my horse needs to gain some extra weight before the snowy winter hits. what should i feed her ?

Answer 1

Hi there;

Bulking up before winter is a wise idea if you do not plan to work your horse. In the case that you are NOT planning to work your horse, please keep in mind that spring always follows winter and your horse will have to deal with the extra weight as well as loss of muscle tone from being idle for 4 months.
Putting on weight without daily work outs has down sides (see above) as well as the only benefit of fat warmth. I have to ask: Have you considered fore going the winter blanket clip and just blanket your horse? Are you going to open pasture your horse for the winter? Open pasturing a horse during winter is not a good idea. Your horse needs shelter to get out of bad weather no matter what season it is.
Weight gain over a period of weeks is a good idea with no more than the max weight for your horse's breed. If you have a mixed breed horse then use a weight tape which can be purchased at any feed store.
When deciding what feed to give your horse please bare in mind that any sudden change in feed can cause illness such as colic. Go slow and make the change an easy one. If anything is going to go badly you will be able to act quickly.
Feed twice a day with plenty of water.
Hay - should be very green with a high leaf to stem ratio. The leaves of the hay have all the nutrients so make sure that there are plenty of leaves on your hay stems. Pull a stem out from the middle of a bale and look at it. Does it "smoke" when you reach in? If so then the bale is old and will have low mutrient value. Watch out for mold too! Mold is not always visable. Green hay is sweeter and does not mold as easily. Offer twice a day before grains as well as the pasture grass if you are turning your horse out.
Try to winter up with hay that is alfalfa/ alsike clover rich! Try not to get the last cut hay either.

Grains - choose a sweet feed that has high barley, corn, whole oats ratios in the mixture as your winter feed for a non working horse. The reasons; barley/corn/whole oats - better digestion
high phosphorus
corn is rich in vitamin A
Remember - molasses is a sugar and that means energy that will be pent up during the winter months. If it gets a bit colder than normal, the sugars are burned off as heat. So sweet feeds may be the way to go for you.
Feed addtitions;
Beet pulp
Potato (skins on please)
Both the above are high in starches, fiber, and calcium.

Go in moderation. Use good common sense and always consult your vet first to make sure that your horse is getting what it needs to stay healthy. :)

Answer 2

It depends on what you do with her. You have to be careful when adding weight as it will make her 'hot' or excitable. Stay away from oats and corn as they are not easily digestable. Have the vet or dentist come in and check her teeth as she made need them floated as well. Beet pulp is an excellent, cheap way to add weight to her and bulk to her feed, just make sure you soak it. Chaff is good as well, but expensive so you may want to just make sure you have some good quality hay. Look at the nutrition info on the back of the feed bag to determine calories and fat content. Also ask the people at the feed store or even phone up your vet as they will be able to tell you the feeds that you will want to purchase. I could tell you some of the better feeds in the UK but dont know where youre asking this from

Answer 3

My previous mare (who has when you consider that surpassed directly to the comprehensive beyond) used to love lucerne hay (alfa alfa) even with the undeniable fact that it did no longer agree along with her. It made her manure runny which isn't stable. She might nicely be laid low with tension from being stabled. are you able to place her in a paddock for portion of the day? finished time could be greater effective. some horses additionally tension out in the event that they do no longer seem to be close to different horses. actually check out the trojan horse difficulty, there are worms that are proof against show wormers, so in case you have been utilizing the comparable form for greater desirable than a year, attempt utilizing one with a diverse base chemical. evaluate reducing on the workout. Is she rugged? If she is only too warm, she will sweat and drop some weight. If she is only too chilly she might desire to be utilizing all her capability attempting to maintain heat. they say a rug is worth a feed an afternoon. Get a horse dentist to envision her tooth, exceedingly if she drops wads of chewed nutrition mutually as she is ingesting. If none of this permits, then you definately prefer a vet. stable success.

Answer 4

Sweet feed: oats mixed with molasses. It's the same thing horses should eat in the winter or any time they need extra calories. Look up "sweet feed" online for proper storage info and how to make/buy the feed.

Answer 5

I agree with that one girl....some of the answers on here are ridiculous! I would increase his grain just a little and maybe buy a higher protein feed (check with your vet first) and also maybe put him/her on a little corn oil, it adds a little weight and a little shine to their coat. Our horses are on that. Also, how old is he/she? if he/she is over 15 you might put him on a senior horse feed like equine senior. We a have a few 20 year olds on that.

Answer 6

Free choice hay,Beet pulp,corn oil as a top dress.Have the vet check her teeth.

Answer 7

Sorry but CAN YOU BELEIVE THE ANSWERS THAT YOU HAEV GOTTEN ON HERE?!?!?!?!! They are un-beleivable!!!
You kneed to increase the hay-and water (or else she will get colic) But maybe ya, just increase the grain too. I would ask your vet though

Answer 8

Try a high calorie oat mix containing alfalfa.

Answer 9

oats, carrots, apples, anything that your horse likes they will be soo into eating it that they will not stop, dont overdo it or your big fuzzy friend will get a stomach ache and then you will be hurting more than you will be helping.

Answer 10

A lot of sweet grain