What Is the Best Horse Food for Keeping Weight On?

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dadoy

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Nov 2, 2025
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Hello everyone.

I've been trying to help my horse gain weight after a long recovery period, but there are so many different feed options that I'm not sure what actually works best. Some people recommend alfalfa, while others suggest beet pulp or high-fat concentrates.

I also hear mixed opinions about grain-based feeds versus forage-only diets.

My horse is healthy according to the vet but still looks thinner than I'd like. What horse food has worked best for your horses?

Are there any brands or feeding schedules you would recommend, and what should I avoid?
 
dadoy said:
Hello everyone.

I've been trying to help my horse gain weight after a long recovery period, but there are so many different feed options that I'm not sure what actually works best. Some people recommend alfalfa, while others suggest beet pulp or high-fat concentrates.

I also hear mixed opinions about grain-based feeds versus forage-only diets.

My horse is healthy according to the vet but still looks thinner than I'd like. What horse food has worked best for your horses?

Are there any brands or feeding schedules you would recommend, maybe something from Talis Us Pet Store, and what should I avoid?
Click to expand...
thanks in advance for any help
 
I use micronised linseed - a scoop every day.

This helps my oldies (5 x 32yo) in winter.

To get a quick weight gain, I give the, Cushcare by Dodson & Horrell even though no one has Cushings.

www.dodsonandhorrell.com

CushCare Condition

A unique coarse crumble, CushCare Condition has been scientifically designed by our experts to provide conditioning calories in a low starch, low sugar horse feed that is suitable
www.dodsonandhorrell.com www.dodsonandhorrell.com

Also, soya oil in their food but they can hate that so add very gradually.
 
If you have worries I'd recommend talking to a trained nutritionist because what works for one horse may not for another and it could also depend on what work you want to be doing and what he's recovering from.

As a rule start with good quality ad lib forage - grass. hay, haylage - and either a balancer or multivitamin and mineral powder and work from there.
 
The last "trained nutritionist" I spoke to basically said only her firm's food was good for a horse/pony, and the rest were basically dangerous or poison! Apparently Zero chaff is the spawn of Satan. Who knew?

So, try and find an independent trained nutritionist and not a feed helpline on the back of a feed bag. I learned my lesson.
 
@Frances144 that's why paying an independent one is usually the best way to go, and they'll also visit to assess rather than go on an owner's description that may not be accurate. That said I've spoken to feed company nutritionists in the past and the ones I used weere helpful and would rcommend other makes if thy didn't have comparable products. That said ifI neded help now I would go for an independent, at the time I didn't know any though and was floundering in the well of Jim's ulcers and PPID.
 
I did an online equine nutrition course years ago (as did @newforest ). I don't remember much, other than the course writer kept going on about amazing sugar beet was for adding fibre without increasing calorie intake too much, so I wouldn't have thought it would help weight gain much. Sorry not a lot of help!
 
@Bodshi sugar beet's a funny one. It actually has a high DE so fed at a good dry weight before soaking it's useful for weight gain. However a little bit soaked in plenty of water (soak it for longer than stated and it will expand more) and it gives fatties what they think is a proper feed without many calories, To be a useful source of fibre you'd have to be feeding it at a rate where the calories were significant though. It's also useful as a means of getting fluids in in this hot weather.

For example
Unsoaked Speedibeet has a DE of 11MJ/kg
Spillers Digest and Conditioning Cubes have a DE of 12MJ/kg
Spillers Horse and Pony Cubes have a DE of 8.9MJ/kg
Spillers High Fibre Cubes have a DE of 8.4MJ/kg
 
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