# How to make a hard keeper gain weight?



## huntermare2 (Jan 3, 2013)

Hi! 
I have a 17 year old Standardbred mare who will just NOT gain weight. She has been on Trimax, beet pulp, and oats as well as unlimited GREEN hay for over a month, and isn't gaining anything. Maybe I'm doing something wrong? Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated. 
I was also thinking of doing a liver/kidney flush/probiotic. Any reviews on those? I have owned my mare for 3 years and she has always been a hard keeper because she was badly abused and neglected when I got her to the point her entire spine and backbone were exposed. It's so sad to see her in this condition. HELP!


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## katieandscooby (Feb 14, 2010)

See oats never worked with my TB. She never would gain weight as long as I had oats in het ration. Eventually switched her up to coop working horse( comparable to Hoffman's) Masterfeeds finishing touch and free choice round bale along with being blanketed the whole winter, she finally started to look less like a starved beast. She also had an unlimited access to salt and mineral block.

Some people have really good luck with adding canola oil to the ration. Personally I never had to resort to that, but if you do it slowly it is supposed to work well
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## maggiesshowjumping (Jan 3, 2013)

first, I would have her teeth floated if you havnt yet. next- and before you go and blow all that money on probiotics etc (personally I think it is generally a waste of money, I really havnt seen any results) FLUSH her with like 2 different kinds of wormers (reason for using 2 is so you kill any kind of worm that might be in her- different wormers have different chemicals that kill different things) 
if you havnt done either of those yet that should help A LOT
next I would suggest adding *CANOLA oil* to her feed (not corn, flax, rice, etc. canola oil has the most calories per cup of ANY oil and it is one of the only ones with BOTH omega 3 and 6 fatty acids. it is also one of the cheapist) we just take a measuring cup (to regulate but I supose you can just pore it from the bottle) and pour it over the feed. one cup has almost 2000calories.
Next I always recomend the *purina omaline- the mare and foal*. YES- it says mare and foal. but my guy recomended this to me.* it is a 16%.* it is great because it has a LOT of protien and calories, but does not make them high or excitable etc like oats or alfalfa may... it also helps build muscles because of the protien. My old horse was on a scoop of the purina omaline and a scoop of beetpulp (and we went through the majpority of a gallon of oil when I first got him) and he went from a dull coat and thin and kind of "back yard looking" to putting on at least 100lbs, got some good muscle definition, a beautiful glossy coat, etc... over a period of the 6 weeks I officially owned him (long story short, he was killed. but when he died he looked the best he had in years im sure) but it has also worked for my best friends 21yo ex-racehorse. with all the horses I have suggested this regiment to or had on it they have all had obvious improvement. 
Hope it helps!


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## huntermare2 (Jan 3, 2013)

Thank you so much guys!


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## huntermare2 (Jan 3, 2013)

Do you guys have any reviews on the feed called, Cadence Ultra by Buckeye? My newly adopted Standardbred is on this at the stable she is currently at until they bring her to my house.


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## Breella (May 26, 2012)

I use Nutrena Boost supplement in Topaz's feed and it has helped him a lot.


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## Spotted (Sep 19, 2012)

deworm for tape worm.


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## nvr2many (Jan 18, 2011)

I have a gelding that came to me emaciated, you can see his before and afters in my photos. Anyway, teeth float, worming, then lots of fat! Beet pulp, alfalfa, oil and free choice hay. I no longer do the oil but would in a heart beat if I thought he needed it again. I did replace the oil with purina amplify which is a supplement that has 30% fat. Hope this helps. Good luck.


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## nvr2many (Jan 18, 2011)

It can be done and it does not take forever. I think these pictures were 4 months apart tops. And I think he is heaver now, lol.


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## Delfina (Feb 12, 2010)

The color of the hay does not indicate it's nutritional value. You can have GREEN hay that is basically worthless.

Have a fecal done. Before you go dumping all sorts of de-wormer down her, you need to know what type she NEEDS if any at all. 

My hard keeper gets beet pulp, unlimited grass hay, alfalfa, Strategy and a vitamin/mineral/probiotic supplement. He's actually a tad fat ATM.


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## FGRanch (Feb 9, 2008)

Does she have lots of fresh clean water..


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## Darrin (Jul 11, 2011)

I had a rescue hard keeper, tried all of the above and nothing helped (he was 21 at the time). Anyway, he got really sick on me and the vet prescribed antibiotics for him. Not only did he snap out of being sick, he started putting that weight on I'd been trying for. Matter of fact I actually had to throttle back his feed for the first time as he was getting chubby.

Called the vet to see what could of changed, he said some older horses that have been neglected will get a low grade infection that their body just can't fight off. If that was the case the antibiotics would of got him over it and allowed him to put on weight. He wasn't sure if that was really the case with him but it was one possibility.


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## rookie (May 14, 2012)

I second getting a fecal done. There is so much resistance in parasites that the AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association) and the AAEP (American Association of Equine Practitioners) now recommend running a fecal before worming. Seeing if the parasite load is high enough and the species. Then worm with an appropriate wormer. Then run a second fecal 3-4 weeks after worming to see if there is a reduction in population. 

If your mare does not like grain (I have one that is not a fan), but loves hay. I would look into a hay stretcher.


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## Britt (Apr 15, 2008)

I swear by Start-to-Finish *Cool Calories 100*. You can get it at any TSC store. I've had my mare on it for a while now and her weight gain is simply amazing! She's actually a little chubby when before, at this time of year, I'd be trying to keep her ribs from showing.

I also had my younger, hard keeper gelding on it before I sold him... It turned him almost too fat and I had to cut back his feed before he sold for the first time since I'd owned him!


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## nvr2many (Jan 18, 2011)

^^^^ Did cool calories for awhile since its 99.% fat but when adding it up oil is cheaper and 100% fat. CC is basically oil with a inert ingredient to make it grains like sugar. I stopped using it when I noticed the white specks in my horses poop (thinking it was not being digested and therefore wasting my money) and also the cost.


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