im bored what shud i do??? im wit my super hyper/crazy friend rite now we need ideas NOW!!!!!!
Three additional things to what Gallop said1 Feeding two scoops per feeding is a waste of your money His stomach cannot process that quantity It is just passing through A quality pelleted feed like a senior feed is much more digestible than any sweet feed mix You need to feed him multiple times per day, morning, afternoon, and bedtime if that fits in with your schedule 2 Corn oil as a weight builder was a standard until a few years ago when a study was done of the types of fats Corn oil exacerbates inflammations and arthritis Since you have an older horse, flax oil is a better choice It is much more expensive and some horses are sensitive to that alsoBut with a senior horse, I would not do corn oil anymore3 Try a hay pellet or wet hay cubes to see if that will increase his forage consumption.
Try Purina Fat FibreI feed this about 1 litre (or U.Squart) twice a day, to all my horsesThis is much less than the recommendations, but it keeps everyone in good shapeI use it more as a supplementHowever, if your horse as heaves, cut way back on the hay, and follow the recommendations on the bagI would switch him from his current diet over a period of time, but once he is on the F F, you should notice a weight gain, and the heaves problem should improve tooHeaves can be caused by, or aggravated by, dust in the hayEdit: You do water down your hay, eh? Also, try a bran mash mixed with bits or slices of carrotI feed that once a dayI mix a Campbell's soup can of wheat bran into a mash, and add some carrot slicesEvery horse gets that at noonAnother edit: The Fat and Fibre is high in caloriesFevered doesn't seem too keen on it, but at this point, I think it can only helpIf your poor guy has a tumour or other internal problem, yes, it is his timeCould beBut I always figured a horse is good to 30 or moreAt 23, he should be in good shapeIt depends on the breed, and on his history, but at this age, I would definitely try to put considerable effort into him, unless your vet can find something to indicate otherwiseIf he was always used to being stabled, you should consider thatIf you put him in at night, at least in the cold weather, he will have less stress on his system, and not burn off so much energy in the cold.
Try to find beet pulp, it's a great source of fiber for a heavy horseThe only stuff my mare gains weight onShe has heaves and laminitis and lost a lot of weight due to pain and trouble breathingFree choice hay is not really good for him, dust and mold is always present in hay, no matter how goodTry alfalfa pellets or hay cubes, wet, with a bit of bran and oilUp to 200 ml of oil a day is okay, starting out slow, raising the amount in a period of two weeks until you're at 200.Many small meals are better than one or two big ones.
Poor guyHope he starts eating soon! He's definitely not an easy keeperTalk to your vet about a change in diet, more fatty foods that are still very healthyGive him just enough exercise each day but not more than he wants so he doesn't burn too much of that weight off I am not actually very sure about if Purina is the healthiest food for any animal as I've heard it's not very healthy for dogsSo also talk to your vet (and even try other vets, or people at local stables or your stable if you board or take lessons) about that, as some feeds just aren't good for individual animals Beet pulp is actually very bad for your horse, which could be something behind thisHe could have anemia, MAYBEAlthough that would've shown up on the blood test (it probably wouldn't hurt to do another just to be 1000000% sure)Our vet took a blood test on my dog in August, didn't care to notice anemia starting and we had to put my dog down in NovemberSo, it's very bad to miss thatShe also had a tumor, and she did lose a little weight - another thing to check for The only thing I could suggest is feeding more frequently, and a bit more so he's getting more food than he is now And I hate to say this, but he is a kinda old guy, well not in his prime exactlyI hope very much that it's not his 'time' approaching but you want to make sure he's OK health-wiseAnd definitely go on a reverse-diet and feed him more and more often, if your vet agrees with that.
