# Feeding an underweight Draft?



## Ford Zoo (Jan 27, 2012)

Looking for help determining grain rations for an underweight Belgian. A friend picked him up at auction for me, definately has worked all his life. In his teens, just shy of 17 hands. This boy needs some weight put back on. He is my first draft and I am wondering about how many pounds of grain/feed he is going to need a day to get the weight back on without overdoing it and causing problems for him. 

I've had him 2 days. He has been wormed and has free choice, good grass hay that my easy keepers get fat on. (My 'pasture' does not offer much here in sand country). I have started him on cracked corn and oats with a high fat top dress. Will be adding soy meal and beet pulp. Teeth are good. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.


----------



## wolffeathers (Dec 20, 2010)

Do you have other pictures of him?

He looks just a little underweight to me. I think if he were mine I would just put him on a regular ration. He doesn't appear to need a whole lot of weight to me. He's ribby yes, but his back and hips looks pretty well filled out from the pictures. I wouldn't be too aggressive with trying to refeed him.

He looks like a great and sweet find! What a kind old fellah.


----------



## jennigrey (Jan 27, 2005)

Good quality hay should fill him back out again. Poor scruffy ol yak.


----------



## CIW (Oct 2, 2007)

Are you sure about his age? The shape of his mouth seems to fit an older horse. If, indeed he is older than you have been told he may not put on weight as readily or keep well.
From what you have said and the two photos, putting him on 1 ration of a senior feed split between two feedings and free choice grass hay would bring him back around. I don't think that he would need to be on this ration for more than a few months though.
I think he just needs some groceries. He seems to still have his feet well under him.


----------



## Teej (Jan 14, 2012)

Anytime I've been rehabing my vet has said I could safely feed 1 lb. of grain per 100 lbs. of weight per day. That's using a corn/oat/molasses/horse pellets/tm salt mixture + free choice grass hay. Divide into smaller meals (at least 2 -3 is better) and start slowly working your way up to that amount. Once you get the horse filled out start backing off the amount until you find the magic amount that will maintain the weight you want.

Congrats on your new family member.


----------



## Oakshire_Farm (Dec 4, 2008)

Personally...... I would not give him any grain. Just free choice of hay. Maybe a bit of beet pulp with his minerals in it. But generally drafts are such easy keepers that just giving him a belly full of hay should have him all fattened up in no time.


----------



## jBlaze (Dec 26, 2007)

I know you said you wormed him, but; I will always suggest people consider the Drench DeWorming of 5 days of double dose safegaurd for 5 days.

We had a young gelding that we were feeding as much as we were giving the mare who was nursing a 3 month filly. (lots) We had been using the usual deworming rotation. The vet suggested the drench wormer, then a daily wormer for a month or three. 

We did all 5 horses the drench and the daily wormers and we have not grained any of them since. They only get regular grass hay, nothing fancy. 
Daughter has a horse in OHSET now and we are giving her some grain because we are asking so much more work from her. 

I agree, don't pour the feed at him, just the drench wormer and some good hay, perhaps a small hi-fat ration. 

 Have fun with your new pet.


----------



## DaniR1968 (May 24, 2008)

Good hay is the best thing. Give him all he wants and that alone should help him blossom.

When introducing feed to a horse you don't know has had any recently, you want to be careful to introduce it in small amounts and increase over time.

If memory serves, drafts are usually easy keepers anyway so you probably wouldn't need to feed much.


----------



## gunsmithgirl (Sep 28, 2003)

If he did not have grain before be sure to start him slowly and work up to a decent ration. Our Belgian is 18.3 hands and he gets free choice hay 24/7 and gets 2 quarts of oats 2x a day for regular maintenance.


----------



## Ford Zoo (Jan 27, 2012)

Thanks for all the advice! I feel better now. I do wonder if he isn't a bit older, but he is a gentle soul and I feel very fortunate to be able to start out with him. Now to just get him to realize how to be a pet too! (He has no idea about taking a treat from hand or bucket-I don't think he's ever had one.) He is so patient with me-I'm new to harnessing and driving, and he so willing to do what is asked of him. He just amazes me everyday.


----------



## Ford Zoo (Jan 27, 2012)

jBlaze said:


> I know you said you wormed him, but; I will always suggest people consider the Drench DeWorming of 5 days of double dose safegaurd for 5 days.
> 
> We had a young gelding that we were feeding as much as we were giving the mare who was nursing a 3 month filly. (lots) We had been using the usual deworming rotation. The vet suggested the drench wormer, then a daily wormer for a month or three.
> 
> ...


What is OHSET? Once I get the answer I'm sure I'll feel silly for asking, but it's not ringing a bell with me.


----------



## Irish Pixie (May 14, 2002)

Ford Zoo said:


> Thanks for all the advice! I feel better now. I do wonder if he isn't a bit older, but he is a gentle soul and I feel very fortunate to be able to start out with him. Now to just get him to realize how to be a pet too! (He has no idea about taking a treat from hand or bucket-I don't think he's ever had one.) He is so patient with me-I'm new to harnessing and driving, and he so willing to do what is asked of him. He just amazes me everyday.


Once you get him shed out you'll be better able to tell his real condition, it's hard to "see" under the yak-like horses. BTDT 

Just by the picture your pinto seems to be a little too fat, you don't want your draft that heavy, and you may want to try to get some weight off the other horse so you don't run into problems with laminitis.

He looks sweet and kind and probably thinks he is in heaven.


----------



## Ford Zoo (Jan 27, 2012)

Irish Pixie said:


> Once you get him shed out you'll be better able to tell his real condition, it's hard to "see" under the yak-like horses. BTDT
> 
> Just by the picture your pinto seems to be a little too fat, you don't want your draft that heavy, and you may want to try to get some weight off the other horse so you don't run into problems with laminitis.
> 
> He looks sweet and kind and probably thinks he is in heaven.


My paint is always a bit heavy coming into spring. We had a mild winter up north here so he has had no grain, believe it or not. ig: I'm hoping our hay will agree with Hank this well.


----------



## Work horse (Apr 7, 2012)

He's not so skinny that I would worry about putting weight on him. Just good hay/grass and he'll put the pounds back on. He is really cute.


----------



## Miss Kay (Mar 31, 2012)

Drafts require a different diet than regular horses. They need less carbs and sweet feed. Instead, pour some corn oil over the feed but like others have said, go easy on the grain. If he spills a lot of grain while eating you may want to get his teeth floated.


----------



## oregon woodsmok (Dec 19, 2010)

He is beautiful!

I never feed horses extra to fatten them up. Figure out what he will be eating at his premium weight and feed just that. His weight will float upward to what is should be without any danger of founder or excess fat in the wrong places.

For muscle mass, he needs protein, so if he is getting good grass hay, I would add a flake of clean alfalfa or orchard grass.

I never feed molasses. I want to see what I am buying. They can hide junk grain under molasses. I like dry COB, and a one pound metal coffee can (do they make those anymore?) would be more than enough. I wouldn't give that much unless he is getting exercise every day.

If all you do is pack fat on him. it isn't going to be good for his health. Good food, slow weight gain. You've got to be careful about fat with draft horses. I want thick muscle on my horses, not lard.

I'd add a couple of Tablespoons of whole flax seed to whatever grain he gets. That will help his coat. If you really want to spend extra money to make you feel like you are doing your best, give him a scoop of Calf Manna.


----------



## Ford Zoo (Jan 27, 2012)

Thanks to everyone. I just found out that his origional owner died 2 years ago, prior to that he was worked nearly everyday. Not sure how often he's been used since then, so I'm planning on going into his work easy and building up as he shows signs of improvement. I was told he's a "slow starter", but since I've been starting him slow anyway, he hasn't balked at anything I've asked him to do. I know I will learn more from him than I ever could on my own starting from scratch with a young one.


----------



## springvalley (Jun 23, 2009)

Irish Pixie said:


> He looks sweet and kind and probably thinks he is in heaven.


If there is one thing I know is Belgians, I have raised them for thirty years. Those of you that think Belgians are easy keepers must only have been around pasture pets. Working Belgians will eat a lot of feed, and they are an athlete that needs calories. I also wonder if he is older, hard to tell from here. Doesn`t matter, if he has good legs under him, he could live a good many years yet. I`m sure he knows more than you do, but thats also ok, he will teach you more than you know. Just start out feeding him what you are in small amounts, and as he puts on some weight cut back the corn. Just don`t overfeed him, or you will have a bunch of problems. When you think he looks good, just feed him a little feed to keep him coming to you each day. Then all the grass hay he wants, idle horses don`t need alfalfa, to hard on kidnies. Enjoy him, work him some, and love him a lot, and he will be your best friend forever. > Thanks and God Bless > Marc


----------



## TroutRiver (Nov 26, 2010)

Our draft horses don't get any grain, and most draft breeds don't need any unless they are worked heavily on a regular basis. Decent quality grass hay should be all he needs to put weight on. 

Yes, you are much better off starting with an older horse whose been there and done that, than starting from scratch with a young horse. Good luck with him, he is a cutie


----------



## haypoint (Oct 4, 2006)

Because there was some question about his age in relation to how old his teeth say he is, I'd wonder if he has had his teath checked and floated? He could have some hooks that hurt him to eat. Got anyone that knows the correct way and not someone that simply owns a tooth file? Often it doesn't take much to help him out a lot.


----------



## Ford Zoo (Jan 27, 2012)

I don't know much about teeth yet, but my wonderful new friend that I got him from just took him today to float him. He's been around these big guys for nearly 80 years, so I trusted him and his experienced friends to get the job done. Must not have bothered him much, he came right for me when I got home (without bucket in hand). And I got the sweetest nicker from him, first one!


----------



## GrannyCarol (Mar 23, 2005)

I think he's lovely. I don't know anything about feeding draft horses, but he's just so sweet looking. I hope you post a lot of pictures - he looks like a "keeper".


----------

