What are cheap and healthy ways to fatten up a horse?

Question

I am 17 and work with all the horse on my family’s farm.
However I am not allowed to buy the feed and I have no say in how many horses we get. Right now we have 4 horses 2 Quarter horses (they are very big for quarter horses but that is what they are registered as) and one unknown breed and one Arabian they have all lost weight and you can slightly see the ribs on the two Quarter horses as for the unknown breed she is skinnier than they are but the one I am worried about is the Arabian.
He was taken from my uncle who tied him up to a phone pole (6 feet down 8 feet high) where the poor horse couldn’t even eat grass.
My uncle would come out and hold up a bucket to feed and water him other than that the horse was tied up for day’s maybe even weeks.
I have finally got the horse to allow people to come up to him again and have been working with him but he is still skinny.

They are on about 2 ½ acres and it has been grazed down petty bad we buy bails of feed for them but there are times when they go without.
We should be getting the real owners to take the quarter horse (since the owner are family member my parents let them keep their horses here free of charge so we don’t get any money from them).
We are giving the unknown breed as payment to a horse “camp” that I put my personal horse in.
So I really only want to fatten up the Arabian but it pains me to see any horse I take care of to be even slightly skinny.

I was told putting a cup of vegetable oil in his food would help fatten him up.
I would like to know is this true and what other cheap but healthy tips can you give me to help fatten up these guys.

Answer 1

Agree with the other poster about horses on insufficient acreage. Having said that, you can hand graze the horses to supplement their diets. Afterall, grass is the best for the horse.



Vegetable oil, as you've heard is another way to add fat to a horse's diet. Start with just a splash on their grain daily, then gradualy work up to a cup per meal.



Be sure they are on a good rotational worming program. Don't underestimate the ability of parasites to take good nutritious food away from the host. Also be sure their teeth are floated at least once each year.



If it's hot, provide shade. Cold, provide shelter or a blanket. Both these climates burn calories for your horse to remain comfortable, resulting in weight loss.



You can also try to feed black oil sunflower seeds, rice bran, or soaked beet pulp to add calories to the diet. Again, just go slowly and work up to about a quart per meal.



Lastly, have the vet take a look at the horses. If you've said they've all lost weight and yet they're still being fed, there might be an illness that's causing caloires to be burned.



Good luck.

Answer 2

Adding a little corn oil is not going to make much of a difference if the horse is not getting enough food or if the food he is getting is not good quality. It will also not make a difference if there are other problems contributing to the weight loss (parasites, bad teeth, etc). Another person mentioned beet pulp, which I agree with, and also adding rice bran to the feed is beneficial, however these additions really only make sense if the food your horse is already getting is really good quality. If they're getting fed poor quality grass hay with no nutritional value and some cheap locally made grain with low fat % and low protein %, then it would make more sense to spend the money on better quality grain and hay rather than skipping straight to the additional supplements. If a horse already gets nutritional grass hay (and lots of it) and good grain with high fat content and they still have trouble maintaining weight, that's when you can look to things like beet pulp, rice bran, corn oil, etc. BTW they tend to prefer corn oil to vegetable oil in my experience. Oats are also good and fatty, easily digestible, and fairly cheap. If you do not currently have them on any grain, you could at least try getting a bag of oats, but only if you can make a committment to give them the same amount every single day so they don't have an irregular diet. Also, if you cannot locally find good quality grass hay, some of the feed stores might have bags of hay pellets. You can purchase a bag, soak a big scoop of them in hot water for about 30 min and feed that to your horse. That usually does the trick, especially if the horse has teeth problems contributing to the weight loss. If that helps a little but not enough, you can sprinkle in a scoop of oats also, and begin adding things like soaked beet pulp or rice bran or corn oil.

Answer 3

Corn or vegetable oil in the feed every day works great (about 1/4 - 1/2 cup usually works good)



And let him have free choice on a round bale of hay (a good horse quality round bale). Horses are natural grazers and need a constant food supply, not just being fed two or 3 times a day.



Add in vitamin supplements to his feed too (I usually use Farnam or Dumor)



Free access to a salt block.



Instead of oats or any other feed, try using hay extender pellets (not alfalfa cubes). Never use sweet feed. Horses can go diabetic too.



Free access to water.



All of those things together and your horse should start gaining weight within a week.

Answer 4

Hard keepers can be fattened up by adding oils and supplements.



That's not the same thing as putting weight on horses that don't receive enough feed. I understand you are young and don't buy the feed, but to be honest, horses are designed to receive constant feed that is 'low quality'. In other words, your horses should be eating almost all the grass hay they can eat. If you aren't feeding them enough, then corn oil isn't a solution.



The cheapest way to put weight on a horse is to feed them a lot of nice grass hay. Start there, and then go forward. Also, if a horse is on your property, it is your responsibility to make sure they are fed. I hope your parents realize that, because your current situation is dangerously close to neglect, and it's very possible that someone driving by could call it in if they see ribby horses with no visible feed.

Answer 5

Vegetable oil will definitely help fatten them up. Also, if you are able to get them constant access to a grass hay it will help get them fattened up without having too much protein for them as often in skinny horses they can have problems with too much protein.... I have also found that feeding an extruded feed that is high in fat helps, its easier to digest than plain grains and the horses can get more out of less. The one I usually use is step 6 from proform feeds. I have also used soaked beet pulp to put on weight.

Answer 6

cheap healthy ways fatten horse

Answer 7

I hate to tell you this, because i can see you are very attached to your horses and care for them deeply...but part of the problem seems to be that you have four horses on 2 acres. This is not enough for them to graze on. I would say you need to find homes for 1 to 2 of the horses you currently own. Im sorry to tell you that but i feel that would be the responsible thing to do. Im not lecturing you at all, you sound like you really care for them, but if you do care for them as much as i think you do, you will keep in mind what is best for them no matter how it hurts you. Sorry.

Maddie R

Answer 8

Catch a number of zzz’s. Lack of sleep creates the hormone ghrelin, an desire for food booster. Tiredness will almost certainly mean you’ll skip your early morning swim or evening jog and initiate craving sugar, bad carbs as well as caffeine. Commit to a regular slumber pattern and experience the transformation it sports on your ability to sleek.

Answer 9

Are you definitely hungry, or just being carried away? Your stomach is only how big a fist so it takes just a few food to fill it pleasantly. Assess how you feel after eating. If you feel filled, bloated or tired, you are either eating with the wrong time or consuming an excessive amount of.

Answer 10

considering that you have little room to work with you can add a cup of corn oil to there feed daily and if you can get it something called beat pulp it is not expensive and it will help put weight on and maintain it

I would suggest you to get the family members to come get there horses as soon as they can this will help also and if you have not wormed them you need to this will help also good luck

Answer 11

trade in a cappuccino for a regular a cup of joe

Answer 12

Go bland. Plain, basic, unseasoned food such as grilled chicken, plain rice and a bare baked potato are nutritious but your palette will tire of these people quickly, unlike salty moreish prepared food, which keeps you snacking and piling for the pounds.

Answer 13

write down what you eat for one week and you will lose weight

Answer 14

Believe inside yourself. How often have you shown admiration for someone and their achievements after which instantly thought, ‘I’d love for doing that, but I just can’t. ’ Don’t limit your achievements from your thoughts. You can do whatever you should do.

Answer 15

carry a cooler stocked with three bottles of water a six pack four pb js two oranges a bag of tortilla chips and 12 servings of cool cucumber salsa go to womenshealthmag allrecipes com for the recipe for 22 minutes

Answer 16

Brightly coloured turmeric not solely makes your curries taste fab, nonetheless it contains curcumin, an active ingredient that breaks down high-protein dishes, burns fat and holds back the growth regarding new fat tissue, according towards Journal of Nutrition.

Answer 17

Brightly coloured turmeric not simply makes your curries taste fab, but it really contains curcumin, an active ingredient that stops working high-protein dishes, burns fat as well as holds back the growth involving new fat tissue, according to the Journal of Nutrition.

Answer 18

first you need to try feeding them every day, give it some time.

You could give them more hay ( i was once told, you can never give too much hay )

You could try rice brand, we use that, everyone says it works

You can try brewers yeast, thats alittle expensive though

I have yet to try fish oil.



Good luck with your weight gain, i have to remind myself to be patient.

Answer 19

45 minute jog at a 10 minute mile pace

Answer 20

Walk in the morning and eat breakfast within an hour of waking

Answer 21

Drink plenty of water daily

Answer 22

take a 30 second break in the middle of your meal evaluate just how hungry you still are before getting back to your food

Answer 23

Make sure your breakfast is a balanced one and includes at least eight grams of fiber

Answer 24

Keep proper distance between meals

Answer 25

identify the emotional triggers that lead you to seek unhealthy comfort food picture your goal weight the next time a trigger strikes to help you resist temptation

Answer 26

walk up and down 33 flights of stairs

Answer 27

Get monthly workout calender

Answer 28

1 hour of dancing

Answer 29

Try yoga to lose weight

Answer 30

Mixing up your exercise routine

Answer 31

when you eat calorie friendly fruits and vegetables that are in season they tend to taste better and you re more likely to enjoy them

Answer 32

the mix of cardio and toning five times a week will keep metabolism humming

Answer 33

pack healthy snacks

Answer 34

Hay if the pasture is chewed down.

Answer 35

skip the burrito and order a taco salad instead

Answer 36

swap out eggs for egg whites when you re craving an omelette

Answer 37

skip the cheese on your burger and choose lettuce and tomato instead

Answer 38

eat slowly

Answer 39

bulk up your meals with veggies

Answer 40

count calories

Answer 41

dont skip meals

Answer 42

steer clear of food porn

Answer 43

find your motivation