Help me feed Dylan

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KP nut

I'd rather be riding.
Dec 22, 2008
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Those with fatties will find it hard to be sympathetic but I am struggling to get weight on Dylan.

He is currently on unrestricted grazing with plenty of grass. He comes in for a large haynet daily.

And he is fed twice a day on Baileys conditioning cubes and Alfa A Oil at the amounts recommended for a horse his size in moderate work. He is maintaining on that, but not gaining and he really needs a bit more of a covering before winter hits. He is rugged when the temperature drops below about 14 overnight and when it is raining.

In terms of work I am riding 3 times a week in walk/trot only for 30-45 minutes so it's not really 'moderate' work but it's all his brain seems to be able to handle!

What should I add in? Some have suggested a big slug of soya oil in his feed. Or speedi-beet? Others have said high protein feed.

Teeth are fine and last worm egg count was zero.

Thanks!!
 
Us with fatties sympathise because we have problems with weight aswell....just the opposite problem!
I've always been led to believe that oil is the way to go. Adds fat without feeding bucket upon bucket of extra feed.
 
You could also try Coolstance Copra, which is coconut meal. It's very palatable (their food smells like Bounty bars) and contains lots of oil and carbohydrate, low sugar and protein. It keeps Mattie's ribs under cover.
 
I'm a big fan of ringing round some feed companies & getting expert advice, a lot of them are very good & will recommend products they don't make if they think it's right for your horse.
 
Micronised linseed or copra would be my first choices, with a base of something like fast fibre (but only because I don't like alfalfa and mollasses or soya oil).

Perhaps something like pink powder to make sure he is using the food properly as well :)
 
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When I needed weight on my old boy I stuck him on ready mash extra, and he looks fab on it really helped him. Used it with senior mix as well so you can just add it your feed. Not sure if it makes them fizzy as he's retired now but I know a few people who have used it for condition/weight gain.
 
Linseed is my go to for weight gain, in the old days it was barley rings but they have a tendency to make horses fizzy but if you want that it might be an option :) I've heard lots of good things about coolstance copra but not actually used it myself. Once the grass goes off in winter I used to give my old boy buckets of soaked grass nuts to make up for it :)
 
Ok so I think I have narrowed it down to micronised linseed, Ready Mash Extra or a slug of oil in his feed.... Won;t switch to Coolstance Copra because I'd need to take him off the other stuff he's on according to the website, and I want to add something in, not change everything. Looks good though so one for the future maybe...

Pros and cons of any options?
I was thinking the linseed can be fed dry but the mash needs soaking. Oil might add calories but does it do any other good? The linseed is high in oil anyway.
 
I would increase the Alfa A Oil over 2 feeds a day - we do this with Tess if she starts to drop in winter, normally we can start reducing it again in a couple of weeks.
 
Micronised linseed has lots of benefits, its high oil but in meal form so it isn't affected by temp changes (liquid oils can go very gloopy in cold weather) and it can be more palatable to some horses esp if feeding more of it (v's liquid oil), it also puts a great shine on their coat and is high in Omega 3's so unlike some other oils is more anti-inflammatory than those high in Omega 6's and its also high in proteins for muscle development :) Plus it's very cost effective to feed, a 20kg sack at 20 something pounds (from charnwood milling) lasts my guys all winter :)
 
Micronising damages less of the nutirition than pressing for oil does - and I think from memory micronised has omegas balanced in the correct ratios too
 
My Arab x Connie used to struggle to hold weight in winter so was put on HB formula from the vet, it wasn't cheap though. xx
 
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