Question
I own a 10-year-old, 16.2-hand Warmblood gelding. He’s fed five flakes of hay a day, a sport-horse feed, one-half cup of beet pulp, and biotin daily. Frankly, I don’t know why he’s on the beet pulp, but it was part of his diet when I acquired him. He has shown a loss of muscle tone in his hindquarters over the last several months. We moved him to Florida about eight months ago when I purchased him, so he has nearly no pasture to graze. His coat is dull. Any thoughts?
Answer
Based on the information you provided, I have several recommendations to ensure he is getting the proper nutrients for optimal health and performance.
You didn’t mention how much feed he is getting daily. Often, when horses lack some condition and look poor, they are not receiving the necessary nutrients to meet requirements. Some horses with high-quality grass can maintain their health even with lower nutrient intake, but without good-quality forage or added nutrients overall health can suffer. If you are not feeding at least the minimum amount of feed outlined by manufacturer in the feeding directions, he may be lacking in several important vitamins and minerals.
Another important thing to consider is how much of his previous grass intake needs to be replaced with hay. In order for him to consume at least 1.5% of his body weight in forage, he would need more than 18 lb (8.2 kg) of hay a day (estimating a 16.2-hand Warmblood usually weighs more than 1,200 lb or 545 kg depending on breed). Offering good-quality grass hay is acceptable for most horses. However, you can consider supplementing with some alfalfa hay, cubes, or pellets to add more forage into his diet.
Adding a small amount of beet pulp to a beet-pulp-based feed probably is not necessary. I suggest ensuring he is getting the proper amount of feed first because the feed contains vital nutrients. As an unfortified fiber source, beet pulp should be added to a fortified diet. You may consider offering a separate meal during the day of just beet pulp. In that case, I recommend one-half to one quart, measured dry. This will offer an excellent source of calories and fermentable fiber.
With the lack of fresh grass in the diet, another thing to consider is vitamin E. Grass is an excellent source of vitamin E, but hay is not. After harvest, the vitamin E in hay diminishes quickly, making it a poor source of that nutrient. The amount of vitamin E included in feeds does not always fill the void especially for performance horses. The loss of muscle tone you have noticed warrants adding antioxidant support with vitamin E supplementation.
Nano-E is a natural-source liquid vitamin E offering superior bioavailability. A maintenance dose of 1,000 (4 ml) of Nano-E daily will meet the requirement for a performance horse his size. Nano-E has been very helpful in supporting overall muscle health and recovery.
In addition to vitamin E, you also did not mention electrolyte supplementation. Your gelding’s exercise program and the hot Florida climate make electrolyte supplementation extremely important. Not only do working horses need free-choice access to salt, they also need to replenish the electrolytes lost in sweat. Kentucky Equine Research designed a sugar-free, slow-release electrolyte to replenish losses daily.
Classic electrolyte therapy causes spikes in blood electrolyte levels, stimulating increased excretion. This means that the horse excretes most of the electrolytes prior to absorption in the large intestine. Kentucky Equine Research found a way to provide a slow-release electrolyte that ensures sustained maximum absorption in the hindgut. Restore SR includes a slow-release source of sodium that is optimally utilized by the horse. Based on previous customer reports, it’s possible that the addition of this unique electrolyte will help him sweat.
Last, some horses require more nutritional support to influence growth and overall condition of the hoof, which is when supplementation is required. Kentucky Equine Research provides a supplement formulated to improve growth and strength of the hoof (and hair) that includes 20 mg of biotin as well as iodine, zinc, and methionine, all in one serving. Research has shown that the combination of these ingredients provides greater improvement to the hoof than biotin alone. Bio-Bloom PS would be top-dressed on feed at 1-2 oz daily.
If you find these changes do not improve his condition, you may want to consider digestive support because low-level disturbances in his stomach or hindgut could be contributing to the issue.
