How To Put Weight on a Underweight Senior Horse
Hey y’all! Today, I wanted to share with you tips for putting weight on a underweight senior Horse. You could use these tips for a rescue horse or a younger horse as well that is severely underweight. Please, keep in mind that I am not a Equine Nutritionist or a Veterinarian but these are things that I do.
Consult With Veterinarian: The very first thing you should do when dealing with an underweight horse is to call your veterinarian. I would have them de a blood test to make sure everything within their body is working correctly.
Check teeth: Next, you should have an Equine Dentist or your Veterinarian out to have their teeth floated. Your Horses teeth should be floated once a year and sometimes even every 6 months.
Eliminate Parasites: Another important thing to do is make sure your horse does not have any parasites. I personally de worm my horses every 6 months. Once in the Spring and once in the Fall. You could have your veterinarian do a fecal test to see if your horse is parasite free.
Now, that you have addressed overall health, teeth and parasites we can move on to getting a horse back to a healthy weight. If your veterinarian has made a recommendation for your feed routine then be sure to follow that. Here is what I did personally for my horse.
Quality Feed: Be sure that you are feeding a good quality grain. I personally am feeding Tribute Equine Senior Sport. It is a complete feed so it provides all of the forage needs. It is still best to feed hay if your horse can eat it.
Correct Amount of feed: Once you have found a quality grain. You can ask your veterinarian or read the chart on the back of the bag to ensure you are feeding the correct amount. Making sure your horse is getting the correct amount is crucial.
Four Feedings: I personally recommend feeding your horses daily feed amount in four feedings spread through out the day instead of two large feedings if possible. This ensure your horse doesn’t get too many calories in one feeding and will allow them to absorb them more efficiently.
Can they eat hay?: My Horse is unable to eat hay anymore so although he is getting a complete feed and that does provide everything he needs I give him soaked alfalfa cubes everyday with each feeding. If you feed your horse alfalfa cubes be sure that you are soaking them properly so your horse does not choke.
Do they have adequate shelter: It is important for any horse to have adequate shelter. When you’re trying to put weight back on a horse, if you live in cold climates you need to make sure they can stay warm. If they can’t be in an enclosed barn make sure they are blanketed properly. If your horse is too cold they will burn off precious calories.
Hopefully these tips will help you. As always I encourage others to do their own research as no horse will need the exact same feed routine. You can use these tips as a starting point.
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