if hes lame he doesnt want any more weight on anyway until you find out whats wrong and hes sound without bute 
I agree that you can safely remove all concentrates from your horse's diet. He doesn't look in particularly poor condition in the picture and considering the time of year, I am quite sure that he will gain some weight over the spring, summer and autumn period. To ensure that your horse has a balanced diet, I personally would just feed him a broad spectrum vitamin & mineral supplement mixed in with a small handful of unmolassed chaff for extra platability. This diet would be low in energy and free of molasses, so as not to exaggerate your horse's natural temperament.
I have noticed that you feed a lot of different feeds and supplements. This could be contributing to your horse's excitibility as he will be receiving the same nutrients several times over. Bear in mind that the more different products you add to your horse's diet, the less he can absorb and use. It is healtier and more economical to feed more of less products, if you see what I mean!
It can be tempting to give a small volume of conditioning feed in an effort to encourage weight gain without excibility, but this will not provide your hrose with enough energy for weight gain, and won't be supplying him with all the vitamins & minerals he needs for a balanced diet. To encourage weight gain, you would need to feed the recommended daily volume of a conditioning feed that releases energy slowly, so as to discourage excitibility. However as I stated earlier, I suspect your horse doesn't really need a conditioning feed as such and would thrive on good grass, plenty of good quality forage and a vitamin & mineral supplement with a little chaff.
He's bound to feel pretty fresh considering that he is off box rest and the spring grass is coming through.
x
I have noticed that you feed a lot of different feeds and supplements. This could be contributing to your horse's excitibility as he will be receiving the same nutrients several times over. Bear in mind that the more different products you add to your horse's diet, the less he can absorb and use. It is healtier and more economical to feed more of less products, if you see what I mean!
It can be tempting to give a small volume of conditioning feed in an effort to encourage weight gain without excibility, but this will not provide your hrose with enough energy for weight gain, and won't be supplying him with all the vitamins & minerals he needs for a balanced diet. To encourage weight gain, you would need to feed the recommended daily volume of a conditioning feed that releases energy slowly, so as to discourage excitibility. However as I stated earlier, I suspect your horse doesn't really need a conditioning feed as such and would thrive on good grass, plenty of good quality forage and a vitamin & mineral supplement with a little chaff.
He's bound to feel pretty fresh considering that he is off box rest and the spring grass is coming through.
x
He doesn't look like he's underweight to me fromm that photo - he looks like he's lacking muscle and topline, and that doesn't come out of a bag anyway.
I don't think he really needs weight gain at this stage. I would personally go back to grass and good highish protein hay. At this time of year there should soon be plenty of vits and minerals from grazing anyway.
I believe all new horses (unless severely malnourished) should be worked initially before getting them into great fitness or condition so that you know them and their behaviour.
From November is not long to really get to know a horse (is this the one that has been out of work, I thought I saw a picture of a different one?) Get to know and trust each other then start to build him up.
I believe all new horses (unless severely malnourished) should be worked initially before getting them into great fitness or condition so that you know them and their behaviour.
From November is not long to really get to know a horse (is this the one that has been out of work, I thought I saw a picture of a different one?) Get to know and trust each other then start to build him up.
M
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only got one horse, i took him off bute yesterday and still sound today, i didnt ride him though and im going too see what he is like tomorrow x
Didn't your novice friend learn to trot on him today? If so, presumably the feed he is on is keeping him calm. With the Spring grass on the way I wouldn't change his feed too much at the moment. Amazed he was sound enough to trot today - sounds like he's doing very well.
As other post was closed re feeding Shetland - we have driving Shetlands in moderately hard work now & they really do need very little - a little Happy Hoof is all they get. When in lighter work just hay / grass.
With both I'd really wait & see how they are on the Spring grass before worrying too much about concentrates. Your lovely lad really doesn't look underweight in photo, so don't worry too much about that.
As other post was closed re feeding Shetland - we have driving Shetlands in moderately hard work now & they really do need very little - a little Happy Hoof is all they get. When in lighter work just hay / grass.
With both I'd really wait & see how they are on the Spring grass before worrying too much about concentrates. Your lovely lad really doesn't look underweight in photo, so don't worry too much about that.
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