Fat Supplement Recommendations

[purpleeventer]

I’m looking for a fat/weight gain supplement for my horse, problem is she is a very picky eater she hates her grain wet so probably no liquid supplements. I just tried canola oil and she wouldn’t touch her grain. I’m looking into cool calories but I’m worried they will just fall to the bottom of her bowl since it wont stick to her grain. I don’t want anything high in sugar though because she is spooky.

She has been in work (even with corona going on) but just not as heavy. She is an event horse typically in heavy work during competition season. Her grain has been increased for quite some time, and even with grass coming in, she is having trouble gaining weight and looks like she has lost some muscle. She also is a weaver so she naturally burns a lot of calories, which is why I like the thought of cool calories.

Has anyone used cool calories and seen results/liked it? Or another supplement that has worked well for weight gain?

[nu5ha]

Same boat as you. Same issues, horse is the pickiest eater ever. So for sure I will be sticking around and looking to see what people will recommend.

Actually I do use cool calories on him, he’s an Arab endurance horse 14.2 and 11 years old. He eats his grain with the cool calories in it, but I give him mash thats with water and I put linseed oil in his food and alfalfa pellets that are wet so it does stick to his grain as it sticks to the grain and mash. Not sure how it would work without a little water or oil, maybe try apple sauce? Used it for around 2 months, I have a feeling its helped him not drop more weight, he’s started to gain a little weight now in the last 2 weeks, but maybe because he’s been on rest since end of march so only hand walking and pool ( 2 times a week) for him, won’t start to even think about getting on him until he’s at a decent weight.

Though someone did mention Fat Cat to me, but haven’t tried it as I just got this guy to actually finish his food so dont want to add something and he stops eating again.

[Dutchmare433]

Cocosoya oil seems to be picky eater approved. I’ve also had luck with Blue Seal Omegatin in the past but there are lots of options along those lines now. What grain are you feeding? You might be able to find something more calorically dense if your horse has a volume limit.

[purpleeventer]

@Dutchmare433

Cocosoya oil seems to be picky eater approved. I’ve also had luck with Blue Seal Omegatin in the past but there are lots of options along those lines now. What grain are you feeding? You might be able to find something more calorically dense if your horse has a volume limit.

My horse gets 1 1/2 lbs senior, 1 1/2 lbs pellets 11% and 1/2 lb rice bran pellets. I only lease her so I can choose her supplements but cant change what grain or brand she gets. That’s why I was looking at cool calories since it is both fat and calories

[purpleeventer]

@nu5ha

Same boat as you. Same issues, horse is the pickiest eater ever. So for sure I will be sticking around and looking to see what people will recommend.

Actually I do use cool calories on him, he’s an Arab endurance horse 14.2 and 11 years old. He eats his grain with the cool calories in it, but I give him mash thats with water and I put linseed oil in his food and alfalfa pellets that are wet so it does stick to his grain as it sticks to the grain and mash. Not sure how it would work without a little water or oil, maybe try apple sauce? Used it for around 2 months, I have a feeling its helped him not drop more weight, he’s started to gain a little weight now in the last 2 weeks, but maybe because he’s been on rest since end of march so only hand walking and pool ( 2 times a week) for him, won’t start to even think about getting on him until he’s at a decent weight.

Though someone did mention Fat Cat to me, but haven’t tried it as I just got this guy to actually finish his food so dont want to add something and he stops eating again.

I was looking at fat cat too but I dont know what form it is, looks like powder which I have a feeling my horse wont approve. I could give her a bit if sweet feed to make the cool calories stick. How much cool calories do you give your horse?

[Dutchmare433]

@purpleeventer

My horse gets 1 1/2 lbs senior, 1 1/2 lbs pellets 11% and 1/2 lb rice bran pellets. I only lease her so I can choose her supplements but cant change what grain or brand she gets. That’s why I was looking at cool calories since it is both fat and calories

What do her owner’s say about her weight? Are those amounts per feeding or per day? Either way she can get more grain. You can try cool calories but you have to feed quite a bit to make much difference so it’s not the most cost effective way to go about it.

[nu5ha]

@purpleeventer

I was looking at fat cat too but I dont know what form it is, looks like powder which I have a feeling my horse wont approve. I could give her a bit if sweet feed to make the cool calories stick. How much cool calories do you give your horse?

I give him as directed on the packet so started with 2 oz / around 50 g now he’s up to 5 oz / around 150g a day I split into 3 meals. Bought the 8lbs pack lasted me around 24/25 days. He’s now finishing his second bag already ordered again. Lets see how he is in the next month if he doesnt gain as much as I wish I might swap him over to the fat cat or senior weight accelerator also from Mana pro.

[purpleeventer]

@Dutchmare433

What do her owner’s say about her weight? Are those amounts per feeding or per day? Either way she can get more grain. You can try cool calories but you have to feed quite a bit to make much difference so it’s not the most cost effective way to go about it.

They agree she could use some more weight but shes always been the type where you can see a tiny bit of rib. We would give her more grain but it has made her spookier in the past and she doesn’t finish it That is what she gets per feeding. I may just try alfalfa pellets since they are high in protein and my barn provides them. The grass is coming in too so that may help

[DinkyDonk]

I second Cocosoya–available as a liquid oil or as granulated product. I currently use canola oil cut with Cocosoya oil–75% canola to 25% Cocosoya, and it smells enough of the Cocosoya that Mr. Picky slow eater hoovers his food with it…

[S1969]

@purpleeventer

Her grain has been increased for quite some time, and even with grass coming in, she is having trouble gaining weight and looks like she has lost some muscle. She also is a weaver so she naturally burns a lot of calories, which is why I like the thought of cool calories.

They agree she could use some more weight but shes always been the type where you can see a tiny bit of rib. We would give her more grain but it has made her spookier in the past and she doesn’t finish it That is what she gets per feeding. I may just try alfalfa pellets since they are high in protein and my barn provides them. The grass is coming in too so that may help

How much was the “before” amount if you are now only feeding 1.5 lbs? That’s not very much for a horse in work…

Has she been treated for ulcers? Horses that refuse grain are often symptomatic for ulcers. “Spooky” behavior is also a symptom of ulcers, as is not gaining weight.

I’d at least consider treating for ulcers for a month and see if you have a change in appetite, behavior and/or weight after 30 days.

[TB2trk]

Fat Cat comes in powder form. I’ve used it in the past and had great luck but like rice bran, it probably should be fed wet to avoid choke. Cocosoya would be a great choice and most picky eaters will give in and chomp it down. Maybe offering several meals throughout the day or top her bucket mixture with goodies she likes - carrots, apples or watermelon? I know several people that swear by Calf Manna for their hard keepers. Agree with S1969, treat her for ulcers and see where you are at in a month. Has she had her teeth done recently?

[HenryisBlaisin]

If you can get Legends products, the Omega Plus is outstanding. It’s extruded and smells like cookies–every horse I know who has needed it has gobbled it down and thrived on it–gained weight, shiny coats, improved hoof. Really good product.

[mlb722]

Renew gold. Smells so good I’d eat it. Low starch/sugar

[Wyndwolfe]

Legends Omega Plus is very good. Both Legends and Seminole also make a pelleted rice bran that (to me) smells good. I have fed both rice bran products fairly interchangeably to several picky TB’s with success. I have also had good success adding corn oil.

[Buster]

Not necessarily a suggestion, but an observation while I’ve recently been experimenting with a young horse that started turning up his nose at daily rations. Instead of feeding wet, I fed each item separately and dry to see what the objection was all about. The interesting part that pertains to your thread is that he inhaled the dry, ground flax. That surprised me. It’s the Triple Crown Omega, stabilized ground flax. Your mileage may vary.

[blob99]

Thirding the cocosoya. I’ve used the dry kind (not the actual oil) with great results. It’s actually also used to make grain/supplements more palatable for picky eaters.

[lifeishorsesarelove]

Stabilized ground flax or whole flax might work, its fairly palatable.

Buckeye makes Ultimate Finish 100, which is a granular vegetable fat supplement. I have used it but it made my horse hot - however it generally has a reputation for not being a “hot” feed.

I am currently feeding Nu Image by Select the Best, which is a fat/protein supplement. I think this helps more with coat condition vs weight gain, but my horse happily inhales in in her feed.

Cocosoya is a very palatable oil, more so than canola. If you got regular canola oil from the grocery store, some times its not fresh enough for their liking, too. We don’t taste it as “off” but the horses sometimes react like its rancid, even horses that will normally eat oil in feed.

[fizzyfuzzybuzzy]

I’m going to throw Renew Gold out there - it’s pelleted, my guy loves it and it’s got a combination of good fats. I’ve also added SmartPak’s SmartOmega 3 & E ultra with great success. My guy gets limited fresh grazing, so I supplement with Vitamin E all year long. He also gets alfalfa cubes, which may also be a good choice for your girl. If your barn supplies the pellets. I would add some to her meals. Not only for the extra protein, but the calcium in alfalfa really helps the ulcer prone ones.

[suzyq]

Some horses really bloom with a bit of alfalfa, I would try the pellets first. If she gets hot from them, then you could try more fat.

[IPEsq]

Mine wouldn’t eat the Cocosoya oil but did eat the granular. There are a few other versions/mixes now from Uckele that have the granular option.

I used to get it in Smartpaks then switched away from Smartpak entirely and then would feed stabilized ground flax and/or chia seed. The 100% prilled fat would be more fat than these other products (closer to 30-35% fat for non-oil supplement), but I didn’t have confidence he would eat that. He did also like flax oil, which has a nutty bitterness he liked. Platinum Performance sent me a tiny bottle of theirs to taste test. I did have trouble keeping a 1/2 gallon bottle fresh by the end. I’ve also found most horses will eat Amplify, and it’s readily available in the local feed stores.