My horse is loosing weight and is getting 5-6 flakes of hay a day and a small amount of grain, has been worked, no ulcers and no apparent teeth problems but is getting them done in the next month or so.
What grains that are not to high in sugar or coated in molasses helps gain weight, he gets 1/2 scoop grass pellets and 1/2 scoop of oats.
Try adding rice bran. Maxi glow is a wonderful pelleted one, although I feed ground. Red gets 2 cups 2x a day and I find it keeps him where I want him. Rice bran oil works well too, as does corn oil. Corn oil is not favored by some, although I've used it with great success. Posted via Mobile Device
What is the weight of the hay you are giving - "flakes" is not a good measurement when it comes to amount of hay because it can vary SO widely. For a horse that is having a weight issue, it is important to know exacty what you are giving them to identify where changes should be made. You're goal for increasing weight needs to be 2-3% of the horse's goal body weight in hay as a base (free choice is best, if at all possible). Also, what kind of hay is it that you are feeding? Increasing the amount of hay will not do a lot of good if it is hay that is not going to be useful to his body.
What sort of "grass" pellets are you feeding? Also, again, weight, not "scoops" needs to be determined in the grain(s) you are feeding. Take a "scoop" of each of the feeds you are using, put it in a baggie and go weigh it (grocery store scale, feed stores, hardware stores that sell bulk nuts/bolts, etc are all good places to find scales).
Until you know what you are feeding, there is no way to advise as to what to change. What is the amount of work the horse is doing? When was the horse last vetted and de-wormed?
I'd suggest adding a ration balancer to make sure he's getting proper nutrition, and then add on beet pulp and/or rice bran for additional calories. I like to keep horses off grain if at all possible