Putting weight on a finiky pony?

Question

i rescued a shetland last weekend from a neglectful home and he is a little too thin for my liking. im giving him a cup of 14% pellets and a cup of beet pulp morning and night. ive never fed such a tiny horse (im used to drafts) so im worried about founder because i know ponies are notorious for that. hes getting plenty of fresh grass hay.. im just not sure about the grain situation. i wanted the beet pulp to help him get some weight on but he refuses to eat it. even if i put a little molasses in it he picks the pellets out. any ideas of what to feed him or what i can add to the beet pulp to make it more palatable (without too much sugar)?

Answer 1

I would use senior feed since it is easy to digest and a complete feed (total nutrition)....he needs balanced nutrition more than a high fat source.  You can also add extra fat if the senior doesn't do the job, but I believe it will be all you need, and with the additional hay he gets, he should fill out just fine.

The best senior feed is Purina...best regulated for consistent content.

Answer 2

i have a minature that i have to be very careful with he is in a small area and lives out with plenty of hay. feed wise he has bran, plenty of hi fi lite and i use blue chip lami lite which is ideal! he has a cup a day.

he has a lickit out in his field and the fence is moved up a little everyday so he can have a little bit of grass.

Answer 3

Some horses just don't like beet pulp, and there's really no way to force him to eat it. I would think that if you're feeding him plenty of quality hay (hopefully a low protein hay - no alfalfa for tiny ponies!) and a cup of pellets, he should eventually gain some weight. You could try adding a rice bran supplement to the feed to help add weight if he'll eat it. But really I wouldn't worry about it too much. Keep on the program and I think you'll see results in the next month or so. You'll probably find that you're going to have to cut back on his hay soon. It's easy to make ponies fat :)

Answer 4

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Answer 5

if you switch him over to senior feed then that would help bc you can feed alot of senior at one time and its easy to quickly switch over to. if you give him 3 scoops in the moring give him lunch about 2 scoops and night 3 scoops.

the lunch will help put weight on i had a gelding he had the same problem.

Answer 6

If the pony has been neglected you should also be sure his teeth are in good shape and he has been wormed.  Beet pulp can lead to colic in some instances, I wouldn't advise it for a horse or pony who may be having other issues.  Don't be in a hurry, I know the pony looks bad, but just as people and animals should lose weight slowly, they should also gain weight slowly.  You don't want to overwhelm his system with severe changes.  

We rescued a quarter horse a few years back and he was sooo skinny, turns out his teeth had probably never been touched.  After we had his teeth done he gained his weight and he is a beauty now!

good luck

Answer 7

The fresh grass IS what you need to be worried about.  Most founder occurs because of too much fresh grass, too quicly!  As for the pellets, you may not even need them but check the bag, it should tell you how much to feed for the weight and size of the animal.  Ponies get fat very quicly on just grass, so I'd start by limiting his access to that.  Start with 1/2 hr. and gradually move up in time.  Watch his neck for any cresting and get him some excercise.  A paddock without grass would be a good idea if you want him out most of the time.  And don't forget the water!

Answer 8

We have an old QH that is hard to keep weight on in the winter. He gets Vintage Senior , alfalfa cubes and from August to May, he gets vegetable oil on his food. The vet recommended the oil but you have to start with a very small amount (a table spoon or so) and work your way up because it will cause diarrhea.). Definitely, check the teeth.

good luck.

Answer 9

I highly recommend that you go to Atwoods ( or any horse feed store) and get Weight Builder. I'm not sure what brand I use but It is in a white box and has a horse on the front. It is really good.

Answer 10

I have a finicky pony too - the thing that always works for us is to add garlic to the feed. He loves it.