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[RC] Feeding underweight youngster - chicamuxen

I have just bought an underweight, just turned two, Arabian colt.  He was 
raised on a decent ranch in Manitoba but was bought by a local woman as a 
yearling. He and another colt have been living in a large dry lot for the last 
year and from the looks of them their nutrition hasn't been great, not enough 
roughage fed, a generic sweet feed and very little worming done. They look 
poorish. I'm picking him up in a couple of days and I'm debating on how to work 
him gradually into a better feeding regimen. I've already discussed worming 
with my vet who is coming out next week to give him a health check and I'll ask 
her opinions of feeding also.

Still, I'd like to hear other opinions on feeding procedures. At the age of two 
should I treat him as an adult horse or should I feed him a little higher 
protein level than my two 7 yr olds? I have an awful lot of good grass, heavy 
with clover right now but I do have two differnet dry lots also. I know I'm 
going to have to be careful to ease him back onto grass, especially considering 
the time of year. I have some nice orchard grass hay and some 3/4 orchard,  1/4 
alfalfa mix hay. I have in my feed room some beet pulp; a 10%fat, 10% protein 
textured feed; and a low starch, grainless pellet by Triple Crown that is 13% 
protein and 6% fat. 

This horse isn't starved or runted and really needs to be wormed correctly but 
I'm wondering if he still needs more protein than my two older tanks require? 
And how should I work into a feed increase?

Bonnie Snodgrass

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