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  Discussion on Thin TB!
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Member:
Boomer

Posted on Thursday, Feb 23, 2006 - 3:34 am:

I've got a 14 year old TB (Feb 26 just 14) and I bought her last July. Well she looked great when I got her then I had her boarded until the end of December. She lost a ton of weight from Sept-Dec. I brought her home and have been feeding her Sr. feed and Safe Choice since then. I've been giving her about 6 cups of each plus about 3 flakes of Timothy grass hay a day. She isn't gaining weight very fast. I still think she's so thin. I also put about 1/3 cup corn oil mixed in.
I've had a vet out who said she "looked like a TB". I have an Appy, a QH and a Paint who all look great. My question is I know she can look better so am I not feeding her enough or is there another feed I can give her? I heard beet pulp is good. I've had some really great advice from this site in the past so please help me again! I have wormed her so that isn't an issue. Thanks guys. By the way she's a big 16.2 hh.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Thursday, Feb 23, 2006 - 10:08 am:

If she is gaining weight then you are headed in the right direction Patricia and perhaps a bit more patience is in order. TB's are usually going to require more concentrate than QH's and this is always a difficult time of year to put weight back on in the Northern Hemisphere.

The article associated with this forum has a link that gives what are normal amounts of feed by breed and work load. It also contains a detailed step wise plan on how to deal with this problem and you should follow its advice. Note that a single deworming does not make for an assurance that worms are not a problem the article also deals with this aspect of taking care of hard keepers.
DrO
Member:
Canter

Posted on Thursday, Feb 23, 2006 - 11:29 am:

Patricia? How are your TB's teeth? You may want to have them checked if you haven't already. Problems with her teeth may be another reason she's not gaining weight back.
Member:
Jgordo03

Posted on Thursday, Feb 23, 2006 - 1:31 pm:

Patricia,
I agree with Fran, because of her age I would have her teeth looked at, but I don't think that may be the reason, just because she was holding her weight. I had the same issue with my three old TB. I found that if I feed her about 1 - 1.5 pounds of grain 2 pounds of beet pulp, and at least two pounds of good brome hay twice a day I can keep her her weight on. Beet pulp the amount of grain down, and has decent protein and lots of fiber without the problems associated with feeding to much grain. During the winter I feed big bales of brome hay, so she may eat a little more then 4 pounds of hay a day. I use the standard of 1lb. of food per 100 lbs of horse per day.
Member:
Boomer

Posted on Tuesday, Feb 28, 2006 - 3:46 pm:

Thanks, I have a vet coming next Thursday to check her teeth. I had her teeth floated last August but they were done by hand. I'm having her teeth done again with the machine tool.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Wednesday, Mar 1, 2006 - 7:31 am:

Patricia, if there are no overt abnormalities with the teeth there is no reason to believe a machine tool will do a better job than someone competent with a sharp set of float blades. In fact just the opposite, research shows no relation between simple floating and digestion.
DrO
Member:
Jockyrdg

Posted on Wednesday, Mar 1, 2006 - 3:24 pm:

Hi Patricia;
Just a comment on the teeth issue. Machine and hand can both preform good jobs. It is more important that the dentist use a full mouth speculum so he can properly see and reach the molars. Many just stick a float in the mouth like you would when you brush your teeth. Mechanized floats are the new "thing" however; there is some discussion (no actually studies that I am aware of) that the tools run hot and it's easy to get too aggressive; both situations forecasting the wearing of teeth at an abnormal rate. All mechanized drills here in the mid-atlantic area are done with tranqualization: an added cost and less likely for a horse to respond to a "hot" tooth. That being said, most of the vets in the area are opting for mechanization and the regular dentists opt for hand floats. "Course, dentists are still allowed to practice here and the vets here hate doing teeth..... but that's another discussion. Regarding the weight, listen to the good dr- it takes time.
Member:
Boomer

Posted on Wednesday, Mar 1, 2006 - 4:57 pm:

Ok, so I will take your advice and be patient.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Thursday, Mar 2, 2006 - 8:28 am:

Patricia my advice is not to wait exactly, but my opinion is that a good job with hand floats is not going to be improved upon with machine tools. As others state above. This does not answer the question of whether the teeth are a problem. Does the horse show any trouble with chewing? The article above goes through a step wise assesment of this and other important factors and you should take the review.

You know Beverly I take issue with the mouth speculum being an absolute requirement for a good float. I find in a cooperative or sedated individual with good back lighting, as is available when you stand in a barn in the shade but with your back to the open door on a sunny day, that I can view all the teeth well. If points and minor rostral hooks are the only problem they are easily addressed without a full mouth speculum. I do make frequent use of a rubber side speculum for some horses.

We also do maintain stocks, motorized tools, a variety of full mouth speculums for those special cases but I just don't think the full mouth speculum is necessary for every or even most cases. There are veterinarians who disagree with me however.
DrO
Member:
Mariss

Posted on Friday, Mar 3, 2006 - 10:11 pm:

3 flakes of hay doesn't sound like enough. Also, the horses at my barn who get oil get about one cup a day. That might help till you get the weight up.
Member:
Dwinans

Posted on Friday, Mar 3, 2006 - 10:41 pm:

I have a 17hh Thoroughbred gelding who takes at least 2 big flakes of alfalfa hay twice per day to maintain his weight. I have had him boarded with other horses in the past and he took twice as much feed to keep normal than they did. I think it's normal for a thoroughbred.
Member:
Redalert

Posted on Saturday, Mar 4, 2006 - 10:08 am:

I was thinking the same as Marisss when I first read your post,Patricia. I hesitated to say, for fear he get impacted or something, but, maybe a bit more hay and corn oil, slowly adding more, of course!
Nancy
Member:
Erika

Posted on Saturday, Mar 4, 2006 - 12:32 pm:

Yep, give him all the hay he wants. If he were grazing he would be eating at leisure.
Member:
Erika

Posted on Saturday, Mar 4, 2006 - 12:33 pm:

Oops, clicked too soon. Would there be any reason to limit an underweight horse's hay, Dr. O? I mean, as long as he still finishes his grain?
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Saturday, Mar 4, 2006 - 2:44 pm:

No there is no good reason to restrict forage intake. But we don't know how big the flakes are. I have seen 8 lb flakes which would be adequate amounts of hay. We also don't know the pasture situation is. The article I referred her to above discuss feeding forages and should correct inappropriate feeding practices.
DrO
Member:
Boomer

Posted on Tuesday, Mar 7, 2006 - 3:29 pm:

No pasture, I will up the intake of hay and oil. Plus I've switched to Omelene 200..
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