I have had easy keepers and more challenging keepers
throughout my endurance career.? Some things I have tried that have worked to
keep weight on those challenges are:
1.? Free Choice hay—hay available 24 hours a day—the
feeder is never empty in that horse’s paddock.
2.? Pasture (of course it has to be the right time of year
and available!)
3.? Beet pulp ?
4.? Freshly ground flax seed in the beet pulp.? The flax has
to be kept in a cool place (I have a fridge in my barn and keep it in the
freezer compartment).? I grind it in a
???? blender that I keep in my feed room—takes seconds.?
I start with ¼ lb and gradually build up to as much as a pound twice a day.?
4.? Cool calories or some other granulated fat added to the
ration (also should be kept cool in storage)
5.? Adding a high quality vegetable oil to the beet pulp
(added very gradually to keep from aggravating the diarrhea problem)? Honestly,
I haven’t done this since learning
?? ?about flax seed—the seed is much less messy and
seems to be more palatable.
6.? Stabilized rice bran (if you feed bran you have to be
cognizant of Ca and P ratios)
??? Conversations with my vet have led me to believe that
unstablized rice bran is a waste of money.? She says it oxidizes before it
arrives at the feed store unless it is
