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More grain??

3K views 15 replies 7 participants last post by  GottaRide 
#1 ·
Ok, so our border had the vet out to look at her horse last week. She was having issues chewing - turns out she's got a mouf full of nasty teef. (We've recommended her having a dental done for a year now.)

Anyway, the vet takes care of what needed to be done, then tells the border that the horse could use more "caloric intake". She recommended doubling her grain and top dressing it with corn oil.

Ok, here are my reservations:
*Doubling grain? That seems a bit extreme. Before this horse came here she was getting a coffee can of sweet feed a day. Like 4 lbs. She was as boogery as you could imagine. We dropped her to one lb. Gro-n-win and one lb. sweet feed. Much better attitude.

*Now, if this horse had teef issues, which are now fixed, wouldn't that help the horse with her "weight"?

*I'm feeding 200 lbs of first crop grassy hay per day to five horses, split between two feedings. My math tells me that's more than enough, even in winter. According to the trusty weight tape, I've got 5100 lbs of horse out there. My opinion is that they are all in good weight with the exception of TBD, who gets fat reading the menu. Ribs are there, but you gotta dig deep.

*It's my understanding that the best method for weight gain is to push the hay at em.

*I'm indifferent on the corn oil. We used it on our TB mare years back - seemed to work in giving her loose poops. Currently the vet said to feed her 1/4 cup, gradually increasing that over 10 days to 1/2 cup. Seems insignificant to me.

Thoughts?
 
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#4 ·
Peggysue is on the mark. The oil will help -- after you soak the beet pulp, mix in the veg. oil. Whether 1/2 cup is enough or not depends on the horse. I gave my 16.3 stdbrd 1/2 cup of oil twice a day with beet pulp, molasses/sugar-free grain and free choice hay. Within 2 weeks there was a marked improvement.
 
#5 ·
The boarder's horse that was seen by the vet for her teeth issues is in good weight. Is there even a need to switch her to beet pulp?
 
#6 ·
Well, the vet seems to think she needs something anyway. The beet pulp won't hurt her. If she hasn't been eating properly, she probably is underweight. Sometimes when we see something up close everyday we don't see the changes that can come slowly. Maybe she is just a little on the thin side and the beet pulp/oil/increased feed will give her a foot-up to get back on track where she was.

Why not post a pic?
 
#9 ·
The horse is not thin. You look at her & you can't see her ribs. You feel along her ribcage and can't feel them unless you push. The owner even says the horse looks like she is in good weight.
 
#11 ·
If you have the Grow N Win, you could up that a bit. Then get some Buckeye Ultimate Finish and feed 1-2 cups a day of that for good fats. That helps with weight and makes them SHINE but doesn't make them hyper.

Does this horse hold her own out with the other horses? Does she get her fair share of the hay? There are 6 equine (4 horses, a pony and a donkey) where I board and my friend puts the hay out into at least 10 piles and usually 20-30 piles so that the horses can all eat in peace and not fight over just a few piles.

Beet pulp is good--crumbles are great if you can get them. I would not increase the grain though.
 
#12 ·
Does this horse hold her own out with the other horses? Does she get her fair share of the hay? There are 6 equine (4 horses, a pony and a donkey) where I board and my friend puts the hay out into at least 10 piles and usually 20-30 piles so that the horses can all eat in peace and not fight over just a few piles.
That's almost exactly our feeding process as well. We have 5 horses - 4 adults, 1 yearling - and then one donkey. The hay is separated into piles throughout the pasture. The grain is fed individually. There is no fighting over food. This mare is in the upper part of the herd.
 
#14 ·
I don't get it either. But the owner wants the horse's grain doubled and topped with corn oil. No questions asked, no research done, just do what the vet says. :?

I'll do as requested and then watch as this horse gets ******y for the 11 year old daughter. It will be a lesson for this family to learn.
 
#15 ·
If the horse is in good weight (with bad teeth) then she'll probably even pick up some more weight now that her teeth are better. Maybe you should explain to your boarder, that as with any advice in life, there should be some questioning and that the vet may be a little off base. You could also tell your boarder that as a barn owner you are uncomfortable doing what you may view as over-feeding.
 
#16 ·
I do plan on having that conversation the next time I see her. Unfortunately, she is a fair weather horse person. Temps get below 20 degrees and she disappears!
 
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