Comments on: Question of the Week: Skinny Lesson Horse

By: PKL

PKL — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 13:51:22 +0000

I have an older guy who did not do the best in the winter. I fed him 4 times a day, small amounts of beet pulp and higher protein grain, which was a mixture of cracked corn, oats, rice, barley, and molassoes. Now he stays fat all winter.

By: betty

betty — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 12:12:59 +0000

My bad–alfalfa is hard on a horse’s KIDNEYS, not their liver, as I have posted above. To reiterate, I fought keeping weight on MY Arab for 23 years. Straight alfalfa has stems that are harder to chew than a good quality grass hay, which is why I suggest feeding both. By topping off the grass with the alfalfa, my Arab would eat the tiny leaves of alfalfa which would fall on the grass hay, thus keeping his interest in the grass hay, instead of using it as his bedding.
Now that my old herd has passed on, I still feed alfalfa in the winter to my two 5 year old geldings and my 13 year old mare. An old farmer (that I used to buy my hay from) told me that horses are fussy and will eat the tastiest hay first, then eat the other if they are still hungry, so you need to trick them into “eating their veggies”, so to speak, like we do to our children. I hope that this helps the OP. I know what it’s like to have people ask you why you don’t feed your horse. :/ (VERY Irritating, when you are doing your best to put weight on a hard keeper!!)

By: Allie

Allie — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 05:28:01 +0000

I have a ribby thoroughbred that simply will not put weight on! I’ve tried everything from rice bran, beet pulp, vegetable oil, and a number of “weight boosters.” Nothing works!

By: Rose

Rose — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 04:35:59 +0000

I have a 23 y.o. qtr horse mare that I’ve had for 5 yrs who had dropped a lot of weight even though she is in good overall health and has had routine deworming/vaccs/teeth exams. I finally hooked up with an actual equine nutritionist and with her help, turned my mare around and gave her a new lease on life. Here’s the diet I have her on: Purina equine sr, soaked beet pulp, stabilized rice bran, soaked whole flax seed (very inexpensive), dash of salt at each feeding, and she gets 2-3 flakes of alfalpha in addition to her regular grass hay. It is best to feed 3 smaller meals a day, which I did at first, but then my schedule changed and I could only do twice a day. After being on her new diet for a week, I also did a 5 day power pak dewormer to zap anything she might have had that regular deworming didn’t get.
She’s been on this new diet for just over two months and she looks so much better. I hope this helps with your Arab.
Rose George
VP, U.S. Nat’l Equestrian Tourism Org.
http://www.trec-usa.org

By: Beth

Beth — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 19:47:34 +0000

Wish I had been able to read this last year. Fortunately I’ve managed to put weight onto my Mustang mare this winter, but your article would have made it easier.

By: PKL

PKL — Sun, 20 Feb 2011 16:09:41 +0000

All of my Arabs are on the thinner side. But most of them are always moving around….most likely to see what trouble they can get into next.

By: betty dedman

betty dedman — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 12:30:15 +0000

My Arab, “Corporal,” was a hard keeper from the day I bought him at 4 years old, until he passed away at age 27. I agree with being vigilent about your Arab’s teeth, but you can also change his diet with products that were not available 20 years ago. I had great success with the latest formula of Purina Equine Senior, feeding ONLY pelleted grain or supplements, and topping off grass hay with alfalfa. (Straight alfalfa is hard on their liver.) Sometimes he was skinny, but at the end of his life I had figured out how to keep him in good weight.

By: Galadriel

Galadriel — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 23:47:27 +0000

I had a TB like that and she had free pasture.

By: Horselover

Horselover — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 18:46:54 +0000

thanks for the advice- got a ribby arab and TB.

By: Amy

Amy — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 15:38:38 +0000

I think the article was full of great advice. Have you tried seperating the horse and brushing him during mealtimes? That has a calming effect and he might eat his grain at least just to spend time with you.I put 200 pounds on Jewel this way, she was a rescue. She freaked out on certain grains, so I like the advice on a cool pelleted feed.