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I have a nine-year-old Quarter Horse gelding that weighs about 900 lb (410 kg). He’s moderately fleshy, so it would be best if he lost some weight. He has been diagnosed with polysaccharide storage myopathy (PSSM), and he suffers from tying-up episodes during stressful times, generally when he is moved to a different stable. He’s…

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…

I have an eight-year-old pregnant Thoroughbred mare; she weighs about 1,200 lb (545 kg) and is moderately fleshy, a body condition score (BCS) of 6. She spends most of her on pasture, and only about four hours each day in a stall. She consumes about 2 lb (1 kg) balancer pellet and 2 lb (1…

My 35-year-old Arabian gelding weighs about 750 lb (340 kg) and is moderately thin, so he needs to gain some weight. He is fed free-choice grass hay, as well as one gallon twice per day of this mixture: one part soaked beet pulp, one part senior pellets, and one part alfalfa pellets. Can I add…

My 14-year-old gelding was diagnosed with equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) and Lyme disease about five years ago. Treatment for EPM was effective except from some continued stumbling down hills. He has since tested positive for Lyme disease again, characterized by poor condition, subtle depression, and frequent gas colic. He’s fed 2 lb (0.9 kg) high-quality…

I own a 10-year-old, 15.1-hand (155-cm) Morgan gelding in moderate work. He is in a stall 17 hours a day and in a paddock for the other 7 hours. He is chubby, probably a body condition score of 6, as the fat along his barrel is spongy and he has fat accumulation along his withers…

I own a 20-year-old Quarter Horse—14.1 hands, 1,000 lb (450 kg), 24-hour turnout, occasionally ridden, weight just right. He’s fed 3 quarts of a low-starch feed, trace mineral supplement, 1 cup flaxseed, and free-choice grass hay (mediocre quality). While I think he’s in good weight, I’d like to improve his topline and muscle definition. Would…

Rosa is my 10-year-old, 16.3-hand (170-cm) Quarter Horse mare (1,100 lb or 500 kg; BCS 5). She was emaciated when we adopted her four months ago, and she has rallied to almost ideal body condition, even while being pregnant. Days after we adopted her, she was diagnosed with anaplasmosis. Rosa is consistently lame, even at…

My two-year-old Standardbred racing filly is 15.2 hands (157 cm) and weighs 975 lb (445 kg). At this weight, she’s in moderate body condition. Right now, she’s on 12 hours of turnout daily. Her current ration includes 40% whole oats, 20% steamed rolled barley, 20% coarse-cracked corn, 20% balancer pellet, 2 oz of a vitamin…

Basso is my 15-year-old gelding that is in moderately fleshy body condition - dead on BCS of 6. He needs to lose some weight. Right now he spends 24/7 in a drylot with six flakes of green, leafy alfalfa hay a day in addition to 2 lb (0.9 kg) of ration balancer. He gets 2…

I own a six-year-old barrel-racing mare that’s in moderately thin body condition; she’s a 4 on the scale of 1 to 9. As far as forage, she’s given free-choice brome hay, timothy pellets, and chaff. She’s fed multiple supplements to help with digestive, muscle, and hoof health. While her coat is shiny and her hooves…

I own a 20-year-old Quarter Horse—14.1 hands, 1,000 lb (450 kg). He’s on 24-hour turnout, occasionally ridden, and his weight is just right. He’s fed 3 quarts of a maintenance sweet feed, trace minerals, ground flax, and round-baled grass hay. When he comes into the barn, he is offered grass hay. I’d like to improve…

I own several pony broodmares, all of which are in early lactation. This year, several of them are underweight on a hay-only diet, the same diet that kept them in healthy weight in the past. One aged mare has lost weight rapidly over the past two months. Her current weight is 735 lb (334 kg),…

I have three Warmblood broodmares, all in moderately fleshy body condition and all healthy. They spend the majority of their time in stalls (about 15 hours each day) and the remainder in dry paddocks. They are fed two cups of low-starch feed a day and as much second-cutting orchardgrass as they choose. Is this diet…