Weight Gain

I've been trying to get Sonny to gain a couple pounds because he still appears to be fairly ribby (most of it is the way he either stands or his fur) but I'd like him to get a little heavier.

What can I do to help him gain weight?
I can't give him too much grain...if I give him more than a cup full, then he usually gets hot (I don't mind him getting hot, but I'd perfer him not to).
I don't know how many flakes the BO is giving Sonny daily...I think 4 flakes a day...but when I'm up there I'll throw in maybe 3-4 flakes more to see if that will make him gain weight....but it doesn't.

Other than a weight gaining supplement, what can I use to help him to gain weight?
He's not skinny, nor is he heavy...he's kinda about right, but I'd like him to be a litlte fatter hehe

I've been giving DB my Arabian a cup of corn oil twice a day with he feed as per the vet for weight gain. She said I could feed the oil or flax seed but because he is old and has no teeth the oil is easier for him to digest.

Corn oil is great - we had an appy a few years back, and it did work wonders on her! Once a day give a cup in the grain, they love it and it's great for their coat also

only problem there is...Sonny doesn't get grained every day...I guess I could have him get a cup every day, but not sure if the BO would want to put corn oil in the grain for him hehe

Corn oil burns hot though. Do you get out to sonny everyday? If you do, I would just buy a bag of feed and feed him yoruself at least once daily. My old guys go through about a 50lb bag of grain (each) per week... some of my other easier keepers don't go through that much, but if you are there everyday, i'd feed him yourself.

What do you means by burns hot?

No I'm not able to go out everyday to see him, sadly. I'm only able to see him 3-4 days a week :(

You can try a beet pulp 'treat' - soak 2-4 cups of beet pulp in a container 24 hours before you go to see him - and feed it to him as a treat when you are there. Beet pulp is known for providing 'cool' energy...so your horse isn't a lunatic (personal experience...I'll tell you all about it if you have time)

Also, you can try corn oil, but if he's not getting grained, I don't know where you would put it(??)

Lastly, if you want to switch him to a feed, look for one that is high in calories/fat content - preferably with a low(er) protein content. If you feed in very small quantities more like a feed 'treat', I don't see how that would effect him adversely. I like this feed: http://www.seminolefeed.com/ProductS.../Perfect10.htm and this one: http://www.triplecrownfeed.com/10percent.php

I think you are in New York, right? Is your grass starting to just come in? New grass has a very high water content, which makes for cow-patty like manure (at least with my guys if they are out long in it) When my guys were out on pasture, they always got a little lean looking when the grass was just beginning to come up, but always came back after it had matured a bit. :)

The grass is starting to grow in his pasture, but he's not touching it...once the barn owner fixes the one fence in the huge pasture, I'm going to put him in there with some other horses, but until then I don't want him to be in there.

Would it be best to slowly introduce him to the grass? Like put him out there for an hour or two at first and slowly increase?

It depends on what kind of grass you're talking about - - so thick it's up to your knees and tripping through it (definitely introduce gradually), or little new springs here and there (not so much need)?

it's not knee high or anything...it's short, but there's alot of it