My friend has just picked up a very underweight thoroughbred. He isn't the most experienced but his heart is in the right place and he is always asking advice which is great, so he asked me this. Which tbh I am well out of touch with as I have kept fattie natives for years.
He will be walking her down the lane 3 times a week, so no exercise really - until she is looking healthier and he can get a saddle fitted.
She is about 16hh 5 year old. Really sweet. Kept in a large barn overnight with hay and in a paddock in the day with minimal grass. He has another field that has a load of grass in but will be introducing her to it very gradually. She has been kept on a very bare patch with a bale of hay between 10 everyday (which wasn't split so it is unlikely she got much). So it is difficult to say if she is a poor doer, more likely been poorly fed.
Obviously doesn't want anything fizzing. She looks in fairly good health apart from the weight. Coat/skin eyes etc look healthy, feet look ok.
She will be wormed in the next few days too.
What would you recommend?
He will be walking her down the lane 3 times a week, so no exercise really - until she is looking healthier and he can get a saddle fitted.
She is about 16hh 5 year old. Really sweet. Kept in a large barn overnight with hay and in a paddock in the day with minimal grass. He has another field that has a load of grass in but will be introducing her to it very gradually. She has been kept on a very bare patch with a bale of hay between 10 everyday (which wasn't split so it is unlikely she got much). So it is difficult to say if she is a poor doer, more likely been poorly fed.
Obviously doesn't want anything fizzing. She looks in fairly good health apart from the weight. Coat/skin eyes etc look healthy, feet look ok.
She will be wormed in the next few days too.
What would you recommend?