What to feed a skinny horse?

[Ashley]

I am takeing in a big horses, 15.2 on Friday. He is skinny and in need of a couple hundred pounds. He isnt getting fed on a regular basis so not sure where to start.

What should I start him on/at and how much?

I have plenty to choose from. I have grass hay and alfalfa hay. I also have senior, youth, beat pulp and alfafa pellets. I seen a pic of him this spring when he was being feed and he looked awsome. THen he was getting 4 flakes of hay a day, and 8 pounds of grain.

I know when/if he gets fed now he gets senior and grass hay

 

[chandab]

Work him upto free choice grass hay; I'd start out slow only to see how his system handles regular meals.

As a full-size horse, depending on size/breed, he'll probably need around 20# or more of feed /day.

After you see how he handles the grass hay, then slowly add in other feeds; senior is a good choice since its easy to digest. Alfalfa hay and pellets are also good, as long as it agrees with him (I have one that doesn't do well with alfalfa hay, but does ok with the pellets). And, soaked beet pulp is always a safe choice (my senior half-Arab gelding isn't a fan of soaked feeds, so it is all I can do to get him to eat 1# beet pulp dry measure, then soaked). [He doesn't like the forage cubes I currently have, they are 60% alfalfa, 30% grass, 10% oats. He won't touch them, everyone else dives right in.]

I'll try to help you with quantities, after you get him home and get him started on regular meals of grass hay.

Oh, and the usual, check his teeth just to be sure he isn't having any issues with them.

 

[Ashley]

I should say he gets hay everyday now, but the owner of the barn feels one flake per horse per feeding is enough. 15.2 for god sakes he needs way more then that. I brought some treats out last night and he wanted them so bad he was like nippy dog who hasnt ate.

He did have his teeth floated in July. She did tell me that he is missing 3 back teeth and he has one that needs to be floated at least once a year or it gets to out of control. Here is a pic from sept. but hes pretty thin. I will post new ones on Friday. And if you havent see my other posts he is 27 years young and a total sweet heart on the need/want and desire for food. He is kinda pushy now and drags you to any bit of food he sees, but at this point I cant blame him. I think once he realizes he will be fed and it will be done 2 times a day he wont have to worry about it leaving.

 

[Gini]

Ashley he's beautiful even tho he's quite thin!

Chandab gave you some good advice when it comes to bringing him back. Slow is the word. Don't want to overload him too fast. Are you eventually going to give hay free choice in the future? I find my older one's prefer it that way. Good luck with him and bless you for taking him in!!! I can't believe people letting them get that way right before winter. grrrrrr

Gini

 

[chandab]

I forgot you said he is 27 years old.

For reference, here's what I feed my 25 year old half-Arab gelding (he's 15.2H and about 1050#) he still has decent teeth:

#1 ration balancer daily (divided into two feeds)

3# forage pellets PM (alfalfa mix with 15% barley) [i added this last spring when he was looking a little thin, mostly due to last year's so-so quality hay, dry year. Also cheaper than the senior feed, he gets most of his nutrients from the ration balancer, so this is quality forage and calories.]

1# senior feed AM (just starting him back on this, he won't eat it in summer when there is grass to be had - he'll get 3# daily or maybe more this year).

1# beet pulp w/ 1cup whole oats mixed in (dry measure than soaked) mid-day [This is all he'll eat of soaked feed, he's not fond of soaked feed, yet.]

1-qt scoop whole oats PM (my BIL gave them to me after seeding, and the old guy was a little thin earlier this year)

1 cup whole oats AM

And, I stuff his hay feeder full of grass hay whenever its empty. [usually once a day. Probably holds 20-30# loose grass hay off the round bale. But, if its small squares; it can hold a 50# bale.]

I'm waiting on the equine dentist, she said she'd back in early Oct after we had a scheduling snafoo in August (I sure hope she makes it back, as he needs his teeth done, as well as at least half of the minis). [i sent her an e-mail last week, but it looks like I'm going to have to call her and soon, before it gets too cold.]

 

[Ashley]

Gini

He is not skinny due to his owner. She has been boarding him and the guy that runs it hasnt been careing for him. She doenst have the time to beable to get out there twice a day to care for him so she was either giving him away or putting him down. Had I not steped up he would of been put down yesterday.

As for hay, I dont think he will beable to be on free choice. He will have as much as he can eat at night, but during the day he will be out with the others. All my horses run together, minis, bigs and ponies. Everybody here is way to fat and dont think I could allow them free choice.

Should I limit him on grass? WE have been getting good rain lately and the back yard has grown up nicely so thought I would let him eat some of that. Just wondering if I should limit it or not.

 

[Gini]

Ashley

He is sooo lucky you took him... It would have been a shame to have let him be put down! You know with the good feeding program you are putting him on and the fact that he is going to be fed regularly he might just build up very quickly. The oats and senior feed with the beet pulp should help him gain.

Chandab gave some really good advice on the feed. Do you know if his teeth have been looked at. Before you go into your winter I think I would have them checked. Ashley you are a wonderful person to have taken this guy in. What a great addition to your family. Please keep us posted on how this guy does. Most importantly loads of pictures!!!

 

[Ashley]

I was told his teeth were floated in July. I was also told he has 3 missing molers and has one that needs to be filed regulary to keep it down as the one above it is gone.

I need to get the dentist out here for my other old guy yet this year so will probably have them looked at again to just make sure.

The pics I seen of him this spring when he was fed he was in great shape not at all skinny. So I am hopeing just giving him food regularly will help.

 

[Reijel's Mom]

Do watch carefully to see if he can even eat hay very well. My old mare stopped being able to eat hay after a dental - she had some loose teeth apparently and lost them during the floating - those are very powerful tools! Obviously these teeth were going to go at some point, anyway, so floating is always a good idea, it's just that that was the immediate end to my mare eating hay. Maybe that is part of the reason this guy lost weight so fast if he just had a dental in July.

My girl lives off of senior and soaked beet pulp, and in the summer she does fine with chewing grass. Wish I lived somewhere where she could have grass all year round.

 

[chandab]

Should I limit him on grass? WE have been getting good rain lately and the back yard has grown up nicely so thought I would let him eat some of that. Just wondering if I should limit it or not.

Yes, limit his access to grass, just like you would in the spring with new growth; often in the fall, especially with rain comes a growth spurt in the grass and it can be just as rich as spring grass and cause problems. So, just go slowly.

 

[Ashley]

He eats hay just fine, actually far better then my 24 year old. He lost weight because he wasnt being fed anything for 2 months(there pasture was mostly sand). And when he does get fed now its only a flake a horse a feeding. I have gone to see him and was with him for over an hour, part of which I got to see him eat.