Supplementing Feed with Oil

TandG8339 · 11-03-2009, 06:49 PM

I have a 26yo mare who is very hard to keep weight on all year, and especially hard in the winter. I supplement her feed with corn oil and right now she gets 1/4 cup with each feeding (am and pm). However, she is still losing weight. I'd like to increase the amount of oil, but am unsure how much I can give her per day. Does anyone know how much oil a horse can have? Or any other ideas on good ways to keep weight on an aging horse? Thanks for any help!

gbarmranch · 11-04-2009, 04:57 AM

We switched an older horse that was having weight issues to a Source Sr (Focus Sr will also work) supplement - and 4 ozs of wheat germ oil - with Purina Senior Feed and soaked alfalfa, along with his normal hay ration. He put on an appreciable amount of weight in a few weeks, and we were able to cut back on the Senior feed.

But we also had his teeth checked by a vet to ensure he didn't have any issues there. Sometimes that can be a big part of the problem.

BornToRide · 11-04-2009, 05:29 AM

You can switch to half a cup

We did this with my horse last winter, as he's 19 and a hard keeper.

Also, if you can, beet pulp works wonders and is not expensive. Gus gets a scoop of soaked beet pulp in the AM and PM (for about the last month) and I've already noticed a big change in his coat, weight, energy level...Don't know if it's all from the beet pulp but it definitely helps!
Good luck!

Druydess · 11-04-2009, 05:38 AM

Rice Bran is also great...I give it to my 2 Arabs that are harder keepers than the others..

kanoo32 · 11-04-2009, 07:21 AM

When feeding oil, you should not increase more than 60ml at a time not to exceed 480ml daily.....

Orchid · 11-04-2009, 10:09 AM

What kind of feed is she on? How do you serve it (soaked, dry)? How are her teeth? Does she get a daily dose of probiotics?

All things to think about.

Horselady44 · 11-04-2009, 11:13 AM

Yes, def get her teeth checked. We fed up to 3/4 cup of corn oil a day for a hard keeper with soaked beet pulp and a supplement along with free choice grass hay. He put on the weight within a few weeks. Of course every horse is different. I would also have a talk with your vet. Im sure they can suggest a few things. We also had great success with Focus Sr

TandG8339 · 11-05-2009, 04:26 PM

Thanks for all the advice everyone! I already have plans to get her teeth checked just in case. I like the beet pulp idea. My lovely mare also has a history of choking. Should I be worried about this if adding beet pulp to her diet?

equine.trailrider · 11-07-2009, 03:25 PM

Do not feed more than 1 cup of oil per day to a horse. You can start at 1/2 cup, increasing to 1 cup/day after 1 week. Having said that, per serving, Cocosoya oil and Coco Complex are almost 100% fat per serving compared to corn and soy oil, which are only 15% fat per serving! More bang for your buck to feed Cocosoya oil or Coco Complex with better results.
For senior, hard-keeper horses, I feed Kent Dynasty Senior, alfalfa pellets, Cocosoya Oil and a probiotic. I typically split their feedings into 2-3 feedings a day since they would get way too much in one feeding otherwise. I'm curious to know how many pounds of grain your horse is currently getting.
Some other things that could be affecting your horse's weight are: needs teeth floated and needs to be purged of worms. I typically have these two things done on elderly horses at my farm when trying to put weight on them.
A typical diet (per feeding) at Sunshine Acres for this type of horse is:
4 lbs Kent Dynasty Senior (Nutrena Senior if Kent isn't available)
1 lb alfalfa pellets
2-4 oz Cocosoya oil
Probiotic (once per day, not per feeding)
I start them at 3 feedings per day, cutting back to 2 feedings a day after their ideal weight is reached. Use a weight tape and the Henneke Body Condition Scoring Chart to measure your progress.
For two feedings a day (after ideal weight is reached):
5 lbs Senior feed (Dynasty or Nutrena)
1 lb alfalfa pellets
2 oz Cocosoya oil
Probiotic (once per day, not per feeding)
I must stress NOT to use Purina Senior feed as it does NOT have a locked formula. Have tried it previously with NO success using the formula above. Replaced with Kent Senior with same formula above with GREAT success! Good luck and do update us on the progress.

recklesshoundog · 11-07-2009, 04:30 PM

Corn oil can also make a stiff old horse stiffer. It's high in omega 6's which throws the balance off between 3's and 6's. It can lead to inflamation in a stiff horse.

I use either rice bran or Omega horseshine to put a little extra calories in them.

paso_lover · 11-07-2009, 05:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TandG8339

Should I be worried about this if adding beet pulp to her diet?

I've seen horses choke on it both dry and soaked but for one of my horses beet pulp made her hot and countered what I was trying to do. Yes she put on weight but she burned off a lot of it too so I switched to hay cubes. No longer hot and hasn't been this calm in a long while, worth a try......I doubted it but when I saw immediate changes I'm glad I switched

LuvMyMTF · 11-09-2009, 11:23 PM

you really need to check with your Vet. Your Vet knows your horses history and what works for one persons horse may not be good for yours. Good luck

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11-03-2009, 06:49 PM
TandG8339 Newborn Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Maryland Posts: 3	Supplementing Feed with Oil I have a 26yo mare who is very hard to keep weight on all year, and especially hard in the winter. I supplement her feed with corn oil and right now she gets 1/4 cup with each feeding (am and pm). However, she is still losing weight. I'd like to increase the amount of oil, but am unsure how much I can give her per day. Does anyone know how much oil a horse can have? Or any other ideas on good ways to keep weight on an aging horse? Thanks for any help!

11-04-2009, 04:57 AM
gbarmranch Pasture Pet Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Mayberry Posts: 32,635	We switched an older horse that was having weight issues to a Source Sr (Focus Sr will also work) supplement - and 4 ozs of wheat germ oil - with Purina Senior Feed and soaked alfalfa, along with his normal hay ration. He put on an appreciable amount of weight in a few weeks, and we were able to cut back on the Senior feed. But we also had his teeth checked by a vet to ensure he didn't have any issues there. Sometimes that can be a big part of the problem. __________________ http://home.earthlink.net/~vpgann Quality Foundation Quarter Horses If you believe what you like in the Gospel, and reject what you don't like, it is not the Gospel you believe, but yourself." Augustine of Hippo

11-04-2009, 05:29 AM
BornToRide Coming two Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Tennessee Posts: 1,642	You can switch to half a cup We did this with my horse last winter, as he's 19 and a hard keeper. Also, if you can, beet pulp works wonders and is not expensive. Gus gets a scoop of soaked beet pulp in the AM and PM (for about the last month) and I've already noticed a big change in his coat, weight, energy level...Don't know if it's all from the beet pulp but it definitely helps! Good luck! __________________ There's something about the outside of a horse that's good for the inside of a man.-Winston Churchill

11-04-2009, 05:38 AM
Druydess Coming two Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Deltona, Florida Posts: 1,557	Rice Bran is also great...I give it to my 2 Arabs that are harder keepers than the others.. __________________ "Stupidity is an elemental force for which no earthquake is a match."

11-04-2009, 07:21 AM
kanoo32 Seasoned Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Florida Posts: 4,514	When feeding oil, you should not increase more than 60ml at a time not to exceed 480ml daily..... __________________ "Animals are such agreeable friends--they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms..." --George Eliot In Loving Memory of Spikey...My Best Friend...I Miss You RIP 1988-2009

11-04-2009, 10:09 AM
Orchid Bombproof Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Minnesota Posts: 11,048	What kind of feed is she on? How do you serve it (soaked, dry)? How are her teeth? Does she get a daily dose of probiotics? All things to think about. __________________ Careful what you wish; Careful what you say; Careful what you wish; You may regret it; Careful what you wish; You just might get it. ~ Metallica, King Nothing

11-04-2009, 11:13 AM
Horselady44 Started Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Montana Posts: 2,437	Yes, def get her teeth checked. We fed up to 3/4 cup of corn oil a day for a hard keeper with soaked beet pulp and a supplement along with free choice grass hay. He put on the weight within a few weeks. Of course every horse is different. I would also have a talk with your vet. Im sure they can suggest a few things. We also had great success with Focus Sr __________________ A happy horse equals a happy rider!

11-05-2009, 04:26 PM
TandG8339 Newborn Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Maryland Posts: 3	Thanks for all the advice everyone! I already have plans to get her teeth checked just in case. I like the beet pulp idea. My lovely mare also has a history of choking. Should I be worried about this if adding beet pulp to her diet?

11-07-2009, 03:25 PM
equine.trailrider Yearling Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Michigan Posts: 984	Do not feed more than 1 cup of oil per day to a horse. You can start at 1/2 cup, increasing to 1 cup/day after 1 week. Having said that, per serving, Cocosoya oil and Coco Complex are almost 100% fat per serving compared to corn and soy oil, which are only 15% fat per serving! More bang for your buck to feed Cocosoya oil or Coco Complex with better results. For senior, hard-keeper horses, I feed Kent Dynasty Senior, alfalfa pellets, Cocosoya Oil and a probiotic. I typically split their feedings into 2-3 feedings a day since they would get way too much in one feeding otherwise. I'm curious to know how many pounds of grain your horse is currently getting. Some other things that could be affecting your horse's weight are: needs teeth floated and needs to be purged of worms. I typically have these two things done on elderly horses at my farm when trying to put weight on them. A typical diet (per feeding) at Sunshine Acres for this type of horse is: 4 lbs Kent Dynasty Senior (Nutrena Senior if Kent isn't available) 1 lb alfalfa pellets 2-4 oz Cocosoya oil Probiotic (once per day, not per feeding) I start them at 3 feedings per day, cutting back to 2 feedings a day after their ideal weight is reached. Use a weight tape and the Henneke Body Condition Scoring Chart to measure your progress. For two feedings a day (after ideal weight is reached): 5 lbs Senior feed (Dynasty or Nutrena) 1 lb alfalfa pellets 2 oz Cocosoya oil Probiotic (once per day, not per feeding) I must stress NOT to use Purina Senior feed as it does NOT have a locked formula. Have tried it previously with NO success using the formula above. Replaced with Kent Senior with same formula above with GREAT success! Good luck and do update us on the progress. __________________ -I'll Take A Cold One. Make It A Draft! visit me at http://www.freewebs.com/sunshineacres Visit my horse forum at: http://michiganhorsechat.proboards.com/index.cgi

11-07-2009, 04:30 PM
recklesshoundog Greenbroke Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: NY Posts: 3,168	Corn oil can also make a stiff old horse stiffer. It's high in omega 6's which throws the balance off between 3's and 6's. It can lead to inflamation in a stiff horse. I use either rice bran or Omega horseshine to put a little extra calories in them.

11-09-2009, 11:23 PM
LuvMyMTF Newborn Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: USA Posts: 1	you really need to check with your Vet. Your Vet knows your horses history and what works for one persons horse may not be good for yours. Good luck