Finally I got some weight on my thorougbred mare!

Before shots...




A pic from today..


This mare is the hardest keeper I have ever met. She eats everything you put infront of her but just wouldn't gain weight. Her teeth are fine, she has no worms, blood work showed normal, treated her for ulcers (though she is on free choice hay which in itself is a treatment for ulcers) etc etc.

AdoJRTs suggested trying a senior food. (its easier to digest) and that helped a lot... but she plateaued. I got thinking.. easy to digest so went to boiled barley. Who knew?

Wow she looks amazing. She is so pretty, Dekka.

Thanks. She still has a little filling in to do yet.. but this new regime really is working for her!!

She looks great, especially for going into the winter. Good work!!

She looks great!

Surd putting on weight aswell

Considering he used to be a top eventer, it seemed weird he was so skinny, not like your girl not what he shoudl have looked like
He's pretty much stripped his paddock and looks younger everyday. He's goping to be so much fun for a long time to come, I'll have to go get some piccies of him, he looks like a different horse.

She looks great! What a pretty girl.

That's a wonderful improvement!

I worked with an Andalusian mare that needed to put on a bit of weight and she did really well with beet pulp, a few spoonfulls of veg oil and some ground flax seed. As supplements of course.

She's looking great! I certainly know the frustrations of trying to put on weight.

I've never tried the barley before; I usually do a mix of beet pulp, rice bran, and Omegatin. I've fattened up many boarders who come in to our barn "impossible to keep weight on". Of course, it helps that, like you, I do basically free-choice hay - not common in the boarding barns in our area.

I can't wait to see how she looks come spring when she sheds out!

wow! she looks so much better!

Thanks guys.... its so exciting! Not only is she healthier than ever, I feel like I don't have to hide her when people come over. Most people see a skinny horse and assume you aren't looking after it. Especially when they hear she is only 6.


Right now she eats.. 2 large scoops (not sure what size...but large) of boiled barley, 1 large scoop cracked corn, 1/2 large scoop of black oil sunflower seeds, one cup soybean meal, one cup dry molasses and a vitamin mineral supplement twice a day. The sunflower seeds seem to be working better than straight oil. She will eat more of them.

Senn the new tb mare is on almost that much, but is getting reg oil as she will eat it.