In that situation I would up the ration balancer to 2 lbs a day (and keep pushing for the additional hay). I would like to see your horse carrying a bit more weight. I like to be able to feel but not see ribs.
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There are pros that come along with the cons and I’m trying to just figure out the best way to work things out for now, especially since I’ve only been here 3 months. I’m also a brand new horse owner, so I figure it can’t hurt to at least talk to a professional, esp with the ulcer concerns.
So your BO sounds reasonable. She’s going to up the hay ration immediately right? That’s super. Even if it’s only adding two more flakes a day that’s a step in right direction. Adding the fat supplement won’t hurt, but more hay would be even better. Her current ration seems pretty skimpy if the grazing is really poor. I’ll be curious to see how much BO wants to increase it
The other issues do sound like it could be ulcers. So good thing you are involving the vet.
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One additional thing I haven’t seen mentioned yet is that omega shine really isn’t worth the $$. It’s just a very lightly fortified ground flax product.
Cheaper to buy straight flax and feed it 
Triple Crown makes a nice milled product, or you can just do whole flax. Most feed stores sell it in 50# bags.
Flax is great! Just no need to spend the $$$ on omega shine.
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I agree. I prefer straight flax whole myself, but lots of folks prefer a ground product
And how does that make sense?
Feeding hay is not a One Size Fits All, though my 13H pony might argue he needs the same as the 16H horse.
I agree adding hay could work, but I had good results using Nutrena Empower Boost for an older WB - 20% fat, mostly from rice bran. Fed him a cup 2X daily along with his ration of whole oats & BOSS & he kept weight through Winter.
For my current horse - 18yo TWH - I went straight to rice bran when he looked a bit ribby.
He gets the same oats/BOSS along with 1/2 cup rice bran & is staying in good weight.
I have also nearly tripled the hay ration for the coldest months of Winter by putting out flakes for them to “graze” along with what is fed in the stalls < that they have free access to 24/7.
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I didn’t see this post earlier.
So if she’s not getting the minimum recommended amount of balancer per the bag label then that needs to be corrected pronto. Especially on poor grazing and minimal hay, your horse is not getting the minimum nutrition requirements. Full stop. If she gets too fat on the recommended amount of balancer then she needs a different balancer or VMS. Full stop.
Seeing that your horse is out 24/7 with other horses complicates things. If the other two horses are “fine” on this limited hay ration it may be difficult to get substantially more hay out there.
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It is likely because this horse is on 24/7 pasture with other horses, so to up his hay effectively, they all need to have piles of similar size to munch on or it will just be musical hay piles when one finishes more quickly than the others. If they all get the same, the hope is that the one who needs more will find more.
To me, this horse looks really poor and the behaviors described sound like not only enough feed/hay, but also possibly ulcers.
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I agree. The topline especially seems non-existent. More hay is good, more RB is good, getting the vet out is good - it sounds like OP has good instincts.
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OMG I was like am I blind because I don’t see a topline at all… thank you for the validation LOL
Just a thought since you’ve only had her since November. Any chance she could be pregnant? She is too ribby for my liking but does seem to have a round belly. If that’s not likely I do agree more hay would make a big difference. Is the hay she is eating good quality?
I don’t think I saw it mentioned previously, but if there is sand in her feces, you probably should do a week of Sand Clear to address that immediately. Sand in the gut can cause serious colics.
I also think that considering she looks like she has a decent winter coat, seeing her ribs from the distance these photos are taken means she is definitely underweight for this time of year. I like to be able to easily feel, but not see, my horse’s ribs, especially during the winter. When they are fluffy, it’s easy to think they are in fine weight, when they actually aren’t if you put your hands on them. You are right to want to address the situation.
Also agree with others that ulcers are a strong possibility so getting a vet out to discuss treatment is a great idea.
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Dear god I hope not!!! Her belly size has gone down over time I think, I’m not super well-versed in pregnant mares but I feel like I would’ve noticed it by now?? Hopefully??? OMG I’m not gonna sleep tonight now.
I think the hay is good quality but it’s just not enough quantity; would even actually be happier with a lower quality of hay if I could get more of it.
It’s on the list! I’m just trying to get to the root problem of why she has so much sand though which I think is not enough hay / food in general.
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Sorry Sporty! Didn’t mean to freak you out. Just something to consider when a mare is new to you. Beat wishes! She’s cute as a button and obviously well loved 
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It really depends on your environment. I live in southern California where we have to treat all our horses with Sand Clear on a regular basis if they are fed on the ground, regardless of how much food is fed. It is just a function of the types of soil in the area and even when plenty of hay is fed, they pick up the tastiest pieces off the ground and ingest soil/sand along with it. Same when the grass (if there is any) first comes in and they are nibbling the tiny shoots - a bit of soil/sand can easily go down with it.
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She was not fat to begin with but just a bit out of shape. 4 flakes daily is just not enough for her unless they are some pretty big flakes. The fact that you can now see ribs tells me she is burning more than she takes in.
How you remedy that is up to you. I would have a real problem with a BO telling me what I can feed my horse. Up her hay and start adding slowly the feed they offer and see if she responds.
She may not be the easy keeper you thought she was and may need more than just a RB.
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Up the hay and up the ration balancer to the 1.5lbs horse should be getting. Could you add some soaked Alfalfa cubes on a regular basis before or after a ride? If your riding 5-6 days a week this could be enough calories plus help with ulcers if any.
I have a feeling BM is only going to up the hay and ration balancer so much before hitting the limit that she accounts for with board prices.
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Aww thank you so much hopefully we don’t have a baby sporty spice running around anytime soon
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Are you out at the barn fairly regularly to ride/care for her? You could start giving her a flake or two of alfalfa or some alfalfa pellets while you tack up. That worked for my QH gelding when we were in a pasture board situation and he was always bottom of the pecking order.
The alfalfa should help with the belly issues and the extra protein will be good for her topline/muscle development.
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I’m legitimately confused by the number of experience COTH people saying she looks better. With a straight rib cage she has an outline of five ribs in a winter coat. This isn’t a TB ready to run prelim bending around a turn and a photo capturing a few ribs.
I’d look at the Nexium protocol for a full month of ulcer treatment, fed a flake of alfalfa each day when you’re out (even if you have to buy it yourself, a flake a day stretched a bale), and then bump her up to the mid range for the ration balancer. Grass is coming in soon but I don’t think some extra weight would hurt and the condition plus sensitivity really sounds like ulcers.
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