Undernourished Horses

It is important to monitor your horses weight regularly, especially if he is prone to weight loss. A good way to monitor weight is with a weigh tape that can be purchased at most local tack shops or feed stores. If you use this tape at the same time each week it will be about 90% accurate and will let you know if there is any potential problems with your horse with weight loss being a symptom. There is also a thing called a weighbridge that your horse can walk up on to get an accurate weight, however these are not owned by most people as they are very expensive and only the large horse breeders can afford to install them.

When a horse looses weight, he looses his fat first and then the muscle tone. In this way he is just like humans. Usually a horse has a good amount of fat in reserve that he has stored during warm months to prepare for lean winters. It is inherent in their nature to store this fat. By the time weight loss can be seen on a horse, there has been a significant loss of weight already so it is important to keep track of any changes.

One way to put some weight back on your horse is to feed him "conditioning" cubes or feed. There are many varieties on the market such as Spillers Condition Cubes. You should see results fairly quickly in as soon as two weeks in most cases.

Feed more grain than your horses usual portion. Use a feed that is higher in fiber and lower in starch as this reduces the chances of your horse exhibiting bad behavior from his over abundance of energy. More protein and energy intake builds weight. Low energy feeds can be fed from 1kg to 6 kg without your horse going thru the roof with energy.

If you have no good grazing land, offer more hay during the day to provide extra roughage and nutrients. Of course fresh grass is much better, but the hay will still provide "gut fill" which creates heat from the process of fermentation. Try to stay away from large round bales as they can develop mold and are not suitable for horses.

Lastly, consult your veterinarian if you are unsure how to best feed your horse to get your horse back to the proper weight and health. If nothing else they can suggest a good nutritionist that will guide you to the proper diet and supplements.

If you have any questions on Horse supplies or Posh Pampered Pets, please call 979-221-7251 or email info@poshpamperedpets.com. Our home office is located in Waller, Texas, with warehouses located throughout the United States such as Dallas TX, Houston TX, New York NY, Denver CO, Chicago ILL, Seattle WA, Kansas City MO, Miami FL, Raleigh-Durham NC, Washington DC, Los Angeles CA, Fayetteville AR, Philadelphia PA, Phoenix Arizona, San Antonio TX Texas.