Probably because ribs are not the single deciding factor on if a horse is a “good condition” or not. This horse still has a full rump, some substance in the shoulder, and I do not see a ridge along her back.
On the BCS score chart, this horse is no less than a 4, and I’d put her at a 4.5. The healthy range is considered 4-6. People are so obsessed with fat horses that most people’s views are skewed, thinking a 7 is a 6, a 6 is a 5, and a 5 is sorely neglected.
I think I will go ahead and pick up some alfalfa cubes this weekend and start doing this when I’m out at the barn! During the week I ride her super early in the morning before the feeders get there so I usually just feed her in the barn aisle before my ride anyway.
I am looking for info about how much alfalfa cubes I should give… if anyone has any thoughts on that feel free to weigh in.
Thank you to everyone for all the super helpful advice!!! I simply love COTH 
That depends on how much time you have to wait for her to eat it.
1-2 pounds when dry would be sufficient to help buffer stomach acid during your ride, but likely won’t provide a significant enough calorie increase for weight gain.
5 pounds dry would help with calorie intake, but is a lot of volume after soaking, and would probably take quite a while for her to eat.
My time really just depends on how early I get up so I can probably make it work 
maybe like 2.5 lbs before the ride and 2.5 lbs after??
I’m not really motivated to do much with her right now while I’m worrying about all this and thinking about all the acid sloshing around in her empty hungry stomach 
so I will probably be backing down on the intensity of our rides for a little while until everything’s kind of under control.
I routinely give my horse alfalfa as a supplement. I think it makes a big difference for him. Best of luck!
Horses getting run off the hay piles by the boss horse is a real consideration in maintaining weight, and really needs to be addressed through pasture management, what horse lives where, how feeding is done, etc. That’s an important part of the puzzle. Absolutely you could feed a solid 20 lbs a day per horse to 3 horses , and boss horse could be getting 30 lbs a day and the other two 15 lbs each. The boss horse might be overweight because he or she is in fact over eating everyone else’s share.
What Scribbler just said.
Consider adding a high calorie (from fat) grain if she is getting run off her hay. She should not be losing weight if you are feeding the ration balancer by her weight and activity level AND she is able to eat a real ration of alfalfa mix hay.
I’d suggest taking the time to watch the feeding situation to better understand what is going on. And address what can be addressed if she’s being run off her hay. My barn separates feed bullies, which isn’t uncommon.
Five ribs on a QH type is too thin. I have one, I also have a TB. I can’t see five ribs on my TB either, and definitely not in a winter coat.
It’s clear that this horse has lost weight, and being able to see that many ribs on a standing horse is too many unless you’re standing at the racetrack. I would not want to wait to change the diet when the horse starts showing a bony rump or ridge on the topline - then you’re into BCS 3 category.
I am concerned about the continual soft stool with sand. I would address that first. And, just for reference OP, what did you use to deworm?
I feed in a herd as well so I understand the challenges. I give my TB mare alfalfa pellets 2x a day in addition to a large portion of Nutrena Safechoice Senior. My easy keepers get a minimal ration of Nutrena SafeChoice Special Care. In this case I would be happy that the BO upped the hay in pasture, and I might also add alfalfa cubes or pellets if that can be done in the stall.
I think judging weight from photos can be pretty dicey. I take condition photos about once a month and the visibility of ribs can vary a lot depending on how the horse is standing, breathing, eating, etc. A couple weeks ago my TB showed zero ribs in his left side photo and eight ribs in his right side photo. He was standing straight but eating his grain. He’s not that lopsided in real life thank goodness!
My horse is out 24/7, they get separated for grain in feeding stalls and then let out to eat hay in spaced out feeders. The BO has increased all their hay now to 3 flakes each AM and PM instead of 2 flakes, but the size of the flakes basically varies based on who’s working, the specific bale, etc. She doesn’t get run off if they all have their own hay given at the same time - Boss Mare is kind of old, lame, doesn’t move very fast etc. but is still mean enough if there’s only one pile. However I know BO will only be able to increase their collective hay so much and I don’t think it will end up being enough for my mare.
The lack of control I have over that aspect of the situation was why I was thinking about adding a small amount of senior grain to her feed in my original post… however a lot of people don’t think that’s a good idea including my BO!
I used Equimax!
Agreed, and typically I’m more in favor of a thinner horse over a chunky one, but I do believe my horse is too skinny despite what some people on here are saying… I am the one seeing her every day and I know enough to know she shouldn’t look like this. Plus it’s making me concerned that the weight loss was pretty drastic over a relatively short period of time!
Since when was there a different healthy BCS range for different breeds?
It’s not “ribs on a QH isn’t okay but it’s fine for a TB.” Perhaps you meant a racing-fit horse; there’s a big difference between the expectations for a racing-fit any breed and a show/sport/pleasure any breed.
A 4-6 is a 4-6, breed doesn’t matter.
I didn’t say the horse didn’t need to gain weight at all. I said she’s fine and it isn’t an urgent need, and then stated what I would do to increase her calories. So obviously, I agree she needs to put a little bit on. A horse needing a little bit of weight isn’t automatically an “ermahgawd end of the world!” situation. Obviously the horse has lost weight. However, frankly, I can also count five ribs in the first photo from December 11, where she has that big hay/worm belly. So like I said. Ribs are not the single deciding factor.
No to adding a bit of senior grain. A part serving of senior feed plus a part serving of ration balancer does not make a full serving of nutrients.
Sounds like BO took a good step. A 50% increase in hay ration is nothing to sneeze at.
Did you get to ask for an increase in ration balancer?
If BO can continue with the 3 flakes twice a day and get the RB to the appropriate serving, I think that’s an excellent start. As another poster said, your horse isn’t panic inducing skinny. I agree it’s concerning that she lost weight and relatively quickly. But your BO sounds like she’s willing to work with you.
Boarding is always a compromise so I understand your frustration over lack of control over the situation.
Have you thought anymore about having her scoped for ulcers?
Definitely been doing a lot of thinking, unfortunately my vet still hasn’t called me back which is driving me nuts lol. I’m thinking about ordering Nexium and starting there, I’ve been slowly reading through the entire Nexium thread that’s like 4 years long and my horse’s ulcery symptoms are not nearly as severe as some of what I’m reading on there. However I think she definitely for sure has them.
I was going to wait to hear from the vet before requesting any more changes in her food, also because on Friday I had to send the BO pictures of the size of flakes she had been given that morning to tell her they were way too small, so I’m trying to space out my confrontations at least a few days apart 
I hear you. My horse has periodically displayed some behaviors that might be attributed to ulcers. I’ve never scoped him or done nexium or other ulcer meds. I have added alfalfa and increased his grass hay in those circumstances and those behaviors disappeared. So ulcers, pre ulcers, plain hangry, something else … I dunno. But more hay plus alfalfa has been good for him.
Yeah counting flakes as a way to ration hay can get sketchy. It’s one thing if it’s always the same person feeding and they know it’s supposed to be approximately “this much” hay, but when it’s different staff etc and the flake sizes are inconsistent it’s a problem.
My horse is on stall board so it’s a bit easier since he has his stall time to eat his hay. I use a Porta Grazer. When I was barn shopping, I basically said this barrel needs to be filled with hay every day. How much is that going to cost me?
Hay can be pretty pricey. Be prepared for there to be a ceiling in how much hay BO is going to feed at the price you’re already paying.
Yupppp and being in the South near the coast, it’s a lot more difficult to get good hay around here so I’m pretty sure I’d face the same situation at any barn around here within my budget.
My sister’s fancy barn in VA just feeds UNLIMITED hay, no restrictions at all on owners throwing a flake whenever they want she was sending me pics of just the piles of hay her horse was swimming in and I was like… GOOD FOR YOU! Us poor people down south don’t have that luxury!!!
But I am hopeful that supplementing with alfalfa cubes as often as I can will be helpful, plus grass coming in soon!
I’m in FL near Pensacola. Horse is boarded 20 miles from the beach. Getting a barn to feed “enough” hay is tricky. It’s doable but usually requires a big board bill.
Especially if you can’t feed any Bermuda or Peanut hay.
I’m feeding 3 string 120 lb Timothy. I weigh my mares meals. In this batch of hay one flake is usually between 6 to 8 lbs. But some flakes come off as double that (13 lbs) or half that (3 or 4 lbs). I’ve also experienced similar on 2 string bales, where you assume the flakes are about 3 lbs but can range from 2 and a half to 7 lbs.
If you know the hay and the horse you can start to eyeball it, but it’s the very rare barn girl who is able to give that much care and attention to all the horses, or who is willing to slog back through the mud for more hay if it turns out they shorted one of the fields.
As far as weight loss, weight gain, weight maintenance, in animals its the same as people.
Just a little under or a little over your calorie requirements will cause slow sustained weight loss or weight gain over time.
Some of us sedentary occupation middle aged adults can get into trouble just adding one big coffee break cinnamon bin 5 days a week at work. Two months down the road your zippers won’t close…
Same with horses. I’ve been weighing my Paint mare’s hay for years. 15 to 18 lbs a day on average, and she maintains a nice weight. We’ve been running towards the higher end 18 to 20 lbs this winter and she isn’t getting fat. Under 15 lbs and she loses weight. Put her on a nice field and she blimps up. Get tired of weighing hay and eyeball the hay and it creeps up to 25 lbs a day and she gets fat pockets.
My point is if your horse was getting say 15 lbs a day and now is getting 20 lbs a day, she will likely start to put on weight again over a month.
The point about QH versus TB made above probably came out sounding wrong, but it’s absolutely true you can stuff a neurotic OTTB with more hay than it can eat, and still see ribs. But most QH are easy keepers and if they lose weight it’s a significant statement on the feeding management.
Yes, for many, but certainly not all. But my response was more focused around “Five ribs on a QH type is too thin” which implies that it’s more acceptable on other breeds, like thoroughbreds. It’s not. I know many people in Ohio that feel this way, that it’s totally normal for a thoroughbred in the sport/show world to be ribby and that it’s basically expected. It’s not. It might take more calories, but a BCS 5 is still “ideal” in all breeds.
I am a life long boarder and I don’t think I’ve ever been at a barn that truly fed the amount of hay I’d want fed. I’m also in the south, although not the coast, and at the $400-$450 stall board price point, my horse was lucky to get 6-8 lbs of hay in his stall at night. So it’s good., OP, that your BO immediately agreed to increase hay to everyone in the field but sounds like you already understand that may not be enough. I ended up feeding alfalfa cubes every time I came out to ride which was 4-5 times a week. I fed about 1lb dry weight and soaked it. Honestly, it probably didn’t do much in the grand scheme of things but it made me feel better. Luckily my guy was an easy keeper that did not suffer from ulcers. I guess I don’t have a ton of advice but I do commiserate. Boarding is tough when you don’t have endless amounts of money to board at a place that truly feeds enough hay.
I have never expected for the average boarding barn to feed my horse as much hay as he needs. I expect I am able to buy additional hay either from my own vendor or by paying an additional hay charge with my board. I don’t see much point in spending money on a luxury pet if I can’t afford what it costs to feed him. A lot of people, barn owners and private owners are willing to economize by shorting horses on hay and that’s their business. But that’s not how I do business.
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