You can walk and trot while leading over poles.

What is his diet like? Is he getting ridden?

 

Him along with the rest of my herd are on Dove Performance, specifically Magnify HF. If you want to look into the pelleted ratio they’re on

 

He’s been on an all forage diet (a pellet ration I get from a dealer in the area) with free choice hay. He has been sitting because he had an injury to his back leg. He recently got cleared to be rode again.

 

When was the last time his teeth were floated and getting dewormed?

 

Beginning of April. All my horses get done annually in the spring. He was wormed about a month ago

 

The white marks on each side of his withers, and on the top, indicate a poorfitting saddle, one that has been a problem for him for a long time.
If this is the case, he may have been moving in pain, and thus trying to 'drop done' out of the saddle pain. His hip/back area also looks very out of alignment. He needs food with some fat in it, and probably as others have said, wormed and floated might be another assist in getting some weight on him.

edit : I see you responded to the worm/float question.

I'd investigate saddle fit, and have someone other than yourself, someone that knows how to judge fit, take a good look.
I'd also have him seen by a chiropractor or body worker.

you can post videos of him moving, and photos of the saddle on his naked back. . . for this forum to give some feedback. But ultimately, an onsite person is best.

 

The white marks on each side of his withers, and on the top, indicate a poorfitting saddle, one that has been a problem for him for a long time.
If this is the case, he may have been moving in pain, and thus trying to 'drop done' out of the saddle pain. His hip/back area also looks very out of alignment. He needs food with some fat in it, and probably as others have said, wormed and floated might be another assist in getting some weight on him.

edit : I see you responded to the worm/float question.

I'd investigate saddle fit, and have someone other than yourself, someone that knows how to judge fit, take a good look.
I'd also have him seen by a chiropractor or body worker.

you can post videos of him moving, and photos of the saddle on his naked back. . . for this forum to give some feedback. But ultimately, an onsite person is best.

He has had those saddle marks before I’ve owned him. I’ve only had him a little over a year.

 

A hay belly is caused by low quality hay. Start by feeding better quality, tested hay. It takes about a month or so of better forage and consistent exercise before you will see improvement. The biggest issue I see, is this horse's diet isn't meeting his needs in nutrients, he just eating filler.

 

They have good tested hay already. He is the only one out of my heard that is struggling. We thought about netting the hay but I see so many different opinions on that

 

I'm not sure I would only call this a poor topline, but rather something else going on too. I see muscle-wasting. Focus on the concavity of his withers and hindquarters, and the slight amount of rib showing. I would prioritize having him tested for Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction (PPID; more commonly known as equine Cushing's disease). There are two blood tests available, the ACTH test and the TRH test. The TRH test is a more sensitive test, meaning if the ACTH doesn't come back as overwhelmingly positive, the TRH may. The ACTH test is a single blood draw to measure baseline levels, whereas the TRH stimulation test involves measuring ACTH levels before and after injecting thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH).

If he has Cushing's, it is important to begin treating him daily with Prascend. Supplements may treat the symptoms that you see (such as muscle-wasting, poor coat, etc.), but Prascend treats the actual disease. After being on Prascend for 4-6 weeks, you will want to redo the blood test, to confirm the dose of Prascend is adequately controlling the disease. Start with the lowest dose possible and only increase if the blood tests suggest doing so. I successfully had my gelding's Cushing's controlled with 1/2 tablet, when others require one or two tablets a day.

Prascend comes with side effects, such as lethargy. If you are to immediately start giving one pill a day, he likely will go off of feed and have to wean off the medication and start back on a lower dose. It is helpful to start on 1/4 pill a day, and work up to 1/2 a pill a day, and more if needed per the blood tests.

With what I see, supplements or targeted exercises will not help, until you confirm if he has Cushing's and begin medicating. Once he is on Prascend, then you can add things like TriAmino to help build muscle, or Chasteberry to help control the condition of his coat.

 

I'm not sure I would only call this a poor topline, but rather something else going on too. I see muscle-wasting. Focus on the concavity of his withers and hindquarters, and the slight amount of rib showing. I would prioritize having him tested for Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction (PPID; more commonly known as equine Cushing's disease). There are two blood tests available, the ACTH test and the TRH test. The TRH test is a more sensitive test, meaning if the ACTH doesn't come back as overwhelmingly positive, the TRH may. The ACTH test is a single blood draw to measure baseline levels, whereas the TRH stimulation test involves measuring ACTH levels before and after injecting thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH).

If he has Cushing's, it is important to begin treating him daily with Prascend. Supplements may treat the symptoms that you see (such as muscle-wasting, poor coat, etc.), but Prascend treats the actual disease. After being on Prascend for 4-6 weeks, you will want to redo the blood test, to confirm the dose of Prascend is adequately controlling the disease. Start with the lowest dose possible and only increase if the blood tests suggest doing so. I successfully had my gelding's Cushing's controlled with 1/2 tablet, when others require one or two tablets a day.

Prascend comes with side effects, such as lethargy. If you are to immediately start giving one pill a day, he likely will go off of feed and have to wean off the medication and start back on a lower dose. It is helpful to start on 1/4 pill a day, and work up to 1/2 a pill a day, and more if needed per the blood tests.

With what I see, supplements or targeted exercises will not help, until you confirm if he has Cushing's and begin medicating. Once he is on Prascend, then you can add things like TriAmino to help build muscle, or Chasteberry to help control the condition of his coat.
View attachment 1197171

View attachment 1197170

He’s also been tested already 🥴 nothing came back alarming. Vet also said, if it were cushings, he’d struggle to shed out and have longer curly hair. He does not. The only wave is in his mane. I tested anyways. And like vet suggested it wasn’t Cushings. I’m calling the vet to get him massaged and adjusted. Going to try adding amino acids to his feed and see if that helps. I’ve also ordered ground poles to start working him with

 

If you cannot get enough good quality hay in him look for a supplement that can address his nutrient needs which seems to be a lot.
I would look for a well rounded supplement, not just one that addresses certain vitamin deficiencies.

 

If you cannot get enough good quality hay in him look for a supplement that can address his nutrient needs which seems to be a lot.
I would look for a well rounded supplement, not just one that addresses certain vitamin deficiencies.

What are some that you recommend? Or know of? My vet said to do purina amino acids. I’m not 100% for Purina and their formula

 

I'm not really seeing a hay belly, I'm seeing a horse that's needing to gain some weight before any work related programs are introduced to improve the topline

There's something going on around the sacroiliac areas that could indicate a past accident/injury, that would look less pronounced if he'd got more weight on him.

Have you dewormed with a moxidectin based product or the Panacur powerpac 5 day course?
Encysted small strongyles don't show up in a fecal egg count and they can do a tremendous amount of damage, especially if they've never been targeted in a deworming schedule

If things like ulcers, metabolic syndrome and Cushing's have been rules out, I'd try concentrated higher fat feeds, like rice bran or a complete feed like Tribute Synergize
A good quality sugar beet like Speedibeet would help
Some time on good clean grazing is probably one of the fastest ways to get weight on a horse

I wouldn't ride him until he's looking in better condition

 

He looks to be a big horse, he may need a different type of feed that better suites him and need a bigger ration hes getting now. How much are you feeding him now, I have never heard of the feed that you listed so I would go a different route on him and feed him a better quality feed.

 

He is large. He’s just shy of 16 hands. There’s been a lot of good information here, I’m going to try him on Proforce Senior or TC senior and some amino acids. Look into maybe doing away with Magnify HF for the others as well and re group with looking into other feeds.

 

If you are feeding good quality forage, meeting his vitamin/mineral needs, you can rule that out. Now you need to consult a vet because this horse has something going on internally.

 

The picture in the post above shows not only muscle deficit but a weight issue when the tailhead is so prominently seen.
Tee picture below shows no fat at or near the wither.

The hip juncture is to thin, with SI joint very prominent as are the actual hip points seen. A pointy shoulder and thinner than desired neck also tell of this horse needs weight gain.
Till the animal is offered better quality & quantity in food it will struggle to gain weight of fat and build muscle and topline.

You refer to a all-forage diet.
What are you actually feeding? How many pounds of feed a day?
Feed is weighed in pounds not volume...

I would guess the horse should be near 1000 pounds and is probably coming in a solid 100 - 150 pounds underweight.
Post injury or not, slimming a horse is one thing, but this guy needs some serious groceries given and a better quality hay.
Your horse doesn't look coat poor that worms can create, he looks poor because he is not fed a better quality of hay he needs to thrive.
So....math done, your horse should be being fed 10 pounds of feed a day.
Sorry, that is a lot of feed and its not a great feed when I looked at what it is composed of.
8% fat is NOT high fat. Protein is fine, so is fiber, but the fat ratio is not high fat.
No place does it state a NSC ratio {sugar & starch} and honestly, there is a lot of essentials this just does not offer.
At 40 pound bags it is no cost efficient, bang for the buck feed imo.
Is your horse soy allergic? Is he allergic to any other ingredients in more commonly used feeds that you are avoiding?

I would guess the horse is about 15.1 - 15.2 hands and not a tiny build.
He has a good barrel on him and a good sized wither means he needs a bit more padding of weight to soften his appearance.
At my guessed size he needs fed for a 1000 pound horse is moderate to hard work so he is fed more to gain and replace what is now lost.
It costs $$$ to rehab a horse who was injured or nutrient deprived.

Since it sounds vet is consulted....teeth and fecal done, testing done for PPID and Cushings...
I do see him holding his winter coat though in his tailhead area and actually he is holding in the area where the wither fat pad is lacking...that scruffy look is him not shedding sleek.

I would get this horse on some pre & probiotics, a good supplement with topline enhancers and fat content to begin a turnaround.
Nutrena has Empower Boost {smells good and it sure made a difference in my horse when we top-dressed his foods}.
That is one I would be looking into purchasing for the vitamin, minerals and high fat along with pieces that just look to be missing in the diet.

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/nutrena-empower-boost-high-fat-rice-bran-horse-supplement-40-lb-1125358

It is a supplement, not a feed so it is fed in addition to anything you are offering.

I would also look at Purina Ultium Senior which is a new product, but has already had good reviews and pictural essays appearing from customers.
If you can't find Purina Ultium Senior, then Ultium Competition is where I would go as it packs a punch of good for horses in need. https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/purina-ultium-competition-horse-formula-2800715

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/purina-ultimum-senior-horse-feed-2511791

High calories, balanced vit & minerals with all the right amino acids with a pelleted feed base of beet pulp forage in the recipe.
Triple Crown also has good products.

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/search/triple%20crown%20senior/horse-feed-treats?isIntSrch=typeahead

You need a 11 - 14% protein, fat content over 10% minimum, fiber in the high teens or higher numbers and calories per pound nearing 1800 or more....that is a feed that will pack a punch and give improvement to your horse.
In forage, he should be offered around 20+ pounds a day and if he eats all of it, up the quantity.
He must eat more than he consumes just being a horse to rebuild his muscling and gain an ounce of fat.
You offering this or that could and will upset the delicate balance of nutrition the horse needs. A feed that is better made with all those parts included balanced, then fed in amounts needed will give you the thrive you want and the horse deserves.
Currently, what you feed....you are feeding a full bag in 4 days is not realistic and overloads the digestive system of the horse. At 10 pounds a day.... This horse is not working at all...feeding what he needs to thrive...
The other feed selections would require about half or a bit more than half that large amount for similar results seen.
All of the products I mentioned and gave links to are available nationally at any food retailer including Tractor Supply Stores.
Right now, I would not be doing more than hand walking him. No riding, no lunging cause he hasn't got the fat weight to afford to lose burning those large amounts of calories gone.

I know you didn't ask but...
It is already August, not far from weather changes of fall & winter knocking on the door of its coming back!!
Some places already are chilling down in temps at night...
I would consider investing in a sheet and insulated blanket so the horse not have to burn one ounce of fat trying to stay warm as the weather changes.
45 days from now leaves in some places will be turning and fall felt arriving in earnest....you need to get fat on that animal before then.
Till you repair what is lacking inside you will not easily build weight or muscle seen outside.
This horse can easily thrive, but must be offered the right foods, enough of those foods and the protection from the weather so he can make gains and not need to burn those gains off keeping warm & dry.

I also see another horse sharing his paddock space, a lot of dirt and eaten to the ground sparse grass and no hay wisps anyplace...
A large round trough for water...
Your horse needs to eat in peace his full rations, not sharing with anyone. How or what that means needs done so it is accomplished is a job only you can make happen.
Things you can notice from pictures shared tell a story....

This is a beautiful horse. One who a injury sidelined and now you play catch-up to get them back to their glory.
Feeding the right foods, in correct amounts and adding in exercise at the right time will give you back what is desired...
This is not an awful situation, one needing a few tweaks and you will be sailing toward victory soon and getting back to riding again.
I wish you all the best in the recovery and ongoing recuperation of your horse.
🐎...

 

The picture in the post above shows not only muscle deficit but a weight issue when the tailhead is so prominently seen.
Tee picture below shows no fat at or near the wither.
View attachment 1197173
The hip juncture is to thin, with SI joint very prominent as are the actual hip points seen. A pointy shoulder and thinner than desired neck also tell of this horse needs weight gain.
Till the animal is offered better quality & quantity in food it will struggle to gain weight of fat and build muscle and topline.

You refer to a all-forage diet.
What are you actually feeding? How many pounds of feed a day?
Feed is weighed in pounds not volume...

I would guess the horse should be near 1000 pounds and is probably coming in a solid 100 - 150 pounds underweight.
Post injury or not, slimming a horse is one thing, but this guy needs some serious groceries given and a better quality hay.
Your horse doesn't look coat poor that worms can create, he looks poor because he is not fed a better quality of hay he needs to thrive.
So....math done, your horse should be being fed 10 pounds of feed a day.
Sorry, that is a lot of feed and its not a great feed when I looked at what it is composed of.
8% fat is NOT high fat. Protein is fine, so is fiber, but the fat ratio is not high fat.
No place does it state a NSC ratio {sugar & starch} and honestly, there is a lot of essentials this just does not offer.
At 40 pound bags it is no cost efficient, bang for the buck feed imo.
Is your horse soy allergic? Is he allergic to any other ingredients in more commonly used feeds that you are avoiding?

I would guess the horse is about 15.1 - 15.2 hands and not a tiny build.
He has a good barrel on him and a good sized wither means he needs a bit more padding of weight to soften his appearance.
At my guessed size he needs fed for a 1000 pound horse is moderate to hard work so he is fed more to gain and replace what is now lost.
It costs $$$ to rehab a horse who was injured or nutrient deprived.

Since it sounds vet is consulted....teeth and fecal done, testing done for PPID and Cushings...
I do see him holding his winter coat though in his tailhead area and actually he is holding in the area where the wither fat pad is lacking...that scruffy look is him not shedding sleek.

I would get this horse on some pre & probiotics, a good supplement with topline enhancers and fat content to begin a turnaround.
Nutrena has Empower Boost {smells good and it sure made a difference in my horse when we top-dressed his foods}.
That is one I would be looking into purchasing for the vitamin, minerals and high fat along with pieces that just look to be missing in the diet.

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/nutrena-empower-boost-high-fat-rice-bran-horse-supplement-40-lb-1125358

It is a supplement, not a feed so it is fed in addition to anything you are offering.

I would also look at Purina Ultium Senior which is a new product, but has already had good reviews and pictural essays appearing from customers.
If you can't find Purina Ultium Senior, then Ultium Competition is where I would go as it packs a punch of good for horses in need. https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/purina-ultium-competition-horse-formula-2800715

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/purina-ultimum-senior-horse-feed-2511791

High calories, balanced vit & minerals with all the right amino acids with a pelleted feed base of beet pulp forage in the recipe.
Triple Crown also has good products.

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/search/triple%20crown%20senior/horse-feed-treats?isIntSrch=typeahead

You need a 11 - 14% protein, fat content over 10% minimum, fiber in the high teens or higher numbers and calories per pound nearing 1800 or more....that is a feed that will pack a punch and give improvement to your horse.
In forage, he should be offered around 20+ pounds a day and if he eats all of it, up the quantity.
He must eat more than he consumes just being a horse to rebuild his muscling and gain an ounce of fat.
You offering this or that could and will upset the delicate balance of nutrition the horse needs. A feed that is better made with all those parts included balanced, then fed in amounts needed will give you the thrive you want and the horse deserves.
Currently, what you feed....you are feeding a full bag in 4 days is not realistic and overloads the digestive system of the horse. At 10 pounds a day.... This horse is not working at all...feeding what he needs to thrive...
The other feed selections would require about half or a bit more than half that large amount for similar results seen.
All of the products I mentioned and gave links to are available nationally at any food retailer including Tractor Supply Stores.
Right now, I would not be doing more than hand walking him. No riding, no lunging cause he hasn't got the fat weight to afford to lose burning those large amounts of calories gone.

I know you didn't ask but...
It is already August, not far from weather changes of fall & winter knocking on the door of its coming back!!
Some places already are chilling down in temps at night...
I would consider investing in a sheet and insulated blanket so the horse not have to burn one ounce of fat trying to stay warm as the weather changes.
45 days from now leaves in some places will be turning and fall felt arriving in earnest....you need to get fat on that animal before then.
Till you repair what is lacking inside you will not easily build weight or muscle seen outside.
This horse can easily thrive, but must be offered the right foods, enough of those foods and the protection from the weather so he can make gains and not need to burn those gains off keeping warm & dry.

I also see another horse sharing his paddock space, a lot of dirt and eaten to the ground sparse grass and no hay wisps anyplace...
A large round trough for water...
Your horse needs to eat in peace his full rations, not sharing with anyone. How or what that means needs done so it is accomplished is a job only you can make happen.
Things you can notice from pictures shared tell a story....

This is a beautiful horse. One who a injury sidelined and now you play catch-up to get them back to their glory.
Feeding the right foods, in correct amounts and adding in exercise at the right time will give you back what is desired...
This is not an awful situation, one needing a few tweaks and you will be sailing toward victory soon and getting back to riding again.
I wish you all the best in the recovery and ongoing recuperation of your horse.
🐎...

I noticed the water trough too, but the water trough is not being used, it's turn over.

I agree theres something missing in his diet, needs a better feed and more of it, I see a horse that just needs to fill out with added weight.

He's just under weight in my opinion.

 

He may not be getting enough calories for his needs from forage alone. It's great when it works, but some horses need concentrate, too. You could try adding senior feed. Whatever is going on, he needs weight, and it's going to take more groceries to get him there.

I'm not seeing a hay belly at all in those pictures FWIW.

 

Well thanks! I’ll try him on proforce senior. He was up to weight coming out of winter. He got injured and I had surgery, and now he looks like that.

 

I'd do a good quality senior feed, not just amino acids. Preferably fed soaked, in case he's having any difficulty breaking things down (plus it's just a great way to get extra hydration into them).

You may still need to keep him on the balancer, as senior feeds are meant to be fed in fairly large volumes to get all of the necessary vitamins and minerals in.

 

I did look at that manufacturers website before I posted any of my comment.
What you are feeding currently is missing alot of a lot....
Look at the bag back of that TC current feed and go line for line making note of what is not listed one to the other.

For the brand you are feeding for moderate work, and that for a horse not working would be putting weight on the frame is 10 pounds per day...double the amount you are offering.
Thr food you feed is offering 1600 calories per pound. Many feeds offer 200 more per pound, some even more than that. At 5 pounds, that is an additional 1000 calories eaten daily. At 10 pounds of food it would be 2000 additional calories consumed.

At 16 hands and a nice build your horse has, the animal should weigh in every pound of 1000 and probably closer to 1200 pounds....
I would guess your horse is more like 950 honestly now you tell how tall he is.
The last 100 - 150 are the hardest to stick and keep stuck on the frame.
Till you nourish his insides and heal what is troubling him he will not thrive.

As for forage.... OK, we need a bit of help in US state and generalized location you are to help name hays that may offer better nutrition and or make sure your hay supplier is using fertilized hay fields with hay harvested at peak condition, rolled or baled at proper humidity levels and it is stored/kept out of the weather. You need to be feeding horse quality hay not cow hay too.
As for pasture, because it is green does not make it nutritious, just green. Improved grasses, those fertilized and weeds kept to a minimum a horse can metabolize better.

Once you nourish his guts, he will thrive and replenish his appearance seen.
It takes more fed to a recovering horse from sickness and poor condition. As the body heals from sickness and injury it does need better nutrition fed allowing the body to produce those healing cells. Once the healing has occurred, the animal thrives and then you can begin a back-off of extras to get to the point of maintain to thrive...right now you are still in repair mode I believe.

So, state and general idea of where you are so those in the region can offer hay varieties local to feed and not break the pocketbook so badly truly would help..
🐎... jmo.

 

We’re in Northeast Nebraska, he has quality tested hay. But I didn’t know that Dove was missing a lot

 

@BigBayMare2017 : You've gotten some stellar advice!

I would just ask if you plan on dividing the appropriate quality of whatever feed you decide to go with into multiple meals a day?

For our 23-year-old gelding who's 16.2 hands and about 1200 lbs, is on TC Senior made into a soupy mash because he's prone to choke. He gets just over 6 lbs in a day. I divide that now into three separate meals because I think it helps him metabolize the food better. For his weight and his level of activity, 6 lbs is the minimum quantity for that feed.

NOTE: I make up the rest of his forage (because TC Senior is not only is a complete feed but it's considered a forage based feed) with both a good quality quality hay and pasture. If our pasture is stressed or during the slow growing season, I generally increase his hay and or his TC Senior depending on what he shows he needs.

EDIT: When I indicated to make up the rest of his forge, there's a general rule of thumb that horses should be consuming between 1.5% to 2% of their body weight in forage a day. In the case of our horse, the 2% seems to serve him best. That comes up to 24 lb of forage per day. And when it comes to hay (as well as feed), you actually need to measure in pounds. If your pasture is good quality grass, that also counts towards forage but you have to play a little bit to determine what your horse needs. If the grass isn't that great, it's more hay and/or a forge based feed. I hope this makes sense.

 

@BigBayMare2017: I've learned since our horse has gotten older, and that's really how I found HF in my search for answers and advice and other's experiences, is that I didn't know that he needed more until he needed more.

 

Yes! I agree 100%! And I think that is what’s going on with my boy. Now I’m at a cross roads, I don’t know if I should net the hay or not?

 

You already have great information to help your horse.

Hay was tested grass hay also fed high quality alfalfa hay 3rd cutting leafy green 18 percent protein fed him 6 lbs along with free choice grass hay. Summer months pasture when in barn due to horrible bugs alfalfa hay.

For hard feed fed tribute senior sport he did really well on this feed looked very good. When he got to chunky being fed the minimum amounts.

I dropped amount and added in a 1 lb of essential K depending on how hard he was working up to 2 lbs of essential k.

 

Mine are forage only. Peanut hay, haylage (alfalfa based), 24/7 pasture, hay rounds as needed, MB Omneity and Copper:Zinc. If they don't keep condition on that then I add either a senior feed (Purina or Nutrena) or competition/high fat (Ultium or Proforce). Wherever they keep condition depends on age, work load and disease. I don't feed more than 3 pounds of concentrate per meal as less feed in more meals is better than more feed in fewer meals. If they're on a concentrate and if the nutrition needs are met in the #pounds fed over a day they don't get the ration balancer - just the Copper:Zinc. Beyond that I do do fecals, I worm to level shedder they are and if they look like burden is an issue I'll worm to the season with a targeted wormer. Teeth are checked. Sand load is looked at.

There's nothing wrong with the Magnify. It's a forage based feed with fat added. Rounded out with a ration balancer and hay or pasture it should keep a horse in good condition. That it isn't says there is something wrong. That's where you start. Are you feeding too much for him at one time? Horses are individuals, depending on the feed what is fine for one may be an overload for another. Does the horse have an allergy? Ulcers? I know you've said he had blood work for Cushings. I'd ask what test and do your research. Horses are individuals. Not all horses present typically. Some have atypical symptoms or very few, not so noticeable. Is your area deficient or overburdened with any minerals? Are there any imbalances from this or due to the combination fed?

 

My question is he really making a mess he won't eat what was given?
Is he soiling or walking the hay dirty?

Being he is so underweight I would not discourage his eating, eating free will, free choice & amount plentiful.
Some horses hate haynets, shuts down their wanting to eat, some don't care. Watch carefully which you have...

Haynets also come in different sized openings
The larger the hole the easier to eat from, smaller is more work & for some frustration makes it not worth the effort & they not eat well or enough.
If you just want to contain & keep neater, old water troughs work for that. Friends used kiddie pool style shaped containers. Others used metal hay racks wall mounted for the stall style.
I just pile the hay on several stall mats laid out in a large square...makes nearly 10'x10' clean surface. If you're handy you can add a 2x4 frame helping to keep less walked hay debris field.
But I would not restrict the eating when needing weight gained.
🐎 ... jmo.

 

My question is he really making a mess he won't eat what was given?
Is he soiling or walking the hay dirty?

Being he is so underweight I would not discourage his eating, eating free will, free choice & amount plentiful.
Some horses hate haynets, shuts down their wanting to eat, some don't care. Watch carefully which you have...

Haynets also come in different sized openings
The larger the hole the easier to eat from, smaller is more work & for some frustration makes it not worth the effort & they not eat well or enough.
If you just want to contain & keep neater, old water troughs work for that. Friends used kiddie pool style shaped containers. Others used metal hay racks wall mounted for the stall style.
I just pile the hay on several stall mats laid out in a large square...makes nearly 10'x10' clean surface. If you're handy you can add a 2x4 frame helping to keep less walked hay debris field.
But I would not restrict the eating when needing weight gained.
🐎 ... jmo.

They walk it into the ground and urinate/poop on what’s on the ground and then they don’t eat it. We have one of the black PVC pipe hay rings

 

Have a friend who has a PVC ring feeder horses have all kinds of hay outside of feeder pooping in peeing in it making a huge mess.

Only way to not have wasted hay is use slow feed hay nets over big bales then put bale in ring feeder.
With my gelding ice only give what he'll eat in a few hours it's not fed free choice the king of waste even in stall this time of year it's very minimal hay fed to him.

 

Have a friend who has a PVC ring feeder horses have all kinds of hay outside of feeder pooping in peeing in it making a huge mess.

Only way to not have wasted hay is use slow feed hay nets over big bales then put bale in ring feeder.
With my gelding ice only give what he'll eat in a few hours it's not fed free choice the king of waste even in stall this time of year it's very minimal hay fed to him.

I think a PVC ring feeder paired with a net (ours being 3in holes) will drastically reduce the amount of wasted we’re currently seeing. While still allowing the horses to eat pretty freely

 

You know that upside down trough going unused....

Similar concept...

Here is your PVC pipes and a piece of tarp 1st picture...
Then some plywood and repurposing a planter or even a large hose reel container...

Depending upon the size of pallets you can access...

And to keep the horses from just yanking it out in hunks again soiling it...
You can also use nets or "blanket" things for larger sizes of hay like full bales or even round rolls or a net that holds just a few flakes... A piece of metal panels for sheep, goats or even livestock fencing but panels are made with much thicker and HD...

I would think about the nylon stall webbing things many use to leave a door open and restrict the animal going for a walk unattended...

Your imagination is a great friend when we can reuse, repurpose items saving us $ instead of just throwing away costing us more $ we could gladly spend elsewhere..
🐎...

 

You seem to be very inclined about nutrition. So I figured I’d ask. Which line is better Triple Crown line up or Nutrena ProForce line up?

 

Very good advice here, switching feeds will probably help, and I swear by feeding alfalfa products. Pellets are good but the best is long stem hay, makes a massive difference and is so helpful to build muscle. It's high in calcium and magnesium. The calcium being a little high isn't a huge issue if you were feeding some grain for phosphorus. My horses have alfalfa as their only forage source and they do so well on it I don't do anything else. Perennial peanut hay is also very good but you probably can't get that where you are! TC senior is a fantastic feed, you could honestly just swap him to that and see how he does. Tucker Milling has similar quality feeds that I have also used, won't hurt looking at those if you have a store that carries them locally. But they're all similar, TC, Proforce, ultium, all good for his needs I think.

Not to highjack, but @QtrBel , what brand haylage? Others with old horses who can't chew great might be interested in this as well. Also some folks add chopped hay to grain rations to prevent bolting, or to stretch out meals for those who don't get as much. Useful info!

 

Not to highjack, but @QtrBel , what brand haylage? Others with old horses who can't chew great might be interested in this as well. Also some folks add chopped hay to grain rations to prevent bolting, or to stretch out meals for those who don't get as much. Useful info!

Bulk brought in for a nearby dairyfarm. It comes in from the midwest, Longmont, organic... I fill my barrels monthly from their bulk storage. If they're short or I run out before scheduled I use Alfahay. Very similar. There are a few here that use Chaffhaye. They're all fermented alfalfa. The bulk is fermented with an application of a specific lactobacillus.
The Alfahay uses apple cider vinegar and lactobacillus. Chaffhaye uses molasses.

We can't get Chaffhaye here. Or I could but shipping would make it not practical. Alfahay is kept stocked at TSC. Just have to watch for tears in the bags as that causes spoilage. The bulk is a pain to handle and storage is short but price makes it worth it. I've pretty much gone to Alfahay in the summer and bulk the rest of the year. There's a space in my shed that was dug out and lined with clay tile for putting feed cans in/on. It stays pretty cool as shed and immediate surroundings are heavily shaded, soil stays relatively cool and tiles hold what cool is there. July and August temps head to 80s in the shed that means feeding has to occur quickly once opened 2 to 3 days vs 5 to 7 days.

Length of fiber matters. You want the longest stem you cam provide. In order of best feeding quality hay, chopped, cubed then last is pelleted. If youe feeding other long stem forage, pellets aren't so much an issue. Water content also matters when figuring poundage. Cubes and pellets are 8 to 12%, hay is 14 to 18%, haylage 60 to 70%, chop (fresh) is 80%. There is a chop available that's cut more mature (drier), dried, chopped and compressed. Haylage has added value because of the fermentation process.

 

@ChieTheRider: I'm a chopped hay fan myself. Actually, Chuck is. It took a lot of trial and many errors to find the right thing after over 13 years of no hay issues.

 

Be aware of using metal grate feeders they damage teeth or any hard surfaces used for reducing waste. Use them at your own risk of damaging horses teeth.

Pic from Internet of damage done by metal grate feeders. Last pic of metal grate feeders is a HUGE NO for me as are some of above pics posted for feeders.

 

I didn't read the entirety of everyone else's posts, and I know you've gotten great advice already and seem to be on the path to changing feeds, which is great. But I just wanted to chime in to say TC Senior is one of the safest and most effective feeds for adding weight to any age horse. It's served me well many times over my decades in horses.

My absolute favorite fat supplement is Nutrena's Empower Boost. My gelding is 17 and not at all a hard-keeper, but I have him on the Boost due to how nicely it keeps his top line filled out and his coat looking good. I used it for a senior horse of mine years ago and it made him look ten years younger.

I cannot imagine a horse that wouldn't gain significant weight on 5 pounds of TC Senior and 1 pound of Empower Boost per day. At least, so long as there are no underlying health issues causing his condition. I have seen ulcers rob a horse of his top line (my gelding, as a matter of fact). No matter how much concentrate was shoveled into him, he couldn't seem to gain enough weight to fill out his top line. It took changing barns, changing feed programs, and ultimately doing a full treatment for ulcers (which is $$$!) to get him back to his easy-keeping former self.

Best of luck! I'm sure you'll get him sorted out and filling out in no time.