OTTB Gelding needs weight.?

Question

Anyone tried Fat Cat? If so, what were you're results? Pros and cons?

Answer 1

Nope, never tried Fat Cat.  I don't do factory mixed feeds and haven't for decades.

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 the 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 2

I also have a TB who's a hard keeper. When I got her she was extremely underweight. I've got her on a mix of half senior and half 10% sweet feed with a little corn and rolled oats. I also supplement her with 4 oz Farnham Weight Builder and 1oz Grand Hoof pellets. Its amazing. In about 2 months she has put on atleast 50lbs. I have never used Fat Cat b/c I can't get it locally but I've heard great things about it.  Another thing that might help... I've started adding an electrolyte supplement to my TB's feed for the summertime.( I use Perk-o-lyte ) I live in SC and it gets so hot down here that they sweat out their water faster than they can drink. A quarter of a table spoon mixed in with her feed makes a huge difference. I can tell the next day after I put it in her feed.  I do that about 2x a week. That is especially good to do for trails or after excercising.

Answer 3

I used fat cat for my old horse and he was amazing I loved it so did he i tried other things but he wouldn't eat it we actually have him and another horse on it.. they both love it.. it works well.. :)

Answer 4

Once you've ruled out the obvious...teeth and parasite issues, then any good supplement high in digestable fat, with fiber will add pounds.

I've had great luck with beet pulp and a rice bran supplement.  Slick, shiny coats and weight gain.

What is the composition of Fat Cat?  I haven't seen it locally.

ADDED:  Ok, here's the FAT CAT composition...it's higher in protein (builds muscle) than fat.  

A hard working horse needs more protein than a more idle one.  I would consider FAT CAT more of a muscle builder for a working horse than a weight gainer, but that's just one person's experience.  "Working" to my horses is a few hours trail riding.  It makes a big difference what you're doing with your TB.

Ingredient Per Serving Per Pound

Crude Protein, min.  25%  

Crude Fat, min.  3%  

Crude Fiber, max.  3.01%  

Salt, min.  .30%  

Salt, max.  .55%  

Biotin, min.  210mcg  

L-lysine, min.  610mg  

DL-methionine, min.  17mg  

MOORGLO is what I've used...lower protein, higher fat, low starch.

GUARANTEED ANALYSIS

Crude Protein, not less than 14.0%

Crude Fat, not less than 18.0%

Crude Fiber, not more than 14.0 /o

Calcium (Ca), not less than 0.8%

Calcium (Ca), not more than 1.3%

Phosphorus (P), not less than 0.9/0

Vitamin E (natural source), not less

than 500 International Units per pound.

Answer 5

I have a TB cross gelding who I can't seem to get much weight on. Haven't tried Fat Cat. One thing I will say is that TB's tend to have wider sprung ribs, so you can't always go by the ribs. I've found that my guy still needs a few pounds, but his ribs show. But if you look at the tailhead, behind the elbow, etc. he is almost fat enough, so the ribs will just always show a little.

I liked Triple Crown Rice Bran Oil, it's 98% fat so it helped my horse gain some more weight! And free choice good hay. Good luck!

Answer 6

I also have a TB gelding who has trouble keeping weight on, especially in the winter, despite being blanketed. I added 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil to his feed 2x per day and it has worked miracles. It adds "cool" calories, so he doesn't get hyper, but also helps him keep muscle and gives him an amazing coat. I also had success with Focus WT, which just got to be too expensive> Another, less important, benefit of the oil is that it is super inexpensive, while being really good for him. Weird to see his oily feed, but as long as he's healthy/.

: )

Good luck and hope this helps!

Answer 7

i would just slowly up is hay and give him more grazing time but dont leave him out in the sun to long he could get bleached if you feel safe with it leave him out at night

Answer 8

I've never heard of fat cat, but I have also had great results with beet pulp.

First, rule out vet, dental, and parasite issues.  make sure he up-tp date on vaccines and her worming schedule.  Make sure he is not in a corral where her food will be stolen by a more dominant horse and he won't be pushed around all day

To add weight, you still need to focus on quality forage.  Get a good grass hay and offer it free choice.  If you are unable to offer free choice, shoot for at least 2% of the weight you want him to be per day.  If you want him at 1200 lbs, he needs 24 lbs grass hay per day, and so on...break it into three feedings so his body uses it better.  Make sure he has water 24/7 as well as a salt/mineral block.

I prefer to use beet pulp to add weight.  Grains and other supplements often have a lot of sugar that makes a horse "hot".  You run the risk of developing laminitis and risk over-activity due to what is really a sugar high.  The horse can actually lose weight if he is not managed well.

I soak my beet pulp in HOT water in the winter for 30 minutes, and in warm water in the summer for 1/2 day.  I mix the batch I feed for dinner at breakfast time, and the batch I feed for breakfast at dinner time.  That way its always ready to go.  By soaking it, you don't risk choke.  I like to add 1 c vegetable oil per 1000 lbs fer day to the beet pulp and a good multivitamin as well.  I use horse-guard.  Talk to your vet to figure out the best one for your situation.  

I have brought horses up from several hunder pounds under weight and brought ill ones through hard Alaska winters with this regimine, and Ihave to say, it works better than anything I have found.  it is also suprisingly less expensive than feeding some of the weight gainers marketed now, and my vet and farrier are constantly complimenting my horse's coats.  You know he is healthy when he shines like a polished penny and he hasn't been bathed in months!

Answer 9

My friend uses that for her barrel racer.  I personally use Cool Calories for my TB.  Cool Calories doesn't give them the extra energy like some supplements do.  Might be the better choice if you have an OTTB.  Its cheap too.  $60 for 160 days

Answer 10

I got great results feeding soaked sugar beet, ad lib ( ie as much as he wants) haylage and a good conditioning mix.