[EAY]

For my big TB mare I tried Body Builder, and while I think it helped, it was expensive for something where I had some doubts about its efficacy.

Of course I made sure that she had quality hay in front of her at all times that she was not out on good pasture. I also gave her a couple of flakes of alfalfa a day.

When I was trying to put weight on her I divided her grain into three meal a day (she was on Ultium).

She also got about 1-1/2 to 2 cups of flax seed (in the form of Horse Shine) a day. I prefer flax to vegetable oils for adding fat because of the better Omega 3 to Omega 6 ratio - better for the joints.

[TatteredDaydreamer]

A million, trillion times better. Thanks for asking. He's back to normal, fresh, and feeling good. Tonight he tried dragging me to jumps even though we were only flatting. Thank god, my boy is back!!!

I am so glad that he's better and back to normal! That's fantastic news! So happy for you both!

I did order Cool Calories and will feed the higher amount We'll give him a bit longer on just the beet pulp too as it's only been about a week. I'm just a nervous nelly when it comes to weight loss.

[vxf111]

Cool Calories is good stuff. I think if you feef 4+ oz you'll see a difference quickly. And it's not too pricey or messy. Smells yummy and the horses seem to enjoy it. Good product.

[Sing Mia Song]

I haven't used Cool Calories, but it sounds interesting. I'll have to check it out.

I recently acquired a new OTTB who lost a bunch of weight on his trip up from Florida. We use McCauley feeds and put him on 4 pounds of Alam twice a day (it's intended for "nutritionally challenged" horses). Turned him out 24/7, but didn't have a suitable buddy for him, so he was still walking off his calories. Added McCauley's rice brn oil and he has perked up nicely. Also had his teeth done and did a fecal on him. It's been two months and he's put on probably 150 pounds so far. Still see some ribs, but he's filling out nicely. Oh, and he's 3, so we are dealing with a growing boy as well.

I love the Alam. It's so easy for them to digest and get the most out of it. I've also used Calf Manna in the past as a supplement, but be forewarned that they can get to be feeling pretty good on it after a while.

[yellowbritches]

Honestly, I do not understand Alam. It is touted as basically a miracle feed for every type of horse out there. But, in reality, it is just your run of the mill, pelleted feed. It's moderate protein, moderate to low fat, it IS high in fiber, but the ingredients are unimpressive (lots of the typical grain by products and what not). I do not understand what makes it perfect for skinny horses, perfect for horses with metabolic issues, etc, etc, etc. I HAVE fed it, and found it extremely unimpressive.

[Purepony]

All good suggestions. My 34 yr old, mostly toothless W/Tb mare stays fat on B-1 granules and Blue Seal Hay Stretcher (her favorite). Kombat Boots supplement is not well known but is excellent as well. The rice bran is costly but good as well.

[Royal Monaco]

My mare was a hard keeper untill I put her on Blue Seal Safe Start. She is eating 1.5kg twice a day and that's it. Nothing else needed (except hay ;-))

I was afraid she would get spookier but not at all. She has a better mind than before.

[LuckOfTheIrish91]

Dacbloom...this stuff is awesome and smells like butterscotch. Has cool calories in it I believe. Keeps weight on my hard keeper senior!

[Sing Mia Song]

Honestly, I do not understand Alam. It is touted as basically a miracle feed for every type of horse out there. But, in reality, it is just your run of the mill, pelleted feed. It's moderate protein, moderate to low fat, it IS high in fiber, but the ingredients are unimpressive (lots of the typical grain by products and what not). I do not understand what makes it perfect for skinny horses, perfect for horses with metabolic issues, etc, etc, etc. I HAVE fed it, and found it extremely unimpressive.

I guess we've had different experiences. It has worked very well for me with post-surgical cases and ulcer horses.

I prefer the McCauley feeds in general because of the manufacturing facilities. They do only horse feed, which means no risk of monensin-tainted feeds, and I've found their quality standards to be quite high. Due to the nature of my job, I've been privy to findings in the manufacturing facilities of some of the major brands, and there are a few that I would never purchase.

[AllyandPete]

I have my mare on Empower and she chunks right out on it. If I try to take her off of it she starts going right back to skin and bones again. I also have her on great quality 1st and 2nd cut hay and Sentinel LT.

Oh the life of an OTTB.