I’ll ask the barn manager what exactly he is eating. I can always buy him more stuff if needed.
I just wished he looked less icky, lol. We did finally get the sheath cleaning done, so there’s that…but he still looks icky and poo covered…
The last dewormer was ivermectin two months ago.
Got to get past the “dirty” and look at musculature and fat coverage, and then flexibility and soundness, and the real test, his attitude and comfort level. Is he happy and curious, alert and willing?
You can make him look good without a bath by learning about old fashioned grooming methods. If he was on the track he was probably stropped or rubbed, also called wisping and banging, hard massage with a towel or cactuscloth after a good curry. Use your bare hands to spread the oils and he’ll get a gleam that comes from within, not Show Sheen.
I still use oil, canola at present. The ones I liked the best were the Flaxseed and linseed oil blends, but the expense is really too high. For my purposes my older horse just wouldn’t eat the volume he needed so I had to increase the caloric value of what he did eat.
I also had to weigh everything.
After time as the horse reaches optimum weight, if you use the same feed buckets then you can judge by volume, but initially don’t make that mistake - feed settles and for a thin horse you want to feed every ounce that has been calculated for the ration.
Another good option re shine, grooming, etc. when bathing isn’t possible is hot toweling. After currying, of course. :yes:
What’s his worming regime? Has he been hit for tapes and encysted strongyles?
Is he thin or is he lacking muscle? Or both?
When I take a horse off the track, I make sure to worm them for tapes and do a power pac for the encysted strongyles. I have one mare who needs a repeat power pac every other year, despite using Quest, to maintain.
All of my TBs seem to do best on straight alfalfa, but I make sure to use tri-amino if they’re on grass hay.
I like cocosoya for it’s palatability and improved omega 3/6 ratio, but if all you’re looking for is calories, it’s a huge over spend. Tough to say, though, from your post if the horse really needs more calories, or more protein, or more nutrition or just a better worming protocol.
Not “more”. Different. The first thing to think isn’t usually “what else can I feed”. It’s to look at what he is getting and decide of there’s something better that is different, not in addition to. Right now, what you’re using isn’t working (2 quarts of a maybe ration balancer), so stop thinking the answer is in adding this and that, and think in terms of a different feeding routine.
I just wished he looked less icky, lol. We did finally get the sheath cleaning done, so there’s that…but he still looks icky and poo covered…
The last dewormer was ivermectin two months ago.
Elbow grease. Shedding blade. Face mask. Baths are not always possible, and they are not remotely the only way to a shiny, clean (enough) coat.
Get in there and groom him. There’s no reason for him to be constantly covered in manure, and if he rolls in mud, scrape it off when he’s dry.
Yeah, outdoor horses get pretty filthy during mud season. My Percheron was outdoor boarded on 75 acres of grass, snow and mud, depending on the season. In addition to constant currying and brushing, I used to wait until he was done shedding and then give him a good bath once the weather warmed up. He was not a fan of it, but it made me feel great! I tried the waterless shampoos, but he is a cream color, so they never really worked. Showseen, on the other hand, works great once you get the dirt off. Helps keep it off for a week. Just don’t use it on the saddle area, or you will find yourself on the ground once you try to mount up.
A small, inexpensive but useful item to get in your travels or internet ordering would be a weigh tape. I keep mine in my grooming kit. They are not as accurate as a weigh scale for a horse, but you get some sort of idea which way things are headed as you go along. Being new to draft horse care when I got my Perch, I had the vet tape the horse and tell me where he wanted the horse on the tape. Made life a whole lot easier to adjust the diet as we went along through grass season, and then through the winter to keep him within the number range the vet gave me. Gives you peace of mind, too, that you are on the right track, and not just trying to gauge it by eyeballing it. Good luck with your horse! 
[QUOTE=JB;8095778]
Not “more”. Different. The first thing to think isn’t usually “what else can I feed”. It’s to look at what he is getting and decide of there’s something better that is different, not in addition to. Right now, what you’re using isn’t working (2 quarts of a maybe ration balancer), so stop thinking the answer is in adding this and that, and think in terms of a different feeding routine.
Elbow grease. Shedding blade. Face mask. Baths are not always possible, and they are not remotely the only way to a shiny, clean (enough) coat.
Get in there and groom him. There’s no reason for him to be constantly covered in manure, and if he rolls in mud, scrape it off when he’s dry.[/QUOTE]
Exactly !!! Chances are all that ick and sticky poop is irritating the heck out of the poor guy as well… Even the piggiest of them usually enjoy a good grooming .
I do groom him. Every day usually. I curry him thoroughly, get as much of the new hair as I can off with a shedding blade, soak off the crustiest spots with a towel. He still doesn’t look show-gleam clean like he does right after a bath…
…And then he goes right back outside, finds the nearest mud puddle, and rolls in it. Because hey, why not make my life more difficult, eh?
Well, no, with the old, tired, dirty Winter hair hanging on with its last breath, a new coat trying to come in, things are not going to be as pretty as if he’s bathed. You can help that even more if you vacuum him - plain ol’ Shop Vac works well if you’ve just got to see him looking prettier
[QUOTE=dungrulla;8096853]
I do groom him. Every day usually. I curry him thoroughly, get as much of the new hair as I can off with a shedding blade, soak off the crustiest spots with a towel. He still doesn’t look show-gleam clean like he does right after a bath…
…And then he goes right back outside, finds the nearest mud puddle, and rolls in it. Because hey, why not make my life more difficult, eh?[/QUOTE]
Ahhh…that’s where you went wrong! They’re not here for you. You’re here for them! They need staff, you see. The better the staff, the higher their status is in the herd. So, you’re it! He’s just making sure you stay busy so you don’t abdicate your lowly servant position and go running off, doing something else. Which would reflect poorly on him with the herd, thus reducing his status in their eyes. That’s how it works. Now chop! chop! Back to grooming!
He looks show gleam clean after a bath because he’s WET.
Update:
Horse has had his grain ration increased and is now also eating beet pulp on vet’s recommendation. Cup of oil has been reduced to reasonable quantities of oil. Hopefully he fills out again quick.
[QUOTE=dungrulla;8123458]
Update:
Horse has had his grain ration increased and is now also eating beet pulp on vet’s recommendation. Cup of oil has been reduced to reasonable quantities of oil. Hopefully he fills out again quick.[/QUOTE]
I’m not sure why you’re decreasing the oil if he’s not yet filled out? A cup of oil is not actually an unreasonable amount of oil. And keep in mind that it takes a couple of months for them to start being able to fully process oil. It’s not something you can give for a couple of weeks and expect a huge difference.
I have the biggest oil eater in my barn (3 cups canola/day) and she is also the horse that is always shiny. Always. Fitness and loads of oil. Barely any grooming. Not even kidding. Grooming is a waste of my time. And not her favourite thing. lol
[QUOTE=sascha;8123907]
I’m not sure why you’re decreasing the oil if he’s not yet filled out?[/QUOTE]
Because he was only getting 2qt of feed to begin with. Feed appropriate amounts of a good concentrated feed before adding oil, barring of course something like EPSM.
Gaining weight is as almost much about good nutrition as it is about calories
[QUOTE=JB;8123926]
Because he was only getting 2qt of feed to begin with. Feed appropriate amounts of a good concentrated feed before adding oil, barring of course something like EPSM.
Gaining weight is as almost much about good nutrition as it is about calories :)[/QUOTE]
Ok, my point was that he’s not yet filled out. If he’s eating the extra calories that oil provide, why not keep shovelling those calories into him until he’s gained the weight, THEN, drop the oil and see if he can do without. But whatevs, only been feeding high fat 15+ years so I’m really new at this. :winkgrin:
I don’t really disagree with you, other than - 1c oil is 2000-ish calories. Feeding appropriate amounts of the fortified feed will add more than another 2000 calories and provide a lot more nutrition than that oil was providing.
I am just not a fan of adding or keeping oil when the rest of the diet is not “there” yet. If you have to add it later, yes, but it’s an add-on, not an instead of.
Agree with JB - if he is not filled out, he needs protein as well.
[QUOTE=catherines;8096832]
Exactly !!! Chances are all that ick and sticky poop is irritating the heck out of the poor guy as well… Even the piggiest of them usually enjoy a good grooming .[/QUOTE]
LOL, not my TB…she hates grooming! And, to be honest, unless you’re putting tack over the mud it probably doesn’t really irritate them either. I would have to groom 24/7 right now to get the mud off my horses. Not really worth it.
Anyway, was really commenting about the TB thing - many are just “harder keepers” than their WB counterparts. My TB mare (who is 20, and retired) usually comes out of winter looking a little thin, but I try to be patient and not jump the gun on adding feed. Once the grass comes in - if you have access to pasture - even my hard keeper will get fat. So, it’s a fine line to balance.
Get a good handle on what exactly is being fed, and then reevaluate. TBs in a barn full of WBs often get shortchanged on hay, so it’s great that your horse has ample hay. But, a lot of TBs need more than just hay and a ration balancer - especially in work (if my mare was in heavy work I think I would be hard pressed to keep weight on her…she already eats all day long.)
For my mare, a full ration of TC Senior or Nutrena Senior plus free choice hay works great.
My old OTTB needed 12lbs of TC Senior plus a cup of flax plus all the alfalfa hay he could eat to maintain weight in the winter. Two quarts of concentrate and/or hay pellets is not a high enough weight of supplement to “give up” and go to oil. If he’s not holding on 10lbs or so of a senior feed that would be the time to expand your horizons as far as calories go.
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