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Member
Posts: 10
| I am new to this so please excuse me if I give to much or to little info! We feed our Quarter Horse Barrel Horses a 10% fat feed plus a high fate supplement 2x's a day. They are also out on pasture and stalled at night. They get A nice size flake of KY Alfalfa at night. I don't think the problem is feed. But they are all still a little ribby. One is 1/2 TB completely from his bottom side of papers so I assume he would be a bit ribby, but our other horses aren't. You can tell they are fed well and when a saddle is on them you can't notice it but, I know it's still there. We ride maybe 30 minutes a day mainly loping circles and some long trotting. Work patterns a couple times a week. Never a run at home. And we do a good bit of trail riding going up and down some hills. Like I said they get fed twice a day 2 scoops each time. Any ideas on how to get the ribs from not showing?
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Married to a Louie Lover
Posts: 3303
  
| How much feed, in lbs are you giving? And what is the name of the feed?
How good is your pasture? If it's not very good then 1 flake a day is not enough. I would try to get your hands on some good grass hay and add that in at night as well.
The good news is, they aren't terrible awful and appear to have some shine to their coats. I believe it is probably an issue with how much feed they are getting vs how much work they are being asked to do - likely they are slightly calorie deficient.
Also there is no reason the TB should be ribby based on his pedigree, I've had a lot of TB's over the years through my hunter/jumper career and not one of them was ribby. Sometimes they need to be fed differently, I would say the top one may need a bit more than the bottom one, but no reason he should be ribby. |
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 Tried and True
Posts: 21185
Location: Where I am happiest | I have had many TB's and none were ever ribby. No horse should be ribby irrigardless of breed. They need more calories plain and simple. More food = more calories = more weight. Increase their feed, all of it. Feed as much hay as they can/will eat and up their grain. It will take quite a while to get them back up to weight especially the top weight. |
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 Hugs to You
Posts: 7551
Location: In The Land of Cotton | They do need more feed. So, start with weighing the scoop of feed. All scoops are not equal. Then you can read the label on the bag of feed and see their recommendations. If you have no pasture, get some good grass hay as suggested. I would also email or show these pictures to your vet so that he can also make a recommendation. |
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Hungarian Midget Woman
Location: Midwest | Feed them more
rice bran is also great for adding weight. I like Nutrena Empower the best.
Edited by barrelracr131 2014-04-23 7:29 AM
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 Queen Boobie 2
Posts: 7521
| I agree with more feed. From the slight "gutty" appearance, I would evaluate the worm situation and probably look into probiotics or a prebiotic like Forco. |
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Pig-Bear Dog Lover
| The one on the bottom looks overweight... I would probably add more oats. And give them all the hay they can eat mine are on pasture too but I they eat hay am and pm because I lock them up long enough to eat it. |
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 Expert
Posts: 2604
Location: Texas | First thing to consider increasing should be the hay/pasture free choice 24/7 = all they can eat to where they are not quite cleaning it all up. That is when you know they are getting enough forage. Horses should have a forage first diet. If they can't maintain on that then you increase the concentrate/feed portion. You might consider adding a digestive product such as Forco or Fastrack to help them better utilize what they are eating. |
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 Midget Lover
Location: Kentucky | What brand of feed are they are on? |
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 Accident Prone
Posts: 22277
Location: 100 miles from Nowhere, AR | bennie1 - 2014-04-23 7:29 AM I agree with more feed. From the slight "gutty" appearance, I would evaluate the worm situation and probably look into probiotics or a prebiotic like Forco.
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 1196
Location: Wide open spaces, Canada. | Look shiny , but yes a little pot bellied. If they were mine I would add rice bran and oil, de worm and a conditioning program that includes collected long trotting to help lift that belly and build and strengthen the top line. |
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 Owner of a ratting catting machine
Posts: 2258
| Everyone on a roll this morning! I second the worming, probiotics, and rice bran AND free choice hay. You can do 1/2 tube of ProBios twice a day for like 5-7 days and change a LOT!
Mine are wormed every six weeks, get 6 lbs of Ultium split into two feedings, 6 lbs of alfalfa pellets split into two, 1 scoop of smartpak muscle mass, and free choice coastal. Loose ranchers mineral salt free choice. Everyone is like "Wow!" These are big 16.0+ hand running breds and they are so so pretty! |
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 Expert
Posts: 3782
Location: Gainesville, TX | Worm them and up their feed. More hay first (grass) and then more grain. You can also add oil to the grain for more fat. |
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 Hog Tie My Mojo
Posts: 4847
Location: Opelousas, LA | If they are already getting a 10% fat feed then why add a fat supplement?
I agree with the deworming and probiotics, but I would get away from the fat supplement and just add more forage and feed. You need enough protien to build the topline muscles. |
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Owner of a ratting catting machine
Posts: 2258
| Barnmom - 2014-04-23 9:54 AM
If they are already getting a 10% fat feed then why add a fat supplement?
I agree with the deworming and probiotics, but I would get away from the fat supplement and just add more forage and feed. You need enough protien to build the topline muscles.
I disagree with less fat. |
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 The Original Cyber Bartender
Location: Washington | I am always surprised at how few know to weigh their feed. Also what is the protein level of that hay your feeding? |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| I would get the teeth evaluated
Worm weekly for about a month to make sure everything is killed
I would give free choice hay
If at all possible I would give 5-10 lbs of alfalfa pellets twice per day. I soak mine to eliminate the choking hazard.
For grain, I would give a daily probiotic, a cup of flax that I grind up immediately before giving, a complete pelleted feed with higher fat content. I would top dress with red cell, sea buck, morinda care, or something similar |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 999
Location: Sunny So Cal | I would worm, get teeth checked and feed THE Muscle Mass. Muscle Mass works wonders, within 2 weeks they looked fantastic! |
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Hog Tie My Mojo
Posts: 4847
Location: Opelousas, LA | classicpotatochip - 2014-04-23 10:21 AM Barnmom - 2014-04-23 9:54 AM If they are already getting a 10% fat feed then why add a fat supplement?
I agree with the deworming and probiotics, but I would get away from the fat supplement and just add more forage and feed. You need enough protien to build the topline muscles. I disagree with less fat.
Why?
You are feeding 6lbs of a 12.5% fat feed plus alfalfa pellets which are usually about 17-18% protien and 2.5% fat at most. Makes your total ration about 7.5 % fat and 14.5 % high quality protien. Having enough high quality protien is just as important as having enough fat and 10% is plenty. |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 443
Location: Southern IL somewhere between KY and MO | I agree with what everyone is saying increase feed per weight. let them have as much grass hay as they will eat ie...round bale of hay works wonder in a hay ring or they will just stomp it to death. Mine were underweight going into the winter and I added black oil sunflower seeds 1 cup with each feeding. they are now fat very very happy fat horses. also if you can feed 3 times a day insead of two that helps too. |
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 Reaching for the stars....
Posts: 12708
| Xena looked a little like this when I took her blankie off this spring. 4 weeks of rice bran and being ridden again has filled her out. Along with proper nutrition and deworming, some horses actually need to be ridden to add weight on their backs and necks and butts. |
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