How do I get my weanling to drink water when all she wants to do is eat snow?

I own a Quarter Horse mare (9 years old, 14.1 hands, 1,000 lb or 450 kg) that is ridden lightly, about once or twice weekly. She always looks bloated but ribby. She is not pregnant, and her fecal egg counts are always well within low ranges. She gets 2 lb (0.9 kg) of complete feed each day and unlimited grass hay. We feed her prebiotics, probiotics, pelleted dewormer, Metamucil, and bran mash daily. One vet told us she has an inflamed colon. What can we do to add weight to this mare?

I have an 18-year-old Quarter Horse gelding, just under 15 hands, that is retired from work due to an arthritic knee. More concerning than the lameness, though, is chronic diarrhea with no apparent cause for a duration of two years. He is heavier than he needs to be, with a body condition score of 6. Right now, he’s fed 2 lb (0.9 kg) of a no-grain pelleted concentrate, 18 lb (8.2 kg) of hay, and joint (MSM, glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate) and hoof supplements. He is a super-easy keeper. Can you help with the diarrhea and have a look at his diet as a whole?

My 25-year-old Spotted Saddle Horse is moderately thin (14.2 hands; 730 lb or 332 kg). Her weight has fallen off slowly since she choked a few months ago. Her diet now consists of a senior feed (4.3 lb or 2 kg), hydration hay (4 lb or 1.8 kg), and recently a small amount of alfalfa pellets. This is all split between two meals. She had some sparse grass in the pasture, but it is almost completely gone. I would like to replace the hydration hay with alfalfa pellets. She is only used for light riding once or twice a week and maybe an hour or so on weekends. Aside from the choking, her only health concern is occasional sweet itch in the spring and summer. What do you recommend?

I now own a 15.3-hand, 10-year-old Quarter Horse gelding that is skinny (thin neck, light coverage of fat over ribs, spine slightly raised). He’d be a body condition score of 3. He’s consuming 2 lb (0.45 kg) of high-fat concentrate, 4 flakes of hay, and some bagged alfalfa hay every day. I understand the risk of refeeding emaciated horses too quickly, so I am looking for an appropriate weight-gain plan.

I recently won a free horse-hair mineral analysis in a raffle. The most surprising result was a toxic level of cadmium. My 11-year-old gelding has none of the expected clinical signs and lives in a remote area, far from any pollutants. I have no idea as to the origin of the exposure, except perhaps his forage. A representative of the company that did the analysis explained that cadmium can cross in the placenta to the foal and that may be my horse’s source of exposure, but I doubt this, given his age. I have worked out my horse’s diet with the help of a nutritionist, so I was quite surprised by some of results. As a scientist, I question the results, as well as the validity of the science behind the analysis, but I have an open mind. What are your thoughts?

I have a 38-year-old Quarter Horse mare (14.2 hands; 800 lb or 363 kg), Kelly, in moderate body condition. Though her weight is good for her age, both my vet and I would like to see her gain some weight. Her muscle tone has decreased with age, even though I try to keep her on a light exercise schedule (riding three times a week, mostly at the walk and trot). Although Kelly has lost some teeth, her hooves, skin, and coat are healthy. She’s fed 21 lb (9.5 kg) of senior feed in two feedings per day, 6 lb (2.7 kg) of timothy-grass hay pellets, and soybean oil. What can I do to help her gain weight?

Herman lives in an overgrazed one-acre pasture with another gelding. He gets 20-25 lb (9-11 kg) of second-cut grass hay mixed with first-cut (70/30 mix). I know that Herman is overweight. He gets 0.5 lb (0.23 kg) of hay pellets, just enough to mix in supplements. For supplements, he gets multiple gastrointestinal support products, joint help, vitamin E, and supplements to help with his recurrent uveitis. I’ve included bloodwork results and hay analysis. I think he’s consuming way too much iron, and I’m worried that’s affecting his selenium status. What should I do?

My 10-year-old draft horse weighs about 1,800 lb (820 kg). He’s in average body weight, as I can feel but not see his ribs. He’s never stalled and is ridden twice a week on trails. He is fed three-quarters of a scoop of ration balancer a day in addition to pasture or hay. Because he has shivers, I would like to know the best way to feed him. The vet tested his vitamin E level this summer, and it was normal to slightly elevated. Any help is appreciated.

I recently moved my horses to a new farm, complete with one pasture described as a “failed orchard." I would like to turn out my horses in this orchard, as there is a lot of grass around the trees, but I am nervous. I am told that some grafting studies may have been done with the trees, possibly pistachio and maple trees, several decades ago. How would I know what tree species I am looking at, and whether or not they may be poisonous to my horses? Can you help?