Help with weight loss

Okay, Mooney isn't a hard keeper really in the summer she stays fat off the smell of grass and a handful of grain (my grass is lacking in some things and needs some supplmenting). But winter comes and she can't keep it on, we up her feed, her hay but she just wastes it, dumping it on the ground or uses the hay for bedding! The vet said just give her oats but we've had serious problems last year with them, you couldn't handle her she was completely wired and was a beaver! Anyone else have this problem with oats?

Is there any thing that is recommended for this time of situation? She has already lost the 100 pounds we got on her for extra this summer, maybe more. I don't think it will be as bad as last spring but this is getting crazy, and she is on a weight gain feed (can't think of the name ).

I'd use Nutrena's Safe Choice or Health Edge Strategy.

We have a horse that was the same way on oats! I found out oats are about 44% sugar and starch! Thus the boucing off the walls!

A low starch, high fat feed would definitely be the best route for you....you can provide lots of calories from fat, without getting all the carbs that hype them up!

My personal favorite is Tribute Kalm Ultra. It is a lower starch, high fat, high fiber product. I LOVE IT! I've got all my harder keepers and show horses on it!

Safe Choice and Strategy are both "least cost" formulas, meaning they are subject to change from batch to batch. If you look at the ingreidents there are things like "grain products," "grain by-products," etc. listed, which means they can change the ingredients to keep the costs down. Also, there are actually 3 different forms of Safe Choice on the market right now....I have all 3 tags....AND they added corn to it, so its not nearly as low in starch as it used to be.....just fyi!

Could you post that information? I have a meeting with our Nutrena rep on Monday.

I'm sorry I can't figure out how to post them on here....but, if you send me your email address in a message, I'd be happy to send them to you! Sorry I couldn't get it figured out!

I am sure they won't admit it.. LOL

Can you find a good vitamim/mineral supplement there?? Maybe post us links to the brands of feed you can get...

Speedi beet aka Beet Pulp does good things for weight gain as well as Rice Bran (not sure what it is called there) alfalfa is good for weight gain as well

We use Calf Manna with great success!

Your horse is expending more calories than she's taking in. Assuming you've already done the worming thing and there are no other health issues, you might add some feed that is completely grain free, like PeggySue is suggesting.

We feed our horses soaked beet pulp, alfalfa pellets and Omega HorseShine, which has flax meal and other goodies. If alfalfa makes your horse too hot, try timothy hay pellets. (We have one horse that alfalfa will make really crazy and one that cannot metabolize it, causing toxins to build up in his system - we nearly killed him with kindness.) This feed will add needed calories and fibre to your horse's diet. Mine love it when I soak the beet pulp in hot water. I don't drain it in winter, but there's also not a lot of water left in it to drain. When their feed tubs are set out, the feed is still steaming. (Not that it's hot, but the air is that cold!) Soaked beet pulp is also a great way to get a little extra water into your horse's gut.

Our feed program may cost a little more than graining our horses, but I think it's well worth the small extra expense.