Last Updated on August 7, 2023 by
A horse may underweight for a variety of reasons, but the first step is to make sure it is getting enough calories for its size and job. Spending money on the best forage you can help keep your overall horse feed bill low. Total intake ought to be between 2 to 2.5% of bodyweight, and it should be composed of as high-quality horse feed ingredients as possible.
No matter how much you feed your horse, they won’t gain weight if they are unable to eat or digest their food properly. This is why it’s crucial to rule out health problems like worms and bad dentition. When looking at horse feeds for weight increase, consider the horse feed’s energy content. There is no legal necessity to include this on a bag of horse feed, but the majority of suppliers do because it gives an indication of the product’s conditioning level. Call the manufacturer if it isn’t on the bag; they should be able to get it for you.
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Horse feed for Weight Gain: What You Should Know
Ad lib horse feed needs to be accessible for horses that have to put on weight. Ad lib horse feeding ensures that your horse has access to forage at all times. If you arrived at their stable at 3 am, would they still have hay or haylage for them to eat? When the grazing is low or there is bad weather, such frost or snow, horses that are brought out require an additional source of horse feed.
As the primary source of energy in the ration, pick a bucket horse feed that really is high in fibre and oil. These energy sources have a moderate rate of release, which reduces the likelihood to encourage your horse to waste energy upon hyperactive or erratic behaviour. Energy is abundant in fibre and oil; Alfa-A Oil, for instance, contains the same amount (12.5 MJ/kg) of energy as a conditioning mix while having around ten times less starch.
It is advantageous to increase highly digestible fibre sources, like sugar beet, in horse feed for horses to encourage weight gain. Dengie Alfa-Beet, which blends alfalfa and unmolassed sugar beet, is a great horse feed for horses that are underweight. Studies have revealed that doing so enhances the ability of other dietary forms of fibre to be digested.
Best Horse Supplemnts for Weight Gain
A healthy population of gut microorganisms that the horse needs to breakdown fibre will be established by using a digestive supplement that includes components like yeast and prebiotics. Less cereal-based meals are likely to be needed as the horse can acquire more energy from fibre, which helps to maintain gut health and lowers the likelihood of hyperactive behaviour.
Horse feeds designed to help horses acquire weight will have a variety of ingredients; a few will be high in fat while others will have more calories and protein. It’s worthwhile contacting a variety of horse feeding manufacturers to find out what they would advise in order to determine what your horse requires and what will fit him best. Most will take a thorough history of the horse in order to provide the best guidance and offer a free nutritional hotline service.
Using Fibre-Beet British Horse Feeds:
Fibre-Beet is a designed blend that contains all the advantages of the original Speedi-Beet product, as well as high grade alfalfa for optimum condition and to give quality calories and protein for muscle tone as well as function. It is referred to as a “super fibre” conditioning horse feed. It has a high digestion value and offers slow-release energy without such fizz. It also contributes to heat production to keep the body’s core temperature constant. Usually soaked in warm water, it takes only 15 minutes to be ready to horse feed, and soaking in cold water takes 45 minutes.
Using Cavalor WholeGain:
The 20.5% fat content of this diet securely adds weight without using excessive energy. In contrast to the kidney problems associated with protein-based horse feeds and the gastrointestinal and muscular concerns linked to high-starch diets, horse feeding fat does not result in excessive systemic stress. Cavalor WholeGain enhances digestion, boosts gut health, and helps to promote immunity by adding extra Omega 3 as well as Florastimul prebiotic.
Using Connolly’s Red Mills Ultra Cubes for Horse Care:
This product is ultra-low starch conditioning cubes from Red Mills is free of cereal grains and has been particularly prepared to support condition as well as topline. This nutritionally superior formulation has one of the lowest starch contents of conditioning horse feeds on the market, at just 4%.
Using Alfa-A Dengie Oil:
This Dengie high-fiber horse feed encourages weight gain and remarkable condition without causing agitation. It is a pure alfalfa with rapeseed oil blend that is rich in high-quality calories and protein to aid with topline and muscular growth. The high oil content also encourages healthy skin and fur shine. It has 2% less starch than other foods and no added sugar. for horses and ponies at risk for equine gastric ulcer syndrome; approved by BETA.
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