Is it okay to feed my horse..?

Question

Hey..

My horse Montana has lost some condition over the past month or so..

I've still been riding her.. Nothing major just PC, trail rides, jumping etc..

Today we got her some weightlifter, cool condition and some sort of a meal.. We also wormed her..

So we gave her 8 scoops of weight lifter + 2 scoops water, 1 scoop cool condition and 1 scoop of the meal thing plus a bale and a half of oaten hay..

How long will this take to fatten her up? Can I still ride her or should I give her a spell? I've got PC next Sunday.. Will she be fine for this??

She still energetic and everything.. She's a QH x Crabbet Arab and ways around 350kg maybe?

Thnx x

Answer 1

Dont listen to the 2 people above you i have the same kind of horse and i think she will be fat in no time......... but make sure she has plenty of water to drink.......and dont pile everything up at once ....solwly increace the supplements untill it reaches the right amount of supplement

hope i helped

Answer 2

ur spoiling her, man whats this world comming to, next thing shell be standing round the dinner table for waiting scraps , sleeping on ur bed and sitting on the couch. my horse gets only a bone for dinner, and its that or nothing. discipline.

Answer 3

WHOA.  You fed a horse that has never received this kind of feed before 8 SCOOPS of a new feed???  How big are these scoops??  

If this is a large scoop (quart/liter size or so), you are looking at making your horse very, very sick.

I am not familiar with the feed itself but as a rule, we switch our horses over to a new feed or introduce a new feed at the rate of roughly a half a pound a day, usually less.  So you are looking at about .25kg.  Please introduce feeds slowly... that much change can bring on a nasty bout of colic and that much feed so suddenly can foster laminitis.

Answer 4

Hey There,

Make sure that she has all the fresh water that she wants to drink, and make sure you make increases in all of her food gradually so that she does not colic. She should pick up her weight pretty quickly and I would not worry too much about taking her for a ride. What may happen if you don't take her for a ride is she will start finding other ways to burn up all the energy like running around or stall pacing, etc. Plus she may be much harder to handle in the saddle. So as long as she is not sick then go take her out and enjoy her. Great job for taking such good care of your horses!

Answer 5

Weight should never be gained or lost at speed - it's a sure fire way to colic and other problems.  It should be slow and steady, just like for people - otherwise you're putting her health at risk.

Ten scoops in total is a massive feed.  Aside from the risk of colic by introducing a new feed 8 scoops at a time, you're risking colic by giving such a big feed!  Horses are trickle feeders - they do best eating little and often.  A horse's stomach is only about the size of a rugby ball and isn't as flexible as a person's; it won't stretch to squeeze in a big meal like ours will if we go for a pizza.

Weigh your horse using a weigh tape (350kg isn't much, are you sure about her size?), then read the side of the feed bag regarding how much you should be feeding.  Feed her half that amount for a week, and then build up to the full amount over another week.  If in doubt, phone the feed company - most have a helpline and are happy to help.  The phone lines are manned by nutritionists not salesmen so they know what they're talking about and are driven by welfare not sales.

Answer 6

just follow your heart for what do you think is best for your horse..

Answer 7

Have you investigated the reason why she lost condition in the first place?  A horse's diet is pretty important to the overall health, so it's best to know what you are dealing with when you begin a new feeding program.  Also, sudden changes in diet can cause multiple problems, including colic and laminitis.  You don't mention her age, but it is common for horses 7 or older to develop metabolic disorders that can manifest in poor condition, weight loss, or even weight gain.

If she has no medical condition, she should gradually build weight over the next month.

Answer 8

yes, obviously