What Is The Best Horse Feed For Weight Gain On The Market?

There are a great many horse owners who would give their back teeth to have a horse who didn’t put on weight too easily, but there are an equal number who wish their four legged friend would put on a bit of podge. Natives tend to run to fat far easier than the hot blooded or Thoroughbred types, and if you have one of these slimmer horses then you may wish to consider adding a little something to the feed to bulk them out a little. Older horses, like older humans, can often struggle to keep fat on them.

Best Horse Feed For Weight Gain Reviews

If you have been struggling to get your horse to maintain weight then you’ve probably already looked into feed supplements, and maybe you have become overwhelmed by choice. If this is you then don’t fret – we have selected three of the best supplements to help your horse maintain an ideal weight. These are:

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Feeds For Weight Gain

Price

Formula 707 Weight Gain Equine Supplement, Daily Fresh Packs, 28 Day Supply - Palatable, Calorie-Rich Nutritional Support for Hard-to-Keep and Senior HorsesFormula 707 Daily Fresh Packs Equine Supplements

If you have a horse who travels a lot.

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Horse Guard Super Weight Gain Equine Vitamin Mineral, Probiotic & Weight Gain Supplement, 10 lbTOP PICK: Horse Guard Super Weight Gain Supplement

For the horse with a delicate stomach.

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Manna Pro Senior Weight Accelerator, 8 lb BagManna Pro Senior Weight Accelerator

For an older horse who is consistently losing weight.

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1. Formula 707 Daily Fresh Packs Equine Supplement Review

Formula 707 Weight Gain Equine Supplement, Daily Fresh Packs, 28 Day Supply - Palatable, Calorie-Rich Nutritional Support for Hard-to-Keep and Senior Horses

This is a calorie rich formula designed to help your horse gain and maintain the ideal weight. Vegetable fat offers concentrated and easily digested calories that can also improve your horse’s overall energy levels.

Pros

  • Contains fibre for the gut – Fibre is an essential part of your horse’s diet, as it keeps the digestive system running smoothly.
  • Contains protein and amino acids – This is a great thing for the horse who is still in active work, as it can help to build muscle tone as well as add weight.
  • Convenient packaging for travelling – These packs come in pre-measured quantities in sealed packing, ideal for taking out an about with you. They won’t be damaged by oxygen or sunlight as they are completely protected.
  • Added minerals for skeletal and joint support – Containing calcium and phosphorus too, this supplement can help your horse’s bones as well as their metabolism.

Cons

  • Does not ship outside of the United States – This product cannot be shipped outside of the US, so you may have to look for other sellers who will send it to you if you are not US based.

Recommendation

A great supplement for putting on, and maintaining weight. It comes in an apple flavour which horses love, so you will have no worries about getting your old timer to eat it. This product is also gentle on the digestion, so if your horse has stomach issues then you can use it with no worries at all.

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2. Horse Guard Super Weight Gain Supplement Review

Horse Guard Super Weight Gain Equine Vitamin Mineral, Probiotic & Weight Gain Supplement, 10 lb

A great supplement that can add weight, without relying on sugars and starches to get the desired results. Probiotics and prebiotics are added to the formula to help with any potential stomach issues too.

Pros

  • Won’t make your horse “hot” – Using soy beans for energy (instead of corn or oats) won’t give your horses enough bounce to make them scary, it will just add the weight and keep them healthy.
  • Results can be seen quickly – Unlike some supplements, you won’t have to wait until half the bag is gone before you see results. This product works quickly and is highly effective.
  • Very easy to use – The product comes as a powder that you mix into other feed, so even if you have a fussy horse who doesn’t like to eat new things you should be able to use this with no problems.
  • Contains added minerals – Bacterial and yeast additives, along with other key minerals such as Selenium and Vitamin E, give your horse the best boost for their gut as well as for their overall health.

Cons

  • Results vary between horses – Some respond very well and very quickly, others show very little response to the supplement.

Recommendation

A good supplement for weight gain, with added bits and bobs to improve the whole of the horse’s health. This product can also be sued for horses who lose weight due to stress, through travelling, foaling, weaning or other issues that are not related to old age.

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3. Manna Pro Senior Weight Accelerator Review

Manna Pro Senior Weight Accelerator, 8 lb

This supplement contains high fat and calorie levels for good, quick weight gain. It is especially formulated for the older horse, and contains a variety of vitamins and minerals to benefit the health of the horse, not just for adding weight.

Pros

  • Contains flaxseed – This unassuming addition is packed with omega acids, which ca benefit the entire body. The coat will look better, and any skin issues should clear up using this product.
  • Contains Biotin for healthy hooves – Good feet are essential for an animal that has four of them! The Biotin in this product will help your four legged friend maintain his toes as well as he possibly can.
  • Easy to hide in food – For the fussy horse who doesn’t like additives in his bucket, this supplement is ideal – just one scoop in a bucket will provide all his weight gaining needs, and he won’t even notice that it’s in there.
  • Good value for money – A little of this product goes a long way. The amount in this bag will easily last a month, and will show fantastic results.

Cons

  • Some horses don’t like the taste – There seem to be very few issues with this product! The one small problem that some people report is that their horse doesn’t like the taste, but you could easily get around this by hiding it in a strong-tasting feed.

Recommendation

A really good product that delivers results quickly, this one does what it says on the tin. It is inexpensive and will put weight on your old, skinny horse, as well as make the coat shine and strengthen the hooves.

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Frequently Asked Questions

1. What’s the best horse feed or supplement for weight gain in horses?

There is no single best horse feed or horse supplement for weight gain. Just like humans, horses may be thin for any number of reasons. Feeds and supplements that are just perfect for one horse may cause another horse to be overweight and still another to be severely underweight. Check our recommendations above for some brands that may work for your horse though.

2. What causes horses to lose weight?

Of course, any horse will be too thin if it is not getting enough to eat or the right types of food to eat. In addition to inadequate diet, a horse may be thin because of high metabolism. When this is the case, horses simply burn off calories at a high rate and need more calories to maintain body weight. Anxiety, stress, illness, parasite infestation, old age, diseased or injured teeth and a host of other conditions may make it difficult for a horse to gain or maintain body weight.

3. How can you determine why your horse is thin?

The only sure way to determine the cause of your horse’s weight loss is to consult with your veterinarian. Your vet will examine your horse and may take a fecal sample for worms and call for some lab work to be done to find out why your horse has lost weight or is not able to maintain a healthy body weight.

4. What kind of feed can help a horse maintain good body weight?

Though it may seem counterintuitive, a diet that is high in fiber will help most horses maintain a healthy body weight. Horses need fiber to help their sensitive digestive system work properly. Feeding a horse a diet that is high in grain (starch) once or twice a day leaves the intestinal tract empty and causes an imbalance of digestive enzymes.

In the long-term, this can cause your horse to get less and less nourishment from the feed he does eat. Additionally, having an empty stomach will make your horse anxious, and this will cause him to burn up more calories and lose more weight. Horses should always have plenty of hay or grass to eat freely.

5. What are good hay and grass substitutes?

If you don’t have good pasture or if hay is hard to come by, you can provide up to 50% of your horse’s fiber intake with products such as:

  • Beet Pulp
  • Soy Hulls
  • Wheat Bran
  • Alfalfa Pellets
  • Timothy Pellets

All of these products provide complex, digestible fiber that will stay with your horse from one meal to the next. Even so, remember to feed your horse smaller meals frequently rather than feeding one or two large meals a day.

6. What about grain?

Grain or prepared diets are certainly important factors when it comes to determining how to put weight on your horse. There are so many different choices and so many different reasons why a horse may lose weight or have trouble retaining weight that is really not possible to determine what grain or prepared diet you should be feeding your horse without consulting your vet.

You could feed your horse the most renowned and costly weight gain feed or supplement on the market, but if it doesn’t provide what your specific, individual horse needs, or if your horse’s problem is caused by illness, parasites or tooth problems, it will not help and it may hurt.

7. Is oil good for weight gain?

If your horse needs more calories than he’s able to consume in feed, adding oil can be a very good idea. Good oils such as:

  • Flaxseed Oil
  • Linseed Oil
  • Peanut Oil
  • Corn Oil

…provide high quality calories and help improve your horse’s coat, skin and hooves.

You can also add oil to your horse’s diet by including oily feeds such as rice bran, coconut meal, sunflower seeds or full fat soy beans. Be careful not to overdo it with these additions, though. Very often, horses will tire of high amounts of these types of supplements. When this happens, you may have trouble getting your horse to eat at all.


Conclusion

If you are looking for what is the best horse feed for weight gain, then look no further. Winters can be hard on older horses, and keeping nutrients in the body is essential. Some breeds of horses also struggle to keep a good topline, so feeding a supplement can really help.

If you have a horse who travels and needs a supplement that can be kept fresh on the road, opt for the Formula 707 Daily Fresh Packs Equine Supplements. For the horse with a delicate stomach, choose Horse Guard Super Weight Gain Equine Vitamin, Mineral, Probiotic and Weight Gain Supplement, for weight gain with added gut support. If you have an old horse who is consistently losing weight, try the Manna Pro Senior Weight Accelerator.

2 thoughts on “What Is The Best Horse Feed For Weight Gain On The Market?”

  1. I wonder how many calories a horse would burn in a typical day! Getting all of that exercise and basically being 100% lean, you would think keeping some of the fat ON would be a problem.

    Reply
  2. Your oil recommendations for adding calories to a horses’ feed were troubling. Maybe 20 years ago, but today there are some excellent oils available. Corn oil is 70% omega 6 (pro-inflammatory), linseed oil is a solvent extraction of flaxseed oil, better used for wood finishing projects. Good oils: *flax seed oil (since rancidity is a problem, best brand: Horse Guard Flaxen Flow–nitrogen protected, cold-pressed, unfiltered); *organic hemp seed oil, *organic coconut oil, *Camelina oil (cold-pressed, virgin, from Wild Gold, a great company). Omega 3s (anti-inflammatory) need to be at least 3 times greater than the omega 6 (pro-inflammatory). All these oils fit the bill. Don’t forget chia seeds; raw pumpkin seeds (like garlic powder, this helps control parasites); sunflower seeds, high in omega 6, so good in very small doses (good to mix small amount with chia seeds and mix quarter cup or so in their bucket feed; flax seed (best brand: Omega Fields Horseshine–stabilized, so rancidity not an issue–or grind your own in coffee grinder just before feeding…or grind and freeze, as it starts going rancid as soon as exposed to oxygen; never feed whole flaxseeds. I was told rice bran pulls calcium from their bones, but don’t know that to be a fact. An acquaintance told me her vet told her that…but who knows.

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