Ask the Nutritionist: Dr. Getty's Forum for Equine Nutrition
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Dr. Getty
Hi again,
I have read almost every post on this forum and now a bit confused, my TB is 14 yrs and I can't keep weight on him all summer he had unlimited grass, but he didnt put a pound on his back hips or withers.Now with fall here I dont know what to do to get weight on him, last winter he was getting a 70lb bale of timothy hay each day and never put a pound on.It is not cold here yet but he was shivering yesterday when it rained, I felt so sorry for him that I put his summer sheat on him and put his winter banket in the dryer,You could just see how good the warm banket felt on him
Now for feeding I just bought Unifeed Senior feed,it did not come with an ingredient list but it did come with the guaranteed analysis:
C.protein(min)14.0% C.fat(min)4.5% C.fibre(max)12.0% and they call it a pelleted extruded feed
now for my question since he is underweight how many #'s per day do I feed of this.On the bag it says to feed 1-5lbs per day and 17-21 lbs of hay per day,last winter he was eating 70lb bales a day . And should I feed beet pulp as well?
and how many #'s per day of the pulp.Also how much flaxseed should I feed per day, he gets unlimited grass hay and is there anything else I should be feeding.
Sorry this is so long just trieing to tell you everything I can.
Thank You so much!!!!!
you are awesome
Jenni
P.S, sorry
one more question my TB groans when he passes his manure,like a real "oh that felt great kinda groan" is that normal?
Where are you from? canada
How did you locate this forum? internet search
Hi Jenni,
You are wise to get him a complete ration. I would be delighted to help you with how much to feed, and how much flaxseed meal, beet pulp, etc., to feed. But, I really need more information about him to give you a professional assessment. So, perhaps you would benefit from a phone consultation.
One thing that I very much recommend is Ration Plus. With him eating all that hay, and not gaining any weight, it indicates to me that he is not properly digesting this forage. A healthy amount of bacteria in the hind gut is critical for this digestion to take place. Ration Plus will fix this problem.
To give you a general amount to feed, you can start with 1 pound of the complete ration, twice or three times each day. Build up slowly, but no more than 3 lbs at each meal.
But, there may be other reasons for his being underweight that need to be examined. So, I hope you'll consider spending some time going over his overall health.
All the best,
Dr. Getty 