[Mewlie]

Hello!

My mare is a "hard keeper" and loses weight very easily. In the past she's been given a senior feed over the winter months to try to keep some cushion on her. Is there something better than senior feed (she's only early-mid teens) to keep her weight on that isn't pure sweet feed?

My gelding on the other hand is a chunk monster and has never been skinny a day in his life. Is there some type of grain I can give him at the same time I feed my mare that won't cause him to explode?

Neither of them have health issues and they are sitting as pasture puffs, though I may do some light riding with my mare (ponying the gelding) until the weather gets too icky. Any advice is greatly appreciated!

​

 

[horselovinguy]

Your mare is the perfect age to be eating senior feed.
Senior feed is good to feed to any horse over the age of 5 - 6.
A food that because of the way it is manufactured is easier for horses to absorb as much in nutrients as possible with little risk of stomach upset.
One of, if not the largest ingredient of senior feeds is beet pulp. Beet pulp is a "forage" style food of fiber without the high sugars or carbs that many horses don't tolerate well.
Different manufacturers have their individual recipes and ratios of fat, fiber and protein levels...some higher than others.
Manufacturers also have different formulas even in their "senior" feed line now...
Senior feed is fine to feed to a horse who is not thriving on just forage {hay} alone.
I would leave her on senior feed for that weight maintaining...of course, she needs to be UTD on worming, dental care, make sure her intestinal tract is free of sand overload for best nutrient absorption, and fed proper amounts of quality hay.

As for your easy keeper gelding....
I would look to give him no "feed" exactly but give him hay pellets, not cubes.
You want the horse to think he is eating feed, and this works and works well.
I too have a easy keeper and one very hard-keeper who you could yank your hair out trying not to drop a ton of weight overnight...:x
So,...
Moisten the pellets as much or as little as needed before feeding so they not expand in the throat and cause a choke episode.
A mix of alfalfa and timothy, straight timothy pellets but not just alfalfa as he doesn't need them.
I know Tractor Supply Stores are upstate and they carry a wide variety of pellets and the Purina line of feeds...not sure as it is location specific what other brands they have access to.
If that is him in the picture, chestnut/sorrel horse definitely chunky...I would be very cautious that he is not a IR or Cushings candidate with easy keeping and fat combination... a vet could determine that for you.
For both horses they also need daily vitamins and minerals in proper amounts.

I personally like the brands.. Triple Crown Senior, Seminole Wellness Senior {purple bag} and the Equine Senior Active by Purina. Southern States is also available but this is Triple Crown under different label...
The one manufacturer that seems available every where is Purina over everyone else...

Again, many different producers of hay pellets on the market but dependent upon where you live is the brands sold. Pellets are available in 50 pound bags many places and are very affordable.

You live in NYS, a state that is known for producing some of the best hay in this nation, and North America...plentiful and cheap where you live but such good qualities available.
Make sure your problem keeping weight on is not because not enough hay is fed first along with the vet/dental upkeep always needing to be considered.

Hope that helps some...
:runninghorse2:....
jmo..

 

[Mewlie]

Thank you! Very useful information, I appreciate it!

Yep, he's the chunko sorrel. In all honesty I've just recently heard about how IR and Cushings is an issue in what seems like a lot of horses! The vet that had been looking after these two for the past decade never even brought up the possibility and it was never something talked about in all the years I worked on a horse ranch. Everyone always just assumed he was "easy" and quite possibly mixed with some draft lines. I'll definitely have the new vet give him a full check up and ask that he be checked for insulin resistance and Cushings. They are both on a regular check-and-worm schedule and get teeth floated annually. I'm hoping this winter will be easier on my mare since we'll be able to monitor her ourselves every day. Plus, it won't be a crazy cold ND winter!

They've definitely been enjoying this NY hay; took a few mouthfuls of the fresh green grass and then went straight for the hay net! Crazy critters.

 

[ApuetsoT]

Fatty could always get a ration balancer. Its vit/min pellets without a tonne of calories. Usually designed for hard keepers.

For the other, a senior feed would be a appropriate. Also look at how much hay she is getting and up it if you can. Maybe with alf cubes if needed.

 

[jaydee]

Some horses don't cope as well with cold weather as others, especially as they get older
If I have a horse that drops weight in winter even though its on the same ration as it was in the summer with hay replacing grazing then I blanket
A surprising amount of what you feed a horse in the winter can just be getting burned up in staying warm rather than normal maintenance.

 

[Mewlie]

She's always been a slim horse but I can tell as she's getting older the winters are getting tougher on her. This winter will be a good eye-opener to see if she fairs better in the milder cold (plus she'll have 24/7 access to a warm barn; she only had a pasture shelter before). I've never been a fan of blanketing but will definitely get her one if she's suffering. I'll start supplementing the hay with senior feed tomorrow and I'm crossing fingers that it'll make a big difference in her condition!

 

[SilverMaple]

I'd recommend a ration balancer for the easy keeper. It's really helped bring up a bloom on my new guy, without adding weight. He looks great.

 

[jaydee]

She's always been a slim horse but I can tell as she's getting older the winters are getting tougher on her. This winter will be a good eye-opener to see if she fairs better in the milder cold (plus she'll have 24/7 access to a warm barn; she only had a pasture shelter before). I've never been a fan of blanketing but will definitely get her one if she's suffering. I'll start supplementing the hay with senior feed tomorrow and I'm crossing fingers that it'll make a big difference in her condition!

Blanketing is extra work and so if I can avoid it I will but I'd rather blanket in winter than start pushing extra food into a horse if its just to compensate for them feeling the cold.
I don't personally ever use a senior feed even though I do have a couple of senior's at the moment.
A lot of senior feeds are high in sugar/starch and I won't feed anything like that any more.
I generally find that adding soaked sugar beet (the no added molasses type) and a quality oil supplement to something like chopped forage and a ration balancer along with being sure the horse is getting enough decent hay will keep the weight on them.

 

[Mewlie]

I picked up a bag of Triple Crown Senior and Triple Crown Lite today to see how they work for each horse. I may switch to the ration balance feed for my gelding if this "Lite" feed seems to pack on the pounds. I've got to get the vet out to give them both a post-travel checkup anyway, so I'll be sure to inquire after IR and Cushings since that could certainly be the issue he's faced his entire life.
@SilverMaple Your boy is gorgeous! I'll be amazed to see my chunko at that level of slim and fit!

 

[Smilie]

If feeding a senior feed, then check out those that supply extra calories in the form of fats, not NSC
Many senior feeds are high in fats, as those horses need more calories then the forage alone supplies, but because of metabolic issues, can;t have lots of hot calories, thus are fed cool calories (fats) the fiber in those senior feeds is beet pulp.
Senior feeds around here anyways, are not high in sugars ( grains and molasses ), but rather use cool calories (fats)
Ps, I use the term grain, as what a grain is, and not a slang applied to any hard feed)
Yes, beet pulp is an excellent source of added calories, Modern sugar beet plants are very good at extracting near 100% of the sugar from sugar beets, so that the pellets made form what remains, is a fiber that is very easy to digest, has an energy (calorie value between that of grain and forage, but because it is digested as a forage, has none of the associated risks of feeding NSC, directly in proportion of amount fed.

I use it year round for my IR horse, and any other horse that needed something to mix any additives in.
I do not feed any bagged pre mixed feeds. I feed horses as individuals and add what each horse needs. Thus, horses that are dry lotted, get vit E, flax,(source of Omega 3 ) as both are quickly lost in hay, plus my iR mare also has Magnesium added

 

[Mewlie]

Thanks for the info, @Smilie !

I would like to eventually move away from premixed feeds, especially after reading more about horse nutrition, vitamins, and supplements. Most of my horse knowledge comes from people who were in the "give 'em hay and water and they'll be fine" camp. I definitely have a bit of education to catch up on! It'll be good to get a new vet out and start talking about where both horses are at, health-wise and nutritionally.

 

[ealti]

I agree. I just started giving my gelding, 15, beet pulp because he was looking a little ribby lately. I was giving him Fibre Beet until I saw it contains added molasses. Can you recommend one that doesn't have molasses in it? I just ordered Southern States beet pulp.

 

[Smilie]

Don't know about beet pulp south of the boarder, but here in Alberta, I get beet pulp either from Hi Pro or UFA and it is all molasses free
If I am picking up a bag from some other feed store, I always make sure to ask if it is free of molasses

 

[ealti]

If feeding a senior feed, then check out those that supply extra calories in the form of fats, not NSC
Many senior feeds are high in fats, as those horses need more calories then the forage alone supplies, but because of metabolic issues, can;t have lots of hot calories, thus are fed cool calories (fats) the fiber in those senior feeds is beet pulp.
Senior feeds around here anyways, are not high in sugars ( grains and molasses ), but rather use cool calories (fats)
Ps, I use the term grain, as what a grain is, and not a slang applied to any hard feed)
Yes, beet pulp is an excellent source of added calories, Modern sugar beet plants are very good at extracting near 100% of the sugar from sugar beets, so that the pellets made form what remains, is a fiber that is very easy to digest, has an energy (calorie value between that of grain and forage, but because it is digested as a forage, has none of the associated risks of feeding NSC, directly in proportion of amount fed.

I use it year round for my IR horse, and any other horse that needed something to mix any additives in.
I do not feed any bagged pre mixed feeds. I feed horses as individuals and add what each horse needs. Thus, horses that are dry lotted, get vit E, flax,(source of Omega 3 ) as both are quickly lost in hay, plus my iR mare also has Magnesium added

My 15 year old gelding has been looking a little ribby lately so I started giving him beet pulp til I noticed it had molasses in it. Can you recommend one that doesn't contain molasses?

 

[QtrBel]

If you soak your beet pulp then rinsing can remove the added sugars. In reality there isn't all that much sugar added. In a 50 lb bag there may be 1lb worth of sugar. It is added back as a binder and to control dust even in those that are molasses free you're still getting it. There was a study done a couple of years ago that showed molasses free shreds had more sugar than the added molasses because of the way it was processed. Pellets have less than shreds. Neither had very much. If your horse has a specific reason to avoid sugars then avoid them but if not then even the ones with molasses are a good fiber to feed.

 

[george the mule]

Hi Mewlie

Our vet has my elderly PPID gelding "Banjo" on a rice bran product; Max-e-Glo, by Manna Pro. Works great. All of mine are on free-feed Timothy hay, and have been for years. They all get a ration balancer pellet, and except for Banjie, a small amount (1/2 scoop, perhaps 3/4lb) of standard sweet-feed for "breakfast" as well. They also wear blankets in bad weather, or severe cold. The younger animals may not need blanketing, but they do appreciate it. Yes, it _is_ a little bit of extra work, but they "stand" for it at liberty (or they don't get their blankets; this being how I gauge if they want them or not), so it's just a matter of bringing them out of the barn, and putting them on; a couple of minutes per critter. No big deal. (No, I do not clean them off before blanketing, If they are muddy-wet or snowy, I will squeegee the worst of it off their backs before tossing the blankie on, that's about it.)
I like to see a BCS of 5.5 or 6; more like 6 going into winter. This management routine does just that.
"Spoiled Horses _R_ Us"

Steve

PS: I have converted my "cowgirl" neighbor to free-feeding her horses (as opposed to the conventional "two flakes twice a day" routine). She reports happy-happy-happy horses, and can't believe she didn't do this long ago. Just FWIW.

 

[twixy79]

My rescue 19 year old belgian draft has slowly been putting on weight all summer. Now that the colder weather has arrived, the weight gain has stalled out. We opted to switch to Nutrena ProForce Fiber, mixed with ProForce Senior and a hay extender. We feed him 10qts per day and over the past few weeks we have seen an improvement in his topline. We also use vitamins daily. Once he is in better condition, we are going to step him down to 7-8qts per day to see if he holds steady once spring is upon us. If he doesn't, we can try going down to 6qts per day (which is what he was originally getting from the rescue in TC Senior) to see if he will maintain there as well. For me, I don't mind the extra cost of the grain as long as he is healthy and happy. If he needs 10qts for the rest of his life, so be it