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Will this diet put on weight?

8K views 65 replies 17 participants last post by  SilverMaple 
#1 ·
My one gelding is very thin so am trying to get weight on him. Hopefully can get him somewhat fatter before real cold weather sets in.

Feeding nutrena senior 6 lbs and empower boost 2 lbs devided into three feeding. Plus alfalfa hay 4lbs then free choice grass hay. Grass hay is old stuff but was barn kept.

Still don't have my winter supply of round bales. Hay guy is apparently to busy to haul hay. Hesitant to post picture because he looks terrible. He was under weight earlier this summer now hes skinny.
 
#2 · (Edited)
I'd personally go with a fat supplement that was greater than 80% fat. I have had great response to the Senior Weight Accelerator by Manna Pro. The two you mention are both 30% or less. So, more caloric bang for your $$$ with a higher fat content. The MP Sr Weight Accelerator is more palatable than something like Cool Calories (both of which are over 80%) but either can be added to something they like and I find all of mine will eat either of those two.
 
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#4 ·
Yeah, I really like this stuff. It's 7 or 8 bucks a bag here. This week I'm going to start investing in it again and might be keeping an extra bag or two in our near-empty deep freeze, just to have on hand.
 
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#5 ·
As there are mineral imbalances with rice bran I'd use caution when feeding or look at a stabilized product that has had minerals balanced. It is only 18% fat so would have to feed a fair amount for a horse that needed more than just a little extra boost. Some horses will only tolerate so much added to their feed. Ground flax has a much higher fat content at 40+%.
 
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#6 ·
Just about any food fed will put on weight if the horse can & will eat enough of it..
Is this your horse who is so difficult to entice to eat?
He turns his nose up at most food or supplements after a few days? Walks away from meals...
If this is him...sadly I don't know that anything magical has been introduced on the market.

When was he scoped, truly scoped his innards to see what can be seen and if something such as a growth is what hinders his ability to eat well....
Can you haul him someplace where he would be fully vetted by those who specialize in situations like this?
I'm not sure a "local" vet is going to have the facilities and equipment that a place like a teaching university equine studies program would have such as New Bolton, Cornell, Rood & Riddle, Texas A & M or others in various locations around the country.
Although I not wish this on anyone or any animal, I almost hope you say it is the other horse...the one who will eat and now thin.. :frown_color:

I did dig out two references for you that offer charts and breakdown of components in the specific feed/supplement to compare, to search for something better and maybe something you have not tried or not know about.
You need to push calories and highest fat content you can and still make the product palatable of your horse will never eat it.
The feed you are feeding is 1318 calories per pound versus Purina Ultium at 1863 calories per pound is a lot of difference in how dense a feed you're pushing.
Don't worry about protein amounts, it is non-relevant at this point when you need a horse to gain you push fat content since very rarely are you going to hit 16% or above in protein and be feeding double-digit pounds of it each feeding..you are a long way from those numbers.
I found Progressive Nutrition Envision Classic has a 15/26/11 ration {protein/fat/fiber}, Buckeye Feeds Ultimate Finish 25 has a 12/25/8 ration are some of the highest bang for the buck per pound in fat content.
I know the horse must be willing to eat what's offered but when I look at the chart and the breakdown on any of the Nutrena Senior feeds they just don't pack the punch you need.
The Empower Boost is what you are feeding not Balance, yes?
At 12/22/8 with pre and probiotics for healing a gut and utilizing what is fed it might be one of the easier things to entice the animal to eat.
Purina Amplify pushes more fat content with a ratio of 14/30/5.5 but it is not palatable to many horses and they will not eat it alone...it is a top-dressed supplement for a reason. That was told to me by Purina nutritionists in a phone call consult {free of charge}
The denseness of the fat component is what ups the caloric content. Higher the fat content the denser = more claories per pound it delivers.

Here are the links to the huge reference lists that do the homework for you...
Between the two charts you should be able to find a dense caloric feed, made with all the goodies in them he truly needs to thrive.
http://laminitishelp.org/CalorieFeed.pdf
HorseDVM | Horse Feeds Comparison Tool

I hope you find a magical feed/supplement that your horse will love to eat so feeding become a non-issue for you to get your riding partner plush and healthier looking to your eye.
:runninghorse2:...
 
#7 ·
HLG you can add the Manna Pro Senior Weight Accelerator at 3/80/5.


This from their product page:

  • High fat and calorie levels for weight gain and body condition
  • Omega 3 fatty acids from Flaxseed for healthy skin and coat
  • Probiotics to support proper digestion
  • Biotin to support hoof growth
  • Plus it is easy to feed and Senior horses love the taste!
 
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#8 ·
Stabilized rice bran here is @ $50. I only fed it in the spring to get a glossier coat as they were shedding out. I got the same results from adding a half a cup of oats, which is way cheaper.
 
#10 · (Edited)
Dumping calories into him won't work if you can't figure out why he's thin in the first place. Has this horse been scoped and had his teeth/mouth checked and blood drawn? When was the last time he was PowerPack dewormed? A healthy horse shouldn't be thin if given adequate food; I think there's something else going on causing the problem in the first place since you do actually feed your animals.

The refeeding regimen for underweight horses, even severely underweight, is a complete Senior feed plus all of the alfalfa hay the horse can eat. Once he's back up to weight you can reduce the alfalfa and put most of his forage back on grass/grass hay as long as he doesn't start losing. If you can't get alfalfa hay, I'd be feeding this horse a big scoop of soaked alfalfa cubes two or three times a day. Depending on what his bloodwork says, a magnesium and Vitamin E supplement may not be a bad idea, either-- especially if the horse hasn't had access to lush green pasture (long grass, not short cropped grass). I'm not a huge fan of alfalfa for otherwise healthy, good-weight horses but it truly works miracles for the skinny ones. A serving of Calf Manna by Manna-Pro added to this regimen really helps add to their overall bloom, too. One of my oldsters lost weight after being ill one summer-- he was down about 200 lbs. The vet said it might be time to put him down if we couldn't get weight back on before winter. Free-choice alfalfa added to his diet of Senior feed had that weight back on him in 6 weeks so he went into winter at a healthy weight and stayed there. The old guy stayed healthy and in good weight until he passed six years later at age 34.

This time of year, the grass doesn't have many nutrients in it, and older grass hay is pretty lacking in nutrition. It gives a horse something to do, but not much else. I'd be shoveling the alfalfa and senior feed into him (work up, of course, to avoid overdoing it at first) to get weight on before winter. Good alfalfa hay puts weight on horses safely and quickly. If the horse has good teeth and is otherwise healthy, I've never seen it fail. Without good teeth, soaked cubes are better, and if it's a health issue, you'll have to address that before any food will do much good. Four pounds of alfalfa isn't much. I'd double that, and if he's ok with that for a few days, let him go free choice alfalfa until he's back up to weight. Contrary to a lot of old wives' tales, alfalfa is a safe and healthy feed for horses, especially those who need a nutritional boost. A ranch I worked at for years pulled their dude horses off grass hay/pasture and put them right onto free-choice alfalfa as soon as they were brought in from winter pasture at the start of the season. No working up to it, just bang-- free choice round bales of top-quality alfalfa hay. With over 100 horses and several years' working there, I never saw any of those horses suffer any ill effects from it.
 
#12 · (Edited)
Here's a picture of horse. Teeth were done a month ago. Was scooped for ulcers had none. Blood work was all good no metabolic issues.

He eats anything put in front of him hes a pig. Alfalfa hay is cheaper then cubes can feed a 50 lb bale a day at 3.50 a day. Compared to 13.50 for 50 lbs. Once temps drop below freezing soaking really doesn't work to good.

Having to up feed for pally also he's getting ribby. Only have access to Purina or nutrena. Triple crown feeds have to go over 50 miles one way.
 
#14 ·
How old is this horse, Rambo? Not gonna lie. That's not just a little thin. That's emaciated. Not judging you, not at all because Superman got to looking almost that bad last year before we figured out what was wrong, but that doesn't happen over night.

If he were mine, I'd give him the senior feed twice a day topped with rice bran, the soaked alfalfa twice a day, make sure he's not wormy, let him have all the hay he wants, all the grass he wants, and while I don't know where you live, I doubt you'll have him up to full weight before the cold sets in. Make sure he has access to mineral, look into getting a protein tub like those 33.3 gallon tubs TSC has. You can even add coconut oil to the feed.

Get him a good blanket, make sure he can get out of the weather - he's going to need it.
 
#15 ·
Yep, that's really thin. How old is he?

Free choice alfalfa, senior feed, weight builder top dressing, and I'd start blanketing him at least overnight once the temps get down near freezing. He's got no fat to insulate him and he won't gain if he's trying to stay warm. At this point, I'd supplement him with Vit. E and Magnesium, too -- it's not going to hurt, and if it's helped your other horse, this guy's probably in the same boat.

If you can get alfalfa for $3.50 a bale, buy all you can afford and let him eat as much as he'll stuff down. He's going to need it through the winter, too. If you can, I'd look into PSSM/EPM for this guy, too, as well as tick disease. Something's going on with this guy to be that thin if he's being fed. If you're riding this guy, STOP. He needs food and not a ton of exercise. Turned out in a pasture is fine, but no 10 mile trail rides at this point.
 
#16 · (Edited)
He was tested for tick borne diseases nothing epm isn't an issue up here no possum. ..to cold. Never been lame or sore for over a year. Figured hes between 15 an 18 years old. Teeth were bad lots of sharp points and wave mouth on right side.

Hes being fed grain 3 times a day. Lack of forage for well over a month didn't help. Pallys down under a 1000lbs 988 weighed him at truck scale black is under 800lbs. Don't have current pic of pally his hip bones are showing. It snuck up on me I knew he was on the lean side.

Will concider testing black for pssm..he really has no issues health wise...other then skinny. Hes always sound and eats anything thats not nailed down type.
 
#18 · (Edited)
I would put both horses on free-choice alfalfa since your forage isn't great. Also consider treating for ulcers if forage has been an issue. Horses need 15 - 20 lbs of forage daily; more if it's cold or they are underweight. I don't think yours are getting that. They need good forage, and a lot of it, to get back up to weight, particularly the black horse. All the grain in the world won't keep weight on a horse if he isn't getting enough forage. A horse can be healthy without grain if he's getting quality forage, but a horse will not be healthy on grain without adequate forage. Chuck a couple of bales of alfalfa out to them and replace it as soon as it's gone, and make sure both horses are eating-- maybe separate them overnight if you can so you can keep tabs on who eats what. If they're turned out together, your black horse is likely being chased off what feed there is to be that thin, and they aren't being fed nearly enough. Alfalfa is also good for ulcer-prone horses. If your black horse struggles to eat hay, get him soaked cubes or feed alfalfa pellets. Do what you have to do to get forage to those horses. If it means a new hay guy or paying someone to haul for you, so be it. Soaked cubes are a pain in the winter, but if that's what the horse needs, you need to do it or get him a new home, and it's not winter yet-- you have a couple of months to feed those without issue if he needs it. I'd soak alfalfa cubes in the house and carry them down to the barn and top off the bucket with hot water to keep them thawed until the horse finished even though it meant me standing down there for an hour with a plug-in water heater while he ate. Good quality grass hay is fine for easy-keeper horses or horses who don't have problems maintaining weight, but you don't have those horses. You need to 'up the ante' in the forage department, or you need to get easy-keeper horses.


Can you separate your horses at feeding time to ensure each gets what food he needs?


A relative of mine in Duluth just had a horse that nearly died from EPM. Are you farther north than that? Even here in northern Iowa, we have TONS of opossums, and it gets bitterly cold here, too.
 
#19 ·
So, your horse is thin...
He is not emaciated, sorry not going to slam you with that.
This is starving and emaciated...

Yours is a horse needing some TLC and to find what went wrong...

He's not a 4 but if I were scoring he would from picture sit at a 3 on the scale...the last picture is a 2 on the scale and he isn't there either!

So, no hay or great forage consistently fed for the last month...
So a hungry horse will eat dirt, eat anything to survive...
When did you last treat for sand in the gut?
No grass, no hay that horse ate and scrounged for every blade of anything green it could chew...
Do a sand test { https://www.drgarfinkel.com/client-education/equine-care-and-anatomy/testing-the-horse-for-sand } and treat accordingly, but honestly...get to the local store and purchase any brand of Sand Clear and treat both animals...
Follow the directions of 5 days fed, and repeat the test to see how much is still in the gut...
A coating of sand through the intestines will stop the gut from absorbing nutrients throughout the digestive tract.
I would also be having the dentist/vet recheck for any sores, cuts to inside mouth or tongue.

Since this is the horse who eats and eats well,....
Power Pack of worming done for both of them.
When no forage is present they will also eat their feces and can with fly season infest themselves with various worm larvae...
I would be doing Zimectrin Gold as part of the power pack and varied worming compounds so you treat for all kinds of worms...

As this is your black horse, a pig for eating you describe...
Feed Purina Ultium to the horse...2 scoops twice a day.. {3 qt. size}
Top dress that with 1/2 pound of Amplify fat supplement each feeding.
I would also add Manna Pro Senior Weight Accelerator...
Hay,....within reason if they are not accustomed to free choice alfalfa then watch you not create a diarrhea situation happen, that's defeating the purpose of weight gain.. Start slow and add each day more to what they will eat
Hay in front of them at all times...if it isn't good quality then make sure you also feed near 1/2 a square bale of alfalfa to make the difference in calories and nutrients offered to each of them.
Busy food is worthless to you right now.
You offer and feed them each enough hay they no longer can consume it all...not waste either.

Feed them separate so you know how much each is consuming and consuming all their food not being chased off...
That is where I would start...
10 - 14 days of that diet and you should be seeing a vast improvement, not regression and negative.
However, go slow in adding all these food products as you can overwhelm the gut and create more problems than you ever want to see at your barn.
Start with smaller amounts and increase every 3rd day add more till you reach amounts where you see good things happening.
The digestive tract needs time to acclimate and accomodate the amount of food you are going to be pushing at them...slow and steadily increase the amounts...


My other thought is how long ago were they vaccinated?
For what and by whom?
Have there been any bad batches of vaccines happen near you and did you by chance purchase bad and your horse could be sick from bad vaccine??
All things to look at, into and only you know answers to.

Your horse is thin...he needs weight. Yes.
He is not "emaciated" though, not dying of starvation... that is a exaggeration in my opinion.
He though is on a decline and it needs to be turned around, soon and with good foods fed in amounts needed for his body to recover...
You can do this...prepare, make a plan and do not skip a meal, not have hay to feed as they both need to replenish their bodies stores before the onslaught of winter arrives..
I think you mentioned quite a while ago that the horse is about 15.2 hands...that puts him in the area of 1100 pounds needing to be depending upon his build...a bit more probably.
You have some work to do...but it can be done.
He's young, he is healthy and will gain back when fed enough calories and nutrients to thrive and put the weight on his frame.
It takes nearly double the calories to get a horse to gain than to maintain...and he must now heal his inside guts any damages that occurred...
Tractor Supply is your friend right now cause they carry, stock and can get all of what you need...
You just need to do the hay from a local supplier...feed and supplements all come from TSC.

:runninghorse2:...
jmo...
 
#20 ·
I know you want to do what is best for your horses, and I just think this is a simple problem here.

All throughout the year I have been getting that there is a problem with providing high quality forage in large amounts. Feeding inconsistently is leading to the weight problems. There may be health issues contributing, teeth, etc. However, I believe your primary problem is that you need to be giving these horses high quality forage, meaning more than 20 lbs every day throughout the year. Unless the horses begin to get overweight when pasture is added, and then the hay can be cut back.

That doesn't mean low protein round bales, old yellow stalks, or other poor quality local hay. It means high quality, green, leafy hay. It can be any kind, alfalfa or any type of grass.
Any time a horses loses a lot of weight, it is very difficult to put it back on. It is far, far better to maintain the horses rather than having large weight fluctuations.

My personal experience with this is when I boarded with good friends who bought lower quality hay. My mare who has a great appetite, was only in her late teens, and is an easy keeper, got thin and ribby for the first time in her life. All of their horses ended up thin at one point or another, and they looked into teeth, worming, supplements, and added lots of bagged feed. But the real issue was simply that the majority of their diet was a low quality hay, and they were not feeding 30+ lbs to their big horses to make up for it, but instead were feeding each horse about 15 -20 lbs and trying to feed pellets to compensate.

I ended up buying supplemental hay for my own horses at the feed store, and my horses quickly put weight on since I gave them more, higher quality hay. After that I did not depend on my friends' hay as the primary feed.
If you asked them, they would say their horses had "free choice" hay. That meant if the horses picked out some of the unappetizing hay and didn't eat it, they still had hay left, so feed was "available" 24/7. It didn't mean the horses had access to all the fresh, good quality hay they wanted to eat.

Every boarding stable I've been to, at various times I notice the owners trying to cut back hay a little as their stores get lower. Sometimes I believe this may be subconscious. I've had to point this out sometimes, asking if they want to be paid extra, or should I provide additional hay, and then it gets remedied.

I strongly believe that it is false economy to try to save money on hay. It should be your most expensive commodity, where you splurge if necessary. Otherwise you end up paying vet bills, farrier bills, and buying loads of extra pellets and supplements you would not otherwise need if the horses had the majority of their diet as clean, green hay.
 
#21 · (Edited)
Last vaccines were done sept 10th vet dropped them off I gave them that day right away,wnv ,Lyme dog vaccine for black,gets it in spring then in fall again. Pally got just wnv vaccine was recommended to vaccinate again for it,did it in early spring.

Just wormed with equimax same day they were vaccinated. Live further north then Duluth.

They are fed together black is the one running pally off feed and hay he chases him from hay pile to hay pile. Black finishes what pally doesn't finish grain wise ,or just plain runs him off then guards both feed pans. Pally gives up on trying to eat after awhile so just goes off to eat grass an lets black gelding eat hay an grain. If anything is left after black leaves pally will go finish what's left if black is far enough away.
Can separate them to feed if needed.
Could treat for sand easy enough to do not sure their eating sand but I'm not always seeing what they are eating.


Been slowly adding more alfalfa hay grass is low quality but gives chew time.Working on getting someone to haul the round bales for us. They have a mineral block out in pasture also a white salt block both are licking on blocks daily.

No they aren't getting but 11 lbs of hay a day weighed it tonight that's with 4 lbs of alfalfa hay I gave more hay tonight added an extra 2 lbs. Wasn't feeding much because I didn't want to run out then they would get no hay at all. Got more hay so can feed more.

They have never been this skinny, I don't like skimping by on hay but had to till I found another source of hay to get.

I'll get the manna pro senior weight accelerator this weekend. Should I do the power pack now ??or wait a month ??they were just wormed not long ago. I'll do the sand test on manure here see how much they have in there guts. They have never had issues with sand in gut before but always a first time. I'll order ulcer guard an do 10 days worth for black,pally should be ok wasn't long ago he was treated.

I didn't intend for my horses to get in poor shape I'm a bit embarrassed to say the least. But stuff happens and not getting our hay supply, really wasn't something I figured would be an issue. Our hay barn is usaully full right now and it's empty. Probably have maybe another month before it stays below freezing,maybe not ,right now it's hot/humid.

Pally is 15.2 hands ,black is 14.3 hands heaviest he's been is just over a 1000 lbs. pally usually weighs about 1,100 lbs 1,200 when a bit fat.
 
#22 ·
No they aren't getting but 11 lbs of hay a day weighed it tonight that's with 4 lbs of alfalfa hay I gave more hay tonight added an extra 2 lbs. Wasn't feeding much because I didn't want to run out then they would get no hay at all. Got more hay so can feed more.

They have never been this skinny, I don't like skimping by on hay but had to till I found another source of hay to get.
So the issue with their weight is obvious. While they could have worms or ulcers, etc., the main issue is that they'll still never get to a good weight unless you feed them enough. Just to get up to a baseline calorie level for a 1,000 lb horse you'd need to add at least 4,000 calories. Probably with the extra 8 lbs of feed you are up to a maintenance level of calories, so that's good. It might be enough to gain weight back, over a period of weeks. Unless the cold weather starts up and the horses require a lot more calories.

Worrying about worms, teeth and such seems like a red herring when the horses are not getting enough hay. Do other people in your area keep horses? If so, how do they get their hay? I am wondering why it seems to be a chronic issue. Perhaps you can ask around on FB, or visit boarding stables in your area to see how they get their hay supplied. When I was at a self care boarding place I would "piggyback" onto big shipments coming from across the state in order to get good hay.
 
#23 ·
Since having a dependable hay supply seems to be one of the issues you face...
I found you a master list of suppliers throughout every state....in all areas of near every state.
Scattered everywhere and most also offer delivery.
Squares and rounds advertised with many still showing large amounts still available, but you know it won't be long before they are gone and back to slim pickings.
Internet Hay Exchange - Hay For Sale
https://www.haymap.com/hay-for-sale/
Click on your state and see what is for sale...
You should never have just one supplier as you've found it can be disastrous...
If your neighbors have livestock/horses, join together and purchase larger quantities at lower prices and get a delivery system going so again, a constant supply arrives.
Find a supplier for those rounds, but also find a supplier for squares...and order now and figure out where to store it so you have enough.
Up on pallets and heavily tarped to protect it from inclement weather, but do something so the animals eat consistently this fall & winter.
In a pinch, not cheap, but Tractor Supply does sell bagged hay...50 pound bales of straight alfalfa, T&A, oat....several varieties in my local store and all is wrapped/sealed in plastic so not so picky a storage area needed.
:runninghorse2:...
 
#24 ·
In a pinch, not cheap, but Tractor Supply does sell bagged hay...50 pound bales of straight alfalfa, T&A, oat....several varieties in my local store and all is wrapped/sealed in plastic so not so picky a storage area needed.
:runninghorse2:...
Good advice, and honestly, the chopped, bagged hay around here is $16 for 40 lbs. For a month that would only be $240 for 20 lbs a day, which is actually cheaper than a lot of boarding places around here charge for hay.
But we can also buy 110 lb bales of high quality hay at the feed store for around $20 a bale. That would only be around $110 a month to feed 20 lbs a day. My boarding stable has itemized charges and they charge $250 a month for hay.
In contrast, if we buy high quality hay by the ton it costs more like $15 for a 110 lb bale. That's only $81 a month! But I understand many places have hay that is more expensive. My barn has to include delivery fees and storage in the costs also.
 
#25 ·
Hay guy brought a round bale last night, so have that plus 15 square bale. He plans on hauling the hay up here this week.

Problem is feild is so wet loaded trailers sink up to axles in mud. He's got hay closer to the edge of feild, so he can get it loaded. So hopefully I have my barn full here by end of this week.

There are a few boarding stables closest one is 40 miles from here. Closest neighbor does squares bales grass hay. Have another supplier hes already sold out.

I'll look at the link for hay here, will check with boarding barn also. Weather hasn't helped matters.

Last year by this time hay barn was full of hay.

They got a 50 lb bale of grass hay last night plus a 1/4 bale of alfalfa. Will give them several big wheel barrow loads, of hay from round bale today.

Plan on separating them today.
 
#26 ·
Here's what hay looks like the one big round & squares. Also yard thats fenced in.

And its raining yet again.

Looked at link for hay two dealers that aren't to terrible far away. Big net wrapped round bales 75$ a bale. Pretty much double what I'm currently paying for hay.

Other dealer has squares of mixed hay. Not sure if either still has hay it was August when posted. Will call on the round bales see if he still has some.
 
#40 ·
Here's what hay looks like the one big round & squares. Also yard thats fenced in.

And its raining yet again.

Looked at link for hay two dealers that aren't to terrible far away. Big net wrapped round bales 75$ a bale. Pretty much double what I'm currently paying for hay.

Other dealer has squares of mixed hay. Not sure if either still has hay it was August when posted. Will call on the round bales see if he still has some.
Maybe that is the source of your problem. 1,000 pound round bales that cost less than $40 each cannot be high quality, fertilized hay. It costs more than that to make the hay. I am currently paying $65 per 1,000 round bale of grass hay. It is fertilized and tested. I feel lucky to have this hay. Good hay is much cheaper than grain.

You can get your local agricultural extension agent to send hay off for you to be tested for quality. It may cost money.

Hay is the cheapest way to put weight on a horse. You say he eats well. That is great. I hope that it is this simple and that there is not more wrong with the horse.
 
#28 ·
It isn't the cost per bale, but how much does the bale weigh is what determines final price to feed.
The appearance of your rounds and squares is looser hay so lighter rounds and squares...hence the cheaper prices possibly.



I feed rounds...1100 pounds at rolling, probably near 1000 when I put them in my field area.
That roll left free-choice will last my 2 on it about 3 weeks...
They waste more than they eat if allowed.
I'm very fussy and clean up every day the "waste", they don't poop in it, just yank it out so raked up and forked back to them to eat once off the roll for the night.
This works for me and my rounds...if I have 10 pounds of loss that is a lot.
I do still use those squares though and nightly toss 2 flakes per horse of higher quality hay than the rolls often are.
Now, if I am in the right place at the right time, it is equivalent to alfalfa that arrives and then my piglets don't get any extra...
It works, just needs managing.
:runninghorse2:...
 
#30 ·
Round bale I have is a 1000 lb bale so are the 75$ rounds. We don't buy anything under a 1000 lbs for rounds. 800 lb bale last 5 days. So have to buy a lot more to get through winter.

The square bales are pretty much 5 year old hay. That guy has skimpy bales and crap hay. But it was free so I don't care of quality its hay I other wise didn't have.

Hay last two or three years has been low quality. Hard to get hay up thats not rained on. This year has been wet so late cut an rained on hay. Rounds and squares have weed stemmy stuff.

Called on the rounds waiting for a call back. But for 75$ a bale it needs to be better hay then what I currently have. Not paying more for same quality hay I have.

I can't get to picky about hay or I'll endup with no hay. We have a much shorter growing season here. We have good haying seasons and bad ones. Its pretty much buy what you can get/ find.

The square bales of alfalfa are the best quality hay I have. Need to buy more fed last bale this morning.

I try to clean up hay that's not eaten, but most is cleaned up by morning. They eat every blade of what's put out. That will change once rounds go out in feeders.

Ground has to freeze before we put out round bales. or what endup on ground outside of feeder gets stomped into mud/water.

Pally gets loose manure and brown liquid running down his hindquarters & legs. I see it starting up again ,now I've started feeding alfalfa. Been slowly adding the alfalfa into there diet.

He had trouble with it over the winter.
 
#31 · (Edited)
He's not at ALL emaciated, obviously he's not in good shape but emaciated is a whole other ball game. He's probably a 3/3.5? It's not ok, and you know that, but they can sure get a LOT worse so I don't think throwing things out like that is helping anything aside from upsetting the owner.. plus it's incorrect and DOES make a difference. He is thin, far from emaciated, far from starving. Ideal for him is probably 4.5/5, so assuming you can get him on a good nutritional plane shouldn't take long to get that weight up. There are so many actually starving horses out there idk why we need to slam people with that when it's not even true.

It's not normal to lose weight over the summer, and I believe your horses have access to grass. I feel like something is going on here. I know ONE horse that loses weight consistently every summer and that's my pony with sweet itch. Thinking ahead- I know you had blanketing issues last year, I would start planning now so you can blanket this horse consistently when it gets below 50 until next spring, he's going to need it!

Part two "put weight on the horse" is so subjective. What was he eating when he got this thin? My pony would be obese on that feed, this guy clearly needs a lot more. I'm concerned there may be something going on, but for now lets assume there isn't since he was checked out ok.

Idk what Nutrena Senior is but most of their lines aren't very good, their better lines are more expensive, which one are you feeding? I would typically go with Purina over Nutrena, their Ultium in particular is extremely good feed and what I would start with for this horse.

Free choice hay (and if it's old I would supplement that too! It's not going to help his weight, just keep his tummy full, which is good but not what he needs right now). Up the alfalfa hay, for now he can't get too much alfalfa, 4 pounds is nothing, I would feed him 2% of body weight split into 2 feedings a day and let him munch on the filler hay in between. I would put him on Ultium and up him to the maximum recommended dose, keep the 3 feedings. I would NOT change anything else just yet. That's already a big change. If you think he needs more after some time on that I would consider swapping out the empower and maybe adding something like beet pulp (if you up the alfalfa he shouldn't need much more for hay). I'm thinking he'll put on weight just from Ultium and more alfalfa. Some may not seem to need much on a maintenance diet but in a situation like this they need a LOT of food, so do just pour it in lol!

I would separate the horses for feeding and not give the palomino alfalfa he clearly doesn't do well on it. And even if the black is chasing him off the food the black needs to be eating not chasing, it may help more then you think to separate!
 
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