Question
I have a six-year-old Thoroughbred that I compete in eventing. He is a chronic cribber and difficult to keep condition on. His teeth are healthy, he is dewormed regularly, and I know he is getting the correct levels of nutrients, as he is receiving the recommended daily amount of a quality commercial feed. Despite all of this, he is still underweight. Is there anything else I should be feeding him? Could there be something wrong?
Answer
Trying to put weight on a poor-doer can be frustrating. I’m glad you mentioned your horse’s dental and deworming programs in your question, as these are always the first things that should be checked when struggling with weight gain. It is difficult to make a change in body condition when these have been neglected.
A constant supply of good-quality forage is essential, and hay should always be available to your gelding, even if he is out at pasture. This will ensure he is consuming the minimum of 1.5% of his body weight in forage daily, and may even help to discourage him from cribbing. It is difficult to say what causes crib-biting, though recent studies have shown a link between feeding practices and stereotypical behaviors. A constant supply of hay may help to relieve boredom and might deter him from cribbing.
It is great that your horse is receiving the recommended daily amount of a high-quality commercial feed, as this will ensure his nutrient requirements are being met. However, in your situation this amount of feed is not supplying him with enough energy to maintain his weight. Horses burn a lot of energy while crib-biting, and the time he spends cribbing could be better spent eating. Therefore, you will need to increase his energy intake.
Calorie consumption can be boosted by either increasing the amount of the commercial feed he is receiving or including an additional energy supplement such as stabilized rice bran. Additional energy in the form of fat can be added easily to the diet without creating an imbalance in the level of nutrients your horse is currently obtaining from the commercial feed. Stabilized rice bran is high in fat and low in starch, and is ideal for increasing energy in a diet and assisting with weight gain.
If these dietary changes do not result in an improvement in your horse’s condition after four to six weeks, it is important to consider that he might be at risk for either gastric ulcers or hindgut acidosis, two digestive conditions that can cause a decrease in feed utilization and loss of body condition.
Gastric ulceration is a common condition that generally occurs due to lack of forage and high levels of grain consumption, though horses can still be at risk when correct feeding measures are in place. Because your horse is a cribber, this leads me to believe he might have gastric ulcers, as studies have shown a link between cribbing and gastric inflammation. If your horse has ulcers, you will need to treat them medically. Speak with your veterinarian about ulcer treatments. Once treated, feeding a specially designed ulcer preventative can help buffer excess gastric acid and may aid in reducing cribbing behavior.
Hindgut acidosis is another common condition that can contribute to stereotypical behavior such as cribbing and stall-walking, as well as poor performance. An effective hindgut buffer uses encapsulated technology to bypass the stomach and work in the hindgut. It can help to stabilize pH levels and encourage healthy fiber digestion, which can help with weight gain.
Some horses are metabolically designed to be poor-doers, while others have medical, physical, and environmental reasons for having difficulty maintaining weight. Once you have ruled out digestive health conditions such as gastric ulcers or hindgut acidosis, increasing the caloric intake of the horse is a good way to solve many of these problems.
