Ways to add weight without buying expensive supplements??

I feed my 31 yr old blind half toothless appy a pelleted feed called Total Equine. It can be fed from 2# twice a day up to 6# twice a day for horses who cannot eat anything else. It's not cheap tho and not available everywhere. If you can get it, I highly recommend it tho.

Other feeds I have and do use in addition to smaller amounts (2-4# twice daily) of TE.... Alfalfa pellets are great, sometimes you have to soak them if the horse lacks chewing power, ie molars. And also I highly recommend Beet Pulp. Shreds are best, imo as they provide better fiber that way. My old horse also chews around on prairie grass hay that I have cut up into 4" long pieces.... Yes it's a pita... I only give him around a flake twice daily as he gets enough poundage via the Beet pulp and Total Equine to sustain him. He won't eat the Alf Pellets anymor, because he's a pita. ;)

So the least expensive way would be adding Beet Pulp.. It can be feed free choice once they are eating it..

I feed rice bran to all my horses Equi-Jewel main

I started feeding it to my horse with insulin resistance because the I-R caused him to lose weight.

He and everyone else stay plump on 3/4 cup daily, along with other supplements, grass hay and pasture.

A quality vit/min supplement is needed when feeding rice bran

Just an FYI, she is 20 and is at a prime age to develop metabolic issues such as Equine Metabolic Syndrome, insulin resistance and cushings.

The horse in my avatar was 19 when the insulin resistance exploded on him. He lost about 80# in six weeks and that is when a degreed equine nutritionist that owns a local feed company told me to him on equine rice bran "five minutes ago"

Point-being it is possible your horse is in the early stages of some metabolic issues and feeding her as if she is will not hurt her.

That means no grains or molasses. The less sugars and starches that go into the better.

Giving her a high quality pre/probiotic will also help her digest her food properly.

I feed this to my I-R horse Optamax™: medvetpharm

I buy it thru United Equine Vet Supplies; they have an on-line catalogue.

He gets one ounce daily, the recommended amount for stressed horses.

Hope this helps

Try rice bran/cool calories just stop them when you are done with them cause they WILL keep on gaining weight!!! :)