I have a 11 year old Thoroughbred gelding. I use him as a hunter/jumper. He is very fit, but ribby. He is on a strict worming schedule and has his teeth floated. He is also a very picky eater. If I add anything new to his feed he just sniffs it and nibbles at it. Right now I have him on Blue Seal pacer, which is a 12% protein and 6 % fat. He is also on a fat supplement called Omegatin. Half the time he leaves his feed there or tosses it on the floor. Ive been through 3 feeds this year trying to find one he will eat. Ive tried 10%protein 10% fat feeds and feeds that have beet pulp. I also figured out he does not like the pellets in feeds. Of course thats where most of his nutrition is. He will sort his feed out.He would eat the feeds for a week then he would get sick of them. He is on a timothy/grass hay mix and I just started him on alfalfa cubes(he actually likes them). Could you please help me figure out what I can put in his feed to help him except it a little more? He is on regular exercise program. He just needs to gain a little bit of weight. Thanks for your help.

Where are you from? Pennsylvania

How did you locate this forum? horse nutritionists

Hi Sherry,

Many horses do not care for feeds that are concentrated grains. It really makes sense when you think about it because horses in their natural environment do not eat grain to any large extent. They crave grasses and other forage plants. This is what keeps their digestive systems healthy.

I would suggest that you feed him alfalfa (in addition to the grass hay). I took a look at Dengie Feeds – distributed by Lucerne Farms in the US for a list of their stores. Here is a list of stores that carry their products in Pennsylvania:
http://www.lucernefarms.com/PENNSYLVANIA.pdf

I recommend Alfa-A. This is a high alfalfa product and I can virtually guarantee that your gelding will enjoy it.

In addition, to add some more calories from fat, feed him a stabilized rice bran product such as Miracle Glo. He will likely enjoy this, as well.

Keep me posted!

All the best,

Dr. Getty

Thanks for replying. You are very helpful. Now this Alfa-A, can I replace his sweet feed completly? Will he have enough nutrition to keep him at a good weight? Ive heard the Ration plus is pretty good. Would this help him along with an oil?

Where are you from? Pennsylvania

How did you locate this forum? horse nutritionists

Hi Sherry,

Yes, you can replace his sweet feed completely with the Alfa-A, along with the stabilized rice bran. You won’t need to add an oil, since the rice bran is very high in fat. And, Ration Plus is excellent for maintaining weight and boosting appetite.

Dr. Getty