How much senior feed should my horse be on?

Question

I just got a through-bred mare, who is extremely underweight.

She is getting enough alfalfa and is in the pasture but is still not putting on weight shes been wormed and vet checked.

I just put her on Senior feed which has worked great in the past, I am just wondering, how many pounds a day should I get her up to?

Answer 1

If she has not been on feed you need to start her off slowly. Feed her 1 to 1 1/2 gallons in the morning and the same in the evening. Keep her there for a couple of weeks then bump her up 1/2 gallon at each feeding untill you get her up to 2 1/2 gallons

Answer 2

It's the hay that will add the most weight - she should be getting about 2% of her body weight in hay per day.

I wouldn't give her a ton of Senior Feed yet if she is "extremely underweight" - this can cause colic.

You can add 1-2 cups of vegetable or corn oil to about a pound (2 at most) of ration per day - Veg oil is the #1 ingredient in most "weight builder" supplements.

You should see a bit of weight gain in 10 - 14 days.

Lots of fresh water!

Good Luck