| It is important to monitor your horses weight regularly, | | | | trick for your horse. You should see results fairly |
| especially if he is prone to weight loss. A good way to | | | | quickly in as soon as two weeks in most cases. |
| monitor weight gain or loss is with a weigh tape that | | | | Feed more grain than your horses usual portion. Grain |
| can be purchased at most local tack shops or feed | | | | can be very fattening to your horse but you have to |
| stores. If you use this tape at the same time each | | | | be careful as to the protein content. Use a feed that is |
| week, it will be about 90% accurate and will let you | | | | higher in fiber and lower in starch as this reduces the |
| know if there is any potential health problems with your | | | | chances of your horse exhibiting bad behavior from his |
| horse with weight loss being a symptom. There is also | | | | over abundance of energy caused from the high |
| a way to monitor weight called a weighbridge that | | | | protein content. More protein and energy intake builds |
| your horse can walk up on to get an accurate weight, | | | | weight. Low energy feeds can be fed from 1kg to 6 |
| however these are not owned by most people as | | | | kg without your horse going thru the roof with energy. |
| they are very expensive and for the most part, only | | | | If you have your horses on property that is not |
| the large horse breeders can afford to install them. | | | | conditioned for good coastal hay or other good forms |
| Either way, just know that there are several ways you | | | | of hay, offer more bailed hay during the day to provide |
| can monitor weight and then act accordingly. | | | | extra roughage and nutrients. Of course fresh grass is |
| When a horse looses weight, he looses his fat first | | | | much better, but the hay will still provide what is called, |
| and then the muscle tone. In this way he is just like | | | | gut fill. Gut fill will create heat from the process of |
| humans. Usually a horse has a good amount of fat in | | | | fermentation in digestion. Try to stay away from large |
| reserve that he has stored during the warm summer | | | | round bales as they can develop mold and are not |
| months to prepare for the long lean winters where | | | | suitable for horses. Round bales are usually only |
| food is scarce. As with many animals, it is inherent in | | | | acceptable for cows and other farm animals such as |
| their nature of the horse to store this fat. Usually, its | | | | donkey's. The horses can walk in the hay which is not |
| more than enough fat to get them through the winter. | | | | clean. Over all, square bales are preferred. |
| Unfortunatily, by the time weight loss can be seen by | | | | Lastly, consult your veterinarian if you are unsure how |
| the human eye on a horse, there has been a | | | | to best feed your horse to get your horse back to the |
| significant loss of weight already, so it is important to | | | | proper weight for optimal health. If nothing else, a |
| keep track of any changes before it can be seen. | | | | veterinarian can suggest a good nutritionist that will |
| One way to put some weight back on your horse is to | | | | guide you to the proper diet and supplements for your |
| feed him special conditioning cubes or feed. There are | | | | horses overall good health. |
| many varieties on the market such that can do the | | | | |