I have a 5 yo warmblood underweight gelding who has been on cool calories for a month now-- I can see a subtle difference, but he is currently in a full-time training program. He is on Nutrena ProForce XTN (12% protein, 12% fat - 1 1/2 scoops-- have not weighed it) with cool calories. He receives hay 3 times a day (2- flakes coastal hay supplemented with a flake of peanut hay - we are in Florida) and is turned out in the evening on pasture. Is there something we can add to his feed that would help him gain weight a little faster, but would not “jazz” him up? We have tried him on 14% protein, but it turbo charges him. Should I add rice bran too? Or up the cool calories (He is on 4 oz per day)?
Is the 1.5 scoops of XTN 1 or 2 times a day? You do need to weigh that to see how much it is. What is the “scoop”? 2 quarts? 3? You could guesstimate at 1.25lb/quart, but you could be high (could be 1lb, though not likely), or you could be low - some are heavier.
If he is, or should be, 1200lb say, then he should be getting minimally 9lb of that feed, up to 12lb (.75-1lb per 100lb).
What “14%” feed did you try? Protein doesn’t make horses hot, but sugars/starches can.
Agree with the above poster about the feed. If you’re feeding him the proper amount of his feed and are looking for a way to still add more, yes, you can add rice bran to his diet. It won’t interact with the Cool Calories negatively, if that was your question. I wouldn’t recommend upping the CC, it’s basically pure fat and can cause him to have the runs. Another idea could be beet pulp, it also will add fiber which is nice. Just make sure it’s not the kind with added sugars, which can make him hot.
As the COOL Calories directions (on the bag) suggest, increase the quantity as needed. It is just fat. Fat takes time to develop on a horse. I board a very light framed Peruvian Paso for a friend and it has taken several months for the weight increse we wanted to see. He is used for trail riding, moderate amount of riding. He’s on 6 oz of cool calories per day and 4 lbs of Sentinel Performance LS (12% fat)per day. We had first tried feeding him more of the Performance LS but all the extra vitamins just made him spooky and silly. We went back to lower levels of feed and increased the cool calories because it’s just fat and it’s very palatable.
chicamuxen
Get rid of the coastal hay and feed him more peanut hay.
The 14% feed was Safe Choice Original-- as far as sugar, starches-- The NSC on the XTN is 33% and the NSC on Safe Choice is 22% - so if it were the sugar and starch, he should be turbo charged on the XTN and not the Safe Choice. The only other significant difference between the two feeds is the protein (XTN 12%, Safe Choice 14%) and fat (XTN 12%, Safe Choice 7%) - I believe the scoop is a 3 quart scoop-- the XTN is a textured feed, so it is likely closer to 1lb per quart (but I will weigh it to be sure). I weight taped him the other day and he was around 1120, so my guess is he should be at least 1200 and probably more (he is between 16.1 and 16.2).
I would 100% get him off anything as high in NSC as 33%. It’s really not conducive to weight gain for a lot of horses.
Can you get, maybe, Purina Ultium? That’s 1900 cal/lb and IIRC about 18% NSC.
If you have access to it, I recommend Blue Seal Sentinel Performance LS.
OP, I have my 5 year old thin, hot warmblood on Nutrena ProForce Fuel. I weighed it (its a pretty dense feed) and figured out the volume I need per day. The NSC is almost half of the XTN - check out the Nutrena website. I supplement with shredded non-molasses beet pulp. Pro force Fiber might be another option for you but includes beet pulp and it’s pricier when fed to weight (beet pulp is cheap). The NSC is still alot less than the XTN. When he gets skinny (usually when the pasture quality declines) I add compressed alfalfa hay and oil. He is not “hot” on alfalfa and he bulks up nicely. Nutrena has a high fat supplement but it is very LIGHT (it looks like dog kibble!) and you really have to weigh it out to feed to instruction (and it’s also pricey).
If your guy is in full time training and is skinny, he needs CALORIES. I never heard of peanut hay. Huh.
When you weigh your grain weigh the hay too, a hanging luggage scale works great. If you are trying for weight gain without excess energy, feed as much hay as he’ll eat, in the 2-3% of your target weight range if possible, so 25-35lbs a day. I think the grain you’re feeding sounds good and rice bran may help. A lot of people also swear by the cocoa soya oil. Smartpak has it as a powder too I believe.
Thanks for the recommendation- after looking at the ingredients, the ProForce Fuel might be a good option-- however, it is not available in Florida until October 1st for some reason. I’m willing to add soaked alfalfa cubes or beet pulp as well-- just trying to consider all of my options.
Peanut hay is actually gaining in recognition and popularity as an alternative (here in the south) to alfalfa - the perennial kind, not the leftover from the peanut plants. It’s a few dollars cheaper per bale and the horses love it.
