Question
Pisa is my 17-hand OTTB that weighs about 1,200 lb (545 kg). He’s moderately thin, with a condition score of about 4, so he needs to gain weight. He consumes about 20 lb (9 kg) of hay and 4 lb (1.8 kg) of performance feed with EO-3 (fish oil) supplemented. In addition to being too skinny, his coat and hoof quality are mediocre, though have improved since I began the fish oil. He struggles with arthritis from his years on the racetrack, so that’s a concern, too. I just want to be sure I am doing all I can for Pisa, and I am especially concerned about his intake of vitamins and minerals.
Answer
Typically, feeding a well-formulated and fortified feed according to the manufacturer’s directions will provide proper amounts of vitamins and minerals to balance forage and meet or exceed the horse’s nutrient requirements. However, some horses require greater levels of supplementation in certain areas for optimal health and performance. Trace minerals play an important role in immunity, hoof health, coat bloom, and multiple other body processes, some visible to the eye, others not.
Because Pisa will benefit from a boost in calories, I recommend increasing the amount of fortified feed, as this will support improved body condition as well as supply additional micronutrients. The feed’s manufacturer will usually recommend a range of intake per day on the feed tag, and 4 lb (1.8) is likely on the lower end of that range or just outside of the recommendation. Gradually increase the amount of feed per meal (never feeding more than about 5 lb [2.2 kg] at one time) until his body condition improves, and then tweak as necessary. This can be done incrementally by adding 1 lb (0.45 kg) of feed over a week’s time, waiting a week or two, and then adding more, if necessary. Slowly increasing meal size will give Pisa’s gastrointestinal tract time to adjust to the increased volume.
Good-quality forage can have a significant impact on a horse’s overall health and wellness, including providing a significant portion of a horse’s energy requirements. If you didn’t want to increase the amount of fortified feed, then you can supply additional calories as forage by supplementing grass hay with a legume such as alfalfa or offering forage alternatives such as soaked beet pulp or hay cubes or pellets. To optimize Pisa’s micronutrient intake on just 4 lb (1.8 kg) of feed, I recommend using a concentrated supplement like Micro-Max (Gold Pellet in Australia) to provide additional high-quality trace minerals and vitamins.
Increasing the level of micronutrients in Pisa’s diet should help improve his hoof condition over time; however, you may want to consider including a targeted hoof and coat supplement, like Bio-Bloom PS (Bio-Bloom in Australia) to promote improved hoof quality and growth. Bio-Bloom PS provides high-quality sources of key nutrients, such as biotin, methionine, zinc, and iodine, plus essential omega-6 fatty acids, for skin and coat health.
EO-3 is an outstanding product for supporting skin and coat health, and I am glad you’re seeing benefits from that product in the short time you’ve been using it. In addition to those benefits, EO-3 offers anti-inflammatory value, which could be advantageous for Pisa’s arthritic joints.
Weight gain takes time, so it’s important to be patient during this weight-gain phase.
