David Ramsey, DVM, brings the skinny horse into perspective. Bottom line, a skinny horse is not getting enough to eat, he says. But there may be some factors that limit the horse’s ability to gain and maintain weight> Owners may simply not know how much to feed the horse.
Ramsey says, how much an individual horse needs depends on:
- Metabolism
- Horse’s activities
- What is being fed (calorically)
- Problems such as bad teeth, parasites or some disease
Source: Horse Network, October 17, 2019. Link.
Skinny horses generally don’t need and supplements except one thing—calories.
To determine how much to feed a horse, Ramsey offers tools and tips:
- Know the feed rules <link>
- Feed 1.5 to 2.0 percent of the horse’s body weight in feed
- Be sure the horse eats all the feed given
- Make sure to feed all that the horse needs, considering all activities
Also see: Pardon me, that horse is . . . uh, fat! Animal Health Digest, January 29, 2019. Link.
INSIGHTS: This is a good resource for horse owners. Share it on social media, in newsletters and with 4-H and hobby groups.
NOTE: Ramsey says many horses are kept too fat. He suggests a “can’t see the ribs but can feel them” target for most horses.