Help my mare gain some weight?

Question

My colt was just weaned from my mare the other day and she could use a little extra weight on her. She is still kind of round, but she is ribby and "empty" looking up top. She was just dewormed. I was thinking about adding some mazola oil to her grain. Does that sound like the easiest/cheapest solution? If so, how much should she be getting? I dont really want to put her on a weight gain supplement because it is really just her top where she needs to fill in. Thanks for any help!

Answer 1

She just weaned her colt, she should look like that if she was a good mother.  She will gain her weight back gradually, as she should...if she runs out, free choice of a good hay will do it.  If you prefer to feed her grain, that's up to you, but as you described her, she looks just like a good mamma should when you wean her colt from her...she will pick back up on her own with consistent good quality hay.

Answer 2

I'm in California and if I have a horse who's starting to look a bit "ribby" or I've purchased some rack of bones,  I go out and buy a 50LB sack of A&M (Ground alfafa and molasses) (In the mid west they use beet pulp BUT I've been informed that you HAVE to add water to it or it will swell in a horse's belly causing colic), dump it into a tub or feeder in the horse's stall, then top it with some rolled barley corn that is mixed with corn oil and apple cider vinegar. (I feed a 3LB coffee can of the barley corn mixture once a day.) The horse will normally devour the first couple of bags of A&M, but then they will slack off as they get used to it (Never had an issue with colic or founder)...

I haven't fed oats or any mixed feed in decades, basically because I've had running horses and TBs I'm trying to keep quiet, so I feed the rolled barley corn mixture to them for weight, NOT heat.

I also give my horses a hot bran mash twice a week with a 1/2 CUP of apple cider vinegar and corn oil (I can mix the barleycorn into it.).  I feed 1/2 a 3 LB coffee can of red wheat flakey bran and add enough water to it so that it looks like oatmeal in consistancy.

I make sure that they get 2 flakes of alfafa hay per feeding.  

Answer 3

I would use 1 cup corn oil once daily, done over a 2 wks tims slowly, also if she's say a 800 pounder that's is plenty, and really good for the coat, and so much more too.  Give it time, it's so darn hard to put the weight back on, but it'll come and keep free choice hay down for her at all times.  Enjoy the little one.

Answer 4

From what I have been told from working with an equine nutritionist, when horses get "empty" looking on top, or in other words light over the top, can start to see backbone, then the horses diet is low in protein.  Since you mentioned that she was just weaned this easily could be.

In the past what we have use to help add bloom over the top is Soybean Meal.  It is High in protein, varries from 44-48%, one of the most concentrated forms, but it doesn't seem to make them "hot" like some feeds do.  The fat content is not high due to the meal being the remains of oil extraction.  It is also does not influence the calcium phosphorous ratio.  It is low in Fiber so will not cause issues in that respect.  

Start out with a small amount, say 1/4 to half a cup and see how she responds.  The amount can be varied but remember the protein level exceptionally high so a little can go a long ways towards fullfilling your mares protein needs.

Good Luck!

Answer 5

put one cap full in her food and mix well for one week and see how it does but don't push her to hard, the foal isn't taking her nutrients anymore so she should start to gain again soon

Answer 6

Ummmm - do you mean the foal is too ribby or the mare is too ribby - I was getting confused......

If you mean the foal, she'll gain in time if she's getting enough calories and protein for her needs.  giving a young horse anything that must be turned into glucose takes a lot of energyl.  Corn oil and such can cause issues with digestion and behaviour as corn is high in starch and often causes "hot" horses.

If you mean the mare, I have a TB mare in the same boat.  She's foaled 3 of my babies and has now been retired.  she always is a little on the thin side, but I've found good luck using Kent Feed's Omegatin.  the stuffs about $25 a 35 lb bag.  I feed a cup morning and night as a top dress on her feed.  This worked better for us than all other things I tried including corn oil and other types of off the shelf stuff.  it's also very simple to use.  I have even doubled her amount when she was nursing.  She also is an older mare, so I switched her feed to half Purina Senior and Half Strategy (low starch).  these are both pelleted feeds that break down easily and are efficient to feed compared to sweet feeds and such and are comparable in price.

giving her more food of her current type is not suggested as too much feed could equal digestive distress.  perhaps a moderate change of feed is in order.  You haven't told the audience what types of feed she currently gets so we really can't make a solid answer because corn oil or Mazola alone isn't enough information.  The amount of protein, carbohydrates, fats and sugars are what's important - and a healthy balance is needed.

Were I you, and I didn't have much knowledge about feed stuffs and what each ingredient does, I'd contact my vet or horse dentist for suggestions.  Actually, I WAS feeding what my vet suggested without good success until my horse dentist told me about Sr and Omegatin.  I've had such great success no one will ever tell me anything is better to use - well, they can tell me, but I won't listen.

Bulk of feed is not the answer, quality of feed is.

Also, Uckele makes an oil called Cocosoya oil - it's coconut and soybean oil - low startch, high mega fatty acids.  I feed this a pump per feeding as well - they tend to not be picky about vitamins or supplements in their feed with this and I get the added benefit of gleaming coat, healthy hooves and a horse that's not high.

Oh - you say her top is where she needs it most.  Mares who've foaled will carry weight across their belly - lack of weight is signified in hollows above the hips, along the spine and withers.  So you won't control WHERE the weight goes, you can only control her body condition and wieght - proper weight coupled with proper muscle tone and body condition = good topline, bottom line - all over good health.  When my mare is about where she needs to be, she had no dips over her hips, he spine cannot be seen as if it were the beam holding up her body - but there is no fatty deposits at the top of her tail.

Hope this helps - Good luck!