Hi Marilyn,

Thank you for writing. I agree -- you should cut back on the commercial feed, but always give grass hay free choice otherwise, ironically, an easy keeper will get fatter. That's because it is very stressful for a horse to go without anything to chew. His digestive tract is designed to have forage flowing through it at all times. And stress results in the production of cortisol, the stress hormone, which increases circulating insulin. And the more insulin, the more fat storage. But when given all the hay a horse wants, he will self-regulate his intake to what his body needs. The key is not to feed more, but to feed enough so he never runs out. Feeding more simply results in eating more. But free-choice results in more and more left over. It takes about a week to see these results.

You may already be doing this, but just in case, I thought I'd talk about it since it is common misconception that hay should be restricted to assist in weight loss, when the opposite occurs. Plus ulcers and colic can develop when forage is restricted.

OK -- now to your question! A flaxseed-meal based vitamin/mineral supplement is ideal when filling in the gaps of a hay-only diet. I recommend Glanzen Lite Complete since you have an easy keeper. Give him 2 scoops per day, added to a very small meal of equine senior -- just enough to act as a carrier.

Blackenall can also be used to deepen his color. Give him 2 ounces per day since you'll be feeding the Lite version of Glanzen Complete.

All the best,

Dr. Getty

Where are you from? Bayfield, CO