JaiteraMiniatures
Well-Known Member
We have an older Miniature gelding who has always been very easy to keep weight on, but this last winter hit him pretty hard and he lost a good bit of weight (he's in his late teens now). We had the vet out to float his teeth and we switched his grain over to Senior feed (our other Minis are on the Mini/Pony feed and they do wonderfully on it). Since then he's put on a considerable amount of weight, but he's still a little too lean for our taste and we are worried that once all the nice summer grass is gone he'll have trouble keeping it on. Anyway, I know for large horses cornoil or soaked alfalfa cubes can be good for putting weight on, but I also know Minis and ponies can be a little more sensitive to those "richer" diets. He's currently getting about a 1/4 scoop of Senior twice a day (not sure what it is in Ibs) while our others are getting basically a small handful of the pony feed (and they are by NO means lean
)...it's just wild that he so quickly started looking like an "old man". He's always been a very stout horse, eating exactly what his pasture-mates eat, but it is quite obvious that his needs have changed in the past few months.
So, my question is, do you have any specific grain, supplement, or anything else you've added to feed that's helped the old guys keep weight on? Should we try upping his feed again? Of course, we will consult our vet if we feel like he is regressing again, but for now we are just looking for suggestions.
Thanks in advance!
So, my question is, do you have any specific grain, supplement, or anything else you've added to feed that's helped the old guys keep weight on? Should we try upping his feed again? Of course, we will consult our vet if we feel like he is regressing again, but for now we are just looking for suggestions.
Thanks in advance!