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Member
Posts: 35
| I recently purchased a OTTB that ran his last race on the 6th of March an I am wanting to put some weight on him, looking for suggestions. Also was wondering if it is common for trainers to only feed Alfalfa and not any grain? I was under the impression that he would be getting grain and hay when I delivered him to the trainer . |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 575
| As far as the grain in concerned, most trainers I know will feed it if you provide it. But it's not included in their feed program/prices.
Edited to add: is this a TB track trainer, or did you send him off to be worked under western tack?
Edited by rpreast 2018-03-15 2:44 PM
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 Expert
Posts: 1516
Location: Illinois | I've rehabed a couple injured ones in the past and just put them on rice bran like Max E Glo Nuggets or Nutrena Boost, started with about 1 cup 2x a day then worked up to 2 cups 2x a day. I also kept hay under them almost all the time, mostly to keep them busy as they needed to be still & not moving about much. Once they started back into riding they had gained weight by then and maintained fine through work on what they were eating. I'm a huge fan of the Boost and have loved results, but don't expect to have a fat horse in 2 weeks. It took everyone I've had it on about 2-3 months to get all bloomed out & their toplines filled in & their rear ends filled out. Around here it's about $32 a bag, but 2 bags last me a month or so per horse, which is a heck of a lot cheaper than the regular grain I feed. I also keep a white & mineral salt brick around for them to have or if I can't, I buy the loose stuff and add it to the feed. |
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| The TB trainers I know all feed grain and it's generally a high percent and fed by the bucket loads. Putting and keeping weight on some of them is tough and takes lots of time. Some will never bulk up ever. Its just not how they are made. |
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Member
Posts: 35
| Thanks everyone !!! I appreciate all the help and information. |
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 I'm Cooler Offline
Posts: 6387
Location: Pacific Northwest | I have an OTTQH who is all TB on the top side. She can be a sorta hard keeper but nothing awful. She never loses her topline. I feed her a bunch of Timothy hay with a small flake of alfalfa along with about 2lbs of Haystack Special Blend, AM and PM. in the AM she also gets Horse Guard multivitamin, Tight Joints Plus and SmartGut ultra.
I used to just give alfalfa pellets and beet pulp instead of the Haystack but she started not eating it. I had tried a different brand of beet pulp and even when I went back to the regular stuff I guess I destroyed her food-trust because she still wouldn’t touch it, so Haystack it is for now lol. |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 460
| All of the better TB trainers have very good feed programs. Owners spend a lot of money on their horses a month, and it shows. The trainers I worked for (as someone else also said) their diet is mainly grain, with a flake of alfalfa am and pm and free choice orchard. They get as much grain as they will eat, 3x a day. Usually this is purina ultium. They also got more vitamins and minerals than I could count. All of their horses were not the "tb track look". They all looked like large, fit quarter horses. My personal TBs get free choice pasture, between 4-6 flakes of alfalfa (depending on how much they will eat. Most don't have the biggest appetite). I used to feed purina omolene 200 and they looked great! However, I didn't like how high sugar content it was, so I switched. Now I feed alfalfa pellets, rolled oats, renew gold. They look fabulous! None of my tb's look like tb's. Also, just give him some time =] After they "let down", the weight will come on easier! |
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Member
Posts: 35
| He is at the trainer getting a handle and started on the barrels |
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Member
Posts: 35
| Katielovestbs he definitely doesn't look like your typical thoroughbred but he is thin and I was under the assumption that he would be fed grain and hay but he is only getting alfalfa at the person who is training him
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 460
| Can you talk to the trainer about feeding grain? Or bring in a couple bags of your own? |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 534
Location: Ohio girl moved to PA | Every trainer is different, so I would just talk to your trainer and ask that he be fed daily grain. When i sent my guy to training he needed weight in the first place and then on top of being worked 5-7 days a week, he really needed that extra help. I just took my own grain and supplements and she was happy to feed them. My guy was on Kalm Ultra along with DAC bloom and oil. He plumped up so nicely even while being worked that much. |
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 Veteran
Posts: 194
Location: Texas | We have fed nothing but alfalfa twice to three times a day and was more than plentiful for our performance horses. good quality hay/alfalfa beats grain anyday in my opinion! My horses will go off grain to eat their alfalfa.
Our horses are hauled 3 times a week and rode everyday doing multiple events. I have two OTTB |
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Member
Posts: 35
| I will be taking him some grain this weekend Katielovestbs. I just don't understand why he would feed his personal horses / futurity horses grain but not the outside horses |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 460
| He's possibly not graining the outside horses because that cuts in to his profits $$$. Glad you're taking him some grain! Is this a well established trainer?? Odd that he would lead you on to believe he is graining, and then not. |
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 Dancing in my Mind
Posts: 3062
Location: Eastern OH but my heart is in WV | I had a crash course in OTTB last year. Everyone tried to warn me that they are hard keepers (compared to my robust QHs). Boy they weren't kidding. With mine, he was "older" for a racehorse and he had a big "come down" period from whatever he was on to keep him racing. I am use to just turning my horses out on grass 24/7 and they stay fat and sassy (during the summer). I quickly found out, that was not the case with the TB. After trying different grains and meeting with a equine nutritious I have found that Tribute Calm Ultra topped with Essential K has helped him greatly. I also had to have his teeth done and a good worming cycle before the weight picked back up. |
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Member
Posts: 35
| Rolling J mine is a 4yr old and has only been off the track since last Saturday and actually ran his last race the previous Tuesday on the 6th. |
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Feeding the OTTB