Re: keeping weight on

["Tina Hicks" <hickst@nichols.com>]

8lbs oats/corn total twice a day - he's not nervous and
fretting in general - but he does fret in certain
circumstances. He's a hot horse - was hot as a firecracker
and fat as a tick when I got him at age 8 when he was on
pasture only and hadn't been ridden in a year. If he were a
person he would only need 5 hours of sleep a nite - his
natural inclination is wired - I don't see that as a result
of this feed regiment as over the 4 years I've owned him
he's had the same temperment. I've had him on sweetfeed also
- no difference in "hotness". He's also been down to about 3
oats a day in the summer when he was injured and not being
ridden. So he's not walking the fence or fretting in that
sense.

He's 12 and yes he's ready IMO o step up the schedule - he's
got 300 miles on him, tons and tons and tons of base on him
and his HRM and all other indicators says he more than ready
to move on. Recoveries are rock solid.

Perhaps I'm making this sound worse than it is - he's not a
skeleton :-) I'm just looking down the road and wanting some
extra weight on him going into his first 100 in may. 

He's on full excellent turnout - good pasture. Not muddy or
boggy.

> help.  So might a pelleted feed that is a roughage base (ie not just adding
> more concentrate).  
that's what I was wondering - there isn't any reason NOT to
feed something like Equine Senior is there? The only thing
I'm not real crazy about is the high protein content of it -
14 or 16% I think. 

will check into the B vitamins

 Where are you located?  Any
> possibility of a selenium deficiency or other deficiency that could be
> contributing to the lack of thriftiness?
AL - my vet says not to any great degree tho we're going to
do a blood work up next week. Our horses have no worms so
that isn't a factor here. He looks good - coat is nice, eyes
bright, etc....he's just a little lighter than I'd like to
see him.

Thanks for the reply and hope this extra bit of background
helps

Tina