I have a TB gelding who is very high energy and who shows many of the anxiety issues of OTTBs such as cribbing and weaving. I have found that he is happier and more level headed on the following diet -- free access to grass hay, ration balancer (enrich 32), some alfalfa (about 1.5 lb of pellets am and 2 lbs of 50/50 alfalfa/timothy hay cubes p.m.). He needs a bit more weight as he's looking a tad thin. My inclination is to add rice bran to his diet. Do you have any other suggestions? Or should I increase the percentage of alfalfa in his diet?

In the past I had tried him on both Ultium and Strategy and I felt that he got too hot. He's ridden about 5 days per week at a light/moderate level (anywhere from 1-2 hours per ride).

Thanks!

Where are you from? boston

How did you locate this forum? bookmarkedd

Hi Liz,

It sounds like you're doing a good job. I would not increase alfalfa, since you're feeding a fair amount right now. Instead, I see two areas where you can offer some improvement.

The first is flaxseed meal. This will not only provide additional fat, and hence, calories, but will also give him omega 3 fatty acids. These fatty acids improve overall immune function, keep hormonal levels steady, reduce any inflammation he has, and keep him healthy in general. I recommend Nutra Flax since it has no added oats, just flax -- give him 3 scoops per day.

The second item, in addition to Nutra Flax, is Ration Plus. This prebiotic keeps the bacterial flora in the hind gut healthy, thereby improving forage digestion. This results in more calories, and hence, weight gain.

Keep up the fine work! And, keep me posted.

All the best,

Dr. Getty

Where are you from? Bayfield, CO

Hi. I literally tried EVERY supplement out there to put weight on my energetic/anxious TBx eventer, including Ultimate Finish (which he didn't like), rice bran, beet pulp, alfalfa cubes, etc, etc, etc. None of them did anything! (BTW, He was already getting the max amount of high fat/low starch grain safely possible, pasture, and all the hay he could eat.) My vet recommended something she used on some of her hardkeepers.... Uckele Cocosoya Oil. 6oz 1x/day. Within a month I saw a noticeable increase in his weight, and it did not make him psycho like corn oil. Mr Picky eater didn't like it in his feed so I just put it on his (dampened) alfalfa cubes and he gobbled it up. Now he's at a good weight and continuous use has kept him there. For my horse, it was a "miracle" supplement!

Where are you from? Maryland

How did you locate this forum? Google

Hi Janelle,

Cocosoya oil tastes very good, which makes it an easy oil to feed. But, all oil has the same number of calories, whether it comes from soybean, coconut, corn, canola, rice bran, wheat germ, flaxseed, etc. So, adding oil, in general, is a good way to get concentrated calories into a horse.

I do not like cocosoya oil for two reasons. First, it contains soybean oil. Soybean oil is very, very high in omega 6 fatty acids -- nearly 70% -- and omega 6s cause inflammation. This is a problem for any horse that has muscle or joint strain or inflammation/pain anywhere in the body.

Second, it contains coconut oil. Coconut oil is more saturated than beef fat and is not a natural component of a horse's diet. Some saturated fat is fine, but too much can be problematic since horse's are not designed to assimilate much saturated fat into their tissues.

So, I'm pleased the cocosoyo oil worked well for you. As I mentioned, horse's love it because of the coconut oil content. And, getting a horse to eat oily feed can be challenging. But, it's not a good choice for horses that have underlying inflammation.

All the best,

Dr. Getty

Where are you from? Bayfield, CO