My hard keeper ottb is sensitive to starches and sugars and needs a feed with a nsc of 11% or less, I’m currently feeding him alafalfa cubes and free choice grass hay, pasture, california trace plus minerals and ultimate finish 100 fat supplement, but he is having trouble gaining weight, hes been wormed and treated for ulcers. Would the wellsolve be worth adding to his diet for extra calories
Is it worth a try? Totally. As you get closer to the minimum amount to feed, I would start decreasing the CaTrace.
FWIW, alfalfa pellets would be easier to consume more calories in less time, which is a good thing for horses like this :yes:
Is there more calories in the pellets then the cubes?
FWIW, I have been successful with “average” hard-keepers on the type of diet you mentioned…
…but for the exceptionally hard keeper, it just didn’t work. Not enough calorie density.
I have never used Wellsolve L/S, so I have no specific information there. But I definitely agree you will probably need a calorie dense, low starch feed.
Two that have worked well for me include KER’s Releve and Triple Crown Senior. Both appear to be more calorie dense than Wellsolve L/S and both are around 10-11% NSC.
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No, but the cubes tend to take up more volume after soaking (which I’m assuming you do). Generally, pickier horses will eat more pounds of pellets than pounds of cubes, so they do end up consuming more calories.
Some horses prefer one to the other, though. Some horses won’t eat any of them.
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I cant get those feed brands where I live
pound for pound they are the same enough. It’s still just alfalfa.
I understand. There’s no reason not to try the Wellsolve L/S. I definitely agree it may help. I was just sharing brands I had experience with that are similar yet higher calorie.
I feed my hard keeper on the Wellsolve LS as a base, because it seems to keep his brain intact, and because it’s what the barn feeds as a standard, and add Purina Amplify to increase the fat content. It seems to add just that extra thing that finally packed on some weight and has given him a real bloom.
What brands do you have access to?? I’m taking Coolstance Copra on a trial run with my old man who’s starting to need more as he gets older. You can order than from Smartpak and shipping is free if you sign up for autoship and they also give you 5% discount.
My hard keeper (PPID) does the best on alf & timothy pellets mixed into soaked/rinsed beet pulp with white salt, Diamond-V yeast, whole flax seed (for fat), Tri-Amino, Mega Cell vit/min pellets, a teaspoon of mag ox (for his brain) half dose of both poly zinc and poly copper, and first cut grass hay. It took quite a while trying different things before I figured out what worked best for him. I tried 2 different senior feeds, 3 different RB’s over 10 years, and he looks the best now even though he’s a senior with assorted issues. Trial and error for sure-
I am chiming in as I fed my fatty wellsolve but ultimately switched to the Hallway pure and simple Balancer. I’ve been really impressed with his coat and feet. Not a huge fan of Purina and wanted to move away from grain for my tick of a horse.
My trainer has lots of thoroughbreds in her barn they are eventers and have been eating the Hallway Fibrenergy
https://www.hallwayfeeds.com/products/fibrenergy
my friend feeds her TB this is as well and supplements with Alfafa hay and beet pulp in the winter.
Not sure if you can get that brand in your area.
What’s the nsc on the fibrenergy feed
