Feeding higher-calorie hay, such as one containing alfalfa, will help pack on more pounds with less grain. You can also add corn oil to a commercial grain mix or use a high-fat feed to cut back on the amount of grain. Ford recommends a 12-percent protein grain mix for horses coming off the track.
What should I Feed my ottb?
Complete feeds (high fiber grain products); or Premixed commercial performance products (which provide nutrients, including calories, in various amounts to balance forage portion in the diet). Grain should be fed in small amounts per meal to prevent digestive upset. As a result of their former lives, some OTTBs can be hot tempered or nervous.
How do I care for an ottb?
As a result of their former lives, some OTTBs can be hot tempered or nervous. To combat this via nutrition, utilize fat as energy source (between 10-15% in their grain portion) as described above, and reduce NSC level to less than 30% in their grain portion. Over time, these changes could help hot or nervous OTTBs settle.
How can I Help my ottb transition from racehorse to pleasure horse?
Careful dietary consideration can help make OTTBs’ transition from racehorses to pleasure or low-level performance horses easier on their digestive system. If questions arise, consult an equine nutritionist or veterinarian to design a feeding program tailored to each individual horse.
How can i Improve my ottb’s body condition score?
In many cases, OTTBs will need their body condition score increased and their topline refined. Consider adding fat to the diet (via a commercial supplement or topdressed oil), which will increase body condition without adverse effects on attitude (more on that in a moment).
What is the best feed for OTTB?
OTTBs tend to thrive on diets that are higher in fat and protein than carbs and sugar. Offer at least 2% of the horse's weight per day (or about 20lbs) in high-quality forage. Supplements, like salt and biotin, can be great additions to your OTTB's diet, as can canola oil, if your horse needs to gain weight.
What should I feed my ex racehorse?
RE-LEVE®-MIX a high-fibre, low-starch, cereal-free ration. Highly digestible 'Super-Fibres' and oil supply the energy, reducing the reliance on starch. Some ex-racehorses can have excitable tendencies and feeding low starch feeds can help maintain an even, trainable temperament.
How do I fatten up my OTTB?
13 Ways to Put Weight on a ThoroughbredGet Your Horse's Teeth Checked. ... Have a Vet Check Your Horse for Worms. ... Make Sure You Are Feeding the Recommended Amounts. ... Adjust Your Feeding Regimen Based on Activity Level. ... Feed Your Horse Extra Forage. ... Add Grain to Your Horse's Diet. ... Add High Calorie Supplements to Your Horse's Diet.More items...
What is the best grain for a Thoroughbred?
Grains for Horses and Their CharacteristicsOats. Oats are the most popular and safest grain to feed to horses. ... Barley. Barley is very similar to oats as a feed except for some characteristics that affect how it is used. ... Corn. ... Wheat. ... Milo (Grain Sorghum) ... Molasses (Dried or Liquid) ... Beet Pulp.
How much grain should I feed my thoroughbred?
Racehorses should be fed 15-20 lb (7-9 kg) per day of clean grass hay such as timothy or oaten hay. Smaller quantities of alfalfa hay (2-4 lb or 0.9 to 1.8 kg per day) may also be offered.
How much hay should a thoroughbred horse eat?
Response: An adult horse at maintenance will consume between 2 – 2.5% of their bodyweight in feed (hay and grain) each day. For example, a 1,000 pound horse fed a 100% hay diet would consume 25 pounds of hay each day.
What do underweight Thoroughbreds eat?
Causes and possible solutionsAllowing 24/7 access to pasture or hay (or as much forage as possible).If increased amounts of hay aren't enough, try offering a higher quality hay such as alfalfa or an immature grass hay. ... If you aren't feeding any grain, try adding a grain product meant for working or performance horses.More items...
Why is my thoroughbred skinny?
Many thoroughbreds will look very thin when they are actually in good body condition, while they lack topline and general muscle. So be sure to read our post on Body Condition Scoring to help you determine if your horse needs more condition or needs to build muscle. The former can be done with feed alone.
Will beet pulp put weight on a horse?
Beet pulp can be used to help underweight horses gain weight, as it provides approximately 1,000 kcals per pound (one quart of dry beet pulp shreds weighs approximately 0.5-0.6 pounds).
Why are Thoroughbreds hard keepers?
Certain breeds, such as Thoroughbreds, are predisposed to being hard keepers because their metabolisms are designed for maximum speed rather than maximum efficiency.
Should I feed my horse beet pulp?
In summary, beet pulp is a good dietary supplement for "hard keepers", as a forage or fiber replacement for poor quality hay, and for older horses with problems chewing or digesting hay. The digestible energy content of beet pulp is greater than hay and less than grain.
How do you condition a thoroughbred?
Best Feed For Condition TipsFeed your horse little and often: choose high-fibre, non-heating horse feeds for weight gain.Ensure hay or haylage is of good quality – sweet-smelling, free from dust and mould spores.Try to allow your horse ad-lib access to a forage source such as hay or haylage, especially when stabled.More items...•
What should I feed my horse topline?
To build topline you must provide the building blocks your horse needs to make muscle. Using feeds with protein provided by soybeans, lupins, faba bean or canola meal will give your horse access to good quality sources of protein, which builds muscle. Feeds with one or more of these protein sources are best.
Is pink mash good for weight gain?
Pink Mash™ can also be used for a partial hay/forage replacement and to restore hydration. MAINTENANCE: 100g per 100kg of body weight. PERFORMANCE/WEIGHT GAIN: 200g per 100kg of body weight. PARTIAL HAY REPLACEMENT: up to 500g per 100kg of body weight.
What is speedi beet for horses?
Manufactured by British Horse Feeds, Speedi-Beet is unmolassed sugar beet pulp cooked via a unique patented process to produce flakes which need a fraction of the soaking time of traditional sugar beet shreds or pellets.
How do you do ease and feed in Excel?
To account for potentially limited appetites in those horses prone to gastric ulcers, No. 21 Ease & Excel is formulated to be fed at a rate of 0.8kg per 100kg bodyweight to horses in moderate work.
Do OTTBs have signs of a change in diet?
To my understanding, the OTTBs likely have them even if they're not showing signs when they come off the track, or they're going to get them shortly after they come off due to the change in diet, schedule, work load, scenery etc etc etc. Therefore it's a nice thought to put them on a treatment just in case.
Do polo horses eat grain?
We don't feed grain. These are all polo and ranch horses (meaning they work) and we don't feed grain. Granted, we don't want our horse overweight, that would be cruel considering they are asked to do a lot, but we also keep them very healthy.
Can you feed beet pulp to horses?
If it's soaked too far in advance and left to sit around, it can go rancid before it is fed. It may or may not be a factor for you depending on how proactive the people are who will be feeding your horse.
Do seniors feed TBs?
We do feed a senior feed to two semi-retirees TBs that are in their mid to late 20s that small children ride.
Does my hard keeper like beet pulp?
My hard keeper does not like beet pulp so he gets the alfalfa cubes for fibre and he has always done better with some alfalfa in his diet. I can't seem to get him to eat as much hay as my other guy either but recently been cleaning up all his hay unlike before. Both get free choice hay and a prebiotic/probiotic.