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How do you put weight on a horse?

Last Updated: July 18, 2006

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The first thing to remember is to put weight on gradually. Rapid weight increases are generally harmful due to the predisposing effect of rapid gains after periods of low dietary intake. Some thoughts for weight gain are as follows: First, increase quality and quantity of forage. If that is not enough, then increase grain portion of the diet slowly. If that is not enough, then increase corn-to-oat ratio of the grain mix. If that is not enough, then add fat (corn oil) to the horse's grain mix. This increases the energy density of the diet. Remember, the more grain fed to horses, the greater the risk of carbohydrate overload, and subsequently colic.

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