. As a laminitic I weigh his nets and look for weight loss over the winter but this was quite dramatic. I was worried and preparing myself for vet, blood tests etc etc when I remembered the hay I've bought this year was very late cut. There was little energy in the long rested paddock and less than normal in his hay and the weight just dropped off him, oops! He's had his idea of the best winter ever with ad lib hay overnight and out during the day and has maintained nicely since, no vet required

This is true, but all my other horses get significantly less than her in terms of hard feed / haylage and are on the same grass and all look fabulous, they are all in the same amount of work

 

[AmyMay]

Thanks, she does have a really good paddock but maybe we do need a round bale in there

If she’s out with other horses do piles rather than a round bale.

 

[Lizzyclarkeventing]

This is her first winter with us, though, so hopefully over the summer she will fill out much more as the work increases

 

[Lizzyclarkeventing]

If she’s out with other horses do piles rather than a round bale.

Yes we would spread it out

 

[AmyMay]

Yes we would spread it out

The alternative is to bring her in overnight (with as much hay as she wants), given that your other horses are doing ok.

 

[Goldenstar]

She may be still growing I had one who looked like that till six they she slowed down with maturing / growing and beefed up a bit .

 

[Lizzyclarkeventing]

She may be still growing I had one who looked like that till six they she slowed down with maturing / growing and beefed up a bit .

Yes maybe, thank you! (Hopefully not though, already 16.3 )

 

[ihatework]

A young big sporty horse really is going to need plenty of decent hay/haylage if expected to live out and work through the winter.

Do a double check on your worming and teeth but in all honesty she is likely just growing and not getting sufficient decent fibre.

 

[Hormonal Filly]

I’d run bloods on her, for the cost of £150 (ball mark figure) it’s well worth it to check everything is working ok. Anything going on with the liver can cause them to not put weight on/be lean and not always any other symptoms (in my experience)

 

[IrishMilo]

To be honest she still doesn't look bad to me - TBs are so damn hard to keep looking like perfectly round, muscled horses that it's easy to panic when you're used to different breeds. If she's still growing I'd recommend pea protein powder.

 

[Lizzyclarkeventing]

To be honest she still doesn't look bad to me - TBs are so damn hard to keep looking like perfectly round, muscled horses that it's easy to panic when you're used to different breeds. If she's still growing I'd recommend pea protein powder.

Yes that’s true, thanks so much