Another Rescue: Weight gain help

I currently have two rescues. This mare is 16 years old, she is a Kentucky Saddlebred, and was an Amish Buggy horse her whole life. She had a minor shoe and hoof issue that led to them selling her to slaughter and was literally saved while being led onto to truck. That was about 9 months ago. I've had her around 5 months or less.

This photo is a few months after I brought her to our farm

And this was a few days ago.
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My husband and I go back and forth with thinking she looks improved and heavier and thinking it is just wishful thinking. Does she look improved from these photos? She had not shed out on the first photo, so there is some hair hiding the severe way her ribs stuck out in that photo.

We feed her senior feed, she is out in the pasture, plus hay, and I've added beat pulp, calf manna and weight gainer, with no effect to her weight really, and she is picky about the feed to being with. She doesn't want liquid added to the feed. I suppose it might just be a slow, slow process considering she is 16 years old. Her teeth have been done right before I got her and she doesn't loose any feed when eating, but I might have a my girl we use come out and check anyway.

Any opinions or will it just take time or is her age and ill treatment going to keep her on the thin side either way?

Have you tried rice bran??

I do see a slight difference from the first photo to the second, but nothing major. I also think that it will just take some time and TLC to get her back to a normal weight. She may be a hard keeper as well, because it sounds like you feed her well! Haha

Keep us posted as to how she is doing in the future!

N/m - just reread your post

Have you tryed alfafia hay? That seemed to help my 25 yr.old geldiing,that was also underweight.How much Senior feed are you giving her? What kind?

I feed about 3-3 1/2 lbs of senior TWICE a day, and then I offer a a few pounds orchard grass hay twice a day plus she is out on pasture, which is why I offer so little hay (she doesn't even finish that). I stopped offering the supplements because they made no impact after the first 4 months.

Have you wormed her? Sometimes you just need a GOOD wormer (like panacur) because they can be stubborn. Also what about EPM? Have you lifted her tail? How are her hind muscles? Her gait? Etc. EPM is more common than people think. Just my thoughts though

This really helped my horse come along, too. She seemed to like it a lot more than other types, and it's got more protein, so I think they can eat less and still get more nutrition. I also do Calf Manna and Nutrena Safe Choice. It took my horse a couple days to even try the Safe Choice, though.

My horse was VERY picky when I got her in January and has just come around to trying apples and carrots. She wouldn't touch them until a few weeks ago...so I know how you feel! But she is slowly but surely losing that trait.

I do see a bit of improvement in the second picture. Thank goodness you got her! I think she'll be gorgeous with some weight.

But yeah, I would recommend alfalfa, especially for a horse that is being picky with hay. Good luck!

The original rescuer who got her from the slaughter truck had her seen several times by their vet and other than weight, she was totally healthy. She is due to be wormed again now. She does exhibit the signs of EPM, as far as I understand them. I wonder if added Alfalfa cubes would help? I haven't seen anywhere here locally that sells an Alfalfa hay, as we are very rural. We have timothy and orchard for the most part.

Cubes would help just the same as actual hay would! Best of luck with her, she looks very kind.