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 Crazy Doggy Mommy
Posts: 1419
 
Location: Where Governor's make the liscense plates | My horse is getting legged up currently and as usual he drops weight, but when I try feeding extra he wastes it. I've tried muscle mass and THE products which he hates. Actually he hates all supplements which is also another issue. His teeth and deworming are done routinely. His teeth were done today and looked good. He's super HOT in general- any ideas for stimulating appetite or a so called tastey supplement would be greatly appreciated. |
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 I'm Cooler Offline
Posts: 6387
 
Location: Pacific Northwest | Only thing that worked for mine was treating with omeprazole for a month. Then I changed her from grain (she was on Strategy Healthy Edge, then Ultium) to beet pulp and alfalfa pellets and SmartGut Ultra by SmartPak as a daily supplement. I did this a year ago and she's kept weight on ever since, including being ran regularly. |
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 Namesless in BHW
Posts: 10368
Location: At the race track with Ah Dee Ohs | Try feeding smaller portions more times per day. |
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Crazy Doggy Mommy
Posts: 1419
Location: Where Governor's make the liscense plates | livexlovexrodeo - 2015-01-21 7:34 PM
Only thing that worked for mine was treating with omeprazole for a month. Then I changed her from grain (she was on Strategy Healthy Edge, then Ultium) to beet pulp and alfalfa pellets and SmartGut Ultra by SmartPak as a daily supplement. I did this a year ago and she's kept weight on ever since, including being ran regularly.
is the smart gut just probiotics? I did try omeprazole when I first got him and it didn't help. |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| I second the ulcer treatment.
Also if the horse was mine, I would add fat buckeye has a fat top dressing it smells like cake mix. I also add 1/2-1 cup of flax.
If I think they are lacking something I will do red cell for a month |
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 Warrior Mom
Posts: 4400
| I've got one that will go off feed every now and then. I add a cup of calf manna for a few weeks and he eats it right up. |
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Expert
Posts: 2685
| Following.
I just recently got a gelding that was on 6qts of sweet feed plus 15-20lbs of baled alfalfa per day. At my house he is on 1lb renew gold, 1lb Empower Boost and THE MM and 5lbs baled alfalfa and free choice hay and he has dropped just a little weight. I would like to start riding him everyday but I can't stand to see him lose more weight.
I can up the alfalfa a little but I can't afford to feed him solely alfalfa nor do I want him to be on a diet like that.
My hay is good hay, he just doesn't want it as much as I would like and I don't want to add to his feed really. Maybe his body just requires more protein? I can handle that lol. Should I up the protein? I can do that. I just don't want to up the protein if that's not it...
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I'm Cooler Offline
Posts: 6387
Location: Pacific Northwest | FirstFirewater - 2015-01-21 5:37 PM
livexlovexrodeo - 2015-01-21 7:34 PM
Only thing that worked for mine was treating with omeprazole for a month. Then I changed her from grain (she was on Strategy Healthy Edge, then Ultium) to beet pulp and alfalfa pellets and SmartGut Ultra by SmartPak as a daily supplement. I did this a year ago and she's kept weight on ever since, including being ran regularly.
is the smart gut just probiotics? I did try omeprazole when I first got him and it didn't help.
No, it's got other stuff in it too.
https://www.smartpakequine.com/smartgut-ultra-pellets--10990p
Or like someone else mentioned, Calf Manna (or they also make a Horse Manna...similar product but specialized for horses, not just general livestock) is a pellet form and you don't have to feed a lot of it to get a result.
But if the horse was in general lacking an appetite and not wanting to eat a lot, I would look at ulcers/some other type of digestive problem. My mare that I treated with ulcers and put on the SmartGut would not eat more than a pound of grain and picked at her hay. Now she finishes up everything I put in front of her.
Edited by livexlovexrodeo 2015-01-21 7:44 PM
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Crazy Doggy Mommy
Posts: 1419
Location: Where Governor's make the liscense plates | I'm thinking the red cell might make him hotter? Is there a blood test to run to see what he's lacking? I'm leaving towards calf manna as it sounds simple enough but of course if there's an underlying problem I want to fix it. He was treated for ulcers previously and he acted no different but maybe it's something father down in his GI tract? |
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Warrior Mom
Posts: 4400
| FirstFirewater - 2015-01-21 7:47 PM
I'm thinking the red cell might make him hotter? Is there a blood test to run to see what he's lacking? I'm leaving towards calf manna as it sounds simple enough but of course if there's an underlying problem I want to fix it. He was treated for ulcers previously and he acted no different but maybe it's something father down in his GI tract?
My horse didn't have any underlying health issues. He would just start turning his nose up at the grain every now and then. He's just extremely picky. Since I've added calf manna he doesn't leave a crumb. I only add 1 cup to his grain ration once a day .. seems to keep him on track . He eats his evening meal without it. |
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Crazy Doggy Mommy
Posts: 1419
Location: Where Governor's make the liscense plates | want2chase3 - 2015-01-21 7:57 PM
FirstFirewater - 2015-01-21 7:47 PM
I'm thinking the red cell might make him hotter? Is there a blood test to run to see what he's lacking? I'm leaving towards calf manna as it sounds simple enough but of course if there's an underlying problem I want to fix it. He was treated for ulcers previously and he acted no different but maybe it's something father down in his GI tract?
My horse didn't have any underlying health issues. He would just start turning his nose up at the grain every now and then. He's just extremely picky. Since I've added calf manna he doesn't leave a crumb. I only add 1 cup to his grain ration once a day .. seems to keep him on track . He eats his evening meal without it.
I'm truly finding that's just how my gelding is too. I joke with friends that he'd starve himself before he had to eat plain grass hay. |
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 Tried and True
Posts: 21185
Location: Where I am happiest | Empower is really good. It's high fat rice bran and has pre and probiotics in it. I just add it on top their grain. It added tons of weight on my rescue mare. What grain are you feeding and how much? What kind of hay are you feeding? |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| FirstFirewater - 2015-01-21 8:02 PM
want2chase3 - 2015-01-21 7:57 PM
FirstFirewater - 2015-01-21 7:47 PM
I'm thinking the red cell might make him hotter? Is there a blood test to run to see what he's lacking? I'm leaving towards calf manna as it sounds simple enough but of course if there's an underlying problem I want to fix it. He was treated for ulcers previously and he acted no different but maybe it's something father down in his GI tract?
My horse didn't have any underlying health issues. He would just start turning his nose up at the grain every now and then. He's just extremely picky. Since I've added calf manna he doesn't leave a crumb. I only add 1 cup to his grain ration once a day .. seems to keep him on track . He eats his evening meal without it.
I'm truly finding that's just how my gelding is too. I joke with friends that he'd starve himself before he had to eat plain grass hay.
I do know a few horses who developed kidney stones and required surgery from the calf manna due to high protein content. Be cautious as calf manna was not formulated for horses.
I don't know if red cell would make him any hotter, never had a horse get hot off of it.
As for blood test yes there is but most vets have to send it out
You can test for all vitamins and minerals if you want to pay for it |
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How to help a horse maintain weight and eat more.