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Weight Gain

MDKara
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Oct 27, 2005, 7:49 PM

Post #1 of 18 (1987 views)
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Weight Gain	Can't Post

I have a rescue horse that I am having problems putting weight on. I've had him for about 9 months and he had his teeth floated about 3 months ago. He is on a deworming schedule and I am feeding him SS Triple Crown Complete. He is on free range hay. Does anyone have any ideas anything else that I can try to put weight on this horse?

Horse Mom to Cowgirl (QH), Cricket (AQH), Charlie (TWH) and Circle (Arab)

CJuneau
Bronze Member

Oct 27, 2005, 10:59 PM

Post #2 of 18 (1982 views)
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Re: [MDKara] Weight Gain [In reply to]	Can't Post

Hi Kara,
I have had success with using Senior Feed for rescue horses, even thought they may or may not be senior! As you are aware, rescue horses, esp. TBs off the track, are very prone to gastric ulcers which have been implicated as the cause for some hard keepers, so you could investigate this further. Rescued horses being under stress and in often substandard conditions can also lead to parasites that most typical dewormers fall short on controlling. Therefore, consider a round of the new readily available wormers that control tapeworms, if you haven't done so already, of course! Please keep us informed on your progress!
Thanks,
Christina
PS. How old is your rescued horse?

lkvaughan
Member

Oct 28, 2005, 9:13 AM

Post #3 of 18 (1975 views)
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Re: [CJuneau] Weight Gain [In reply to]	Can't Post

I like the senior feeds too- i am partial to the Tripple Crown Senior- the seniors are designed to be a 'complete' feed- fo older horses that might not be able to chew- it has beet pulp that adds fiber, and is very easy to digest.. although read teh lable on the different seniors, one of the brands recomended feeding a HUGE amount, whereas the TC can be used as a complete feed, or a supplement to hay and grazing....

you might also try a probiotic- if their gut bacteria has been disrupted- which would be very likely for a rescue- they might not be digesting their food properly (the TC senior has probiotics in it)

i had a VERY hard keeper appendix that i used a powedered fat supplement to help keep his weight on- it worked very well- i got mine from southern states, and cant remember the name brand... you can also supplement with vegitable oil, but the powder isnt as messy :)

supplementing with alfalfa cubes could help

how old is he and how much are you feeding? what is the protein, fat, composition ect... of your feed? some grains arent as digestable as others...

CJuneau
Bronze Member

Oct 28, 2005, 4:27 PM

Post #4 of 18 (1958 views)
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Re: [lkvaughan] Weight Gain [In reply to]	Can't Post

Kelly,
Was the powdered fat supplement a rice bran/oil stabilized derivative?
Although I personally have never needed this, I have friends that love these supplements...I think one is called Equi-Jewel. Many benefits gained by those who use. http://www.pennfield.com/...feed/racingFeeds.cfm (scroll to bottom of this link for the info on Equi-Jewel)
Christina

(This post was edited by CJuneau on Oct 28, 2005, 4:30 PM)

lkvaughan
Member

Oct 28, 2005, 4:38 PM

Post #5 of 18 (1954 views)
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Re: [CJuneau] Weight Gain [In reply to]	Can't Post

christina

i actually have no idea! it was over 8 years ago and my brain is full...

but i suspect that it was something like that- it came in a 10lb (mabey larger) bag- was a white powder that was slightly sweet smelling- you didnt have to feed as much as the stuff that you mentioned- he was picky and loved it... before i started him on it he was getting over a gallon of grain (mix of high protein and TC senior) a day to keep him at weight when we were competing him hard....

from what i have read the rice bran supplements are good.....

the funny thing is that my friend and i were just talking about fat supplements and keeping weight on horses last week.... she couldnt remeber what that stuff is that i used to use either....

kelly

CJuneau
Bronze Member

Oct 28, 2005, 5:23 PM

Post #6 of 18 (1945 views)
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Re: [lkvaughan] Weight Gain [In reply to]	Can't Post

Hi!
Another product is Farnam's Weight Builder...an alfalfa meal base with fat and vitamins. Horses love this, too. It's a bit pricey, but again, worth it if it saves you from shoveling grain in to the horse...which can lead to additional worries of overgraining. I rehabbed a filly a few years ago that lost a tremendous amount of weight after colic surgery. We used the weight builder(I think a cup at each feeding,(Triple Crown Growth as the grain ration) mixed with 1/2 cup corn oil.) It worked great(this was before the rice bran revolution!)
Smile

MDKara
New Member

Oct 29, 2005, 2:45 PM

Post #7 of 18 (1926 views)
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Re: [CJuneau] Weight Gain [In reply to]	Can't Post

Thanks all for the suggestions. Circle is estimated to be around 20 yo by my vet who did the dentistry. Of course, his teeth were so bad, it's hard to tell. I have gone through a bucket of the Farnam Weight Builder and am currently feeding him TC Complete, which has about 10% fat, 11% protein (don't know fiber content--I'll have to look at that) top-dressed with ground flax seed. It is supposed to be for horses that cannot eat hay or have poor quality forage. Our hay is not the best, but better than nothing and our pastures are pretty much a dust bowl / mud bowl from the drought this summer and the intense rain over the last few weeks. I have done one dosage of the wormer that included the medication for tapeworms, and he has been on a 6 week schedule of ivermectin otherwise. I have done one dose of Probios so far. Has anyone ever used Calf Manna as a weight gainer? I have heard of several rescue groups using that and wanted to know if anyone had any opinions on it. Thanks again for your responses so far and I look forward to more!

Kara

Horse Mom to Cowgirl (QH), Cricket (AQH), Charlie (TWH) and Circle (Arab)

CJuneau
Bronze Member

Oct 29, 2005, 7:04 PM

Post #8 of 18 (1921 views)
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Re: [MDKara] Weight Gain [In reply to]	Can't Post

Hi!
I know a breeder who uses Calf Manna for his TB broodmares and it is a high protein supplement. I don't think this is what Circle needs.
I think that at this time you are giving all of the right feeds for this horse.Another option, does your feedstore carry hay stretcher? Triple Crown makes one and my friend gives it to her 40 yr. old pony who has 3 teeth and she swears it keeps him going! Or, you can soak hay cubes in warm water and give it to him 2x a day as well as the TC complete(great feed), so he has something to chew on.
We rehabbed a severly underweight horse off of the track several years ago and complete feed and weight builder w/added corn oil did the trick. Keep me posted on how this horse does! Smile

Also, if you live in a cold climate, a blanket in the winter will help him use less energy to keep warm.

MDKara
New Member

Oct 31, 2005, 1:12 PM

Post #9 of 18 (1890 views)
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Re: [CJuneau] Weight Gain [In reply to]	Can't Post

It's not super cold here, but I do plan on blanketing him this winter. He already has close to a 1 inch coat on. When you say hay stretcher, are you talking about the chopped forage? The TC Complete already has chopped forage mixed in, should I be adding more than that?

kara

Horse Mom to Cowgirl (QH), Cricket (AQH), Charlie (TWH) and Circle (Arab)

CJuneau
Bronze Member

Oct 31, 2005, 7:29 PM

Post #10 of 18 (1880 views)
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Re: [MDKara] Weight Gain [In reply to]	Can't Post

Hi!
The hay stretcher is indeed a chopped hay, Dengi is a popular brand, as well as Triple Crown...even though the TC complete has forage in it, if your regular hay is of average quality, I think this would help him as a supplement for the winter. Dengi is sprayed with molasses...so you can imagine how much the horses like it! I am sure they have a website. Glad to hear you're blanketing! Smile

Becky Montanya
Member

Nov 1, 2005, 11:33 PM

Post #11 of 18 (1860 views)
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Re: [MDKara] Weight Gain [In reply to]	Can't Post

I would really recommend running a fecal if you have not already done so. Just because you have dewormed a time or two, does not mean that the horse is free from parasites.
We had a horse in here at Whidbey Island Rescue for Equines (WIRE). We dewormed him with Zirmectin Gold and hit him with Strongid two weeks later. When he wasn't gaining weight at the rate we had expected, or doing as well as we expected, we ran bloodwork and a fecal. He was still highly infested. We the did a Power Pac, waited about a three weeks and ran another fecal. He was still infested. We finally got rid of all the critters after doing a Rotectin 1 and then a couple of weeks later hitting him with a Rotectin 2.
I really like Cool Calories for putting weight on the ones that seem to have problems gaining. I have tried many of the weight gain supplements on the market, but have found that Cool Calories works the best for me.
I feed a lot of chop to the emaciated horses when they first come in. Some of the older ones with bad teeth stay on it, while most will eventually get switched over to hay and grain gradually. It just seems easier for them to digest then regualt hay when they are really bad off. I also normally make their grain into a mash when they first come in. I do this for a couple of reasons. A mash is easier for them to eat and digest. Remember many are too sick and/or emaciated to be able to be sedated for a teeth float. Also, by making their grain into a mash, I am assured that they are getting at least a couple gallons of water a day, which not only hydrates them, but also can ward off colic.

Becky Montanya

Mark4510
Silver Member

Nov 2, 2005, 1:58 PM

Post #12 of 18 (1845 views)
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Re: [Becky Montanya] Weight Gain [In reply to]	Can't Post

Kara,
Without knowing more about the situation I think Becky�s advice is on track. It�s neither hard nor expensive to do a fecal and it will answer a lot of questions. Assuming that comes back negative I would continue to keep the calories going in. You might also try simple things such as keeping blanketing to the point where you get just a small bit of sweat. As long as it does not add stress to Circle you should be fine. Also, monitor Circles water intake. If you are using an automatic waterer then turn it off and put a big water bucket in so you can see how much water is being consumed.

One thing we do for hard to keepers, especially those horses that are stressed or nervous, is to offer them sweet treats such as apples/carrots/etc 3-5 times a day. It is amazing to see them really settle in once they know they are going to have a scheduled snack.

Mark

MDKara
New Member

Nov 2, 2005, 5:34 PM

Post #13 of 18 (1838 views)
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Re: [Becky Montanya] Weight Gain [In reply to]	Can't Post

Thanks for the input. I will have my vet run a fecal on him when she comes out to recheck his teeth. Where do you buy the cool calories supplement from? I have not seen that around here. I'll try some of the places online that I buy from. I'll keep you guys posted on how Circle improves!

Thanks,
Kara

Horse Mom to Cowgirl (QH), Cricket (AQH), Charlie (TWH) and Circle (Arab)

Becky Montanya
Member

Nov 2, 2005, 11:50 PM

Post #14 of 18 (1829 views)
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Re: [MDKara] Weight Gain [In reply to]	Can't Post

I buy Cool Calories at the feed store here. It is a supplement. Here is a link to info on it in case you can't find it at your local feed store.
www.performancehorsenutrition.com/products/cool-calories-100.html

Becky Montanya

UncleBuck
Member

Nov 17, 2005, 8:26 AM

Post #15 of 18 (1776 views)
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Re: [MDKara] Weight Gain [In reply to]	Can't Post

In the past I have used Vegetable (or corn) oil, up to 1 cup per per feeding ,no more than 2 cups per day, it is inexpensive and the best part is its a straight Fat, not a supplement with OTHER nutrients, his feed has most of the vitamins and minerals he needs already, My horses have gained weight, gives a shine to they're coat, just overall improves their appearance. Just always go slow and gradually introduce this to his feed, as you should with any feed change. Also, a good worming program is a must, especially if you are adding new Horses to your barn. I have also added soaked "beet pulp" when the weather gets real cold, helps maintain their weight in extreme cold.
This might be outdated, but This is what has worked for me in the past, Good luck with your rescue horse.

Buck

Mark4510
Silver Member

Nov 17, 2005, 1:43 PM

Post #16 of 18 (1772 views)
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Re: [UncleBuck] Weight Gain [In reply to]	Can't Post

Not outdated at all. We use it as needed with good results.
Good suggestion.
Mark

CJuneau
Bronze Member

Nov 17, 2005, 1:47 PM

Post #17 of 18 (1771 views)
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Re: [Mark4510] Weight Gain [In reply to]	Can't Post

Ditto on the corn oil...I have found Wal-Mart to have the cheapest price per gallon! Smile

Mark4510
Silver Member

Nov 17, 2005, 2:50 PM

Post #18 of 18 (1766 views)
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Re: [CJuneau] Weight Gain [In reply to]	Can't Post

We get it from Costco by the gallon. The only way to go.

I might add that Olive oil does not work as well. But dont worry....if you feed that by mistake, the critters will let you know. I am ashamed at some level to admit that I know this from first hand experience in the same way that I now always label my fuel cans....... Sly

Mark

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