Keeping weight on ex racer

[S1969]

@Saffron_Rose

Yeah they’re getting hay and there is still loads of grass (field is 2.5 acres).

OK, so your first post should have said:

horse is on ample pasture all day, and ad lib hay overnight. And not gaining weight.

I think you would have gotten different responses.

That said, I have to question the “loads of grass” in only 2.5 acres of pasture. 2 horses, 8-10 hours/day, presuming all through the growing season (spring to fall?) - I would find it hard to believe there is still a lot of grazing left. Have you walked it and looked? Obviously everything is driven by climate and soil, but I would expect this pasture to be pretty threadbare by now, which is normal. That’s why I take mine off the pasture so they don’t ruin it, and put them on hay 24/7.

[stryder]

My mare won’t really eat hay off the floor, either. We use larger-hole nets in the winter, or when we need her to gain weight, then smaller holes in the summer to slow down her eating. If your horse is coming in at night, what about adding alfalfa pellets with oil? My mare won’t eat enough hay to maintain her weight in the winter, so we add flax, concentrates and oil.

It’s too late for you this year, but we start increasing her feed in mid-fall. She’s likely at her heaviest late October/early November. I want her going into winter with a little extra.

[Exracehorserider]

I have to agree with the advice that your horse is just not getting enough food. Also, while pasture grass is useful for ex-racers to have something to nibble on- its just not a substitute for high quality hay. 2.5 acres is not enough land to be part of the food plan for an ex racer. Even the grass in the winter in not very palatable for a lot of horses. That is why you still see some grass. They are waiting for the new shoots of grass and end up eating a lot of dirt. My ex racer eats 7 large flakes of hay a day. Many barns think 4 flakes is enough. And how do you know he has ad lib hay? Have you arrived in the early am to check if hay is still there? And WHAT kind of hay? Cheap backyard grass hay will not hold weight on a thoroughbred. I have been there in this situation. Argued with barns, bought my own hay when I had to. If a horse does NOT have some hay left in stall in AM they are not getting enough hay. I used to add some oil ( for a few months when he just would not lose the ribs) but really oil is not something a horse naturally eats and unless they super old- not necessary long term. I supplement with high protein pellets, chia seeds. correct vitamins. Ex racers cannot exist on cheap hay or food. They need a hay with enough protein to build top line and not a hay belly. I would definitely take a look at the quality of hay your barn provides, sometimes barns try and save money by buying cheap food. Every time I have seen an ex racer that was thin, they were not getting enough good hay.

[fordtraktor]

I don’t know, when I lived in London everything seemed pretty green this time of year so maybe there is grass.

It doesn’t sound to me like forage is the issue. just pick a concentrate and feed this horse a LOT more of it. See what the max recommended is and feed it. When he is fat enough, taper down. Look for a high calorie, low volume feed so that you are maximizing the calories going in without filling him up too much. Opposite of what you are doing with the beet pulp, etc. (which is low calorie and high volume).

you may also want to test for Cushings and other metabolic issues if that doesn’t work, losing weight can be a sign and this is a prime age for it to show up. However, that is totally unnecessary now, he just needs more calories!