The Danger of Underweight Senior Horses
It’s uncommon to see an overly thin, healthy horse, as underweight horses are more susceptible to health problems. Before buying the best senior horse feed for weight gain, determine why the horse is malnourished by collaborating with an equine veterinarian and nutritionist.
Things to Consider Before Putting a Horse on Weight Gain Feed
Examine Their Teeth
Horses may lose weight due to their teeth. Float your horse’s teeth at least once a year to ensure they are level and free of sharp points. Some horses will drop feed if they have trouble eating. However, some horses are simply untidy. Other indicators to float their teeth include grass or hay balling up their cheek and spitting out.
We refer to it as “quidding.” Teeth have various effects on a horse’s body; thus, you should always check the teeth first whenever there are indicators of trouble with a horse.
Examine For Ulcers
In most circumstances, a horse with ulcers will have difficulty gaining weight and displaying visible pain signs. Ulcer symptoms include sensitivity around the horse’s belly. While grooming or saddling, they frequently bite themselves or you. Some horses exhibit neurotic behaviors such as weaving or cribbing.
Ulcers are in two categories. They can be both the foregut and the hindgut. Hindgut ulcers are more difficult to treat, and they may necessitate a particular diet. Ulcers require medication, which you should discuss with your veterinarian. It’s also crucial to use an ulcer-friendly weight growth diet and provide alfalfa.
Deworm Your Horse
Get a fecal egg count for worms while working with your veterinarian. Worms and other parasites make it difficult for your horse’s body to absorb all of the nutrients it consumes. Developing a deworming program with your veterinarian is critical to your horse’s health.
Our Top Pick for Senior Horse Feeds (Weight Gaining)
Our top pick weight gainer for horses is Mana Pro Weight Accelerator. This product is highly palatable with high-fat content.
An Overview of Senior Horse Feeds for Weight Gain
| Product Name | Best For Case | Key Features |
| Manna Pro Weight Accelerator for Senior Horses | Best Senior Horse feed | – Easy to mix – High in fat – Highly palatable |
| Formula 707 Daily Fresh Packs Equine Supplements | Best for Hoof health | – Accurate, pre-measured packs – Highly palatable – Calorie-rich supplement |
| Farnam Senior Health & Wellness Supplement | Best for high performing horses | – Rich in omega-3 fatty acids – No sugar added – Ideal for seniors |
| Purina Impact Professional Senior 50 | Best for balanced nutrition | – Multiple weight gain ingredients – Low in starch and sugar – High fiber and high-fat formula |
| Manna Pro Cool Calories 100 | Equine Dry Fat Supplement | Best calories source | – High in fat – Fatty acids – Cool energy – Highly palatable |
| Manna Pro Simply Flax for Horses | Best for Strong Immunity | – Low in starch and sugar – High fiber – Includes flaxseed – High-fat formula |
| Horse Guard Super Weight Gain | Best for Weight Gain | – Includes necessary minerals and vitamins – Use soybeans – Highly palatable |
Reviewing the Best Senior Horse Feed for Weight Gain
Manna Pro Weight Accelerator for Senior Horses: Best Senior Horse feed
Brand: Manna Pro
Item Weight: 8 pounds (3.63 kilograms)
About This Item
- Manna pro senior weight accelerator has high fat and calorie levels for weight gain and body conditioning.
- Flaxseed Omega 3 Fatty Acids help maintain healthy skin and coat conditions.
- Contain biotin for hoof growth and probiotics to aid proper digestion.
- It has vitamins and antioxidants essential for a healthy immune system.
- It is highly palatable for older horses and is easy to feed.
Pros
- This product contains flaxseed. This ingredient is high in omega acids, beneficial to the overall body. This product will improve the appearance of your horse coat and any skin issues they may have.
- Includes biotin for healthy hooves, which are crucial for an animal with four of them. This product’s Biotin will assist your four-legged pet keep their toes as healthy as possible.
- It is easy to hide in food. This supplement is excellent for the horse that doesn’t like additives in its bucket. One scoop in a pail will offer all of his weight-gaining needs, and they won’t even notice it’s there.
- Good value for money. A little goes a long way with this product. This bag’s contents will easily last a month and produce excellent results.
Cons
- Some horses dislike the flavor, but there appear to be few problems with this product. Some individuals describe one minor issue that their horse doesn’t enjoy the taste, but you can quickly solve it by disguising it in a strong-tasting feed.
Recommendation
This is a great product that gets results quickly and does exactly what it says on the tin. It’s cheap and will help your emaciated horse before and after gaining weight and polish its coat and improve its hooves.
Formula 707 Daily Fresh Packs Equine Supplements: Best For Hoof Health
Brand: Formula 707
Dimensions: L X W X H 11 x 10 x 8 inches ( 27.94 x 25.4 x 20.32 centimeters)
Weight: 7.92 pounds (3.59 kilograms)
About This Item
- Establish and maintain a healthy weight while enhancing muscle tone and energy. It has a calorie-rich, highly palatable supplement developed to assist all types of horses in maintaining a healthy metabolism.
- Vegetable fat provides easily digestible calories and boosts your horse’s overall energy, while high-quality protein supplies critical amino acids for muscle growth.
- Pre-measured, accurate packs are straightforward to use.
- Daily Fresh Packs are convenient for traveling, events, and everyday use in your feeding regimen because they seal to keep air, moisture, and sunlight.
Pros
- Have fiber which is an essential part of your horse’s diet since it helps to keep the digestive system operating smoothly.
- Contains protein and amino acids. This is beneficial for horses still in active work because it can aid in muscle tone and weight gain.
- Has a travel-friendly packaging. These packs come in pre-measured quantities in sealed packaging, making them ideal for carrying out and about.
- Contains minerals supplemented for skeletal and joint support. This supplement, which also contains calcium and phosphorus, can benefit your horse’s bones and metabolism.
Cons
Since this product is not available outside of the United States, you need to hunt for other sellers who will ship it to you if you are outside the United States.
Recommendation
This is an excellent weight booster for horses and maintaining weight. It has an apple flavor that horses enjoy, so you will have no trouble encouraging your old horse to consume it. This product is very friendly to the digestive system, so you can use it without fear if your horse has stomach issues.
Farnam Senior Health & Wellness Supplement: Best For High Performing Horses
Brand: Farnam
Dimensions: L X W X H 4.25 x 8.75 x 10.75 inches (10.79 x 22.2 x 27.3 centimeters)
Item Weight: 3.75 pounds (1.70 kilograms)
About This Item
- Horses’ digestive systems grow less efficient at absorbing nutrients from their feed as they age, which could mean they aren’t getting the total nourishment they require. Farnam Older Health & Wellness is an easy-to-digest supplement designed to assist your senior horse’s diet in addressing crucial nutritional gaps.
- This specialized formulation contains nutrients that help maintain a healthy digestive tract, including amino acids, fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals. Adding Farnam Senior Health & Wellness supplement to whatever your horse is eating will ensure it gets the nourishment to look and feel the best.
- Designed for senior horses that require little or no work. A well-balanced protein-vitamin-mineral supplement to help senior horses address nutritional deficiencies in their diet.
- Includes prebiotic yeast culture and a mix of particular amino acids to enhance intestinal and digestive function. Vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
Pros
- Farnam weight Supplement is a safe and healthy method to add calories to your horse’s diet without the risk of digestive distress that comes with feeding excess grain.
- This specially made weight supplement for horses contains 50% fat to help them maintain their ideal weight and physical condition.
- It’s high in omega-3 fatty acids from flaxseed meals, rice bran stabilizers, and other healthy fats, with no extra sugar.
Cons
- Seniors performing, mature, older horses losing weight, and underweight horses will benefit from the weight builder.
- The excess calcium helps young and growing horses maintain a healthy calcium-to-phosphorus ratio.
This weight builder is not suitable for horses with sugar sensitivities.
Purina Impact Professional Senior 50: Best for balanced nutrition
Brand: Purina Waggin’ Train
Dimensions: L X W X H 30 x 16 x 4 inches (76.2 x 40.64 x 10.16 centimeters)
About This Item
- Purina is a complete feed with high-quality forage that replaces hay or pasture in your senior horse’s diet.
- Protein vitamin and mineral fortification specifically meet the needs of the aging horse.
- Added fat and highly digestible fiber provide the necessary calories for the senior horse.
- Controlled starch and sugar formulated without corn or corn by-products.
- Formulated by PhD. Equine Nutritionists with ingredients proven through time and research to support their health
- A complete feed with high-quality forage replaces hay or pasture in your senior horse’s diet. Protein, vitamin, and mineral fortification tailored to the needs of the aging horse.
- The older horse gets the calories it needs from the added fat and highly digestible fiber.
Pros
- Have added fat and highly digestible fiber that helps the horse get the calories it needs.
- A complete feed with high-quality forage substitutes hay or pasture in your senior horse’s diet.
- Controlled Starch and Sugar with no corn or corn by-products formulation.
Cons
- Suitable for senior horses only.
Recommendation
To achieve minimum daily protein, vitamin, and mineral requirements, do not feed less than the recommended portion per body weight each day.
Manna Pro Cool Calories 100 | Equine Dry Fat Supplement: Best Calories Source
Brand: Manna Pro
Item Dimensions: L X W X H 4.5 x 13.5 x 16 inches ( 11.43 x 34.29 x 40.64 centimeters)
About This Item
- Horses need cool calories. A healthy weight gain accelerator like the manna pro supplement is ideal.
- Cool Calories 100’s high-calorie density gives performance horses cool, concentrated energy, calories for underweight horses and hard-keepers, and lowers the need to feed additional grain.
- It includes 99 percent fat and fatty acids to help maintain healthy skin and coat. You can feed Cool Calories 100 alongside fortified meals and are best for horses of all types and ages.
- It is high in fat. This food comprises 99 percent fat, which is a good source of calories and has more than double the energy of carbs.
- A concentrated source of calories promotes healthy weight gain and body condition in underweight horses and hard-keepers while also lowering the need to feed other grain.
- It provides fatty acids to help healthy skin and a shiny coat.
- Easy to feed and delicious.
Pros
- Cool Calories 100 provides performance horses with cool, concentrated energy.
- Underweight horses and hard-keepers benefit from a concentrated source of calories that promotes healthy weight increase and body condition while reducing the need to feed other grain.
- It’s simple to feed and quite tasty.
- Cool Calories 100 has a high-calorie density, providing cool, focused energy for performance horses and a concentrated source of calories.
Cons
- This product is not suitable for all horses.
- It may not be ideal for horses who are underweight or in poor physical condition.
Manna Pro Simply Flax for Horses: Best for Strong Immunity
Brand: Manna Pro
Item Dimensions: LxWxH 16 x 4 x 8 inches (40.6 x10.16 x 20.32 centimeters).
About This Item
- Manna Pro Simply is the name that says it all. It’s 100 percent pure, all-natural ground flaxseed with no additives, so you can be sure that your horse is getting the most Omega-3 fatty acids from flaxseed.
- Simply Flax promotes healthy skin and a lustrous coat, and it also delivers nutrition to support a strong immune system. Plus, it has a 12-month guaranteed shelf life, so you are sure that your horse is getting all of the nutritional benefits without worrying about grinding or boiling your seed.
- Simply Flax’s milling process ensures that the oil is not contacting oxygen, preventing the seed from rancid, as is the case with traditional grinding methods.
- Simply flax is the product to use when your horse needs a boost of shine. Simple but powerful.
- Manna Pro Simply Flax is a product of 100 percent pure ground flaxseed. Ground flaxseed with omega 3 fatty acids promotes lustrous, healthy skin and hair.
- It aids in the maintenance of a healthy immune system.
- Flaxseed is a good source of Omega-3 fatty acids.
- Simply Flax has a fresh guarantee for 12 months.
Pros
- Feeding is simple.
- Contains high-quality ingredients.
- Excellent value for money.
- Horses appear to enjoy the taste and its texture.
- Grown in the United States of America.
- To keep the fat content, it’s super concentrated.
- This supplement gives the horse the omegas to stay healthy and balance out the diet they eat. When you change the animal’s diet to include more grain, the animal will not experience colic or laminitis during the transition.
- Flaxseed is an organic product from farms in the United States.
- Allowing horses to spend as much time in the pasture as possible is crucial for dealing with them. This keeps them healthy and ensures that they are getting enough activity.
- Flaxseed is a good source of lipids as well as other nutrients. These nutrients are essential for the horse because they fuel their brain and provide hormones, energy, and fatty acids required to convert their meal into energy and keep their skin moisturized.
Cons
- Too much of it can cause stomach upset.
Horse Guard Super Weight Gain: Best for Weight Gain
Brand: Horse Guard
Item Dimensions: LxWxH 11 x 5 x 15 inches (27.9 x 12.7 x 38.1 centimeters)
Item Weight:10 pounds (4.54 kilograms)
About This Item
- With potent probiotics and prebiotics, it heals the horses’ gut and helps them get the most out of their feed.
- It contains Horse Guard’s rich vitamin and mineral combination.
- It contains full-oil soybeans that cant overheat a horse but will help them look and feel their best.
Pros
- Do not make your horse hot. Using soybeans for energy rather than corn or oats will not make your horse “hot,” but it will add weight and keep them healthy.
- Effects are noticeable almost immediately. Unlike some supplements, you don’t have to wait until half the bag to see results. This product is effective and works instantly.
- Very simple to use. The product comes as a powder that you add to other feed, so you should use it without issue, even if your horse is picky about trying new things.
- Contains extra minerals. Bacterial and yeast additives and other essential minerals like selenium and vitamin E provide the optimum boost for your horse’s stomach and overall health.
Cons
- The results vary from horse to horse; some respond strongly and rapidly, while others show little or no response to the supplement.
Recommendation
A good high-calorie horse feed with extra bits and pieces to boost the horse’s overall health. This product can also help boost horses’ weight due to stress, travel, foaling, weaning, or other difficulties that don’t relate to their age.
Your Senior Horse Feed Buyers Guide
Buying the best senior horse feed for weight gain can be a difficult and perplexing task. Because most horse feeds contain low-calorie plant foods, knowing which ones will help your horse gain weight is challenging. Here are some pointers to help you navigate purchasing new horse feed.
Texture
What do you think your horse’s favorite foods are? Is it crunchy, like carrots, or soft and chewy, like grass? Soft and crunchy pellets, hard cubes, and even powders are available in horse feed. When choosing what to eat from their pasture or feeding tub, the type you choose for your horse should correspond to the textures they prefer.
Type of Feed
Not all feeds intended for horse weight gain are full recipes. Some act as supplements to hay, alfalfa, or other commercial formulae. It is difficult to identify if a formula is intended for supplements. Look for a label on a product that expressly specifies that it is a complete meal formula if you’re seeking complete food to feed your horse.
Consult Your Veterinarian.
It’s always a good idea to consult your veterinarian before shopping for a feed to assist in weight gain for horses. They can assist you in deciding whether to take a supplement or a complete food formula.
Based on your horse’s age, general health, activity levels, and lifestyle conditions, they can also propose items to seek and avoid. They can also give you their opinion on the feed possibilities you’re considering.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best senior horse feed for weight gain?
For weight increase, there is no one-size-fits-all horse diet or supplement. Horses, like humans, can be underweight for a variety of reasons. Feeds and supplements ideal for one horse may result in an overweight horse and a dangerously underweight horse in another.
However, look at our brand recommendations above for some products that might work for your horse.
What Causes Horse Weight Loss?
Of course, if a horse isn’t getting enough nourishment or the correct kinds of food, it will become too thin. A horse may be underweight due to rapid metabolism and inadequate food.
Horses just burn off calories at a high rate and require more calories to maintain body weight. Anxiety, stress, illness, parasite infestation, old age, diseased or injured teeth, and other factors can make it difficult for a horse to gain or maintain weight.
How Do you Know if Your Horse is Thin?
Consultation with your veterinarian is the only definite approach to discovering the cause of your horse’s weight loss. Your veterinarian will inspect your horse, maybe taking a feces sample for worms and ordering test work to determine why your horse cannot maintain a healthy body weight.
What Kind Of Food Can Help A Horse Keep Body Weight In Check?
A high-fiber diet will help most horses maintain a healthy body weight, which may seem paradoxical. Fiber is necessary for horses’ sensitive digestive systems to function correctly.
When a horse is feeding on a high-grain (starch) diet once or twice a day, the intestinal tract empties, causing an imbalance of digestive enzymes.
This can cause your horse to obtain less nourishment from the feed he eats in the long run. Furthermore, having an empty stomach makes your horse nervous, which causes it to burn more calories and lose weight. Horses should have access to plenty of hay or grass at all times.
What Hay And Grass Substitutes Are Good?
If you don’t have access to adequate pasture or hay, you can supplement up to 50% of your horse’s fiber consumption with products like;
- Pulp from beets
- Hulls of Soy
- Wheat Bran is a cereal made from wheat.
- Pellets of Alfalfa
- Pellets of Timothy
These products provide your horse with rich, digestible fiber that will stay with him from meal to meal. Rather than feeding one or two substantial meals every day, remember to feed your horse smaller meals frequently.
How About The Grain?
When it comes to deciding how to put weight on your horse, grain or prepared diets are unquestionably crucial. There are so many options and reasons why a horse may lose weight or have difficulties retaining weight. Determining what grain or prepared meal you should feed your horse without consulting your veterinarian is nearly impossible.
It doesn’t matter whether you feed your horse the most well-known and expensive weight increase feed or supplement on the market; if it doesn’t supply what your horse needs, or if your horse’s condition is resulting from disease, parasites, or teeth problems, it won’t help and might even hurt.
Does Oil Affect Weight Gain?
If your horse requires more calories than he can get from his feed, adding oil is a smart option. Good oils include
- Flaxseed Oil.
- Linseed Oil is a type of vegetable oil that comes from the
- Oil from Peanuts
- Corn Oil is a type of vegetable oil. It offers high-quality calories while also assisting in improving your horse’s coat, skin, and hooves.
Oily feeds like rice bran, coconut meal, sunflower seeds, or full-fat soybeans can be part of your horse’s diet. But be careful not to go overboard with these additions. Horses frequently get tired of heavy doses of these nutrients. You may find it challenging to get your horse to eat if this happens.
How Do You Feed an Underweight Horse?
Before we get into how to feed an underweight horse, let’s look at what’s causing your horse’s health to deteriorate in the first place. Your horse’s health can deteriorate due to a variety of factors. It would be beneficial to concentrate on these concerns to achieve the best outcomes in fixing health problems.
One of the essential difficulties that might lead to serious health problems is age. Your horse will develop a variety of issues over time, including arthritis. Because it destroys the interior architecture of the bones, it will be impossible for your horse to survive.
Environmental factors can also cause your horse’s health to deteriorate. Pollution and the environment are the two most significant factors affecting your horse’s mental state. If your horse is psychologically troubled, how can you tell if he is healthy? You should concentrate on these difficulties and protect your horse from them.
Infectious diseases can have a significant impact on your horse’s health. If your horse stops eating, you should bring up all their health factors. Consult your veterinarian if you are unable to concentrate on such matters. He can provide you with greater advice on how to resolve all of your horse’s health issues.
Fix any problems that are causing harm to your horse’s health. You will notice a significant change in your horse after addressing these concerns. Some horses can gain weight quickly if they simply eat grass and hay. However, most horses require additional feed to acquire weight.
Maintaining your horse’s health is one of the most important things because a healthy horse can survive longer than an obese horse. You should check the basic factors necessary for sustaining the horse’s health rather than worrying about weight gain.
What Are The Finest Supplements For Weight Gain?
Everyone who owns a pet feels strongly about it. Everyone wants their pet to be healthy and active. However, there are several issues that your horse will experience if you are unable to meet all of its fundamental demands. Environmental impairment, nutritional insufficiency, and overload are just a few factors contributing to your horse’s health problems.
Many individuals go to some of the greatest veterinarians in their area, but the simplest way to fix this problem is to give your horse the right nutrients. The majority of consumers purchase supplements that are not beneficial to them. The ineffective components in the supplements are to blame for this problem.
Because it contains all of the helpful nutrients for your horse, the finest joint supplements for horses are the ideal way to improve the health of your huge buddy. It contains the right amount of glucosamine and chondroitin to improve your horse’s health and movement.
Every supplement has a role to play. You can offer these vitamins to your horses by mixing them into their feed. Otherwise, it is difficult to take the supplements in the correct proportions.
What Is The Best Way To Get A Horse To Gain Weight Quickly?
When a horse is sick or prone to another disease, it cannot acquire weight. If you suspect your horse is suffering from a sickness, contact your veterinarian. Your horse lost a lot of weight due to illness. You will face severe penalties if you cannot recover your horse’s weight.
Some horses acquire weight quickly, while others take longer. A proper diet is the most important aspect of your horse’s weight gain. Because they have such a large body, their contribution should be significant.
The grass hay is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, which is the finest approach to put weight on your horse. Add the finest horse feed for weight increase if you want to go the extra mile. This approach is the most accurate for weighing your horse.
A proper diet determines your horse’s weight gain. Hay is another one of your horse’s healthy diet options. Your horse will gain weight in 10-15 days by consuming the hay. After putting up this effort, you will notice a difference.
If you want a healthy horse, you must have access to water because water protects them from many ailments. They will be healthy and acquire weight readily if they do not have any diseases.
Key Takeaways
How to make a horse gain weight and muscle has so many high-quality alternatives. You can discover the ideal feed for your horse to help them grow weight while maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle.
We are confident that at least one of the options on our list is suitable for you and your horse. Mana Pro Weight Accelerator for Senior Horses is our first option because it is easy to mix and high in fat content.
