Hard keeper

Question
Hello!
    In February I bought a twelve-year-old, off-the-track Thoroughbred gelding. Scout is a joy to ride and be around in general. He was about two hundred pounds underweight when I purchased him, however, and I can't seem to get him to gain weight. He is 16.2 hands high and only weighs, being generous, about 1100 pounds. He is on a regular deworming program, his coat and hooves are in excellent condtion, he has a good amount of energy, not lethargic but not hot, and he doesn't show any outward signs of illness at all. He's up to date on all his shots and his Coggins' test is current. Scout had his teeth floated about three and a half months ago and the equine dentist found no major hooks or problems.

He is currently being fed about 2/3 of a scoop of Purina Equine Senior feed, one scoop (before soaking and expanding) of beet pulp shreds, and two cups of vegetable oil, all well-mixed together, twice a day. It has not rained in my area for over a month, so there is little, if any, grazing but he is being fed a good-quality orchard grass mix hay three times a day and eats about twenty-five pounds of hay a day. I have had him on the commercial weight-gain supplement Weight Builder, which, I believe, is mostly rice bran, but it had little or no visible effect.

He is in a pasture by himself in constant turnout, and he does have a tendency to run or pace a little bit. He's generally not a nervous horse, though. He gets ridden and longed about five times a week, though not very hard.

I would say that Scout is about a 3.5 or so on the Body Condition Scale, which, of course, would upset any caring, doting horse owner, escpecially one who worries about their horse as much as I do. I'm really desperate to put weight and muscle on him.

Thank you so much for your help and opinion on this issue!

Thanks,
Julia

Answer
hi julia,
well since he is older his body has a harder time digesting and getting the nutrients out of the feed. you can try feeding him mare and foal with his grain. it is easy to digest and has alot of extra nutrition. also you can switch his hay to pure alfalfa. but do this slowly. that way he wont colic. other then that add more vegitable oil and more rice bran. good luck
amanda groff