I just got this new horse he is 11 years old and is 16.2 hands but he only weighs 1,100 and you can see his ribs. We want to put weight on him for the winter. He gets 1 scoop of grain and he gets lots of hay but he hasnt gain alot of weight with that! Help please!!
Thank you:)
2006-11-28 10:30:42 · 9 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Other - Pets
Ill be more detailed he gets about 3 flakes of hay and he is a quarter horse.
2006-11-28 10:40:23 · update #1
Vet check is definately in order- has he gotten his teeth floated recently? If his teeth are worn at odd angles, he may not be able to get as much digested. Also make sure you worm him with Equimax or something along those lines- an all around wormer.
As for grain, we only have 16h and above horses, and they all get 2 scoops of grain twice a day, if they are active or skinny, and 1 1/2 scoop if not.
What type of grain are you feeding? You could give him a sweet feed (some horses respond negatively and get really hyper, though most don't), add dried beet pulp, or oil to his grain.
Also, if possible, you could slowly add some alfalfa hay- that is higher in protien and a good fattener. If you don't have bales of it, you can buy cubes from most feed mills or even fleet farm (though the fleet farm brand are not that high of quality- but still work)
Whatever you do, do not give him a muscle builder or fattener supplement. I have an habitually skinny horse (we are working out the kinks now) and have researched the topic. Most of them did more harm than good to a body.
2006-11-28 13:32:12 · answer #1 · answered by D 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A vet should be able to help you with that. It may be worms. Also, depending on how long you've had him, he may still be stressed out about being in a new place. Is he under any other stress, like being bossed around by dominant horses in the pasture?
Here's some stuff you can add to your feed. Add beat pulp to your grain, and feed him peanut hay. This will really put weight on, but once he is at a sufficient weight take him off of that.
2006-11-29 14:05:02 · answer #2 · answered by yayme616 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you have had him vet checked and he is healthy, then I would delete the grain and go to a complete feed with vitamins and a higher fat content than carbs. Look for top ingredients like rice bran, which will put weight on without the grain "high".
2006-11-28 19:22:45 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
He'll gain weight eventually. Don't feed him too much, or he'll be sick. One scoop sounds fine to me. Try increasing his hay; "lots" isn't much of an amount to work with, because I'm not sure how much "lots" is.. Always keep a flake in his stall. :)
Try letting him grow a winter coat before you start to blanket him for extra warmth.
Also- is he a Thoroughbred? Their ribs often show, even when they're healthy. Not drastically so, though.
2006-11-28 18:36:32 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Sounds like he needs more hay.Try free choice hay and add 1/2 cup corn oil to his grain.Be patient it will take time to see a change in him.
2006-11-28 20:21:21 · answer #5 · answered by morganslilone 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
we have a bunch of old polo horses at work and we feed them 6 pounds of equine senior a day. it is a Purina brand and has worked wonders with gaining weight. i would recommend talking with your vet and make sure u r worming regularly and have the horses teeth looked at
2006-11-28 20:47:11 · answer #6 · answered by kooneyedkellie 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Make sure he is vet-checked to cross out the possibility of worms and other health problems, that can cause him not to gain weight.
2006-11-28 18:33:55 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
feed him more grain little by little if you give him a lot he will colic give him like 3 slacks of hay
2006-11-28 19:22:04 · answer #8 · answered by !?!? 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
maybe he should eat 1 cup of yo mama then he'll blow up like a puffer fish
2006-11-28 18:34:44 · answer #9 · answered by cierra g 1 · 0⤊ 4⤋