Stop Making This Weight Gain Mistake

Hot Take: Reaching for fat supplements to put weight on hard-keepers might be a band-aid.

Fat is a great energy source for the horse, but if your horse is struggling with maintaining weight, here’s what you need to look at first: Forage digestibility and fiber requirement. 

If you’re feeding a poorly digestible forage, adding a fat supplement is not going to be enough.

If you’re not meeting your horse’s minimum fiber requirement, their digestive system cannot function normally, and they will struggle to put weight on - and are huge colic risks!

What to do instead: 

• Assess forage quality using plant maturity, leaf:stem ratio and ADF/NDF content (hay tests can be great for this!) 

• Assess forage feed rates by weight  fed per day, compared to your horse’s body weight (aim for 1.5-2.0% BW)

We cannot out-supplement weight loss from forage or fiber issues. 

Support gut health, and support a healthy body condition. 

Work with a qualified nutrition professional alongside your horse’s care team to promote healthy, sustainable gain. I help horse owners achieve safe weight gain in their hard-keepers, and as someone who struggled in the past with the same problem, I understand how it feels to see your horse at a low body condition. 

Let’s work together to get your horse back on track!