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Post by snelson on Sept 5, 2014 12:08:43 GMT -5
Have you tried adding some probiotics to their diets? Especially the mare...she may need some help getting her hind gut working again to use the nutrition that she is now getting. I know a lot of people feed probiotics year round but you could probably get by with doing 60 to 90 days to see if she adds any more noticeable weight. I feed my horses probiotics after getting stressed or if they go on any antibiotics and generally only 30 to 60 days...but they haven't had any real issues with weight to contend with.
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Post by cathie on Sept 5, 2014 12:13:03 GMT -5
I know at one point she was on it, not sure if we ran out or what. I will run get more and see if it helps. She may have been on them when she was filling out so well this summer. It sure can't hurt.
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Post by Trailpal on Sept 5, 2014 13:57:03 GMT -5
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Post by Marci on Sept 6, 2014 18:25:58 GMT -5
Were the goats eating the feed? Nana was a real pig. I had to put Shadows feed high enough she couldn't eat it all. She could eat much faster than Shadow.
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Post by dl on Sept 7, 2014 8:22:32 GMT -5
Have you experimented with different kinds of food? When we were trying to put weight on Super, we used a brand that put weight on a friend's horse, but that brand didn't help him at all. I ended up using a brand that my friend didn't recommend because it didn't help her horse, but it's the best brand for Super. Also, soaking his food really helped him.
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Post by MJ on Sept 7, 2014 15:04:46 GMT -5
When we were rehabbing a horse, MaryAnn helped us put together a plan for what to feed and it worked quite well. She probably could give you some pointers, I know she is not quite up to par with everything going on in her life but I bet she would give you ideas. I bet Reds could also.
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Post by cathie on Sept 7, 2014 16:51:19 GMT -5
The goats were not getting his feed, that's why he looks as good as he does. He has been at my house a week now and filling out nicely. I'm really thinking at his old house, they didn't know any better. They saw hay still out, and didn't even think about looking at it to see if they goats were soiling it. They knew they slept in it. But didn't think they would soil there own bed. They has since got rid of all the old hay and are peeling hay off them. The horses feeder is on the outside of the fence on the top rail. So the goats and mini can't get to it. They put Charlie's feeder out there when the goats kept running him off of his feed. Emirah on the other hand, I'm betting she will always be a "hard keeper" I have switched feeds to Strategy Show and sport, (mainly because I'm already getting it for Odin) Instead of the Sr feed as my vet suggested, plus the alfalfa pellets and corn oil. I will restart them all on the probiotics again Monday when then shipment gets here. I must have run out and tsc didn't have any and I forgot. My vet also reminded me that it took almost a year for Cherokee to get back up to weight, and he was not as bad off as Emirah. She said as long as she is still slowly gaining, than keep with the plan. If she still does not improve on the Strategy, then we will have to dig farther into her medical to find out why. Vet says there is no reason for her not to be.
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Post by dl on Sept 7, 2014 18:38:58 GMT -5
I have been using Strategy on Super... it has really helped him a lot
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Post by Marci on Sept 7, 2014 21:54:18 GMT -5
Then too there is the Purina Amplify. i have heard good things on it.
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Post by kerryc on Sept 8, 2014 15:17:21 GMT -5
Cathy
I've seen several photos of your new mare where she is standing really camped out and wide in the back end. Doesn't that mean she has a pain issue somewhere?
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Post by snelson on Sept 8, 2014 19:14:28 GMT -5
The barn manager uses Amplify for a couple of horses at the barn. One is an ancient Arabian mare. Really helps keep her weight on. Before she started using it the mare would yo-yo her weight...winters were tough and she got really thin. Since starting Amplify last year (she feeds 3/4 lb in the winter and 1/2 lb in the summer) the mare has kept consistent weight and looks good.
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Post by cathie on Sept 8, 2014 21:02:39 GMT -5
I picked up a different type of Probiotic tonight, I'll have to look for the Amplify. She could be in pain, not sure. She has only been ridden the one time due to lack of time. Next time the farrier is out, I'll see if he see's anything.
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Post by snelson on Sept 9, 2014 18:25:32 GMT -5
Nutrena also has Empower Boost if Amplify is hard to find in your area. I am a personal fan of Empower but as we all know...it depends on what works for your horse.
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Post by ride4fun on Sept 9, 2014 22:59:52 GMT -5
How much alfalfa pellets are they getting? I'm a big fan of alfalfa for weight gain and especially if muscle needs replacing.
I live on sandhill and I always think of Florida as having a lot of sand also --so with the lack of weight gain I'd wonder if the mare ate a lot of sand before you got her and needs some sand clear as well as probiotics and the usual stuff for weight gain.
Good luck to both of these poor babies. I couldn't even stand to keep Sadie down to only a 4 score as a youngster even though its supposed to be good for youngsters to be a little bit on the lean side.
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Post by cathie on Sept 10, 2014 20:46:37 GMT -5
They get a scoop in the am and in the pm, when I was able to give them lunch they got a scoop at lunch as well. But I switched shifts last week and now leave the house at 6 and don't get home until 730p, so I feed in the am, my daughter feeds at night. If she gives lunch when she gets home from school, Emirah will not eat it all. She eats until she's full, then walks away. I have to feed her in the back of her stall as Odin was putting his head between the bars and eating her fed after she walks away. She has only been with the boys for about a month, so that has not been happening for to long. Before, she was over in my foaling stall/run.
Emirah came from Al, but it is possible that she ate a lot of sand while she was there. I don't normally do a monthly sand clear stuff, but I'm sure I can do it for her, It can't hurt. Charlie is gaining nicely, Emirah is looking better this week. But she has gone up and down before. So I'm hopeful. I'll get pictures either Friday or Saturday when I'm off.
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