{"id":15721,"date":"2018-01-24T13:09:04","date_gmt":"2018-01-24T19:09:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.farmandfleet.com\/blog\/?p=15721"},"modified":"2025-04-07T08:35:50","modified_gmt":"2025-04-07T13:35:50","slug":"the-hard-keeper-horse-weight-gain-tips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.farmandfleet.com\/blog\/the-hard-keeper-horse-weight-gain-tips\/","title":{"rendered":"The Hard Keeper: Horse Weight Gain Tips"},"content":{"rendered":"

Follow these horse weight gain tips from Manna Pro<\/a> and Blain’s Farm & Fleet.<\/strong><\/h2>\n

As horse owners, most of us have struggled keeping weight on that one “hard keeper” in our barn at one point in our lives! You try giving him the same ration of grain and quality hay the other horses are thriving on, he is on a regular de-worming schedule, and you even had his teeth checked. What could you be doing wrong?<\/p>\n

Sometimes achieving horse weight gain is simply a matter of increasing his calorie intake. Other times, the diet may need to be higher in calories because of\u00a0a medical or environmental problem.<\/p>\n

What is thin?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The first step to solving your horse’s weight problem is to determine how thin your horse really is. Use of body condition scoring will provide the best guide to your horse’s overall body condition.\u00a0
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

This technique\u00a0assesses flesh coverage on the tail head, rump, back, withers, ribs and neck using a scale of 1 through 9. A body condition score (BCS) of 9 indicates obesity. The ideal BCS for your horse is related to your horse’s breed or\u00a0discipline but typically a BCS of 5-6 is ideal.<\/p>\n

You should\u00a0regularly asses your horse’s BCS to help you\u00a0determine your dietary strategies.<\/p>\n

What makes a horse a hard keeper?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The metabolic rate determines whether a horse is an easy or hard keeper. Metabolism is the speed at which the body burns fuels for energy in order to maintain normal body functions. A slow metabolism can function on less input of fuel energy. Conversely, a fast metabolism needs a higher caloric intake in order to function properly (Kentucky Equine Research).<\/p>\n

Thin horses require enough energy (feed) to fuel body functions and to build fat deposits. Calories can be contributed by carbohydrates, fats, or proteins. When a horse does not have enough calories or protein in the diet, the body will deplete much of the adipose tissue or fat and even break down its own muscle tissue (Kentucky Equine Research). Typically (although not always) the solution to weight gain is to increase your horse’s calorie intake while ensuring he\u00a0receives\u00a0adequate protein.<\/p>\n

Starch<\/strong><\/h3>\n

When your horse simply cannot maintain his weight on hay or grass alone, the addition of a starch in the form of grains will help increase the calories in his diet. The trick is selecting the right feed or equine supplements that allow you to feed fewer pounds of feed while supplying more energy to the horse. Although grains are an excellent source of starch, they can also be hazardous to his digestive tract if fed in excess. Balance is key!<\/p>\n

A long-standing\u00a0recommendation is to feed a horse a minimum of 1% of its body weight in forage each day. The rest of the diet should be designed around the minimal forage requirement.<\/p>\n

When looking for a feed or equine supplements, look for one that uses processed grains for optimal digestion.<\/p>\n

Manna Pro recommends\u00a0Calf-Manna\u00a0Performance Supplement<\/a> which contains quality digestible carbohydrates and is \u201cenergy dense\u201d which means it delivers more calories per mouthful. Calf-Manna also contains Brewer’s Dried Yeast to support digestion of other nutrients.<\/p>\n

Fiber<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Carbohydrates, including starch (mostly from grains) and digestible fiber (mostly from hay and pasture), are the primary energy source for horses. Although some horses can maintain their weight on hay and pasture alone, the hard keeper (of course!) will not maintain his weight on forage alone. However, there are fiber feeding strategies that can increase the ability of the horse to derive energy from forage.<\/p>\n

A horse can more easily digest high quality, early harvested hay over mature hay. So when going to purchase your hay in the spring, be sure to look for leafy soft hay vs. stalky stiff hay.\u00a0Maximizing your horse’s forage quality should be your first strategy when trying to achieve horse weight gain.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Max-E Glo is “cool” nutrition.\u00a0\u00a0The high fat and fiber content in stabilized rice bran maintains energy without high-starch hyperactivity, providing your horse with a safe diet. How cool!<\/p>\n

Did you know?\u00a0<\/strong>Pasture is an excellent source of fiber with a typically higher\u00a0digestibility than hay as the curing process of haymaking results in digestible fiber losses.<\/p>\n

Protein<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Horses of all ages require adequate amounts of protein for maintenance, growth, reproduction, and work. Proteins aid in maintaining the structural tissues of the body and are also involved in metabolic stability by contributing to balance in the body’s many enzymatic and hormonal functions.<\/span><\/p>\n

Providing thin horses with\u00a0high-quality proteins<\/strong>\u00a0that contain amino acids such as Lysine and Threonine may help improve their muscle mass. Lysine also supports weight gain as well as skeletal and muscular growth in horses. Horse supplements such as\u00a0Calf-Manna\u00a0that contain soybean meal, are ideal for thin horses because of its great amino acid profile.<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

This blog article was originally posted by Manna Pro<\/a>. Find Manna Pro supplements, treats and more at your local Blain’s Farm & Fleet!<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sometimes achieving horse weight gain is simply a matter of increasing his calorie intake. Other times, the diet may need to be higher in calories because of\u00a0a medical or environmental problem. Learn more with Manna Pro and Blain’s Farm & Fleet.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":29,"featured_media":15724,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1506,1507],"tags":[973],"content_type":[1373],"class_list":["post-15721","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pets","category-farm-livestock","tag-horses","content_type-article"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nThe Hard Keeper: Horse Weight Gain Tips | Blain's Farm & Fleet<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Sometimes achieving horse weight gain is simply a matter of increasing his calorie intake. 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