Help With Putting Weight On Aged Horse
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LKR
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Help With Putting Weight On Aged Horse
What works the best for a 19 year old barrel horse who has had problems with diarrhea in the past? Is there something that will work without giving him the squirts?? He is getting a good amount of grain and alfalfa hay but just isn't getting his weight back like he should. Feels, good, just needs to put on some extra weight. He is a very competitive boy. Been wormed, had teeth worked on. A friend of mine owns him.
Kathie King
Little King Ranch
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Little King Ranch
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Basket Weave
And The Buzz Horses
Alfalfa once a day, nice orchard grass hay once a day. Change the grain to Eq Sr for midday feeding. Small salt block in his feed tub. Good all round multi vitamin. Daily turnout. He should be alone to eat. Sometimes it's good to take the scale out to the barn and make sure the horses are getting fed their hay by weight. Make sure everyone is on the same page as to how much each horse gets per feeding.
If I fed #1 alfalfa twice a day my mare would get loose and watery. The orchard grass is very palatable so there's no waste.
If I fed #1 alfalfa twice a day my mare would get loose and watery. The orchard grass is very palatable so there's no waste.
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karenkarenn
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Get rid of the alfalfa
Our 20 year old was on it because it got down bellow 0 - it gave him the squirts.
You have to be careful as to what you are feeding and to what is being digested. Have you had a blood test done on your horse?
Kidneys become an issue as well as teeth as they age as you might already know. But there could be something going on internaly that you might want to know about before you a radical change.
K
Our 20 year old was on it because it got down bellow 0 - it gave him the squirts.
You have to be careful as to what you are feeding and to what is being digested. Have you had a blood test done on your horse?
Kidneys become an issue as well as teeth as they age as you might already know. But there could be something going on internaly that you might want to know about before you a radical change.
K
Karen just so you won't worry, you may not realize LKR is very knowledgable about feeding. I suspect she's already told the friend that owns the barrel horse what she needs to do.
I'd also like to mention that alfalfa varies from field to field, cutting, variety and farming practice. The quality of the alfalfa your friend is feeding might be questioned.
I'd also like to mention that alfalfa varies from field to field, cutting, variety and farming practice. The quality of the alfalfa your friend is feeding might be questioned.
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Shammy Davis
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Fat Supplement Reason #1 - Wanted: Weight Gain
The problem: Your horse is thin, but he's already getting a big grain ration. Grain is high in soluble carbohydrates-a great source of calories, but one with risks. You worry that increasing your horse's grain will put him at risk for laminitis (which has been linked to excessive amounts of soluble carbohydrates) and colic (caused by eating big grain meals and too little forage).
Why fat helps: Ounce for ounce, fat contains more than twice as many calories (that is, twice as much energy) as either carbohydrates or protein. So, fat gives you a way to increase your horse's caloric intake without increasing his grain ration to potentially dangerous levels.
Who benefits: A horse that's being fitted for show or recovering from an illness; an older horse that may not digest food as efficiently as he used to; a "hard keeper" that just can't seem to keep weight on; or any horse that's too thin.
How to feed it: Substitute fat for 10 percent of your horse's grain ration. For example, if your horse is getting 15 pounds of good-quality grass hay and 5 pounds of grain per day, reduce his grain by a half pound, and add a half pound of fat-a cup of vegetable oil, or the equivalent from another fat source. Top-dress or mix the fat with his grain, introducing it gradually, over a week or more. There's no need to change his forage.
Health check: While you're boosting calories through fat, ask yourself why your horse is too thin. Are you deworming him regularly? Do his teeth need floating? Is he sick? Work with your veterinarian to identify potential causes and correct them.
http://www.equisearch.com/horses_care/f ... hewfat540/
I've used supplemental fat (vegetable oil) on a couple occasions with horses that were not holding weight. This method works. You do have some loose stools in the beginning, but it clears up quickly as the horse gets use to the diet. Gradual supplementation over a week or so reduces the loose stool problem.
Here is another link that uses to fat to increase energy.
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/resources/lives ... 558-7.html
I've read some research articles that you can supplement up to 40% of a horses daily ration with fat. I'm not that courageous.
The problem: Your horse is thin, but he's already getting a big grain ration. Grain is high in soluble carbohydrates-a great source of calories, but one with risks. You worry that increasing your horse's grain will put him at risk for laminitis (which has been linked to excessive amounts of soluble carbohydrates) and colic (caused by eating big grain meals and too little forage).
Why fat helps: Ounce for ounce, fat contains more than twice as many calories (that is, twice as much energy) as either carbohydrates or protein. So, fat gives you a way to increase your horse's caloric intake without increasing his grain ration to potentially dangerous levels.
Who benefits: A horse that's being fitted for show or recovering from an illness; an older horse that may not digest food as efficiently as he used to; a "hard keeper" that just can't seem to keep weight on; or any horse that's too thin.
How to feed it: Substitute fat for 10 percent of your horse's grain ration. For example, if your horse is getting 15 pounds of good-quality grass hay and 5 pounds of grain per day, reduce his grain by a half pound, and add a half pound of fat-a cup of vegetable oil, or the equivalent from another fat source. Top-dress or mix the fat with his grain, introducing it gradually, over a week or more. There's no need to change his forage.
Health check: While you're boosting calories through fat, ask yourself why your horse is too thin. Are you deworming him regularly? Do his teeth need floating? Is he sick? Work with your veterinarian to identify potential causes and correct them.
http://www.equisearch.com/horses_care/f ... hewfat540/
I've used supplemental fat (vegetable oil) on a couple occasions with horses that were not holding weight. This method works. You do have some loose stools in the beginning, but it clears up quickly as the horse gets use to the diet. Gradual supplementation over a week or so reduces the loose stool problem.
Here is another link that uses to fat to increase energy.
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/resources/lives ... 558-7.html
I've read some research articles that you can supplement up to 40% of a horses daily ration with fat. I'm not that courageous.
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Strategic Maneuver
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This is probably not much help, but I have a 33 yr old TB mare and an 30 yr old TB mare, teeth are questionable and one has a bad flap from EPM but they have had a bad time this winter due to extreme cold. I tried stepping up alfalfa but to no avail as it gave them diahrea, Equine Sr. gave one choke, so I stepped up their grain and gave them some corn oil in their grain and they look like hell, but they just keep rolling along and do seem to have more weight and a better hair coat.
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Sylvie Hebert
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right about soaked beet pulp,it is fiber and soaked they don't choke on it.That is what you should do with very old horses anyway,soak or even boil food.Alfafa does give loose stools as any nutritionist will tell you.
I get a lot of rescues,some over 20 yo,skinny and full of worms and or ulcers.I respect beet pulp,one thing is some horses don't want it...As for hay,i like mature timothy,but very old horses have trouble chewing so i buy very young one too and also pelleted timothy soaked with the beet pulp.And oil too but be careful if oil is rancid it does cause diarrhea.I also grate carrots,lots of protein,fibers and sugar and they love it.
I get a lot of rescues,some over 20 yo,skinny and full of worms and or ulcers.I respect beet pulp,one thing is some horses don't want it...As for hay,i like mature timothy,but very old horses have trouble chewing so i buy very young one too and also pelleted timothy soaked with the beet pulp.And oil too but be careful if oil is rancid it does cause diarrhea.I also grate carrots,lots of protein,fibers and sugar and they love it.
The sport and industry survive not only because of the champions that are remembered forever but also because of the losers that are so easy to forget...
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Shammy Davis
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mightyhijames
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madelyn wrote:Soaked beet pulp. Great for older horses, bad teeth, etc. Nothing puts weight on like it.
is there a limit to how long the pellets can be soaked before it goes bad? i stop on my way to/from work so evening feed would soak about 8:00 am -5:00 pm / morning feed would soak about 6:00 pm-7:00 a.m.
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Shammy Davis
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Mightyhijames: If you are speaking of the pressed shredded BP pellets, I've used the them. I had very good results. I soaked the pellets overnight. As I recall, soak in water at ratio of 3 to 1. I think you have to soak for a minimum of eight hours. I soaked enough shredded beet pulp pellets to get me through the next day's three feedings. That was a couple of years back. I lost my source and the only one I can find is bulk delivery of minimum 20 tons. I don't have the storage space for that kind of a delivery.
I must tell you that beet pulp pellets come in two sizes. There are the bp pellets that are intended to be fed dry. The dry bp pellet is about the size of alfafa pellets. I'm thinking that is what you are buying. There is also the pressed shredded bp pellet that is intended to be soaked. These pellets are about the size of small caliber pistol shell. Once thoroughly soaked, it looks like the shredded beet pulp that you buy at the feed store.
Don't soak the smaller bp pellets. Once soaked it becomes very mealy in consistency, something like cream of wheat. The horses may not eat it. Feed the small pellets dry, the same as you would sweet feed pellets, etc.
I also used soaked shredded beet pulp as a transfer medium to introduce liquid meds, oils, etc. to our horses. It is very efficient.
If you are in fact buying the pressed shredded beet pulp in the bag, I loved to know your source. Hope this helps.
I must tell you that beet pulp pellets come in two sizes. There are the bp pellets that are intended to be fed dry. The dry bp pellet is about the size of alfafa pellets. I'm thinking that is what you are buying. There is also the pressed shredded bp pellet that is intended to be soaked. These pellets are about the size of small caliber pistol shell. Once thoroughly soaked, it looks like the shredded beet pulp that you buy at the feed store.
Don't soak the smaller bp pellets. Once soaked it becomes very mealy in consistency, something like cream of wheat. The horses may not eat it. Feed the small pellets dry, the same as you would sweet feed pellets, etc.
I also used soaked shredded beet pulp as a transfer medium to introduce liquid meds, oils, etc. to our horses. It is very efficient.
If you are in fact buying the pressed shredded beet pulp in the bag, I loved to know your source. Hope this helps.
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Retrospectiv
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LKR,
How much 'grain' is this horse getting? Type and weight?
Heavy grain rations can sometimes be a cause of weight loss and digestive upset for horses.
Has he been checked for ulcers?
Depending on what and how much 'grain' he's on, I'd reduce some of it and add in soaked beat pulp and some rice bran, alfalfa pellets if he can eat those. I'd be careful adding in too much corn oil if he's already got loose bowels and would go with the rice bran or some black oil sunflower seeds to up his fat content.
How much 'grain' is this horse getting? Type and weight?
Heavy grain rations can sometimes be a cause of weight loss and digestive upset for horses.
Has he been checked for ulcers?
Depending on what and how much 'grain' he's on, I'd reduce some of it and add in soaked beat pulp and some rice bran, alfalfa pellets if he can eat those. I'd be careful adding in too much corn oil if he's already got loose bowels and would go with the rice bran or some black oil sunflower seeds to up his fat content.
~There is always one more imbecile than you counted on~