>>Hi, I have a 9 year old thoroughbred gelding, 16.3hh. i have had him since May and since he has come off the field and into a stable for the Winter months I am really struggling in keeping the weight on him. He has two feeds a day that consist of the following: Build-up mix, garlic chop, Sugar beet, oil, garlic powder, carrots and apples. He also gets two massive haynets (one in the morning and one at night) and i put one in for him at lunch. Oh and he also gets a ball that has pony nuts in and he kicks it around the stable and eats the content as it falls out.
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>>At the moment i am trying to put him onto haylage and he isnt taking to it at all, i was told that this would put weight on him but he just spits it out, i try and mix hay into it to try and start him on it but he isnt insterested..He has also weeing more through the day since i put him on this.
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>>Lastly he is fully uptodate with being wormed.
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>>CAN ANYONE HELP ME???
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>>Thanks,
>>
>>Kelly


Let's see if I can help a little...

I'm not familiar with "build up mix" but for the most part, his diet seems to be lacking in just good ol' basic nutrition - unless it's in that mix! Beet pulp is a good source of fiber but in and of itself isn't a complete feed. Apples, carrots, etc. are treats, not feeds. Depending on the type of oil, and the quantity, you can actually decrease nutrient absorption and be doing more harm than good. As to haylage, while horses can eat it, you run a much higher risk of botulism and it's not really any better for them than regular hay. It's great for cattle because they have a rumen, and therefore can do more with the fiber and the fermentation but horses aren't ruminants.

Beyond that, deworming is indeed important, but even more important is having his teeth checked and floated according to need. The number one reason for a horse to lose weight is bad teeth. If he can't chew the food right, it won't matter how good the nutrition is going in because it won't be able to get to the right places.

Lastly, consider the horse. Many thoroughbreds are hard keepers simply because its in their nature to burn off more calories worrying, fretting, and using a lot of energy instead of storing it up. It may be that he needs more feed, or to be fed more often just to keep up with his natural metabolism. Putting him on a good quality high fat feed, or even a complete feed might do him wonders. Good luck with him and let us know how he does!




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PH Cody
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