Hi, my friend has a 2 year old mini stallion who is a little on the thin side. He has free choice of pasture and hay at all times and is fed grain once a day. He has been wormed but he still shows a little rib, the other mini mare who is in the same pasture is fat and round, but this little guy doesn't seem to want to put on the weight. He's a great little horse, is there something I'm overlooking?

Thanks for your time, this is a excellent forum!

Jaime

Where are you from? SC

How did you locate this forum? Friend

Hi Jaime,

If the grain you're feeding is not fortified with vitamins and minerals, then he'll need a good supplement to fill in nutritional gaps. I recommend Glanzen since he's on pasture. This will also provide additional fat in the form of omega 3 fatty acids, from flaxseed meal, which will not only help him gain weight, but keep him healthy overall.

If he is already getting vitamins and minerals, consider Nutra Flax instead, which is simply flaxseed meal. Give him 1/2 cup (1 scoop) per 400 lbs of body weight.

So, the way to help him gain weight is twofold: First, by adding fat from flax, which will be provided by either Glanzen or Nutra Flax. And second, to boost the health of his hindgut microbial population. The best way to do that is by adding Ration Plus to his diet. Give him 2 teaspoons per day. This is a prebiotic, which feeds existing bacteria, making digestion more efficient and hence, deriving more calories from his forage.

Keep me posted.

All the best,

Dr. Getty

Where are you from? Bayfield, CO