feeding malnourished horse

Question
Hi! I'm buying a 2 year old AQHA gelding (Kid Clu bloodlines if that helps).He had been stalled alot as a weanling I was told,was removed from that situation and pastured till he was 2.This summer he was stolen and when recovered was in very poor condition.He is now 2yrs 5months and stands about 14 hands,still quite ribby.Do you think he'll grow taller(catch up?)?.How should I feed him?Currently he's on a 12% sweet feed and will get hay for winter.Please give me advice! Thanks-Cheryl

Answer
Hi Cheryl...thanks for visiting allexperts.com! First let me congratulate you on your new four hooved friend and commend you for taking on one that needs a little bit of rehab. It's hard to say where his height will end up without knowing more about his lineage and seeing him for myself. My suggestion to you on that note would be to just ask your vet the next time they're out performing an exam, giving vaccinations, etc. There is a formula for using the leg bones to determine approximate height at maturity but to be honest, I'm not completely sure that it's still considered accurate in horses whose growth may possibly have been stunted due to malnourishment or other issues. Also, some breeds of horses just have a tendancy to mature slower. When we think "Kid Clu" we think large framed, bulky, muscular halter type horses most often. Keep in mind though that those horses are also being fed and pushed to maturity. He could easily be a "late bloomer" and it "might" not have any relation to his earlier treatment...and on the flip side it could. An evaluation by a vet is your best indication of just how much damage he's suffered from him treatment. If it makes you feel any better, I started a Mr. Gunsmoke/Wimpy bred mare a few years ago that was only 13.3 at 3 years old but it now a healthy, muscular, very active 7 year old standing 15 hands! Although not "tall" by anyone's means, she did still grow, just later on in youth which I've seem to notice about many of the horses with cow bloodlines. As for your feeding regime...you say he's ribby. I'm going to make the assumption that he has, or will be upon arrival, properly dewormed. Depending on the severity of his condition, you might actually consider using a higher end/quality senior horse feed for a period of time to get him back in good condition. Senior feeds are great for rehab situation as they contain yeast packs to maximize vit/mineral absorption and hindgut fermentation, high quality fiber sources to keep the hindgut in check, and are more calorie dense than most other feeds allowing you to feed less poundage. If he's in better condition now and just needs to be started on a healthy program, I'd suggest a high fat feed from a quality line (ie: KER formulated, Purina Strategy, Nutrena Compete, Buckeye, etc) that is vitamin/mineral fortified and calorie dense. You want to check around for one that is in the nature of 1500 cals/lb. and although this info isnt printed on the bag, any company should be willing to provide you that. I can assure that most of the feeds I listed are going to run close to that figure. Yet another route would be to feed a growing horse or maintenance feed and if you don't begin to see a difference after about 4 weeks, consider adding a high fat top dress such as stabilized rice bran (make sure the Ca:P ratio is in balance) or a dried vegetable fat supplement. I prefer KER's EquiJewel (stab. rice bran) or Performance Pak 100 (dried veg. fat) but there are plenty of other reputable, effective products out there. You may also consider adding a daily probiotic to your horses' regime just to insure vit/min absorption at its fullest and some yeast for the hindgut. As for the hay, just make sure you are feeding him at the higher end of the recommended range, 2% of his body weight/day and make sure it is quality which is crucial for this young guy! I hope this has helped you a little. If I've said something unclear or you have more questions, please feel free to contact me again via the site or via email at sam@simonssez.com! Thanks again for visiting! -Samantha