Putting weight on a skinny pony
Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2018 10:02 pm
Hi All,
New DDBB member, former UDBB (RIP), and COTH mostly lurker here.
I recently purchased a project pony. I don't know a ton about his history. He's 6 years old and I'm his fourth owner in that time, so inevitably there's a lot of lost details. He's also quite green and a bit fearful, so I'm not sure how much riding was done in the past or how it was done.
He's an unregistered welsh gelding (or at least partially welsh), 14.1 and came to me quite thin. I don't think he'll ever be one of those hefty, sturdy ponies, but right now his back bone and hip bones are very visible and his ribs somewhat visible. So he definitely needs to put on pounds in addition to muscle.
The person I bought him from had only had him two months and had him on a diet of dry beet pulp, sweet feed, and alfalfa pellets with access to some grass (sparse pasture, not restricted access).
Since coming to me he's been getting the following:
1 quart of Nutrena ProForce Fuel (I know, not my favorite, but barn offers Nutrena Fuel and SafeChoice only) 2x a day
160 grams of cocosoya in his grain once a day
He's in pasture sun up to sun down and has plenty of grass as well as access to a round bale (I rarely see him at the bale, nearly always grazing)
When he's in his stall he gets as much bermuda coastal as he's willing to eat, as well as 2 flakes alfalfa
He's been on this diet for a few months now and hasn't really put on much weight. I had been hesitant to put him on too much grain because I know ponies often carry a much higher founder risk and typically don't need much grain. But at this point, both the barn manager and I think we need to make some kind of adjustment to help him get some weight on. What would you do? Up his alfalfa? Add more cocosoya or another fat source? Some other supplement? Increase the Fuel and/or add some safe choice? Something else entirely? Another grain other than the safechoice isn't an option, neither is beet pulp (no one will soak it).
Also, because I'm sure it will come up :
Both the PPE vet and my vet checked his teeth, so they're in good shape
Had a basic blood panel done with the PPE and everything came back normal
I wormed him once when he arrived with equimax. The barn will get fecal results back this week and based on that I will choose whether to worm him again now or wait another few months.
His poop is health looking and normal
He has not shown any symptoms for ulcers other than not carrying weight, but of course that doesn't mean they're not there
Thank you!
New DDBB member, former UDBB (RIP), and COTH mostly lurker here.
I recently purchased a project pony. I don't know a ton about his history. He's 6 years old and I'm his fourth owner in that time, so inevitably there's a lot of lost details. He's also quite green and a bit fearful, so I'm not sure how much riding was done in the past or how it was done.
He's an unregistered welsh gelding (or at least partially welsh), 14.1 and came to me quite thin. I don't think he'll ever be one of those hefty, sturdy ponies, but right now his back bone and hip bones are very visible and his ribs somewhat visible. So he definitely needs to put on pounds in addition to muscle.
The person I bought him from had only had him two months and had him on a diet of dry beet pulp, sweet feed, and alfalfa pellets with access to some grass (sparse pasture, not restricted access).
Since coming to me he's been getting the following:
1 quart of Nutrena ProForce Fuel (I know, not my favorite, but barn offers Nutrena Fuel and SafeChoice only) 2x a day
160 grams of cocosoya in his grain once a day
He's in pasture sun up to sun down and has plenty of grass as well as access to a round bale (I rarely see him at the bale, nearly always grazing)
When he's in his stall he gets as much bermuda coastal as he's willing to eat, as well as 2 flakes alfalfa
He's been on this diet for a few months now and hasn't really put on much weight. I had been hesitant to put him on too much grain because I know ponies often carry a much higher founder risk and typically don't need much grain. But at this point, both the barn manager and I think we need to make some kind of adjustment to help him get some weight on. What would you do? Up his alfalfa? Add more cocosoya or another fat source? Some other supplement? Increase the Fuel and/or add some safe choice? Something else entirely? Another grain other than the safechoice isn't an option, neither is beet pulp (no one will soak it).
Also, because I'm sure it will come up :
Both the PPE vet and my vet checked his teeth, so they're in good shape
Had a basic blood panel done with the PPE and everything came back normal
I wormed him once when he arrived with equimax. The barn will get fecal results back this week and based on that I will choose whether to worm him again now or wait another few months.
His poop is health looking and normal
He has not shown any symptoms for ulcers other than not carrying weight, but of course that doesn't mean they're not there
Thank you!