Whether you are training your horse for jumping, trail, high performance, or only for fun, it is extremely important to maintain a proper shape of your animal. A horse that has an ideal weight along with an even better top-line is capable of maintaining the balance when he jumps, keeps up with companions during trail rides, and stays healthy during the long endurance rides. However, it is not easy to maintain the weight of the horses. The older horse tends to gain and lose weight easily.
It does not matter if your horse is trying to lose or gain weight, you can consider the following tips that are mentioned below to keep him in a proper shape.
Helping your horse to gain more weight
If the horse is thin and underweight, it is obvious that you have to help him add on weight so that the overall condition of your horse improves and the fitness increases. Consider the following tips so that you can help your horse to gain weight quickly.
You should choose high-quality food for your horse that is known to have high calories as well as a great fat content. If your horse is already on some other food, you have to mix the new and the old food so that the sudden change does not cause any kind of colic problems.
You should add different sources of fibrous food to the diet of your horse. You cannot forget that your horse is a grazing animal and he needs a constant access to grass, hay, and various other kinds of forage.
Ensure that you are adding oil to the diet of your horse. Omega 3 and 6 fatty oils play a crucial role in improving the coat of your horse and help it to gain weight easily.
Visit the website of TVG to have a better understanding as to how you can help your horse to gain weight.
Slimming your horse
If your horse has gained excessive weight, you can do the following:
Reducing the amount of food is extremely important. Try to reduce the quantity of the grain as it can lead to an excessive gain of weight.
You should feed hay mixed with grass to your horse in place of the grass-alfalfa mix or alfalfa. Grass hay is low in calories and helps in controlling the weight of your horse.
Cutting down the proteins in the diet of your horse is also mandatory. Switch to low protein foods, which will help in reducing the number of calories that your horse is consuming. This will help in shedding the excess pounds that your horse has gained.
Ensure that your horse is exercising on a regular basis. When your horse lunges daily, it helps in removing the unwanted weight of the horse to a great extent.
If you are living in a hilly area, you should ensure that your horse climbs the hills at least three or four times every week as it helps in increasing the level of fitness and takes care of the top-line.
Conclusion
Controlling the weight of your horse is extremely important as it helps in preventing all the unwanted complications that you might have to face. Consider all the tips that are mentioned above and you will be able to help your horse control the weight.
