How to Feed an Underweight Horse

Feeding an underweight horse can be tricky and a feed regimen needs to be tailored to meet the individual needs of each horse. Weight gain methods will vary based on variables such as age, condition of teeth, magnitude of weight loss and length of time the horse has been malnourished. Keep in mind, weight loss can occur very rapidly. Weight gain, however, is a much slower process but is required for safely returning a horse to proper body condition.

Things You'll Need

  • Good quality hay
  • Fresh clean water
  • Pelleted senior feed
  • Hay pellets
  • Beet pulp
  • Dewormer
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Instructions

  1. Observation

    • 1

      Determine cause of weight loss. Has the horse's environment changed? Environmental changes include recent relocation, arrival or departure of another horse or change in routine. Has the horse been regularly dewormed? Are the horse's workouts increasing without an increase in feed? Does the horse have healthy teeth? Has the horse been underfed or from a rescue situation?

    • 2

      Provide free choice good quality hay and clean fresh water. Hay should be fed at about 2% of the horse's total weight. A 900-pound horse requires 18 pounds of hay per day. If feeding a senior horse, a hay mash can be made by wetting and grinding the hay or wetting down alfalfa pellets. Feeding fiber in the form of hay or pellets is the best way to avoid digestive upset.

    • 3

      Add cereal grain or pelleted grain to the ration after about two weeks. By this time the horse's system should be functioning more regularly due to the regular consumption of the free choice hay. Adding grain helps get calories into the horse. This is especially helpful during winter. Gradually adding corn oil, rice bran oil or another fat source to the feed is another way to add calories and fat to the diet to assist in weight gain or maintenance.

    • 4

      Smooth rough edges of the animal's teeth by calling a professional equine dentist, provided the horse is in stable condition. Many times, mostly due to modern feeding, a horse's teeth develop sharp edges. These sharp points can rip and tear at the horse's inner cheek while eating. This pain causes the horse to either stop eating, impairs chewing action or causes the horse to drop a lot of feed on the ground while attempting to chew. Smoothing these edges, sometimes called "floating", allows the horse to completely chew food and minimizes waste.

    • 5

      Moistened beet pulp shreds can be fed with or without grain. Beet pulp is an excellent source of fiber and other nutrients which can be safely fed to an underweight horse. They expand when wet, so soaking them about an hour before feeding is recommended. Beet pulp provides similar amounts of calories as grain but without the added energy (read: sugar) and risk of colic (signs of abdominal pain) or founder associated with feeding excess grains.

    • 6

      Deworm the horse when determined healthy enough. Ridding the intestinal tract of parasites will enhance the horse's ability to process feed. A heavy internal infestation of parasites can cause stress and damage while living and when being purged from the animal's system. Parasites can block the intestinal tract when being excreted from the body. Consult with a veterinarian in cases of severely underweight horses or horses with signs of worms. Signs included rough hair coat, dull eye, high feed intake but little weight gain and a large belly but ribs are still showing.