Tips to Make My Horse Gain Weight

Hay is for horses, but that's not always enough. With a life expectancy of 20 to 30 years, horses require dietary adjustments throughout their life to maintain a healthy weight. If you are dealing with a horse who is underweight, there are various methods to help your equine companion pack on a few pounds in a safe, effective manner.

  1. Add Alfalfa Hay

    • Combining a high-fat feed with a high-quality hay, such as alfalfa hay, will increase the horse's caloric intake. Each pound of alfalfa hay adds approximately 300 calories to a horse's diet. Gauge the amount of additional alfalfa hay fed to the horse based on the amount of weight that the animal needs to gain, and reduce the amount once an animal has reached its goal weight.

    Feed Probiotic Supplements

    • The equine digestive system can be easily upset by stressful situations, foaling or antibiotics. As the microorganisms within a horse's large intestines become unbalanced, a horse may have difficulty with digestion and nutrient absorption. The addition of probiotic supplements to a horse's feed regimen can help restore digestive balance and increase a horse's ability to absorb nutrients, thus increasing weight gain. Owners can commonly purchase probiotic supplements in pill, powder or feed pellet form.

    Feed Underweight Horses Separately

    • Horses that need to gain weight should be fed away from the rest of the herd. Horses that are struggling with low weight may have to compete with the rest of a herd to gain access to their fair share of feed. Poor health or weakness may reduce a low-weight horse's ability to protect its share of the herd's food supply. If an underweight horse is part of a herd that is typically fed in a pasture setting, remove the underweight horse and feed it in a stable, or other quiet area, away from other horses.

    Weight Gain Supplements

    • Weight gain supplements provide another source of fat and protein when high-fat feeds and hay are not providing adequate high-value nutrition for weight gain. Weight gain supplements are typically fed in pill form and should be used if a horse's dental health and everyday diet is being properly managed and yet the horse is still not gaining a sufficient amount of weight. If a horse continues to struggle with low weight while using a weight gain supplement, the animal should be examined by a veterinarian to check for underlying health issues.