My arabian horse will not put on weight and when it does it doesnt keep it on. ive tried worming . grains,?

Question

what can i do to keep weight on my horse.

Answer 1

Try beet pulp and corn oil. You want to use feeds that aren't "hot" so avoid using to much sweet feed. Horses that have a lot of time outside are more relaxed and will carry weight more easily. Have you had his teeth floated? I used to have a stud that needed to have his teeth done every six months.

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

Increase ammount of grain (gradually) introduce more alfalfa into diet, add corn oil to grain mixture, have teeth floated, and rotate 2 or three different types of dewormer so that parasites are killed. and don't get the chance to build up a resistance to what you are using. Horses should be wormed at least every other month. Age also plays a part in weight a lot of senior horses have a difficult time keeping their weight up. It is safer to keep an animal thin(not emaciated) than to keep them fat. Also have your vet do some blood work, their could be underlying health problems such as an over active thyroid etc.

Answer 4

I'm sure most of this has already been suggested, but I'm too lazy to read through the other answers.

If you don't keep up a regular deworming program, your horse may have parasites that are keeping his weight down.

Is your horse older? We have an old Appy-cross pony who has trouble keeping weight on, simply because he's 34 years old. If this is the case with your Arab, try feeding him a senior formula of some sort. If you don't know much about those, discuss it with an equine nutritionalist (depending on where you get your feed, there might be one working at your feed store) or your veterinarian.

His teeth may need to be floated. If they haven't been floated in over a year, that's probably the case as most horses need it done once anually. Some horses need their teeth floated more often.

In any one of these cases, you should probably consult your veterinarian. Hope this helps some and I wish you good luck =]

Answer 5

If you are feeding your horse sufficiently, deworming every two months with products like Equimax, rotated with Stongid, and have had your horses teeth checked and it still doesn't gain wait, you may want to have your vet take a look. Feed good quality hay and grain. Feed hay several times a day, horse are grazers and should be fed small amounts throughout the day. If your horse doesn't have access to pasture, make sure you are feeding enough hay. I would increase hay before grain. Too much grain can lead to a lot of problems. Also, depending on your horses age, and any metabolic issues or insulin resistance, you feeding more fat might not be a good idea. Don't think a fat horse is a healthy horse, though. Excessive fat can lead to health problems. You should be able to feel your horses ribs, but not see them. Perhaps you are also confusing muscling with weight. A horse can be of good weight, but with lack of muscle tone, may look angular.

Answer 6

When did your horse have his teeth floated last? That could be the problem.Horses need to be done very 6 months - 1 year.

What kind of wormers do you use.You have to rotate them or the worms can build up a resistance.You also might want to try a wormer like Zimectrin gold that is good for tapeworms.

Is your horse older? I have my 31 yr old on Equine Senior,Equitech 10 with 10% fat and a pro biotic called Optizyme.I also have fed this to my rescues that I get in that need weight since this can be used for horses of all ages.Equine senior is easy to digest and isn't hard on their system,
I would talk to your vet and see what he recommends.It's possible your horse is having internal problems that need to be addressed.Hope this help out.

Answer 7

I've used Purina Senior Equine with some success even with horses that are not very old.

Also, if your horse is not eating much it may relate to the amount of exercise it is getting. If the horse is kept in a stall and not turned out or exercised regularly, it may not eat as much. This is tied to the metabolism (exercise increases the horse's metabolism) and emotional state (exercise makes a horse feel better and will want to eat more)

Hope that helps,,,,

Answer 8

Are you judging the weight of your horse correctly? Your Arabian may be at his/her ideal weight and you just think your horse needs to gain weight because of the look of heavier horses like Quarter horses. I would have your horse vet checked if you are seriously worried. A rule of thumb I use to judge correct weight is to look at the ribs. If you can see ribs sticking out, then the horse is thin and needs to be checked. If the ribs are barely visable then the horse is okay.

Answer 9

Add fat tot he horses diet.
You can use beet pulp or rice bran those come bagged and you add them to the regular grain ration.
Be careful just adding grain it can make your hosre hot and cause lamanitis.
Fat will add claories but not make the horse hot and is very safe.
You can even just top the grain ration with vegetable oil. Start with 1/4 cup and work up to 1 cup.
Good luck.

Answer 10

I have to second the beet pulp, and I've also heard rice bran is a good way. Especially with an Arab you want to avoid 'hot' feeds, and likely things with a lot of sugar which could lead to founder.

THe basis of a good horse diet is a good quality hay. Try offering some kind of grass hay freely throughout the day and see if that helps. Good luck!