very skinny mini

[sams]

My new guy i got as a rescue case just will not gain weight, there has been some improvement not not neatlly enough. I just clipped him yesterday (big mistake) and had to put a winter blanket on him last night because he was freezing. I can see every rib an back bone sticking out, i have never had a problem fattening up a horse before. He has been wormed twice, he gets 3-4 flakes of hat 1bucket of hay cubes and about 3 liters of sweetfeed, 2 liters of pellets, and 2 liters of beet pulp split up through the day, i am scared to up his feed any more. I think this is already too much. What do you guys suggest?

 

[Jill]

How are his teeth? Do they need to be floated maybe?

What has helped me the most to add good weight to thin horses (of any age) is complete senior pellets.

Good luck and I'm happy you were able to rescue this guy!!!

 

[sams]

no problem with his teeth, and he eats everything right up, he is an older man though, he is about twenty.

 

[Jill]

I would try a complete senior feed and soft grass hay. It's simple, but this has worked for me to get weight on horses

 

[targetsmom]

I agree with Jill on the complete senior feed. I have a 23 year old big horse who has had half his small intestines removed (that's where most nutrient absorption occurs) and he does just fine on Nutrena Senior, mostly pasture, good quality timothy hay and a daily wormer. The senior feed will have probiotics and other things to help with absorption.

 

[billiethekid40]

I would also have a stool sample in to the vet to be tested... sometimes even when we deworm we miss something and it is just too easy to get a test done and know for sure to not get one done. I also second the Sr feed, even with "good" teeth on a senior horse they can have absorbtion issues. Sounds like he got a good home though, I am sure he will feel loads better soon and that you wil keep trying till you find the right diet for him!

 

[RobinRTrueJoy]

How long has he been getting fed by you?

I agree with the senior pellets too.

Does he drink a lot? I am wondering about cushings disease... no matter what mine didn't gain weight.

Is there diarrhea? He may not be absorbing nutients if there is damage to his intestines from over the years of worms and neglect.

Good Luck!

Robin

 

[sams]

he has been getting fed by me for about 2 months, he drinks alot of water, about double what the other guys do, there must be some dirreha because it is stuck on his tail sometimes, but i never see it, i just started him on probiotics on the week end.

Dont know much about cushings except they are very hairy, he acctualy has quite a thin coat?

 

[MiLo Minis]

I second the advice to get a fecal sample tested. And don't forget that you are seeing him every day and just clipped him. It takes a fair while to get weight back on a horse once it comes off and if you had clipped him when you first got him you may have been even more appalled at his condition. He may have put more weight on than you think just not as much as you would have liked.

Keep it up and add the senior pelleted feed to his diet and get that fecal sample!

 

[Ashley]

At 20 he really does need his teeth checked. First it would fix any issues he is having and second it would let you know what he has for teeth.

I am going to be different and say I hate senior. I have never had luck with it. I feed my old guy broodmare and foal feed. ITs higher in fat and he does so much better on it than senior. I soak everything down so he eats it better.

I would get ride of the sweet feed and replace it with senior or mare and foal, which ever you prefer, keep the beet pulp, add alfalfa pellets and then give him free choice grass hay.

 

[DeBault Farms]

Have you had the vet check your little guy? In the older horses cushings could be an issue. Just a thought.....

 

[pepperhill]

Try bumping up his fat intake. Instead of plain sweetfeed, give him Omelene 300, or Amplify. They are much higher in fat content than your average sweet feed. Especially the Amplify. Also, there is a supplement called Ultium that is a crumbled top dressing that is VERY high in fat. It comes in a square bucket and it doesn't take much. They are all made by Purina. I'm glad to hear you are using the beet pulp too. The added benefit to these feeds is that he will have the most amazing coat you have ever seen. When I started two of my horses on it I saw results within two weeks, and by three weeks they were really filling out! Best wishes.