Hard Keeper Help?

Reader’s question about why her Thoroughbred horse (stallion) won’t put on weight despite excellent care, and a veterinarian’s response discussing nutritional management, veterinary examinations, and genetics.
Share
Favorite
Close

No account yet? Register

ADVERTISEMENT

Q: We have a 5-year-old Thoroughbred stallion we cannot get to fill out, i.e., put weight on. He is very well-bred, and we have another offspring by the same sire, so we know how he should be, "genetically speaking." He only attempted two races as a 2-year-old before being retired to pasture, and we traced him to a farm and bought him eight months ago as a competition sire.

He is 17.2 and has comparatively long legs with very good bone. He arrived very thin, but not emaciated or unhealthy. He started work after he put on enough weight to be comfortable with a rider. We wanted him to gain condition, so he’s had a very easy work schedule and has just started competing in eventing at the lowest level. He has a superb temperament, a very good work ethic, and is very calm and relaxed; this is why he’s still a stal-lion. I don’t know if this is relevant to our problem or not.

He’s had complete physicals, tests, high-tech dentistry, dewormers and appetite stimulants, and various other meds a good vet would use in such a case. We have consulted all the leading nutritionists from South African feed companies and some consultants from companies of imported feeds. We have tried some "home remedies" guaranteed to fatten him up, like boiled barley and linseed. Nothing has been satisfactory thus far.

Any feed changes and additions have been planned and gradual. Our other horses, including his brother, look fabulous. He gets a very good commercial grain 14% (crude protein) stud mix, the amount carefully calculated for his work and size. He gets probiotics and feed booster and full-fat soya, and we’ve tried oil. He is stabled at night and out grazing seven hours every day; he gets lunch in his paddock, and he eats breakfast, dinner, and late snack (Lucerne pellets) in his stable. We have also tried keeping him in the stable after lunch for a sleep, but it made no difference. He has access to baled teff (Eragrostis tef, or "teff," also known as summer lovegrass, a warm-season annual grass native to Ethiopia) in a net, as well as ample graz-ing

Create a free account with TheHorse.com to view this content.

TheHorse.com is home to thousands of free articles about horse health care. In order to access some of our exclusive free content, you must be signed into TheHorse.com.

Start your free account today!

Already have an account?
and continue reading.

Share

Written by:

Carrie Hammer, DVM, PhD, is the Director of Equine Studies, Department of Animal Science, at North Dakota State University.

Related Articles

Stay on top of the most recent Horse Health news with

FREE weekly newsletters from TheHorse.com

Sponsored Content

Weekly Poll

sponsored by:

Where do you primarily feed your horse?
325 votes · 325 answers

Readers’ Most Popular

Sign In

Don’t have an account? Register for a FREE account here.

Need to update your account?

You need to be logged in to fill out this form

Create a free account with TheHorse.com!