Reprinted from equiSense.com by Camille Saute
If your horse is too skinny, the first step is to call the vet to find out the origin. The three main causes are usually:
Worms
Dental Problems
Ulcers
In all three cases, your vet is required.
Most of the time what helps to get a horse back in shape is feeding them a more energetic feed by adding fat. Oil for example! The advantage of fat is that you avoid laminitis risks which can be caused by high starch. Therefore, you can give the equivalent of 100 to 120 ml of mixed oil 2 times/day in your horse’s feed.
You can also increase your hay or even feed it all day long! Also, it's sometimes a good idea to add probiotic supplements. The supplements will encourage intestinal flora activity.
Remember to lower the quantity of your horses feed or hay once they reach a healthy weight, otherwise he will continue to gain weight!
There is a lot more to know about your horse’s weight but I hope this article was enough to convince you to pay more attention to it! Obesity in horses can be a serious issue with irreversible consequences. Maintaining an ideal weight must go well beyond our aesthetic considerations.