# 24 year old palomino gelding super skinny!!!



## Sassysarah123 (Jan 10, 2018)

Hi,
I need some advice on what to feed my 24 year old gelding.  He is way too skinny and we don't know how to get him to gain weight.  We used to give him 3 quarts of senior feed a day but since he started losing weight we  give him 7 quarts now He pretty much just eats hay for the rest of the day.  He used to be a barrel racing horse so he can still run pretty fast and you can do a lot on him.  But we just recently stopped riding him because he was just getting WAY to skinny.
Any advice?
Thanks in advance


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## promiseacres (Jan 10, 2018)

Have his teeth been checked or floated in the past 6 months? If not have it done ASAP. 
Feed wise a good senior feed and hay should be adequate if no health problems.


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## Alaskan (Jan 11, 2018)

I agree on getting his teeth checked.   Teeth issues are a common problem, especially with older horses.

Has he been wormed recently, or checked for worms?

With the difficult keeper I had I  found adding some good oil to his feed helped him to keep weight on.

Remember though, all diet changes need to be done slowly.

Anyway, here is a great article that goes over most everything. 

https://equusmagazine.com/management/feeding-weight-gain-25995


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## Ridgetop (Jan 11, 2018)

Have his teeth checked.  Our 28 & 30 year old mares need to be floated at least once a year.  At last dental check the 28 year old needed to have about 3-4 teeth pulled!  If you add oil, corn oil seems to be most palatable.  Depending on where you live, check the protein in the hay.  High protein alfalfa will take weight off.  When we were feeding first cut alfalfa (highest protein for milk production) to our dairy goats it took the weight right off the horses!  They were healthy but way thin.  Switched to lower quality hay including barley or oat hay for one feed and the weight went back on inn a couple months.  Depending on your weather you could also keep him blanketed.  If the weather is very cold he may be burning those calories to stay warm.


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## AClark (Jan 11, 2018)

I'd probably have him tested for Cushing's, if he's eating that much and still losing especially. Fairly common for older horses. 
Deworming also won't hurt especially if it hasn't been done yet this winter.
Don't measure feed by volume, measure by weight. Find out how much a QT actually weighs and go from there, you may not be feeding as much as you think you are. I can feed a 3 qt scoop each to mine and they are obese, but 3 qts is well over 4 lbs of what I feed. I feed alfalfa pellets and bermuda or prarie hay, but wouldn't hesitate to feed alfalfa if the prices weren't outrageous here. There's a lot of protein in alfalfa.


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## greybeard (Jan 11, 2018)

AClark said:


> Don't measure feed by volume, measure by weight. Find out how much a QT actually weighs and go from there, you may not be feeding as much as you think you are.


Very possible. I believe the directions on the senior feed I'm feeding right now say 1 lb per 100lbs body weight per day. I began in late November,  looking after (for a neighbor) a nearly 20 yr old mare that had been losing weight for the previous 3-4 months and it's ribs were showing, but is now beginning to put on some weight and flesh. I split it between 2 feedings/day, and began with a lesser amt to lessen  the risk of bloat or other digestive problems and increased it over a period of several weeks.
Owner says she has been de-wormed but also states it's probably time to have her teeth floated again. He'll have to take care of that when he returns to this area.


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## AClark (Jan 11, 2018)

Unless they are dribbling food or not eating, teeth don't matter as much with things like senior feed, where you'll really see a tooth problem is with hay, and you'll find soggy globs of it where they couldn't chew it or they're choking since it's not chewed. Most senior feeds are soft enough to not require a lot of grinding.
My kids quarter horse dribbles food, had her teeth floated, still dribbles but she keeps the weight on, just a sloppy eater. 
Feeding by weight really matters, mostly you want to go slow not so much for bloat in horses, but founder, or colic if they don't drink enough. Touchy animals for sure. 
Also, feed for the weight you want, not the current weight or they'll maintain. If the horse is 850 and should be 1100, feed for 1100 lbs. 
Cushings is definitely a factor for an older horse that is struggling to keep the weight on. It's a pretty simple blood test and worth ruling out if you're feeding enough and their teeth are ok but you aren't seeing improvement.


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## greybeard (Jan 11, 2018)

I don't want to hijack Sara's thread, but I am not really a 'horse person' so I just went by what the instructions on the feed said, which= a lot more feed per day than the instructions the horse owner gave me. I estimated and got a separate estimate from a different local horseman we agreed that the mare weighed about 800-900lbs when she arrived here, and went from that. 

I don't know he quality of the hay..the owner provided the round bales from his ranch out near San Antonio.


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## Baymule (Jan 11, 2018)

I have a 28 year old gelding and a 30 year old TW mare. Both are rolly-polly fat and slick. I feed them a 14% all purpose pellet and have for years. I used to drive 50 miles one way to get it, now it is only 20 miles. It has a sugar beet base and they love it. You might get beet shreds and moisten with some warm water to make it easier to chew. It doesn't have to soak for very long.


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## AClark (Jan 11, 2018)

Yeah the feed bag instructions are really good as long as it's weighed out. Free choice hay is great, and if you're feeding a good pelleted ration, shouldn't matter if it's not top quality. I feed what is locally baled here, bermuda/prarie hay in round bales - not sure how great it is, just what everyone feeds. 
Since this horse isn't being ridden, I'd feed for maintenance at what his weight should be. How big is this horse anyway? I could give you a rough estimate of what he should weigh and if you tell me what kind of senior feed you're giving him I could give a good idea on how much he should be getting.


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## AClark (Jan 11, 2018)

Baymule said:


> I have a 28 year old gelding and a 30 year old TW mare. Both are rolly-polly fat and slick. I feed them a 14% all purpose pellet and have for years. I used to drive 50 miles one way to get it, now it is only 20 miles. It has a sugar beet base and they love it. You might get beet shreds and moisten with some warm water to make it easier to chew. It doesn't have to soak for very long.



That's basically what I feed too, 14% cattle ration (the horse ration from the same company is pretty equivocal on the bag) and mine are literally obese right now, in the dead cold of winter.


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## greybeard (Jan 11, 2018)

AClark said:


> Yeah the feed bag instructions are really good as long as it's weighed out. Free choice hay is great, and if you're feeding a good pelleted ration, shouldn't matter if it's not top quality. I feed what is locally baled here, bermuda/prarie hay in round bales - not sure how great it is, just what everyone feeds.
> Since this horse isn't being ridden, I'd feed for maintenance at what his weight should be. How big is this horse anyway? I could give you a rough estimate of what he should weigh and if you tell me what kind of senior feed you're giving him I could give a good idea on how much he should be getting.


If you are addressing me, it's this:
https://www.nutrenaworld.com/product/safechoice-senior-horse-feed
guaranteed analysis:
https://www.nutrenaworld.com/product/safechoice-senior-horse-feed#guaranteed-analysis-anchor

They also left me some kind of supplement in a very big ziplock type bag, with instructions to top dress it's morning feed with one little scoop which was also in the bag. I don't know what it is..some kind of what I would call 'crumbles'. Almost out of that so I need to call and find out what it is and where they got it. 
I'll get a picture of the animal in a little while. A very nice and docile animal and gives me no trouble whatsoever. Gonna miss her when she goes back home.
She has the company of 2 of my momma cows and their 2 calves.


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## AClark (Jan 11, 2018)

Either the OP or you or both. How tall is the mare (rough estimate) at the withers? I know you're a tall guy so might be harder for you to guess. Not sure what the top dressing is, probably some protein or crude fat stuff. 
Safechoice is good stuff. Instructions say 5-7 lbs for a 1000 lb horse - I'd feed for the light work at 7-10 lbs a day for something that needs extra and should be around that weight. A bigger horse will need more, if she's 16+ hands tall (5'4" at the withers) I'd feed around the 1200 lb range at 8-12 lbs a day and all the hay she can eat.


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## greybeard (Jan 11, 2018)

56 inches at withers..I didn't measure girth or length. That=14 hands.

The feed I'm using weighs 3lbs per 3qt scoop=1 lb per qt and she's getting and eating 3 scoops in the morning (9 lbs) and 2 qts (2lbs) in the evening=11lbs per day. If it's real cold (upper teens) and especially wet, I'll give her a little more in the evening.
She is looking a lot better now than when she first came here. Ribs are barely visible now but were very pronounced upon arrival. 

I have a horse blanket for her and will be putting it back on her when the weather turns cold again tomorrow.


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## AClark (Jan 11, 2018)

She really doesn't look that bad and that's plenty of food for her. Her ribs have filled in which is good and means she's getting enough to eat, her neck isn't a "ewe" neck so that's probably filling in - hindquarters will be last to plump out. If you think she's having a problem chewing and needs a float, that Safechoice can be soaked for a short period of time - horses like mush. 
A 14HH horse should be 800-900 ish lbs at most. I'd say she's around 700-750ish right now. 

Long story short, you're feeding her plenty and she's going to bloom. Hard to feed them up when they get lean in the winter since they're already expending more energy to stay warm. 
I don't use blankets, but she doesn't have much in the way of a winter coat so it would help her a lot.


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## greybeard (Jan 11, 2018)

Most horses around here don't have much of a winter coat except the gypsy cob/vanner I cared for here last year. Just doesn't get cold enough year to year for the genetics to produce one I suppose. 
The owner brought the blanket by right before the last real cold spell came thru and we put it on her and then removed it when the weather warmed. 
He also said has some kind of arthritis in her hip, and I did notice she was walking a bit funny, but certainly not lame and doesn't appear to be in any kind of pain. 

I really haven't watched her closely when eating hay, but she does really go after it when I put a new bale in. She, as opposed to cows, just gnaws a big hole in the outside and goes to town on it. 
I hate leaving the bale out, but my bale feeder won't fit in that building between the posts or between the ground and roof, so I had to leave it where it is on the outside. Last bale he brought, we put it inside with no feeder and probably 1/2 of it was wasted, tho it does give her and the calves somewhere soft and warm to stay. Bales are tight rolled 5x6...maybe even 6x6 and my small tractor has all it wants to move one.


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## Bunnylady (Jan 11, 2018)

Horses' digestive systems are a bit weird. With us, when our stomachs start to get full, the stomach sends a message to the brain that says, "I'm getting full." Brain says, "stop eating." We are no longer hungry, so we quit eating (or at least, that's _supposed _to be how it works!) With a horse, when the stomach says, "I'm getting full," the brain sends back "run faster." The horse's stomach empties faster, and food passes through the entire digestive system faster. The more the horse eats, the less it actually absorbs from the food. Sometimes, when a horse has more than adequate amounts of food and still is thin, the answer isn't more food, but slowing down the rate at which it eats so it gets more time to digest and absorb what it is eating. A lot of people use "slow feeders" with hay - nets or other devices that have small openings that the horse has to tease the hay out of, rather than grabbing big mouthfuls and wolfing it down.


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## AClark (Jan 11, 2018)

Grey, I use a round bale feeder or the waste is phenomenal. They'll walk over it, poop in it, whatever. We've only used slow feeders for horses that are gluttons and tend to choke because they inhale feed. You do what you have to do though as far as bales are concerned, I'm not about to try to unroll a round bale and feed it selectively  - that will waste way more. I get small bales for the goats so I can handle it like that, but have to put in a feeder for htem because the dog wastes half of it trying to sleep in it and kicking it out. 

Personally, what you're doing for that mare is working, she doesn't look horrible, just a bit on the lean side.


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## greybeard (Jan 11, 2018)

I've tried the unrolling thing before with the cattle. Works pretty good if you can gage how much they will eat at a short period of time but they still do waste some and right now, the ground is so soft I'd make a pretty good mess with the tractor. Other thing is, the cattle always bucked the bale as you were unrolling it and would knock it away from in front of the tractor. (I made a roller from old wheels/tires to unroll with and mounted it up front and picked the remainder of the bale up with the spear on the back of the 3pt)

Unless something happens to change things, I'll keep the current feed rate and once she looks pretty good will re-evaluate to a rate to try to maintain her weight and fleshiness. I do appreciate the input!! Not my animal, so I'm not going to change anything much without owner's say so anyway. 
(I did look again at the instructions and that 1lb/100wt of horse is just to maintain, so I think I'm doing ok to feed for a target of about 1000lbs.)


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## Bunnylady (Jan 11, 2018)

@greybeard  - I agree, the mare is a bit lean for a Quarter Horse; I certainly wouldn't care to see her any thinner. But, owning a horse that was previously in a chronic state of founder from being too fat, I must admit that my eye has become less easily offended by thinnish horses than it once was. She looks good; the owner can't complain, that's for sure!



AClark said:


> That's basically what I feed too,* 14% cattle ration *(the horse ration from the same company is pretty equivocal on the bag)



This statement really should have come with a warning. Horses have simple digestive systems, cattle are ruminants. Cattle feeds and horse feeds may look the same at first glance, but there are some additives in cattle feeds that can be toxic to horses. There have been several incidents when horse feed was accidentally contaminated with cattle feed, and horses died. Before you feed seemingly-same cattle feed to horses, read the entire label, particularly the ingredients list, to make sure it is safe for horses to consume.

http://www.equinews.com/article/dont-risk-poisoning-your-horses-with-cattle-feed


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## Sassysarah123 (Jan 12, 2018)

promiseacres said:


> Have his teeth been checked or floated in the past 6 months? If not have it done ASAP.
> Feed wise a good senior feed and hay should be adequate if no health problems.


I am not sure we got him a couple months ago.  My parents wanted him for the little kids to ride because he was so calm and easy going.  But since a couple of weeks ago we he started losing weight and he looks horrible now!
How would I know if he's had teeth done?  Is there a way to tell?


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## promiseacres (Jan 12, 2018)

Check with your vet about having them checked. Sometimes you they drop grain but not always. They get "hooks" on their molars which can be difficult for you to see, so it's best to have them checked by a professional. (A vet or equine dentist) most horses over 15 years can benefit from annual dental exams.


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## Sassysarah123 (Jan 13, 2018)

promiseacres said:


> Check with your vet about having them checked. Sometimes you they drop grain but not always. They get "hooks" on their molars which can be difficult for you to see, so it's best to have them checked by a professional. (A vet or equine dentist) most horses over 15 years can benefit from annual dental exams.


Thank you


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## Beekissed (Jan 13, 2018)

Sassysarah123 said:


> I am not sure we got him a couple months ago.  My parents wanted him for the little kids to ride because he was so calm and easy going.  But since a couple of weeks ago we he started losing weight and he looks horrible now!
> How would I know if he's had teeth done?  Is there a way to tell?



Got any pics of what he looked like when he arrived and what he looks like now?  Feeding any minerals?  Last time he was wormed?  

If he was fine when you got him but has lost weight since you've had him, I'd examine what has changed for him since his last place of residence~feed, hay quality, overstressed soils, shelter, water supply?


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## Goatkid51 (Jan 17, 2018)

Agreed on getting those teeth checked.  If you've ruled out parasites, and the weight just doesn't seem to be picking up like it should, even with grain, it's very often a dental issue, especially at that age.  It's amazing the horrible problems they live with (and hide very successfully) for a very long time in their mouths!  I'll bet you'll be amazed at what your vet or dentist finds in there...  Good luck to you!


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## AClark (Jan 17, 2018)

Bunnylady said:


> @greybeard  -
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I've seen that article about SafeChoice having cattle medication in it, only 2 bags they've found so far - not sure who I believe in that situation, whether it was the milling companies fault or someone messed with it - hard to tell in a boarding setting. I haven't seen anything else about it since then and they didn't do a recall so I wonder if it was just those two bags or if there's more to the story. I'm untrusting of most companies, but that whole situation is weird.

Cattle ration is safe to feed as long as it isn't medicated. Many medicated feeds are VFD now, Rumensin is not, but the bags have to be marked if they contain medication, the mill has to have a license, and is required to mark the bags. https://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/Products/AnimalFoodFeeds/MedicatedFeed/default.htm
There's still risk of cross contamination, like seen with the SafeChoice mill, if that was the case, but no more risk than if I bought the horse pellets. 
From looking at the label of their medicated feeds, it is marked boldly on the front of the bag, is the first ingredient on the back label marked "active medication" and the first instruction under feeding. MOST of us read the feeding instructions at the very least, if the bold lettering didn't get your attention. Like most safety labels though, they do get ignored - I mean how else would I know not to stop the blade on a circular saw with my hand unless they told me not to? All joking aside, medicated cattle feed should not be fed to anything but cattle.
So the warning should be more of "don't feed medicated cattle ration" to a horse.


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## Bunnylady (Jan 17, 2018)

AClark said:


> So the warning should be more of "don't feed medicated cattle ration" to a horse.



As the article that I linked to points out, there are often more differences between cattle feed and horse feed than simply whether it contains medication.

Considering that the OP is pretty much a newbie when it comes to horses (particularly when it comes to feeding them), I figured that it needed to be pointed out that the two types of feed are_ not_ interchangeable. We don't want them thinking, "Oh, yeah, cattle feed and horse feed are the same thing;  the people on Backyard Herds said they feed cattle feed to horses all the time," do we?

I know a guy that just loves his "All Stock" feed. Cows, sheep, goats, horses, camelids - according to the label, you can feed it to them all! But as I pointed out to someone else, just because you can feed it to all of them without poisoning them doesn't mean you are meeting the complete nutritional needs of_ any _of them. Mineral requirements alone can vary widely from species to species.

When you are having problems with an animal (as the OP clearly is), you really shouldn't go off-label unless you know what you are doing, or are following specific instructions of someone who does (like a veterinarian or equine nutritionist).


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## AClark (Jan 17, 2018)

I also never said I feed it as a sole ration (actually pointed out feeding by weight by bag instructions on horse feed more than once, and feeding hay), which is where you're going to run into the problems the article points out. I was simply agreeing with Baymule's post that I'm feeding the same - I never suggested anyone do the same, just that's what I personally am feeding.

The horse in question has far more going on than this I'd suspect, either not enough by weight, dental problems, or possibly a health issue like, as I mentioned as a first suggestion, Cushings, which mimicks this kind of issue. He's no spring chicken at 24, and since the OP is a newbie to horses, it wouldn't be far fetched to think someone may have sold them a horse with Cushings without telling them. It won't matter what the OP feeds if the horse has an underlying condition that isn't being treated, and it's a cheap and simple blood test to rule it out while the horse is getting a float or being assessed for one. While they're at it, they can ask the vet for suggestions on a feeding regime - win/win/win.

ETA: I'm not a "call the vet" at the slightest sneeze kind of person, but when an animal suddenly drops a significant amount of weight, it's worth a trip to have them checked out.


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## jjaazzy (Jan 18, 2018)

Pretty much everyone has offered great advice, vet /floats. I wanted to confirm the no cattle feed I am from the area where that happened and it was horrific, so don’t do it.  Next I wanted to say, you can add bran to your feed mix, it will fatten a horse amazingly quick. Just plunk a handful in each feeding.  This also helps move any sand through the system. You can also make some bran mashes with warm water, cut carrots, molasses, whatever time to time to kinda push things through.  
Next... I can’t say I have personal experience with this product cause I’m going to try it myself for the first time.  Crypto arrow I hope I have spell it correct, it is all natural back to basics and from what I heard, it Is turning things around for many horses.  I don’t have big issue horses but after a nice chat with my farrier he told me great things about this feed.  
But definitely bran will put the weight on, if you just did that. I use to buy horses that were skinny and get them out of places where things were not going well.  Good feed and Bran, hello good looking horse.


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## Tale of Tails Rabbitry (Jan 18, 2018)

Everyone has given such good advice. Just another thought....

My aunt had a horse that lived to be 38 years old. I remember him from foal to helping break him and I was there when he passed away. The only time my aunt ever had a problem with him getting too thin was after they changed him over to a senior formulated feed. They had bought some land and were having a house built so they had him boarded. The people there said that had seen that often when feed was switched to some senior formulas so they put him back on his original feed and...well, he lived to be 38! (Sorry but I do not know what feed they were using.)


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## Bunnylady (Jan 18, 2018)

Tale of Tails Rabbitry said:


> Everyone has given such good advice. Just another thought....
> 
> My aunt had a horse that lived to be 38 years old. I remember him from foal to helping break him and I was there when he passed away. The only time my aunt ever had a problem with him getting too thin was after they changed him over to a senior formulated feed. They had bought some land and were having a house built so they had him boarded. The people there said that had seen that often when feed was switched to some senior formulas so they put him back on his original feed and...well, he lived to be 38! (Sorry but I do not know what feed they were using.)



I haven't seen a lot of senior feeds, but at least one that I know of is the typical "sweet feed" - pellets and whole grains and molasses. For the life of me, I have never been able to figure out what that company can be thinking, calling that a senior feed. You don't have to see grains sprouting in the manure piles in the pasture too many times to figure out that a lot of grain passes through intact, even if the horse is young and has good teeth, so why give it to an animal whose dentition may be compromised? And then there's the sugar content. . . If that's the kind of senior feed the old fella was getting, I'm not surprised he was losing weight.


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## Sassysarah123 (Jan 26, 2018)

Beekissed said:


> Got any pics of what he looked like when he arrived and what he looks like now?  Feeding any minerals?  Last time he was wormed?
> 
> If he was fine when you got him but has lost weight since you've had him, I'd examine what has changed for him since his last place of residence~feed, hay quality, overstressed soils, shelter, water supply?


I think so. I will post some


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## Sassysarah123 (Feb 6, 2018)

He looks like he is getting a lot better!  We have been feeding him a lot of sweet feed and are mixing in like a cup of ''cool calories''.
I did notice though that he likes the hay from Atwoods better than the bale of hay I got off craigslist, so we have been giving him that instead.  Is the Atwoods hay better for him?  Why does he like it better?
We were so desperate to get some weight on him we gave him a whole bag of sweet feed!  lol


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## promiseacres (Feb 7, 2018)

Sassysarah123 said:


> He looks like he is getting a lot better!  We have been feeding him a lot of sweet feed and are mixing in like a cup of ''cool calories''.
> I did notice though that he likes the hay from Atwoods better than the bale of hay I got off craigslist, so we have been giving him that instead.  Is the Atwoods hay better for him?  Why does he like it better?
> We were so desperate to get some weight on him we gave him a whole bag of sweet feed!  lol


I hope the bag lasted a couple of weeks??


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## Sassysarah123 (Feb 7, 2018)

promiseacres said:


> I hope the bag lasted a couple of weeks??


More like a couple of days!  LOL!
When we brought in the bag of feed he was picking it up and throwing it up in the air!  Haha


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## Baymule (Feb 8, 2018)

Be careful with over feeding. You can founder or colic him, neither of which you want. But I am sure you already know that. I've used feed before that the horses ate LOTS of and still remained skinny. I have used an all purpose pellet from Martindale Feeds for years now and will drive to get it. I have two 28 and 30 year old seniors that look like 8 year olds. It's base is sugar beet shreds. Maybe you could feed your horse a warm mash of sugar beet shreds? Start small and slowly increase.


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## Bunnylady (Feb 8, 2018)

Sassysarah123 said:


> We were so desperate to get some weight on him we gave him a whole bag of sweet feed! lol



Y'know, I'll bet if you gave him a whole bag of Valentine's candy, that would probably put weight on him, too . . . if it didn't kill him first.

Sorry, that was sarcasm - not helpful, I know. Bad Bunny!

You do know that Cool Calories is pretty much powdered Crisco, right? You could probably get the same result for a lot less using vegetable oil, as others have suggested here (start with 1/4 c, and add more gradually; don't give a whole cupful at the beginning).

Equine nutritionists almost start foaming at the mouth when the subject of sweet feed comes up. As I commented in an earlier post, most of the whole grains in sweet feed pass right through the horse, undigested, so they are wasted nutrients as far as a horse is concerned. The other issue they have with it has to do with the sugar content. A high carbohydrate diet is not good for any horse, but there are some heath issues that are common in older horses that make a lot of carbohydrates (sugars)_ really_ bad for them. Of course horses _like_ sweet feed - it's like feeding them Froot Loops, or any of those other sugar-coated breakfast cereals. Think about it; how healthy do you think you'd be if you chowed down on that stuff morning, noon, and night?

I'm glad your horse is doing better, but there are better, more nutritious feed options out there. You've been given a lot of good advice about safe, healthy ways to put weight on a horse. Now that your boy no longer looks like he's knocking on death's door, perhaps you should explore them? A good place to start would be giving him a more nutritious, pelleted feed, rather than the sweet stuff. He probably won't like it as well, so I would mix the two, gradually weaning him off the "candy" and onto something he can actually use.


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## Sassysarah123 (Feb 16, 2018)

Bunnylady said:


> Y'know, I'll bet if you gave him a whole bag of Valentine's candy, that would probably put weight on him, too . . . if it didn't kill him first.
> 
> Sorry, that was sarcasm - not helpful, I know. Bad Bunny!
> 
> ...


We used to give him senior feed, but we thought that sweet feed would put more weight on him because it has more sugar in it.  Guess not...  Thank you for the helpful info!  We will put him back on his senior feed.


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## alsea1 (Feb 17, 2018)

I don't think anyone has pointed out yet that as the horse ages his system begins to lose the ability to break down  feeds.  I use a feed that has added probiotics and such to aid in digestion.
Sweet feed can be hard on an ageing horse.  
If I were managing this animal I would make sure the teeth were vetted and make sure there were no underlying health issues.
I have uploaded a pdf with the stats on the feed I give my senior mare. This stuff is really good. I would look for something that is comparable
We also have to remember that horses actually have small stomachs and are not designed to eat large meals. Feeding too much feed at a time really creates havoc. 
Feed moves along at a certain rate weather its been digested or not. This can create a train wreck. 
As many small meals as possible are the key to good health.
As was pointed out corn oil is a good calorie builder that is relatively cheap and absorbed easily so safe additive. Molasses is only added to appeal to the animal like a twinky appeals to us. Its sugar that the animal was never meant to eat and process. Horses can get a form of diabetes. 
There are tons of good articles on the net concerning the latest studies on horses and nutrition in different life stages.


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## Beekissed (Feb 19, 2018)

I've heard good things about poor doers getting some weight and better health on Chaffhaye.  Anyone have any experience with that?   Or Haylage?   

I've seen some really good things happen with animals that were fed fermented feeds and it seems it's doing good things for horses as well.


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## AClark (Feb 20, 2018)

Atwoods hay is really overpriced (actually, so are a lot of their products because while it looks cheaper, they are only 40 # bags) - what kind did you get? Find a good local hay supplier and it'll be half the price, roughly. Quality matters, horses can be picky about hay. A good prairie or coastal bermuda will work, but alfalfa would probably be better. I use alfalfa cubes because I have a local supplier at a very reasonable price, far cheaper than a bale and less waste. If you worry about them choking on the large cubes, a little water makes them instant mush; you can get alfalfa cubes at Atwoods as well. I do that for the goats because the cubes are bigger than their mouths, though the horses don't seem to have problems with them.


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