Ask the Nutritionist: Dr. Getty's Forum for Equine Nutrition
Welcome to my forum.
Here you will find more than 6 years of questions and my answers. It is searchable and offers a great deal of information.
Currently, I am discontinuing new questions. This may change in the future, but in the meantime, please know that It has been a true pleasure serving you.
Take a look at my Nutrition Library and Tips of the Month for a variety of answers on selected topics. Be sure to sign up for my monthly e-newsletter, Forage for Thought.
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All the best,
Dr. Getty
Hi TA,
The first place I would look is the health of the bacterial flora in the hind gut. You can feed the best diet but if these bacteria are not adequate in number, your horse will not get the benefit from his forage and therefore, will not gain weight.
The product I generally recommend is Ration Plus because this is a prebiotic that feeds all of the bacteria. A probiotic only provides a few specialized bacteria, which is not the best choice. I can ship Ration Plus to New Zealand, but if you can find something similar or a really potent probiotic in your area, that would be the most economical for you.
The next thing I would look at is the level of calories in his diet. He should have access to hay and or good pasture at all times. If this is currently the case, then you can take a look at his meals and provide a high fat feed.
I hope this is helpful. Keep me posted.
All the best,
Dr. Getty 
Where are you from? Bayfield, Colorado
Hi Amanda,
The goat's milk certainly added fat and additional calcium, which your mare certainly needed. However, horses are lactose intolerant and giving them milk can lead to excessive gas, diarrhea, and even colic. So, a better choice to get a lactating mare into condition would be the addition of flaxseed meal (for omega 3 fatty acids) and alfalfa (for calcium).
All the best,
Dr. Getty
Where are you from? Bayfield, Colorado