My horse is losing weight, any ideas?

Question

My new horse was a little tubby when i got him about two months ago, and now he is looking very good. Also, hes starting to lose too much weight. I should have seen it coming because he is half Thoroughbred LOL but i just wanted some ideas to keep his weight on him? He looks pretty good right now, but as its getting closer to winter I want to keep him at a nice weight, even though he will be blanketed and stalled.

oh, i have another question.

i have asked this before but i got some other pictures of my boy and they are a little better for looking at his conformation. hopefully..hahah.

he is grazing in them, but i just want your thoughts on my big boy.

thank you (:

i know these arent the best for conformation, but ill try and get some more today when i go to the barn.

http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z48/horsie_hollister_gurl/tuckerundersaddle-2.jpg

http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z48/horsie_hollister_gurl/tucker-1.jpg

http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z48/horsie_hollister_gurl/tuckerff-1.jpg

http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z48/horsie_hollister_gurl/lovehim-2.jpg

http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z48/horsie_hollister_gurl/aisleway-1.jpg

http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z48/horsie_hollister_gurl/arena.jpg

http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z48/horsie_hollister_gurl/tuckkk-1.jpg

http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z48/horsie_hollister_gurl/tuckerboyy-1.jpg

the first picture was the day i got him and he has a bit of a hay belly thats gone now and he has become more slender, like in the two bottom pictures which were taken about a week ago.

http://s191.photobucket.com/albums/z48/horsie_hollister_gurl/?action=view&current=tuckervideo.flv

also i have this really crappy video.

sorry about the quality of all the pictures and the video, they were just taken with my phone.

Answer 1

What do you feed? How much? How often? When was he floated? When was he wormed? How much work is he in? Is he on any supplements? What kind of pasture is he on? How much turnout?

Quality feed, corn oil, flax, hay cubes, lots of good hay and good grazing will help any horse, but we need to know more about him to give any tips or specific aids.

Answer 2

First off your horse is very beautiful and a nice mover.  To keep weight on in the winter feed a rice bran supplement with your feed it will also help them shed out really nicely in the spring.  IT is an excellent source for maintaining weight on horses all year long

Answer 3

Check for worms. Then teeth. If all good..... Rice bran, flaxseeds, beet pulp, a senior feed &  complete pellets are all good for putting weight on.

Answer 4

I agree with those who suggest your horse is not underweight. You can use the body condition score to determine what you should do in terms of feeding more or less. Visit http://www.umext.maine.edu/onlinepubs/ht... to get information on the scale. Typically 4 or below is underweight. 5 is optimal. 6 or above is overweight.

I have this link and some nutrition links at

http://www.temporaldoorway.com/stable/li... in case you need that sort of information.

Answer 5

nice lookin horse! we have race horses. you have no worries. he is a race horse. he is in shape. they might look skinny to you but they r not. just in shape. but a trick we do to them fat for the winter after racing them all summer is one can of beer a day. it sounds crazy but it will put weight on and no he wont get drunk and no its not bad for them. good luck!

Answer 6

Your best bet is to get your horse checked by a vet. Losing too much weight, too fast is not good for the horse and could be indicative of some other problem, such as a parasite.

After that, I would suggest looking for a higher quality, more nutritious hay.

Answer 7

First off. Your horse was overweight to begin with. From the last two photos that you say were taken a week ago, he still looks overweight.

This horse could stand to lose a few more pounds. However if you haven't changed feed amounts or his diet and he's losing weight you need to get a fecal count to check for worms, check his teeth, and if those don't check out, then get a blood graph done on this horse to check for cushings(which causes weight loss in horses).

Next, I'd evaluate his diet in order to make him a healthier horse. He is overweight which puts him at risk for cushings, laminitis and poor joint health among many others.

Make sure you are feeding him the proper feed at the proper amounts. Make sure he's getting the right supplements and drinking adequate amounts of water.

I'd much rather see a horse slightly underweight than overweight.

Answer 8

He looks to be a little older. he might benefit from a senior formula. Other than that he looks ok. i would not want him to loose anymore weight though. he looks to be a happy and healthy boy, lovely shiny coat.