Weight builders?

This is a good point. Triple Crown Senior is good as far as NSC (it's 11.7%) but the Purina Senior is around 22% from what I've seen on other posts (Purina doesn't publish it's numbers so it's hard to say for sure) Wellsolve L/S that someone mentioned might be a better option when you can't get the TC Senior.

I can just make more of an effort to make sure to get the TC Senior. It is inconvenient but I can make it work.

Also to clarify. He is getting 2 flakes off of a 100+lbs bale. I have some 2 string and 3 string alfalfa bales. Right now he is getting it off the 3 string and that bale is extremely heavy. Over 100lbs easy.

I will try oil with him. I can't recall how much he got in the past as he belonged to my friend at that time so I wasn't in charge of his feed and such.

I can also up the alfalfa a bit as well.

And just a word of caution if you live where it's cold oil will turn into a solid lol. So if you have no way of keeping it above like 40 you might want to use ground flax for the winter. Then switch to oil once it warms up if you want to.

Oh thank you! Good to know lol. I do live somewhere where it is cold.

I know I'm late in this post, but I just found it.

I know you said your guy won't eat beet pulp anymore, have you ever tried to soak it with alfalfa pellets? I have mixed mine, 50/50, 60/40, 70/30 (hahaha) and added a cup of ground flax seed.

I don't know what it is about that combination, but it sure has worked wonders for every horse I've ever needed to put weight on. My senior mare is on this now and looks wonderful along with free choice grass hay. Granted...she LOVES her beetpulp...so that helps :)

Your guy loves alfalfa, so he might be a little more inclined to eat the beet pulp if it's "alfalfa" flavored. ;)

Just a thought, let us know if you try it and if you have any success.

Personally, I think your guy looks great!

Good Luck!

Nakiska

Weight builders are a waste of $. Get your horse on free choice decent hay and a good low NSC diet for 6 months and then re-evaluate where he is weight wise.

If not gaining, then think about adding extra calories and ulcer treatment. There are much healthier items to add for calories than oil.

TC Sr is one of my favorite feeds.

OneFastHorse - What do you suggest I add for calories then?

I am already feeding him free choice high quality grass hay along with high quality alfalfa. The alfalfa is not free choice though he generally doesn't eat it all in one sitting either.

He has been on this diet, free choice hay, alfalfa and senior feed for about 4 months. He was also on beet pulp which was pulled from him about three weeks ago. Since then he has lost a small amount of weight.

So your suggestion to put him on a diet of free choice hay and low nsc senior feed isn't going to do the trick. Been trying that with no luck. He is not dropping weight insanely fast but once I start riding him more I fear he will.

Also have tried treating him for ulcers. Didn't make a difference which leads me to believe he doesn't have them.


Nakiska - He will literally sift through the food to eat everything out of it except the beet pulp :P He is a pain. I want to avoid the beet pulp if I can as it just made feeding harder since he is so finicky about eating it. But thank you for the suggestion! He is getting picky with his old age.

I would try soaked alfalfa pellets mixed with the senior.....and add a little oil. Handfull of the soaked alfalfa at first, well mixed with the senior. If he eats it, gradually increase to the amount, weight,dry, he was getting in beetpulp. Don't make the alfalfa too wet. Then add a couple of drops of oil, if he still eats it, increase that to a cup a day, divided over the senior meals.
At the moment, my horses get the soaked alfalfa warm, it's cold! I soak them almost completely, add some hot water right before feeding. They seem to enjoy it

Wish I could give my guy warm water. I was hoping to avoid wet stuff cause I can't premix it otherwise it will freeze. But if I don't premix it then I can't guarantee he is getting it.

I trust my BO for the most part but when it comes to having to soak things, I am iffy on whether it gets done or not. When he was on beet pulp there were times when I would come to the barn and he had only been given the senior grain because they just hadn't soaked any beet pulp...

At least they didn't give it to him dry....gotta see the positive side lol
The alfalfa pellets soak pretty fast. If you have hot water in the barn, 10 minutes is all it takes. With cold water about an hour.
You could look for chopped alfalfa, doesn't require soaking, just a little water over it to make it stick.
I would at least try to talk to the BO and see if it could be done. If they give hay first, then grain, they could add water before giving hay, by the time they hayed everybody, it should be soaked.
If not, the chopped alfalfa. He likes it as hay, si I don't think he would refuse it together with his senior.
I know it's hard to work around other people, but it needs to be done. That's why I have my horses at home