Success graining once a day?

[herecomesthesun]

I just got an OTTB. He's been off the track for some time, though! He's 13 and a light cribber. I'm trying to put a bit more weight on him before winter. While he's in quarantine at his new boarding barn, there's no problem feeding him twice a day. I'm giving him 4 lbs of alfalfa pellets soaked in a cup of vegetable oil, and 3-4 lbs of Omolene 400, split into two feedings. This also includes a scoop of joint supplement and one of Source granules.

However, when he moves to his real accommodations - the 'distinguished gentlemen's pasture', with two retirees - it's going to be difficult to ensure he gets these feedings twice a day. Once a day in the morning, I think, can be done - but twice a day is going to be very tricky and might not be feasible. I can feed him an evening feed on the nights I'm out there, but there will likely be at least three days a week when he will get only one graining, in the morning.

He is a hard keeper. His previous situation was 24/7 turnout in a large mixed herd of 20 horses. I'll attach a photo of him on the day we got him about a week ago, that shows his condition:


Am I going to be able to maintain weight on him on one graining per day? I have ordered some Omeprazole (sp?) as a prophylactic treatment for ulcers, as his old situation was somewhat stressful. He has been wormed, and I'll be having the vet out for floating within a week or two.

Just wondering if there's anyone out there who has been able to put weight on a hard keeper by graining 1 x day. I know there's a limit on how much you can give at a sitting, and I thought that limit was somewhere around 5-6lbs of concentrate. I can look for another barn if need be, but they are not very plentiful in my area, and at his age, I think the 24/7 turnout is important for keeping him limber.

[TeachU2Ride]

My TBs (one a cribber) did fine with one concentrate feeding per day over a two year period in PA and SC, with the rest of the story being:

- high quality orchard/alfalfa roundbales in the field at all times once the pasture was dormant

- appropriate turnout blankets with hoods to keep them dry and warm enough not to burn calories just standing around

- shelter to allow them to get out of the rain/wind when they wanted to

- approximately 5lbs of Triple Crown Senior (10% fat), plus 1 cup of Omega HorseShine, in each daily feeding

- 12 acres of excellent grass pasture, shared between 6 geldings in PA... 6 acres of good pasture shared between 3 geldings in SC

With these parameters, they were pleasingly plump (not fat) going into each winter and lost a bit (ribs just showing) by the time the grass started coming up in spring. If I had had one who needed to gain weight over the winter, he would have been living where he could be fed concentrates at least twice per day, preferably three times, in addition to really great free-choice hay and weather appropriate blanketing/shelter.

Cute pic.

[herecomesthesun]

During the PPE, the vet rated his body condition as a 4 - 'moderately thin'. I would like to try to get him to a 5 - 'moderate' condition. The hay quality isn't particularly good where I'm boarding, and the grass where he will end up living is beginning to go dormant for the winter. They will be having round bales all winter, unknown what the quality of those will be, the square bale hay the horses are getting right now is nothing to write home about. Once the grass comes in at springtime, the pastures are really very good, but it's the winter I'm concerned about.

I do have a heavyweight blanket for him, but haven't got a hood - yet. He will have shelter, definitely.

[ZenRider]

Yeah, unless you want one really hot horse, I'd quit with the Omelene 400, good as it smells, for something with less sugar. Feed all the grass hay or mix hay he can eat.

The barn I board at is using the Tribute Feeds and I must admit the horses are happy, healthy and shiny. The broodmares seem less moody then they did on straight oats, though they are on Calm and Easy and not the senior feed.
Avoid overfeeding him any grain to fatten him up faster as you could increase a chance of founder in your thin horse. Again, hay is your friend.

As for the feedings per day. Is their hay available 24/7 and in multiple areas in the pasture. If there is only one feeding station, his condition will figure largely on his place in the herd. Otherwise if he can stuff his face at will, once his weight his up he may do just fine with a one day supplement of grain of 5lbs or 6 pounds of senior feed or other pelleted feed. Trying to feed more then that at a feeding could result in founder. Especially if the feed contains a lot of sugar.

Otherwise, consult with your Vet as to what can be done to make his pasture arrangement work.

BTW as for his age, he's in his prime. 13 is far from old. Many of your Olympic eventers are in that age range, with some older.

[herecomesthesun]

The 'herd' is only three horses, including mine. He is likely to get his fair share of hay.

I will look into a lower-sugar feed for him, thanks for your thoughts on the Omolene 400. I was feeding it because it's what the previous owner said he did best on. He hasn't show much 'hot' behavior, and I would expect to see it in the first week, while he's unsettled and in transition. But he acts like he's always lived at his new barn and he has remained mannerly. Everyone is in love with his temperament. We are very happy with him.

[jeannek]

Omelene 400 is a complete feed w/o cereal grains and is high in fiber and fat....If he does well on it, I would not change that yet...Give him a chance to adjust to his new place and make changes if needed. Canola oil is a great way of getting extra calories and omegas in, plus my vet likes it as he says it provides a buffer against ulcers recurring...Don't know if it is possible to add oil or not, it is certainly messy and requires much more housekeeping...Also many heave prone horses are on omelene 400 and he may have allergies and need a feed along those lines.

Jeanne

[maybe]

I have a very hard keeper and she doesn't get grain every day and I've still had good luck with Smartpaks...I use their cocasoya in her Senior feed and it's really helped with her weight...just curious if you have tried using a sand free supplment with your guy? My trainer recommended it and it helped a lot with my horses weight...

[CC]

Actually, I looked up Omolene 400 since I was not familiar with it. It's Complete Advantage renamed! I used to feed that and was quite happy with it. It is a beet pulp based feed but it doesn't quite have a high fat content so adding oil to it is plausible. My horses were never hot on it.

[Pam]

I agree, if he's doing well on the Omelene 400, don't switch. It's good stuff and well help to pack on the pounds. Also, though not unheard of, founder is much less of an issue with TB than with less "hot" breeds such as QH and Appaloosas and especially ponies.

As far as your original question, a few years back, I broke my leg very severely and was totally non-weight bearing for four months, from November thru February, right in the heart of winter. My horses lived outside 24/7 at the time and to try and make it easier on my then 15 year old daughter who took over care of the horses for me, I switched them to only one concentrate feeding a day. They had to be tied up to eat and then untied again, so it saved Bethany one trip outside by only having to grain them once. ALL the horses, including the OTTB Rubix, did fine. Rubix got 5 pounds of Ultium plus two scoops of Cool Calories for his grain along with the all-you-can-eat salad bar of hay.

[Skye Pilot]

Diego is a cribber and hard keeper. When I injured my foot a couple of years ago, I had to keep them outside. I started using feedbags on two of the three as I couldn't walk them into the stalls with a foot brace with bare toes. Diego had all the hay in the world in front of him and was dropping weight. Vet said to feed him like he has no teeth. He is on Horse Chow 100 complete feed and is maintaining a good weight. I have to feed him in the outside trough with his crib collar so he doesn't choke. The others have the feed bags on. Only three in the herd now of days.
I now do this for summertime as we are so busy around the farm in the summer.