Feeding an OTTB - suggestions please.

[4THEHORSES]

So, my new OTTB is arriving home tomorrow. Straight from the track, although his last race was end of May. I don’t have any information at the moment on what he was being fed at the track (and possibly won’t be given this info) so I was looking for advice/opinion on the best way to handle this guys diet.

My other two horses are fed a combination of alfalfa and grass hay so I have plenty of that available for this guy but neither of the other two require any sort of grain or supplements. In an ideal world I’d like the vast majority of the new guys diet to come from the same alfalfa/grass combination as the other two, albeit perhaps in larger quantities. He has an injury so he’ll be stall bound and obviously not working, at least for now. Does anyone know what they usually eat on the track? How much (in weight) hay do they generally consume (this guy is 16.2)?

Also, I know he’ll need de-wormed and it’d very likely he will have ulcers form all the bute. Any advice in that area? Does aloe vera juice really work for ulcers?

Thanks in advance!

[4THEHORSES]

I’ve actually had an OTTB before but it was in UK. Available feeds, grass, etc are different hence looking for advice.

[islgrl]

Piping in only about the aloe vera juice. I tried it with my OTTB, did nothing…

[4THEHORSES]

Yeah, I was a little skeptical. Don’t want to waste my money and his time on something that doesn’t work. If you don’t mind me asking, did you find something that does work?

[4THEHORSES]

For info: Here’s my plan so far:

Start him off on 3% of his body weight in grass.alfalfa (about a 70%/30% ratio).
Keep him on that for a while to see how he does. Fully expect him to lose some weight during that time due to the stress of moving and let down from the track.
From there look at whether to add some grain or complete feed - thinking along the lines of beet pulp and ration balance and maybe a little oil, depending on how he’s looking.

[LauraKY]

One week of Gastrogard and really good quality hay. Start with that and see how it goes. However, I have had several that just weren’t big hay eaters in the beginning. So, TC Senior, at least 5 lbs a day.

[Scaramouch]

If he’s on bute and/or stall rest long term, it would be worthwhile to order Abler omeprazole for ulcer prevention. It takes a few weeks to ship, but it’s far less expensive than UlcerGard or GastroGard.

I wouldn’t put a limit on the amount of hay at all. He probably won’t eat as much as you plan to give him, but on the off chance he cleans it up, don’t leave him standing in a stall with nothing.

[subk]

The alfalfa is good–especially for an ulcer suspected diet. For concentrates you want low NSC (sugar/carb) high fiber and high fat.

I feed KER products: Releve as the main concentrate with an addition of their All Phase ration balancer. I put about a 150 pounds on an OTTB with this diet (and plenty of high quality pasture) in just a few months last fall/winter. I did it feeding him about half of what he was getting on a cheaper, higher NSC product–so I was actually spending less money by feeding less of a higher quality product!

+1 on some ulcer med as a precaution.

Talk to your vet about replacing any needed bute/NSAID with previcox as it is easier on the digestive system.

[Dressage_Diva333]

Another comment on aloe vera juice, I CANNOT get any of mine to eat it. Even mixed with yummy Triple Crown Senior, my horses that usually scarf up anything turn the nose up at it. Forget it with the picky eaters. I decided to quit wasting the money on it.

Never had one straight off the track, but TC Senior, free choice hay, and ulcer meds would all be my starting point as well

[stolen_virtue]

Based on your previous post I would feed an anti-inflammatory supplement. I have had great results from the one I feed my older TB and the younger OTTB. Hope all goes very well with your new guy.

[BoyleHeightsKid]

I wouldn’t limit the hay… give him as much as he will eat, you don’t ever want him standing around with nothing to eat. The alfalfa will be good for his tummy. Stall rest is stressful for them so you want to prevent ulcers as much as possible. The abler product is a good suggestion.

Feeds low in starch and high in fat are best for gaining/keeping weight on these guys without making them crazy. Examples are, Triple Crown Senior, Pennfield Fibregized, Blue Seal SBP 14/10. Right now my boy is doing GREAT on Fibregized mixed equally with beet pulp shreds and alfalfa pellets. He also gets Omega Horseshine (stabilized ground flax) for some extra calories but mostly for his skin.

[Laurierace]

I would feed him a ration balancer and free choice hay and see how it goes. It doesn’t matter if he gets a little ribby, you can plump him back up after he is off stall rest. Order the omeprazole granules from abler.com. You can have them within a week or so if you pay the rush shipping.

[bathsheba8542]

I also support putting all the hay he can eat in front of him. My OTTB prefers to eat out of a hay bag rather than on the ground and while he does a reasonably good job eating timothy, he loves alfalfa and it settles him beautifully. I started him on hay stretcher when I first brought him home so I could give ranitidine. After a month or so when he started to go into work, I fed Ultium and gave him a Smartpak multi vitamin/mineral supplement (also kept him on ranitidine). Expect that his feet may be in less than good condition.

[islgrl]

[QUOTE=4THEHORSES;7085311]
Yeah, I was a little skeptical. Don’t want to waste my money and his time on something that doesn’t work. If you don’t mind me asking, did you find something that does work?[/QUOTE]

I have tried pretty much every ulcer supplement I think and I don’t think they work. What has worked (mostly) is a high fiber high fat grain, beet pulp, alfalfa cubes, as much hay as he will eat (which sadly is not tons) and ulcerguard/gastroguard as needed. I have tried the generic ulcer meds with very limited success so now I just suck it up and buy ulcerguard.

[candysgirl]

I’d vote on unlimited hay and a ration balancer.

[CVPeg]

Please listen to those saying unlimited hay.

My guy been off the track for 3 years now. Friend who first cared for him thought it wasn’t necessary, and had moved him into another part of the barn since he was a chewer. I eventually took him back and put him in a nearby boarding situation with hay at only given times. Then 24/7 pasture, where hay was limited in the winter. He is now on full board with hay at all times - some in a Nibble Net, or else he’s in turnout. Stopped chewing wood completely. Had ulcers. Gastrogard did nothing. We now have him on Succeed which addresses hind gut ulcers and it seems to have made a difference.

With the unlimited hay he is the best he’s ever been disposition, health, and happiness wise.

Oh, and get his teeth looked at by a specialist.

[NancyM]

Good advice here already. Also sometimes it is worthwhile giving a shot of ACTH to kickstart the adrenal glands, presuming the horse may have had some cortisone treatments of some kind, either injectable or oral.

[4THEHORSES]

Thank you so much for all the suggestions. I’ve taken the advice of unlimited hay and he seems very happy alternating between munching on his hay and hanging out with my youngest mare (she seems very happy to have a new buddy too!). Decided it’s best to start off with a diet as simple as possible, see how he goes, then add to it as required. I’m truly amazed by this guy. He is so chilled out. LOVES my husband, friendly with the other horses, stood like a champ for the trimmer (even when his weight had to go on his bad leg), cross-ties with no problem at all! You’d think he’s been here forever

[BoyleHeightsKid]

Gotta love those OTTB’s… they are awesome!

[4THEHORSES]

BoyleHeightsKid - Couldn’t agree more!! They’re fantastic! I love the way this guy communicates. If he’s comfortable with what we’re doing (be it grooming, trimming, whatever) then he’ll just stand and allow me to go about it. If he becomes uncomfortable/unsure of anything he just walks away and goes to his “safe place”, standing as close as possible to my mare. Same goes for feeding, loves his alfalfa but when I initially tried him with a little bit of grass he was less than impressed. He spread it out in his stall (probably looking to see if there was any alfalfa in there) then used it as a bathroom! :lol: Thought that was hilarious!!