Putting weight on ponies

[kaykay]

I have a couple new ponies and I havent posted pics because they were underweight when i got them

I have gradually upped their feed but they still dont seem to gain. I do know it takes awhile for horses to gain weight but does this seem like enough??

35.5 stallion 4 flakes alfalfa hay 8 cups equine jr

37.5 mare same

35 mare 4 flakes hay 6 cups equine jr

The only one gaining seems to be the last mare. I have de wormed with ivermectin but Im thinking maybe i need to do it again or do a 5 day. Pretty much they have hay in front of them 24/7 but im wondering if i should up the equine jr or add beet pulp???

 

[keeperofthehorses]

Have their teeth been checked? The 5-day deworming you mentioned could help too. 4 flakes of hay + 8 cups of Sr. is exactly what my 17h TB gets (plus beet pulp); I would think those ponies would be gaining on that! I've had great results with beet pulp as well as Eq. Sr. I had to take my filly off of Jr. because she got too fat. But you are right, with that much feed you'd think you'd notice some results after a week or two. Maybe some yogurt or probios to help the flora in their gut?

When I have one that looks thin or cold, instead of balancing the Cahos ratio in the beet pulp with bran, I use oats.

Let us know how they fare. And we'd still like to see pics.

:

 

[hhpminis]

Boy KK, I would think they should be putting weight on too. You are feeding them a ton! Adding beetpulp is a good idea. I balance cal/phos with rice bran.

This is what I would do

5 day double dose Safeguard

Have teeth checked, maybe draw blood while the vet is there for this and see if you have anything else going on.

Powder or bath, whatever your weather allows for lice, then repeat in a week. I hav had good succuss with powdering when I cant bathe, let it stay on for 5-7 days, vacuum and powder again. If you have the facility to blanket you may consider clipping.

When I have a hard keeper, I up everything but concentrate on grain and beet pulp. Some ponies are just hard to keep weight on.

Can you show us pictures? I suggest taking some just for your own comparison as sometimes you dont see they are coming along when you see them everyday. It does seem like they can lose weight overnight but it takes forever to put it back on.

 

[kaykay]

i forgot to say i did also dust them with lice powder just in case. their coats just dont look good at all except for the stallion who i am leasing. I will try to take pics tomarrow as its raining today. I will check their teeth and try to find an equine dentist in the area. Its so hard when you move!! Thanks for all your suggestions

 

[Lewella]

Equine Jr. isn't very high in fat and fat is probably what they need right now. I use Moorman's MoorGlo on my hard keepers including my 25 year old stallion Roadrunner Cody's Copy who is a stall pacer. I'm fairly certain that you can get Moorman's/ADM Alliance Nutrition products in your area. MoorGlo runs around $20-25 for 40 lbs and I feed usually 1/2 lb per individual per day (Copy gets 1 lb per day during breeding season). I can usually see results in just a couple of weeks.

Lewella

 

[kaykay]

thanks lewella i will look for that. Its still raining here everday so no pics yet. The overo mare had her eye kicked out right before I picked her up. She needs surgery on it but the veternarian wont do it until she gains weight. Id really like to get her eye fixed before fly season so im pretty desperate to get some weight on her.

 

[hhpminis]

I agree with Lewella as far as fat goes and that is one reason I choose to balance with Rice Bran as it is a high fat as well. I am not familiar with the Moormans, sounds interesting though, will have to look it up on the web.

 

[lyn_j]

[SIZE=14pt]Kay, I have found that Senior feed works better for putting on wt than Junior. Senior is lower in protein but higher in fat and the feed is usually mysloized or extruded to make it more easily digestable. They also may be filling up on hay more than grain. I would increase the higher fat grain, add beet pulp and feed a bit less hay. THats just my personal preference. The feed that my show horses get no matter their age is 10% protein and 10% fat. I think it gives good results.Also add about a half a cup of Flax twice a day.[/SIZE]

Lyn

 

[Lewella]

I agree with Lewella as far as fat goes and that is one reason I choose to balance with Rice Bran as it is a high fat as well. I am not familiar with the Moormans, sounds interesting though, will have to look it up on the web.

MoorGlo is a combo of Flax, Rice Bran and Soy lipids. Great stuff! Don't know if it is available in the NW or not. Here's the website - http://www.admani.com/AllianceEquine/MoorGlo.htm

 

[hhpminis]

Thanks Lewella, that is interesting stuff. I could not find anything on the web except places that sell it and they did not describe it.

I noticed that it has added calcium. That is one of the main reasons I choose stabilized rice bran as I feed alfalfa, which is abundant in the NW, and beet pulp, both are high in calcium. My grain although a blend for alfalfa was still not to my liking in the cal/phos ratio once I added beet pulp to the mix. I added rice bran as it is higher in phosporous and lower in calcium and gave me the fat desired for a nice coat and good digestion. Although this feeding method evolved with the minis, I have also had great success with it in the ponies.

KK, it is hard when you move and have to refigure everything you have known for years from a different area. I would really be at a loss if I moved to an area where alfalfa was not so available as I have always fed it. Even when I was a kid that is what we fed here in the NW.

I notice when horses come in for training or conditioning that within just a couple weeks I can see a change in how they look and how they feel.

Everybody has given good advice as to what works for them, I hope you find the combination that works for you to.

 

[whitney]

Gosh Kaykay thats more than my 14.3 Q.H. mare gets! I'd be checking teeth, worming etc. If those are ok I would add FAT in the form of corn oil. Should really help their coats too.

 

[Leeana]

Kay have you tried NUTRA-GLOW??

We got some for Joey last month. They have it as TSC. We got some down at the Mt Hope auction last month and it has worked like nothing i have seen before.

Joey was WAY underweight when we got him last summer and he has had allot of trouble putting/keeping weight on but this has really worked. It is safe for foals, minis and ponies.

It is $35 for a small container and you just add it to there feed. It comes with a measure cup and if you have a 300 pound pony you would give them up to the 3rd line. The fire 3 or 4 days you should double dose it (so a 300 pound pony would get up to the 6th line for 3 days). He told us that you do that no more then a week before putting them on there regular weight marking.

I noticed a difference after about 5 days. You just mix it in with there feed.

Very safe and it works.

A gallon is $153 though, but the smaller one will last a 300 pound pony 4 months i was told and it should only take around 60-120 days depending on how much weight they need.

Leeana H.

 

[Lisa-Ruff N Tuff Minis]

I am curious as to how much your flakes weigh? I know all the hay bales are different so they can vary so much but that seems like ALOT of hay. Me personally I prefer to use beet pulp for those that need to gain weight and up that while keeping the hay at the same amount my other horses get

 

[kaykay]

lisa unfortuantely finding good hay in ohio has been impossible!! i so miss my illinois hay

I should have pointed out that the hay I am feeding is very stemmy so they waste A LOT. So it sounds like a lot of hay when its actually not. Its an alfalfa/grass mix but has very little alfalfa in it. I would think in 4 flakes they are maybe getting 3 after leaving so much waste. I am going to start beet pulp this week. I couldnt do it earlier as it was too cold and would just freeze. I wont feed it without soaking first so just cant do it in cold temps. I did clip off the stallion yesterday and hes looking much better. His back is still up but his ribs are now covered. I also want to point out that i worked up slowly to that much feed

I have tried weight builder in the past but i have never had a horse that would eat that stuff. And I have to say it smells terrible

The biggest one worrying me is the overo mare. She is looking a little better but still very thin. I was really hoping to get weight on her before fly season so we could get the surgery done on her eye.

 

[hhpminis]

Glad to hear your ponies are looking a little better.

As far as the beet pulp, we soak ours in the house in the winter. It has become a decoration in the kitchen sink. LOL

 

[Lisa-Ruff N Tuff Minis]

Glad to hear your ponies are looking a little better.

As far as the beet pulp, we soak ours in the house in the winter. It has become a decoration in the kitchen sink. LOL

Yep same here in fact I am getting pretty strong and can now easily carry out 2 -5 gallon buckets full of beet pulp from the house all the way to the barn.

 

[kaykay]

i cant soak anything including beet pulp or hay cubes in the house. I have a son with horrible allergies and all he has to do is walk by it and will immediately swell up and start sneezing. Poor kid!