# Feeding Severly Underweight Pony Mare ((Pictures))



## emnhorserider

[SIZE=12pt]I am purchasing a underweight pony mare. She is 16 years old, about 12 hands palomino. Picking her up tomorrow. I need feeding advice. Her owner lacked in her nutritional needs, so she lost quite a bit of weight. A horse trader traded of his other horse for the little mare. I contacted him about her. His plans were to take her in her baby to auction. I decided I wanted to give her a shot.[/SIZE]

I have very little experience with breeding. Have had 2 other foals and everything went well but their moms were in our care from beginning. .

Anyway she is pretty underweight. She should be foaling with in the next month or two apparently. What is the best route to go has for has feeding goes? She will have unlimited good quality coastal hay, mineral block. Thinking about mare plus with just a small amount of 12 % pelleted feed? Trying to figure out what is the best route to go. Any advice on her feeding would be greatly appreciated!


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## muffntuf

Do you know at all what she is getting right now?

Figure out how much underweight she is before you start taking action.


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## txminipinto

First, you need a body score and I would take her to a vet for bloodwork and parasite check. Your initial feed plan is good. Has she been on any grain? If not, I would start on half pound increments to see how her digestive tract handles it. Increase in half pound increaments every other day as long as there is no diarrhea or colic. Wet beet pulp is a great filler with protein as well. My favorite weight supplement is Cool Calories, a 99% fat supplement sold thru SmartPak but I think you can get it elsewhere. It takes time to get weight on a horse and even longer on a wet mare. Good luck!


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## MiLo Minis

How underweight is "pretty underweight"? If she is severely malnourished then you don't want to put weight on her too quickly until after she foals. Anything you give her right now will go to growing the foal bigger rather than her and that could be hard on her in the long run. I cared for a very pregnant, very malnourished mare who was practically emaciated. After consulting with a vet and a nutritionist I set her up on a feed schedule of 3% of her body weight in good quality second cut grass hay. Once the foal was born I could start to put the feed to her but both the vet and nutritionist advisesd against doing that till he was born.


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## krissy3

We rescued a QH that was about 200 lbs underweight or so, and 20 years old ... very ribby. I agree find out exactly what she was getting before , and get a vets advice and OK on the rest. We started with Hay , good old pasture grass hay of good quality. Then slowely introduced her to real pasture grass fresh , then a little Equine Senior, then Stradegy ( less sugar)... she beefed up in a month or so , and is AWSOME... 25 this year and the vet thinks she looks like a 10 year old. I dont believe in a lot of additives , a little corn oil for a little fat under the skin for winter and shine, carrots have a multitude if vitamins. Salt or mineral block is great ...and good clean hay. I really dont think you can go wrong with just starting out with giving lots of good quality hay....and if she is underweight , dont worry about the "grass belly"... just feed the poor thing, she will love you for it . mares in foal need a LOT more food ...keep it comm^in, just what i did for my Quarter horse that was very thin




PS milo mini has a point... my mare was NOT prego ...consult with the vet first .


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## emnhorserider

[SIZE=12pt]I took some pictures of the little mare. Boy was I shocked when she got off the trailer. Skin and bones. I am feeding her unlimited hay, 14 % safe and sound with mare plus and some other supplements and access to grass part of the day.[/SIZE]


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## muffntuf

Take it slow, hopefully you are working with a vet. Bless you for homing her.


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## ~Lisa~

Sounds like you are on the right track with her and her feeding and the safe and sound is a great choice for her. Just wait in about 6-8 weeks she will not even look like the same horse. She wont be totally fit of course but amazing how quickly they can start looking better!


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## Reijel's Mom

Bless you for taking her in, can't wait to see her in a month or so. Do be careful with the unlimited hay - my equine vet also recommended that for an underweight mare I bought but it was too much for her and she started to get colicy. Nothing serious thank goodness but we slowed down after that!

BTW, I think that mare might be older than 16.


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## MiLo Minis

This mare is SERIOUSLY underweight. Get her teeth checked immediately. Get her wormed. You really need to be careful NOT to feed her too much to start. Good quality grass hay fed a handful at a time in as many feedings per day as you can manage. Don't give her unlimited amounts as she may well gorge herself and that will only cause more problems. As I said earlier, you don't want the foal to do a whole lot of growing right now. She will give everything to him first anyway. Gradually increase the amounts of grass hay until the foal is born. Afterwards you can put her on a pregnant mare feed and add some oil. Talk to your vet or call your feed store and ask to speak to their nutritionist. Good luck with her and her baby!


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## h2t99

Beet Pulp!! We give that to all our pg mares to help with weight and milk production!! We have a mare that was notorious for not making milk very good, with the beet pulp that changed, so it maybe something to seriously consider since she is so skinny!!

Good Luck!!


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## TheCaseFamily00

Just wanted to say i'm glad she found you



. She looks like a real sweetheart



.


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## Keri

Poor girl! Definately get her teeth done ASAP and get her on a worming regiment. Any food you give her with bad teeth and worms will basically be a waste. And I'm with the other poster. That much gray hair. She's definately older (horse traders are pretty notorious for making horses younger than what they truely are). She should definately be retired and not pregnant! Glad you are there to help her.


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## disneyhorse

Although she probably needs her teeth done, my vet does not advise doing it while the mares are in foal (they get sedated.)

Good advice from others though ... just get the calories in her safely and she will look like a different horse by the time she foals!

Andrea


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## Becky

I feed alfalfa to any starved or underweight horse that comes in here. They need it to balance their electrolytes! A severely starved horse (as your mare is) can crash even with the best of intentions if their electrolytes are out of whack. Alfalfa also will give the calories a starved horse needs to gain weight.

Here is an excellent article for feeding starved horses. Nutrition for Rehabilitating the Starved Horse


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## emnhorserider

Thanks for all the advice! and comments! Talk to the vet. Wanted to get teeth check, but she cant have work done till after she foals. I have her some supplements such as probiotics, mare plus. Small amount of 14% Safechoice morning, night. Free-choice coastal and on a pasture that has some grass but its not seeding. She got eased into this but that is where she is at now. She is starting to fill out some. Back bone isn't as pronounced ect. She is acting better too. Seems to have more energy. Really pleasant little mare too, comes right up for attention. Would it be good to start adding alfalfa to this diet or would that be too much?

I will be keeping yall posted! with pictures!


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## muffntuf

I would only give a handful (like 1/4 lb.-- AND WEIGH IT PLEASE) once a day to start and then add a little more after 4 or 5 days of seeing no issues.


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## Bonny

How sweet of you! She is a lucky mare!

I had a mare pretty under weight that I rescued and I used safe choice and quality hay. It took a few months and she turned around very nicely.

Best wishes!


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## minih

It also looks like at one time she had a halter on that was way too small. Bless you for taking her in and giving her the love and attention she so desperately needs right now.


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## disneyhorse

Any changes you do to her diet, do slowly. So if you want to add alfalfa or beet pulp or anything, just do it sllllooowly and add a small amount, increasing each week.

Good luck,

Andrea


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## luv2ridesaddleseat

Any updates on this beautiful and lucky little mare? Do you know for sure if she is actually in foal? Just wishing the best for her.


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## Ellen

God Bless you for taking her in. Looks like you came in just in time. I will tell you my favorite grain is any type of Ration Balancer. My Equine vet raves about it. We took in an underweight mare and she has put on about 100lbs in two months. our regimen is:

3lbs Ration Balancer twice daily

1/2 lb rice bran daily

timothy mix , 3 flakes a day plus turn out.

6 cups beat pulp

oil dressing - ricebran, wheat germ and cod liver oil

It worked for us and granted we built up to it. But this was a diet put together with a vet. AFTER she was tested for everything under the sun.

Good Luck and keep us posted!


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