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Ask the Nutritionist: Dr. Getty's Forum for Equine Nutrition

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Ask the Nutritionist: Dr. Getty's Forum for Equine Nutrition
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Need feed advice for malnourished 2-year old

I just received a 2 year old gelding who is slightly malnourished and therefore not as developed as he should be for his age (his knees have not even yet fused). This is due to poor care at his previous home, and, he probably lost weight on the long trip getting to me (27 hours on the truck). He is big for his age, and is a well-bred Hanoverian/TB cross. He is being wormed and looks sound, if a bit weak.

They already started him under saddle at his previous home (tho thankfully they did not try jumping him). My plan here is to turn him out for a few months (with in-hand work) so he can get healthy and develop more. He'll be in a large paddock with a retired gelding babysitter (which perhaps isn't ideal - not sure he'll get much horsing around/exercise with him!)

My main question is about feed. My barn manager suggested Nutrena Legacy, but we also are considering Youth. What do you think? I want to give him the best thing, without overtaxing his system, of course. (We have Omolene 200 but that's probably not ideal yet). We feed a high quality pure timothy hay.

I'm planning to add calf manna to whatever grain we choose, for some extra fat & protein (but I'm not sure how much to give of that). I was also planning on adding rice bran oil and Accel multi-vitamin.

Any input on this is appreciated! Many thanks in advance for your help. Let me know if I've provided enough information. Thanks again! Sondra

Where are you from? Connecticut

How did you locate this forum? Chronicle forumite

Re: Need feed advice for malnourished 2-year old

Eek! I just read below your advice re not feeding calf manna to horses. I've been giving my stallion (now 21) calf manna for years :-( Not much, but he has been getting it.

I also noticed your suggestion to feed ground flax instead of oil... for the baby, perhaps I should do that instead of the rice bran oil? (by the way, my stallion gets both ground flax and rice bran oil and eats everything, but that's just him :)


Finally, I wanted to add Farr XTN as one of the options along with Youth and Legacy. There's so much choice out there.

Thanks again!

Where are you from? Connecticut

How did you locate this forum? Chronicle forumite

Re: Need feed advice for malnourished 2-year old

Hi Sondra,

I am so pleased that you’ll be able to give him time to grow and develop before riding him.

Please do not give him Calf Manna. This is intended for cows, not horses. And, a high starch diet is not a good idea for a young horse – there are well documented cases of osteopathic disorders in young horses fed too much grain.

I do not recommend the Nutrena Legacy – it has corn and barley – both very poorly digested and increase the risk of damage to the bacterial flora in the hind gut. The Nutrena Growth is better – the additional lysine and methionine are important for his age.

To add additional fat, give him flaxseed meal. This is safe and highly nutritious. Nutra-Flax is a product that I recommend. You can add some rice bran oil, but I would suggest going with the flaxseed meal first and see if that is enough. Accel is excellent, so you’ll do fine with that.

I hope this is helpful toward getting this fella on track. Keep up the fine work!

All the best,

Dr. Getty

Re: Need feed advice for malnourished 2-year old

Hi again, Sondra,

I just noticed your second post -- so I think I answered your questions. The Farr XTN is also good, but I prefer to Youth for now since it has the additional amino acids he needs for growth.

You can also add some alfalfa to the mix -- the additional calcium will be beneficial.

All the best,

Dr. Getty

Re: Need feed advice for malnourished 2-year old

Dr. Getty - THANK YOU for your helpful info. He is currently on the Growth and Accel, and we'll be adding ground flax soon. I'll keep in mind the rice bran oil if needed.

Is there a way to determine how long he should stay on the Growth? And, can you recommend a feed for afterward?

As for adding alfalfa: this barn doesn't feed it because they say many of their horses tested positive to an alfalfa allergy (which I have issues with, but...). and they say their Timothy tested very high quality - I will check the calcium level it showed (though you can never be sure from load to load). They do stock Dengi but surely that would be too rich for the 2 year old. If the Timothy doesn't have enough calcium, is there something else you recommend instead of alfalfa for extra calcium?

Sorry for so many questions, and thanks again for your help!!

Sondra

Where are you from? Connecticut

How did you locate this forum? Chronicle forumite

Re: Need feed advice for malnourished 2-year old

Hi Sondra,

Dengie feeds would be fine for the two-year old. Tell me which ones they carry (since the product line in the US is very limited). These feeds are made from alfalfa. So it would be great to add this, since you are not able to get the hay.

You can keep him on the growth formula for another year. After that time, switch him to a low-starch feed such as Nutrena SafeChoice or Triple Crown Low Starch.

Timothy hay is fine and as long as you’re giving him Accel, he should be getting enough calcium. Alfalfa has more than calcium; it is also high in lysine, which benefits his growth. So, see what you can do with Dengie feeds – it’s not critical that you feed this; it would just provide an added boost.

You’re most welcome!

Dr. Getty