Question

I own a 25-year-old Rocky Mountain gelding (15.2 hands, 1,100 lb or 500 kg). Pluto doesn’t work hard, partnering with me on short trail rides every day or every other day. He is skinny, with ribs clearly visible. He shouldn’t be hungry, as he is fed 12 lb (5.5 kg) senior feed, 6 lb (2.7 kg) chopped alfalfa, and 6 lb (2.7 kg) of shredded unmolassed beet pulp. I’m not happy with Pluto’s weight, and in addition to this, he has arthritis and gassiness. Can you help?

Answer

The current diet should be supplying enough calories for weight gain. Horses that are not responding well to high-calorie diets may benefit from additional digestive support to aid in optimal gastrointestinal health and function. Supplementation with EquiShure helps maximize fiber digestion and minimize the incidence of digestive problems by ensuring the hindgut microbial population remains stable. The presence of digestive upset, even subtle changes, can result in weight loss, poor performance, and unthriftiness.

At least 6-8 weeks of supplementation is recommend before assessing your horse’s response to EquiShure, but many owners see signs of improvement within the first few weeks. The suggested amount is 60-90 g (2-3 oz) per day, divided into two or three meals. EquiShure should be fed twice a day to be most beneficial.

I would also try to decrease the meal size by adding one or two extra meals throughout the day. Offering several small meals throughout the day is more advantageous, as it improves digestibility compared to offering a couple large meals.

Has Pluto always had a tendency to be gassy or is this a recent change since receiving this high-fiber diet? Beet pulp and alfalfa are great fiber sources because they are energy-dense and highly digestible; however, these fiber sources may be too rich for some horses, leading to digestive upset due to rapid fermentation. Replacing some of the alfalfa with chopped timothy or orchardgrass hay or hay cubes may help reduce digestive upset.