Shortly after I got that book I was able to help where I was boarding, a Paso Fino breeding barn. One day a mare looked FAT, I checked her neck and it was rock hard. I told the owner to get that mare into the diet club FAST. Luckily she did not founder, I had caught it in time and the mare’s owner believed me.
Empower “topline” is a ration balancer, as is Essential K. Neither are going to put weight on a thin horse, and the Empower product is higher quality than the Tribute one (in my professional opinion). I’d be looking for a quality performance horse concentrate for him, not a ration balancer.
Warm season grasses, like bahia, are lower quality and less digestible than both cool season grasses (orchardgrass, fescue, timothy, etc.) and legumes (alfalfa, perennial peanut, etc.). If bahia is all that is easily available to you locally, you could try supplementing him with 5-ish pounds of alfalfa hay per hay on top of his free choice grass. If that works well, then you may be able to back him down to a ration balancer once he is in better condition.
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Empower Balance is around 3c/lb, so 4c is about 1.25lb, which is a bit much for a pony who’s not in work. What’s his ideal weight?
What brands of feeds can you get? Since you can get Nutrena you could consider the SafeChoice Sr as his hard feed, drop the other 2 things. For his ideal weight that’s probably around 4-5lb (but check the bag)
That said, I’d get him tested for EMS/IR as soon as you can, and if he’s older than 10, throw in PPID as well
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You need to get him off that short high-sugar nibbling grass he is on. He needs to exercise even if hand walking 30 minutes a day and then add quality low NSC feed for weight. He’s a bit thin and under muscled.
Test for EMS/IR and PPID ASAP. I got money he is borderline on his numbers and that short stressed grass is causing the harder neck to show up.
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Agreed that is some short stressed grass. If lovely little horse isn’t metabolic. No problem. If he is. It’s a nightmare. Test your horse for insulin resistance.
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@ziggywiggy what’s his age ? I would definitely want to reduce and limit sugar and starch in his diet regardless-his breed makes him fall into the “metabolic /laminitis risk category “ thin and cresty /fat neck sounds like possible PPID(Cushings) and or IR/EMS…I would have your vet test blood-insulin, glucose, acth(with a TRH stim) and Lyme to get baseline bloodwork if not checked yet. I suggest switching to a low sugar /starch ration balancer - Triple Crown 30% or Hygain MetaSafe …then add something soaked for your base like Timothy Balance Cubes or something like Pink Mash …you could also add ground flax.
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I have to put in a plug here for Unbeetable Complete - this is the first winter my laminitis-prone mini has not had an episode of winter laminitis and I really believe it’s using a feed without soy. I have not done my usual blanketing, leg wraps. He is now getting as much hay as he wants (first cutting, tested at 8 NSC) to try to reset his body to warm itself, and it seems to be working.
My fat prone mare and gelding, both who got neck fat deposits last year, are looking healthy and a great weight. My mare (25) was losing topline, and it’s back and looking good after 3 months on Complete.
I don’t have any affiliation with Unbeetable, just am very happy with this product.
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I strongly suggest getting a full bloodwork panel done on this horse. The way you have described things it is very possible that your horse has Cushing’s, and or Equine metabolic syndrome. Neither of these things can be treated buy diet alone. Although you can make a big difference in the EMS with very specific diet changes.
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Bahia is pretty much cow hay in my opinion (and my horse’s too). Unless it is cut at a very early stage it is about 5% protein and has a high lignin content. Warm season grasses are generally (but not always) low sugar. So he may not be getting enough protein with this diet and a ration balancer or some kind of protein supplement may be needed. It is not horrible for an easy keeper (if they will eat it) but may not meet his protein needs. I have it in my pastures, but aside from eating the seed heads off of it, it is the last choice for the equines at my house.
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He’s getting probably around 2.5lb of a 12% feed, and around 1.25lb of a 30% ration balancer, for 306gm protein, which is likely about 1/2 of what he needs. If that hay is 5% protein, and he’s eating 16lb (assuming 2% of 800lb) that’s another 363gm, so he’s likely getting enough protein, which isn’t to say a boost might not be a good idea.
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Same, I’ve never seen a horse do great on Bahia, not even “air ferns.”
I’d supplement with alfalfa and switch to a low-NSC feed.
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It seems good ration balancer plus maybe a flake of alfalfa or other high protein forage might be what I need to try. I think I’ll get a hook with a net so I can hang it out of reach of the donks or maybe pellets would be easier since he’s pretty good at keeping them out of his bucket. The vet can’t come out until March unfortunately but I’ll ask his opinion then. We both need more exercise and I’m planning to start riding more soon as the weather allows.
How many days/weeks/months worth of hay do you have? If you have enough, it would be worth getting it tested
I do have about 2.5 months. So maybe I should send it in.
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