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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 564
 
Location: Texas | What do you feed your hard keepers? I have one that's difficult to keep weight on & that's unusual for me:-) Thanks for any suggestions. |
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 Expert
Posts: 5290
 
| hammerdown - 2018-11-06 10:55 AM
What do you feed your hard keepers? I have one that's difficult to keep weight on & that's unusual for me:-) Thanks for any suggestions.
Triple crown senior! |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 599
| First, the best quality pasture and hays you can afford...
In Georgia, I seed and fertilize my pastures in spring and fall. I’m feeding NV timothy and NM alfalfa. All 3 of my horses get Omega Horseshine added to their feeds.
Easy keeper: 5 yr old stays fat on these alone but I feed her Triple Crown balancer to make sure she’s not missing anything.
Not so easy keeper: 11 yr old went downhill earlier this year on Renew Gold. I switched him to the balancer with no difference. After consulting with vets and finding no reason for him to be looking poor, I changed to Dynasport. He’s been on that for maybe 6 months and is now fat. I’ll probably cut him back and throw the balancer in his feed. |
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 Miss Laundry Misshap
Posts: 5271
| Purina Equine Senior Active.
T.H.E Muscle Mass
Alfalfa/ grass mix, heavy on the Alfalfa.
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Veteran
Posts: 286
| All the alfalfa they will eat |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 516
| Free choice, the best quality alfalfa you can afford and triple crown senior has really helped my 7 year old bloom. |
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 The Bling Princess
Posts: 3411
 
Location: North Dakota | We've been wanting to see some more weight on my husband's heel horse, so we've been feeding him Purina Senior Active, a hefty amount of alfalfa hay, and of course all the grass hay he can eat. He's really starting to put on the weight. |
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | Yes Triple Crown is a good feed, but if you have BlueBonnet in your area talk with a rep. BlueBonnet is the best for anytype of horse. My BlueBonnet feed store sells Triple Crown too, since BB mills the TC. |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 559
| Triple crown senior ! Along with alfalfa if possible :) |
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Expert
Posts: 1694
Location: Willows, CA | Check teeth, deworming up to date, several pounds of an alfalfa source am and pm, 1 to 1.5 pounds of Renew Gold total per day.
Easy fix, and more cost effective. |
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Veteran
Posts: 160
Location: Texas | I have a hard keeper myself. I have never had one. My research and vet advice that has worked is forage is your biggest weight gainer and maintainer. Alfalfa is the best. Two big chunks in the morning and two at night. Mine doesn't even need grain. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 889
Location: Kansas | I have a senior (27) and he is eating Purina Sr. and since he has no teeth left for chewing he gets Alfalfa cubes soaked into a mash. If the weather is good this is 2 x dy and when it gets colder we change to 3 x dy. He has held his weight well the last couple years with this. I also blanket, but only with a lightly insulated wind / rain proof blanket. Since he is on pasture with shelter if I blanket very heavy he will stand out in the weather as he gets to hot. I try to keep his pasture mowed so he has the more tender grass that is easier to tear and chew. There is a round bale (brome), but he just wads it up and spits it out. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 639
Location: God's country...aka TEXAS | Renew gold, alfalfa and oxygen mega oil!! |
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Expert
Posts: 3514
| Purina Ultium and Alfalfa hay with good pasture |
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 Star Padded Honey
Posts: 8890
Location: NW MT | I always question "why" they are a hard keeper. How are teeth? Are you dealing with ulcers? Is it just weight you need or is the horse lacking topline and/or muscle mass? Then go from there |
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Hard Keepers-What do you feed?