Feeding Crimped Oats for weight gain

[tbchick84]

I have a chronic hard keeper. Teeth are done twice a year and his fecal’s always come up low to zero. He is at a boarding barn, so switching his grain is not an option. I am looking for ways to supplement what he’s eating. In the 10 years I’ve had him, I have tried every single weight gain supplement out there with no results. This horse seems to respond best to increased forage, but again, that’s out of my control.

I was considering feeding him oats as a supplement. Looks like my local store carries crimped oats. Does anyone feed crimped oats? Good? Bad? Don’t bother?

[luvmyhackney]

Oats are high in sugar, so nothing I’ve ever feed to my ponies. But at a previous ASB barn, they fed oats and a vitamin/mineral supplement and horses were fat and very full of energy. Any way you could keep hay in your garage and bring it to the barn in a Rubbermaid container to feed to your horse. Or pay extra for forage?

I don’t know your backstory, but have you tried the Legends Omega Flax Fat supplement? You add up to a lb a feeding. Worked wonders for me on some I’ve gotten in that needed that extra push to get over looking ok, to looking wow.

[tbchick84]

Yeah, I can’t do the extra hay thing since he’s in with other horses. I will look into the Legends. I know he does respond well to flax, so that might help. It’s just what I’m looking for, something I can add to the food. Thanks for the suggestion.

[Manni01]

I feed oats and a vitamin/ Mineral supplement (and Flax) and my horses look amazing… But some oats additionally might do the trick for your horse

[tbchick84]

@Manni01

I feed oats and a vitamin/ Mineral supplement (and Flax) and my horses look amazing… But some oats additionally might do the trick for your horse

I was just thinking of adding a cup or two per feeding to his existing grain. Do you think that would make any difference?

[JB]

What grain is he getting, and how much?

FECs clean - what has he been dewormed with the last 12 months?

[Montanas_Girl]

If he responds well to increased forage and you want something to add to his grain (I second the question about what and how much he is eating), then why not just add alfalfa pellets?

My go-to for weight gain is usually adding fat, but many horses do respond very well to alfalfa when it comes to weight gain.