Hot hot hot OTTB horse..... Need help with feed.....

[QUOTE=dexhol;8523307]
We had a couple OTTB’s that would go nutso on alfalfa too, even a small amount. One gelding went from being fairly quiet to virtually unrideable and quite aggressive on the ground. Off the alfalfa, back to his old self.[/QUOTE]

It’s a food sensitivity. It can make a horse become hot or nasty because they are having a reaction to the type of hay. You might be miserable too if you are having a systemic reaction to something you ate (joint aches, digestive upset, skin sensitivity, etc.). But it does not CAUSE hotness in horses, and has nothing to do with the protein content of the hay.

Just because the horse is hot and eating alfalfa, doesn’t mean the horse is hot because of the alfalfa. 20% NSC grain is much more likely to make the horse hot as it is all readily available energy. Please switch the grain. If you don’t see a reasonable amount of change after a few weeks, THEN try the hay.

My experience in putting weight on a horse without having issues is either add a good rice bran, I like Equi-jewel, or flax…
why don’t you do some good natural horsemanship and start gaining her attention and trust? There was a very hot young horse at our barn for training, the trainer did some amazing work and the horse was fantastic eventually…

[QUOTE=ivy62;8525107]
My experience in putting weight on a horse without having issues is either add a good rice bran, I like Equi-jewel, or flax…
why don’t you do some good natural horsemanship and start gaining her attention and trust? There was a very hot young horse at our barn for training, the trainer did some amazing work and the horse was fantastic eventually…[/QUOTE]

Second this, my OTTb does great on mostly grass hay (Bermuda) and little alfalfa (although he’s probably do fine without it) and rice bran with a little oil.

He was very skinny when I got him and this combo got him up to a healthy by weight without any behavioral issues. We suspected ulcers in him too so added a little aloe Vera juice. No idea whether The aloe juice really made a difference or whether is irritation was coming from something other than ulcers but t resolved on that diet.

ETA the more muscle they have the harder it can be to get weight on them without making them hot/overfed. My guy was lame anyway but either way cut way back on the muscle building work load and just let then grass and bran do its job without adding more muscle to suck up all the calories.

[QUOTE=Maggielynn213;8521434]
She is stalled during the day and in turnout at night. When I say “she is going out twice a day”, I mean I am riding her twice a day.

For turnout, it is her and her best friend, a 2 y/o quarter horse filly and they run around and play together every night. Unfortunately, my barn offers only 1 acre paddocks for turnout so they don’t have as much room as I would like, but it is better than nothing.[/QUOTE]

My opinion. I have a very hot horse and he thrives on Nutrena Pro force Fuel or Fiber fed to directions. He’d probably thrive on Purina Ultium too. These feeds are high in fat. I also used to feed beet pulp but he didn’t require it after he was 6. I rely on compressed alfalfa to put extra weight on in stressful times because, as yourcolorfuladdiction and both of my vets are adamant about, protein doesn’t cause a horse to become hot. There seem to be some outliers but as a rule, it doesn’t. The joy of alfalfa bales is that it is high in cations which counters an acidic stomach/reduces ulcers. Other hay that the horse can munch on 24/7 counters excess stomach acidity/stress. Oil up to a cup of day can help - more than that, oil gets all over your horse and your stall. “Cool calories” coconut stuff didn’t put weight on my horse at all.

Nutrena high fat feeds, quality hay, and alfalfa bale supplementation turned out to be the key to my hot horse’s weight gain.

Is there something that your mare can do that requires “thought” rather than energy expenditure to make her happy? It’s sad that if she can’t be worked twice daily she becomes “unsafe”.

[QUOTE=ivy62;8525107]

why don’t you do some good natural horsemanship and start gaining her attention and trust? There was a very hot young horse at our barn for training, the trainer did some amazing work and the horse was fantastic eventually…[/QUOTE] She needs to have the horses mind first, without that no amount of “natural horsemanship” is going to sink in. If she’s high on her feed that needs addressed first.