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 Total Germophobe
Posts: 6433
   
Location: Montana | I'm looking at another horse that is similarly bred to my last gelding I had, and he was a hard fellow to keep weight on no matter how good of feed you fed him (alfalfa, grain, pellets, pasture, etc.). I think most of it was because he was young and still growing and he'd get taller instead of fatter). So this time around I'm looking for a supplement that works good for that. My budget isn't huge, so would like to spend less than a dollar a day. These horses do NOT need extra oomph, they have a lot of go and can become hot and unruly if given too much hot feed (grain, green grass, starches). He kept weight on pretty good on green grass.
So, I've been looking at Cool Calories as it has a lot of good reviews and is in my price range, but I have also heard good things about a weight builder you can get at Tractor Supply (can't think of the name), it is also in my price range. And I don't want to just make one fat, but in good shape. So what's the best weight/muscle builder in the right price range for a young horse? Thanks!
Edited by mtcanchazer 2015-12-31 11:54 AM
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 Owner of a ratting catting machine
Posts: 2258
| 2 lb oats, 1 lb rice bran, 6 lbs alfalfa, twice a day, with free choice grass hay. Shine up like a new penny. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 695
Location: Missouri | Animal Element Detox worked great on our horse to gain weight! We fed strategy, detox and he was in a good pasture 24/7.
Edited by another has been 2015-12-31 12:10 PM
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Veteran
Posts: 268
| Have you thought about deworming with a power pack? I would do this then look at feeding more of what he needs. I am a believer n this for ones that are getting fed well yet still don't gain like they should.... |
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Meanest Teacher!!!
Posts: 8549
Location: sunny california | have your horse follow me around and eat what i eat cuz it sure is working for me |
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 Undercover Amish Mafia Member
Posts: 9964
Location: Kansas | gleam and gain 60 worked awesome for my gelding |
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 Bulls Eye
Posts: 6442
Location: Oklahoma | hoofs_in_motion - 2015-12-31 1:25 PM
gleam and gain 60 worked awesome for my gelding
This... AMAZING supplement. They also make the Gleam and Gain Original 41. The difference is the 41 is 41% crude fat and the 60 is 60% crude fat. |
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  Champ
Posts: 19623
Location: Peg-Leg Julia Grimm | I worm every new horse I get with Quest Plus, then make sure teeth are in good order. If they are not wanting to eat everything I give them, I try to find out why. If they are showing signs of ulcers or gut issues I address them. If they don't want to eat grain, it's probably because they have ulcers. Grain aggravates ulcers.
It has never failed to get them fat just by putting good food in front of them. Some horses need extra alfalfa and/or grain for a while until they get the weight on. Then I back off to maintenance levels. This has always worked for me. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 851
Location: West Texas | I wholeheartedly do not believe in weight gain supplements. They do little at an uneconomical cost. Most are simply high fat mixtures that are easily overcome (value wise) by actual food sources at nominal amounts. |
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 It's not my fault I'm perfect
Posts: 13738
Location: Where the long tails flow, ND | Tdove - 2015-12-31 2:07 PM I wholeheartedly do not believe in weight gain supplements. They do little at an uneconomical cost. Most are simply high fat mixtures that are easily overcome (value wise) by actual food sources at nominal amounts.
Agree.
Don't you want to find out why they aren't gaining weight in the first place? |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 851
Location: West Texas | Here is how I can come to this conclusion, based on the Cool Calorie supplement you mentioned:
Cool Calories - 99% fat (partially hydrogenated vegetable oil)...Feeding rate 2-4 ounces. Not a very good fat source, health wise. My understanding is that it will contain trans fat from cheap fat sources. That isn't the biggest issue. 2-4 ounces of even 100% fat doesn't add a considerable amount of actual calories.
4 ounces yields approximately 1 Mcal at a price of $1.30 (That is expensive and 1 Mcal added to the diet is VERY minimal) Example: adding 1 mcal to 20 Mcal/day diet is an increase of only 5%. In order to see much weight gain, you will need to add at least 4 Mcal/day (An increase of 20% to a 20 Mcal/day diet). To do that with Cool Calories (or any high fat, weight gain supplement), it will cost you roughly $155/month.
To me the best way to add calories is with highly digestible alfalfa. If you want to go a fat approach, rice bran can be a good choice. Let's say you can buy alfalfa cubes or pellets for $13/50lb bag.....You can easily add 4 Mcal/day with about 5 lbs of product. This will cost you only $40/month with the exact calorie gain.
If you wanted to go with a basic stabilized rice bran at $35/40 lb bag....You could add 4 Mcal/day with about 2 lbs of product. This will cost you only $53/month for the same 4 Mcal calorie gain.
Edited by Tdove 2015-12-31 2:51 PM
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Total Germophobe
Posts: 6433
Location: Montana | Thanks for all the good advice. I thought maybe there was some supplement I was missing out on because when I get a new horse, they all get started on the worming/vaccine program like if they've never had anything like that done. They have good grass/alfalfa hay, and either pellets or grain, and a mineral block or something similar. I've never had one so hard to get to put weight on. I sold him because of another reason but am looking at either a full sister or a half sister to him, and I know what kind of horse they are and what kind of keeper they are. I've never used Cool Calories or anything else like that, and that's why I'm asking for more info.
I believe horses should be kept as naturally as possible This horse didn't turn his nose up at anything...except bananas, lol. He liked to eat and he ate good, but I'm trying to ensure success for myself and my horses. :) I'll look into some other options than weight gain supplements.
Edited by mtcanchazer 2015-12-31 6:08 PM
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Expert
Posts: 1643
Location: Willows, CA | Those who know me have heard this before. "We feed horses into trouble, and then try to supplement them out of it". A roughage based diet without excess grain based feed added will easily keep weight on the horse if there system is allowed to use it. If you do feed grain, do not feed corn, and keep high starch concentrates to less than 1 1/2 pounds per feeding. If you have poor grass hay, add an alfalfa source to it. This not only provides some digestible energy, but helps slow the hind gut so the grass hay that your horse eats is better used. I use Renew Gold in the diet with great success at 1 to 1 1/2 pounds per day it provide usable calories and to improve the digestion of the roughage and ease bacterial caused inflammation in the stomach and small intestine. Also, be sure your horses teeth are in condition that allows them to chew comfortably so their hay is better used. Leave the weight gain supplements in the store.
Edited by winwillows 2015-12-31 4:49 PM
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 581
Location: Wherever They Send Me | Im so glad you started this thread...I was going to ask the same thing.  |
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 Twin Sister to Queen Boobie
Posts: 13315
Location: East Tennessee but who knows?! | posting from my phone & thought I could attach a pic of my OTTB before & after but I can't. There's a thread on here with it. He wouldn't eat Cool Calories or the low starch feeds - he's an ulcer case. I put him on straight grains, plain cheap rice bran, Remission (inexpensive minerals), Super Sport (amino acids), a couple pounds of chaffhaye, alfalfa, and grass hay. He's blossomed & his appetite is good. I've found beet pulp will make them hot but it does help some with weight & stretch hay. The biggest bang for the buck for me has been alfalfa & rice bran.
Edited by Fairweather 2015-12-31 6:51 PM
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 Money Eating Baggage Owner
Posts: 9586
Location: Phoenix | winwillows - 2015-12-31 2:48 PM Those who know me have heard this before. "We feed horses into trouble, and then try to supplement them out of it". A roughage based diet without excess grain based feed added will easily keep weight on the horse if there system is allowed to use it. If you do feed grain, do not feed corn, and keep high starch concentrates to less than 1 1/2 pounds per feeding. If you have poor grass hay, add an alfalfa source to it. This not only provides some digestible energy, but helps slow the hind gut so the grass hay that your horse eats is better used. I use Renew Gold in the diet with great success at 1 to 1 1/2 pounds per day it provide usable calories and to improve the digestion of the roughage and ease bacterial caused inflammation in the stomach and small intestine. Also, be sure your horses teeth are in condition that allows them to chew comfortably so their hay is better used. Leave the weight gain supplements in the store.
This! My horse arrived this time last year in yucky winter condition. About 100 lbs underweight, no energy, very little muscle mass.....I'd say he put on 200 lbs and he was on good alfalfa and half a pound of Renew Gold. The picture shows him at December, and 6 months later in June. Naturally he's shed out, but he was minimally exercised and he's never been bulkier and more stacked. PLUS he's level headed which is a HUGE bonus. .
Edited by hammer_time 2015-12-31 7:28 PM
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 Toastest with the Mostest
Posts: 5712
Location: That part of Texas | I had a rescue horse that was a hard keeper whom I used the Weight Builder from Tractor Supply on in addition to good feed. It worked really well for her and I could tell a difference in her weight gain when I didn't use it versus when I did. It helped to get her up to a much better weight faster and it was pretty inexpensive to use. I have another mare who always gets lean about late February/early March who it also helps to get her weight up if she needs it. |
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Total Germophobe
Posts: 6433
Location: Montana | Thanks for all the great advice! It sounds like something with rice bran in it is the way to go. I'll check into beet pulp, too, but if it makes one hot, I won't need that. This gelding didn't lack energy, I just couldn't get him to put on much weight.
But I will be doing some more research and hopefully find something that works great for me and him. :)
ETA: Does anyone have any experience with rice bran oil? I'm researching.
Edited by mtcanchazer 2015-12-31 9:25 PM
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Twin Sister to Queen Boobie
Posts: 13315
Location: East Tennessee but who knows?! | here's the before & after... He's 17.1 so he requires a lot of feed!
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 Member
Posts: 9
Location: Winslow, IN | I am a firm believer in Calf Manna. I know some people have trouble with their horses getting hot on it but I have fed it to multiple horses and never had one get hot. I bought a 3 year old off the track about 15.2 and big boned. After getting him home he lost all of his "steroid" muscle and looked somewhat bad. He continued to grow up instead of out so I put him on Calf Manna and he blew up like a tick and never once got hot. Just now turned 6 and still on Calf Manna and looks AMAZING! $25 for a 50lb bag and it lasts me about a month and a half. I will try to attach a picture.. |
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