|
|
 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 559
 
| What do you feed you hard keeper horses ? I bought a mare last August , she has been the hardest keeper I've ever had! She's completely healthy , no issues .. No ulcers , wormed regularly, had teeth done, etc. when I bought her she was ribby & underweight . I got her to weight . Especially over the winter when she was on TC senior & beet pulp . I cut the beet pulp out for the summer, bc it's a pain . Every since then she seemed to slowly lose condition . I switched her to adm seniorGLO bc she wasn't liking the TC senior very much.. (Never has) so I started her on 6 lbs of seniorGLO a month ago. She's on grass pasture at night & stalled with unlimited grass hay during the day , which she isn't a big hay eater at all now that the grass is green . She seems to keep losing condition , between riding & her sweating . She just blinks weight off ! I upped her to 8 lbs of seniorGLO recently . I didn't know if I should wait & see what the 8 lbs does or add a fat supplement too.. I just don't want her losing anymore condition .. You can slightly see ribs , not bad . But I'm afraid if she loses anymore she'll be ribby . Her butt was filled out great , but it looks less filled in too.. So any suggestions ? Anyone else have a very hard keeper like this ? What keeps them filled out & looking good ?! Thanks ! |
|
| |
|
  Twin Sister to Queen Boobie
Posts: 13315
   
Location: East Tennessee but who knows?! | How much does your horse weigh?
The SeniorGlo they recommend 6 pounds for a horse that's 900-1100 pounds. If you horse ideally weighs more than that, you'll need to feed more than 6 pounds. I've found what they list on the bag is usually the minimum for a hard keeper anyhow.
The SeniorGlo also only has 8% fat. In comparison, Equine Senior has 5% fat and Ultium has 12.4% fat and Triple Crown Senior has 10 % fat. Feeding more fat might help some.
While she may have access to a lot of grass, it takes extremely good quality grass and hay to keep weight on a hard keeper horse with just feed. That's why I feed some alfalfa cubes. I feed beet pulp to stretch my hay.
I started feeding Chaffehaye to my hardest keeper about a month ago because he'd dropped off and his ribs were starting to show. I've seen a big improvement and we're only 3 bags in. I only feed about a gallon a day.
EDITED TO ADD - As far as feed weight comparison, my appendix horse is 1250 when at good weight. He's on Strategy (original) and he's getting 7 pounds per day.
Edited by Fairweather 2014-05-25 8:05 PM
|
|
| |
|
 Ditch the Stirrups
Posts: 5369
Location: Sorrow Not! Defending against workplace bullies | This is what is finally starting to work on my older hard keeper Arab. Two medium size coffee cans twice a day of senior feed (I am using John Lyons). I soak it in water and give a good vitamin (I use Equerrys Choice) plus about a half cup of corn oil and a squirt of Red Cell. Along with this he gets a good portion of alfalfa pellets twice a day, also soaked.
I bring him up to eat separately because the other horses run him off. After he eats all this I let him back with the others so he still can eat some hay, but he is not depending on it.
Good luck! Mine has always been a hard keeper but last winter he really dropped a lot of weight. I have to look out for him because he is the smallest and weakest. |
|
| |
|
Veteran
Posts: 268
| I have one I need to feed to heck out of for her to keep weight on...I just starting using Tribute Feed about 4 months ago and wow I am impressed... I feed the Essential K and Ultra mixed. I also add some CocoSoya oil. We feed alfalfa grass hay. She is very picky and would not eat soaked Beet pulp. She has not looked this good and I am thinking it's the Tribute....I fed Woody's before and she liked it too but she is "rounder" in the loin now. We are now getting the grass so I hope it helps as well.... |
|
| |
|
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 559
| This mare weighs 1050 lbs. 1100 tops .. Maybe I should just add the beet pulp back in if I have too.. Was just trying to get away from that bc it's a total pain for me . I thought about adding the adm healthyglo nuggets .. Anyone ever feed those with success ? |
|
| |
|
Elite Veteran
Posts: 682
Location: Northwest | Fancy Lass - 2014-05-25 5:10 PM
What do you feed you hard keeper horses ? I bought a mare last August , she has been the hardest keeper I've ever had! She's completely healthy , no issues .. No ulcers , wormed regularly, had teeth done, etc. when I bought her she was ribby & underweight . I got her to weight . Especially over the winter when she was on TC senior & beet pulp . I cut the beet pulp out for the summer, bc it's a pain . Every since then she seemed to slowly lose condition . I switched her to adm seniorGLO bc she wasn't liking the TC senior very much.. (Never has) so I started her on 6 lbs of seniorGLO a month ago. She's on grass pasture at night & stalled with unlimited grass hay during the day , which she isn't a big hay eater at all now that the grass is green . She seems to keep losing condition , between riding & her sweating . She just blinks weight off ! I upped her to 8 lbs of seniorGLO recently . I didn't know if I should wait & see what the 8 lbs does or add a fat supplement too.. I just don't want her losing anymore condition .. You can slightly see ribs , not bad . But I'm afraid if she loses anymore she'll be ribby . Her butt was filled out great , but it looks less filled in too.. So any suggestions ? Anyone else have a very hard keeper like this ? What keeps them filled out & looking good ?! Thanks !
Nutrena XTN! |
|
| |
|
Elite Veteran
Posts: 669
Location: Central Texas | I have 2 TB's and I feed 7 1/2 pounds of a 12/8 pellet, 2 lbs beet pulp shreds and 3 scoops of Cool Calories per day. They get free choice grass hay.
|
|
| |
|
 Crazy Doggy Mommy
Posts: 1419
Location: Where Governor's make the liscense plates | I have an extremely picky hard keeper who gets alfalfa twice a daily with a leaf of grass each feeding and just one scoop of nutrena senior. It has beet pulp already in it AND probiotics so I don't have to mix in anything. |
|
| |
|
The Resident Destroyer of Liberal Logic
Location: PNW | I have a 16.3 QH that weighs about 1300-1500 lbs when he is in shape. He's a large man.
He gets basically free choice BEAUTIFUL grass/alfalfa mix hay, (8 lbs) WellSolve L/S by Purina, (1 lb) Amplify by Purina, and (4 lbs) Max E Glo stabilized rice bran by MannaPro per day, split into two feedings. I forget what the exact poundage is because he's at a trainer's and I haven't been responsible for feeding him in like six months.
Even in his "bulkiest" shape - you can still see rib outlines when he moves. His butt, shoulders, neck, legs, EVERYWHERE is muscley and gorgeous, he's just very slender. And that's how he's always going to be. Good luck! Keep your 12 gauge handy in case any turkeys are prowling! |
|
| |
|
Fire Ant Peddler
Posts: 2881
| Tall lanky horses just need more feed. When I choose a feed I find something that picky eater likes and everyone else has to eat that. Find a feed that he likes. I do not add a lot of other things just Platinum Performance.
One thing that has definitely helped is putting the horse on thyroid medicine. (Thyro L) I was looking at him this morning when I let him out and was trying to decide if he was too fat.
To sum things up
1. Find a quality feed that the horse likes
2. Use a quality supplement and keep things simple. (the horse needs to like the supplement too)
3. Make sure that you feed enough and feed twice a day
4. Have a blood test for thyroid issues---about $65.
|
|
| |
|
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 559
| The mare I have is only 14.3 in height . She racing bred but not TB.. She is racey built though . I don't think she'll ever be fat , but I won't stand skinny ! I love to hear what works for everyone & their hard keepers :) I may try adding rice bran to her feed . She loves the adm seniorGLO . But she's very picky about supplements so ill have to be careful with what I add. |
|
| |
|
My Steak better Kick!
Posts: 1627
Location: trying not to melt | Six pounds of seniorglo plus a pound of healthyglo nuggets every day work for my big lanky guy.He is a TB so he is just built to be leaner. |
|
| |
|
 Owner of a ratting catting machine
Posts: 2258
| I would do 1/2 tube of ProBios twice a day for 7-10 days, without fail. When they get thin and ribby, picky, and eat slow, sometimes it's because their digestion isn't working well. I would also be feeding 6-8 lbs of alfalfa pellets, 2 lbs of rice bran, and 6 lbs of Strategy, Safechoice, milled COB, or similar.
If you feed a higher quality like Ultium, 6 lbs is probably enough for your size of horse and you don't need to add rice bran. If you want fast results, Ultium and 1 cup of Cool Calories split into two feedings a day will really help, along with 6 lbs of alfalfa pellets and free choice hay. I wouldn't be shy feeding SmartPak muscle mass. I've had some cool results with just one bucket of it
Triple Crown Complete is good, but I like the Ultium more. I was feeding rice bran with TCC, but dropped it with Ultium. Mine look and feel amazing, soft shiny coats, filled up toplines, lots of energy. Pretty pleased with it, I've been feeding it since December. |
|
| |
|
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 559
| Thanks guys !! I think I may try the 6 lbs of seniorGLO & add healthyGLO or go back to adding beet pulp with 6 lbs of seniorGLO .. Or maybe just keep her on 8 lbs of seniorglo & see where that gets me. I'm not really sure which would be the most bang for my buck .. |
|
| |
|
 Warmblood with Wings
Posts: 27846
Location: Florida.. | Fancy Lass - 2014-05-25 8:10 PM What do you feed you hard keeper horses ? I bought a mare last August , she has been the hardest keeper I've ever had! She's completely healthy , no issues .. No ulcers , wormed regularly, had teeth done, etc. when I bought her she was ribby & underweight . I got her to weight . Especially over the winter when she was on TC senior & beet pulp . I cut the beet pulp out for the summer, bc it's a pain . Every since then she seemed to slowly lose condition . I switched her to adm seniorGLO bc she wasn't liking the TC senior very much.. (Never has) so I started her on 6 lbs of seniorGLO a month ago. She's on grass pasture at night & stalled with unlimited grass hay during the day , which she isn't a big hay eater at all now that the grass is green . She seems to keep losing condition , between riding & her sweating . She just blinks weight off ! I upped her to 8 lbs of seniorGLO recently . I didn't know if I should wait & see what the 8 lbs does or add a fat supplement too.. I just don't want her losing anymore condition .. You can slightly see ribs , not bad . But I'm afraid if she loses anymore she'll be ribby . Her butt was filled out great , but it looks less filled in too.. So any suggestions ? Anyone else have a very hard keeper like this ? What keeps them filled out & looking good ?! Thanks !
so the other diet was working ? why did you change it? the mare has been a hard keeper and a picky eater per your past threads on the subject for the past months and you changing her diet around to find something and I think if you find something that works Id not change it.. 
-----
|
|
| |
|
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 559
| Bc she hated the TC .. I was sick of forcing her to eat it . She loves the adm.. Acts nothing like she did with the TC . The only thing I changed at first was taking the beet pulp away , & left her on 7 lbs of TC senior & she started losing condition on just the TC . So it wasn't working anyways . I'm pretty sure the beet pulp was the biggest factor . I just hate messing with that extra step every morning. The adm is doing just as good as the TC . And it is cheaper , and she likes it alot better . So that was a win win either way . |
|
| |
|
Warmblood with Wings
Posts: 27846
Location: Florida.. | ok must have misread.. I thought you wrote she was losing condition and weight on adm.. apologies. |
|
| |
|
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 559
| Ohh no , sorry I may not have been clear . Yes, she was losing on the TC too.. I've never seen a horse so hard to keep weight on . She doesn't look bad by any means , she's always going to have that racehorse look, but she did look fuller on the beet pulp . I just didn't know if adding more fat would get her filled out like the beet pulp did , or if that's only going happen with beet pulp . |
|
| |
|
 1D Lawn Mower
Posts: 1417
Location: Southeast, Texas | I have a super hard keeper too. She burns calories sleeping. She is on safe choice original 3x daily. 6lbs per feeding. She gets cool calories 3x a day top dressed to her feed. Manna pro supplements 1lb 3x a day. Free choice chaffhaye in her stall, and turn out at night. It's working. Took her a while to eat the chaffhaye, but now she loves it. I've seen a huge difference on the SC/CC/MP combination. |
|
| |
|
 Sock eating dog owner
Posts: 4553
Location: Where the pavement ends and the West begins Utah | This maybe up your ally. Purine Athlete mixed with grain. When rode 16 ounces when not rode 8 ounces.this is straight fat only.pick a feed and stay with it. My horses will eat anything I put in the grain bucket if I keep the main ingredients the same. |
|
| |
Folks on-line