How to Feed a Malnourished Horse

If a malnourished horse has come under your care, it is important you know that feeding him is delicate. The horse's stomach is a fragile organ, prone to distension and colic and other problems, so you have to carefully monitor the feed a malnourished horse receives, and make adjustments accordingly.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Senior horse feed
• Deworming medication
• Coastal hay

1. Realize that a malnourished horse is not used to having food in his stomach. Start slowly, with perhaps a quarter-scoop of feed for one or two days, then increasing gradually to the amount of food he should have for his weight and height.
2. Consider giving the horse a Senior feed. This type of grain has high concentrations of fiber, fat and yeast, all of which will help to pack on the pounds. Plus, the added yeast will allow for faster nutrient absorption, which should bring him back to health without a lot of empty calories.
3. Understand that a malnourished horse should receive feed that has at least 1,500 calories per pound. This information can be found by asking the manager of your local feed store or by calling individual manufacturers. Generally speaking, calorie content isn't printed on the bag.
4. Provide the horse with a fat supplement to encourage weight gain. Rice bran or vegetable fat can be spread over the top of the grain or mixed in to provide more calories per serving. You can also add half a cup of vegetable oil to morning and evening grain.
5. Feed a malnourished horse between 2 and 3 percent of his body weight in hay each day. Coastal hay is usually the best product for an underweight animal, but alfalfa will work if you live in the north and don't have access to anything else. Just make sure that the hay is fresh and free of parasites.

Tips & Warnings

• Give a malnourished horse a dose of deworming medication as soon as he arrives, then start him on a consistent regimen of daily dewormer, such as Strongid.
• Avoid giving a malnourished horse lots of treats, such as those you can buy at the tack store. These aren't nutrient-rich and can give an underweight horse a stomach ache.