QuestionHello I have a mini that is just under being a pony. He is a stallion and is on pasture all day. He also gets hay at night and a 1/2 pound can of horse feed twice a day. We worm him regularly every 3 months, switching wormer each time. His feces is soft and he colics easily. I just can not get him to gain weight or put on muscle. He is 3 years old and when we got him two years ago the people we got him from said they could not put weight on him. Any suggestions
AnswerHi Linda-
I am very concerned about your guy. There definitely seems to be a medical problem here- may be minor but I don't think you're going to solve it here. Unfortunately some tests that your vet will need to perform are probably in order. I am thinking possibly ulcers or maybe a thyroid problem. Also a fecal count (inexpensive) might be good. Have you had his teeth checked or noticed any trouble with eating his feed? Some horses are just not easy keepers but this sounds as though he may have other issues. I have had good success with minis who are not easy keepers giving them senior feed and soaked alfalfa (cubes) and in extreme cases corn oil but that assumes no underlying health issues. I wish I had an easy answer and best of luck, Toni
