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I've had my 20-year-old Paint gelding for about five years. For the past three years I've had a VERY hard time getting weight on him. He is about 100 pounds underweight. His blood tests are O.K., and he is dewormed every couple of months. He is on a very high fat diet of 14 pounds of rice bran feed with free choice pasture of clover, timothy, and some rye grass on 24-hour turnout. He is constantly injuring his pasture joints. He is very post-legged, and his pasterns are very low to the ground. He has pulled a muscle in a hind leg. His teeth were floated last year. He now has a purplish color in his hooves near the coronary band on his left side. I noticed that there are a lot of undigested oats in his manure. Do you think this is a metabolism or digestive problem? He sheds out great and has a shiny coat. He is active and alert. He is a really great horse, and I don't want to put him down.

Last Updated: January 05, 2010

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Since oats are showing up in his manure, this may be a sign that his teeth need to be floated to ensure proper mastication of grain before swallowing. Some horses need more frequent teeth floating than others to ensure proper teeth contact while chewing. An extruded feed will also be easier for him to chew and digest. Topdress the ration with corn oil to increase weight gain. Begin by adding a tablespoon of corn oil and over time increase up to a 1/2 cup of corn oil. Also, realize that feeding rice bran is not a balanced feed. It is very high in phosphorus and low in calcium. The oats also are not a balanced feed. Feeding a high-fat feed that is already balanced may be helpful. Provide free choice hay if the gelding is in a stall or pasture with limited forage. As a horse ages, it can be more difficult to maintain proper weight. Keep a close eye on his body condition and adjust intake accordingly.

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