Body Builder -- Two Weeks Progress

[Little Wolf Ranch]

Well I was told to use Body Builder weight gain supplement on my hard keeper - a 16.2hh tall Tennessee Walking Horse, Arabian & Thoroughbred gelding. Everything I was trying on him to gain weight (from farnam's weight builder, corn oil, smartpak's weight builder, fat cat, purina's amplify supplement, and several others) was not working and I had probably spent over $300 in supplements trying to find something that worked and Body Builder is just a god send!

He's a very picky eater to start with and some supplements he just refused to eat. With body builder I just administer orally before his meal and I know he's gotten his full dose and hasn't missed any. I started him on August 16th with him receiving double the dosage on the bottle - 15ml at his morning and evening feeding. I also changed his diet from what the "trainer" had him on, which was 5 lbs 12% sweet feed twice per day. Before he went to the trainer he would eat other grains, but after he came back he was so used to the sweet feed that he wouldn't try anything else. I had changed him over to Strategy GX 4 lbs twice per day and 1 lb alfalfa pellets twice per day AND finally got him to eat 1/2 cup corn oil twice per day.

Now since I found the Nutrena's Life Stages Senior feed, which is a complete feed that is extremely easily digestable, I put both him and my 19 y/o Quarter Horse gelding on it and am awaiting to see how they look on it. Shadow is now getting 4 lbs AM & PM of the senior feed and still 1 lb of alfalfa pellets and 1/2 cup of corn oil twice per day with no issues.

Not only can I tell a difference in weight, but his coat is SO MUCH healthier looking and his frisky attitude has come back! I am thrilled that body builder has worked so well and I want to give a huge THANK YOU to everyone on LB Forum who has helped me get Shadow back at an appropriate weight! By the time he moves to the stables on October 6th, I'm sure hes going to look and feel better than ever!

If it weren't for the helpful members here and this great forum, I don't know what I would have done. Both myself and Shadow can't express how thankful we are! I will be posting an update on the one month mark as well!

***Note for anyone with an underweight horse of any size: Skip the other products and head straight for the Body Builder! You can't go wrong with it! I don't know how or why it works but all I can say is it does!**

 

[mydaddysjag]

He looks great. I LOVE body builder, the stuff is like liquid gold

 

[wildoak]

Glad it worked for you - it saved a mare for me last year too, super product!

Jan

 

[chandab]

Thank you for sharing this. I have an old "retiree" that will surely benefit from this information. Thank you again!

I was thinking I might have to try this next on HOney. She's on rice bran, but the Body Builder seems to work better.

 

[Flying minis]

Just a note - I also think it's great stuff - but word of warning, don't use it to just "put on a little extra" or "add a little topline" LOL. Was told by someone to try it to add a little weight and up a topline, and, well, yeah, I have a mare who 2 weeks later looks like a draft horse : ) It IS great stuff. . . . but use it carefully on "easier" keepers LOL

 

[cassie]

sounds like great stuff with great results... just wondering though, would it be ok to use on a pregnant mare? I have a late pregnant mare that has just come to my property to foal and she is an older girl and not in the best condition... I'm worried that when she foals if the foal will deplete her too much? help??

Thanks

 

[markadoodle]

Body Builder is a miracle worker. LOVE it.

 

[kaykay]

I am so glad you took the plunge and got him on it. Many people are afraid of the cost but given the results it is worth every penny. He looks so much better. Happy for your both

 

[chandab]

What happens when you make the necessary weight, and then take them off Body Builder?

 

[WeeOkie]

I searched for this topic to get the answer to the above question, that I remembered being asked. I now have 4 minis on it, 3 retired broodmares and an older gelding. When this bottle is gone, I hope they will all look good. I think I can already see some improvement after about 3 weeks. But what happens when they no longer get it? Will they maintain their new weight or start going downhill again?

 

[rabbitsfizz]

Is there actually anything in it except Rice Bran Oil as I can get that quite cheaply at my supermarket.....

 

[Margo_C-T]

Just an FYI...I have a miniature mare who will turn 30 in 6 days. She has had regular tooth 'maintenance' nearly all her life(I got her when she was 2 1/2),and still has 'most' of her teeth, but they are 'not up to' hay, except for alfalfa leaves, which I give her a handful of once/twice daily...and she will NOT touch soaked hay pellets or cubes. She is in PLENTY good flesh on rabbit pellets and Total Equine, also getting a measure of stabilized ground flax and soaked beet pulp daily.This AM, after it went down to freezing last night, I watched her lie down, roll on both sides, then jump up and race off w/ her tail in the air--did my heart good!

Margo

PS...I am a huge fan of 'Thrive' and 'Total Equine'...both forage-based, steam-extruded feeds that are nutritionally balanced and quite safe for about all ages/stages of life. 'Thrive' has limited availability, unfortunately, as it is my favored of the two, but I believe that both are very good options for pretty much all horses.'Total Equine' has three formulas, so you can find one that will suit pretty much any horse.

 

[wildoak]

The thin mare I used Body Builder on last year was in foal, just. If memory serves, I fed it to her for about 6 weeks then tapered it off. She was eating well by then and continued to thrive. She delivered a strong, healthy colt last May. I don't know what the manufacturers recommendations are for pregnant mares, but it surely worked for this one.

Jan

 

[rabbitsfizz]

Rabbit is now in his 34th year, Margo, and pretty much the same as your girl. I do give him Rice Bran Oil in winter, and he has not been able to eat hay for 8 years, although he still pretends to graze( he spits it out!) He gets BP soaked grass or alfalfa nuts and grain I have soaked in boiling water and then whizzed up with a stick blender. He also gets stabilised flax , ground and cooked, and yeast and bi-carb (he is on Bute) which is why I was interested in the ingredients in this stuff....

He has one mare in foal for 2013.......

 

[chandab]

Rabbit is now in his 34th year, Margo, and pretty much the same as your girl. I do give him Rice Bran Oil in winter, and he has not been able to eat hay for 8 years, although he still pretends to graze( he spits it out!) He gets BP soaked grass or alfalfa nuts and grain I have soaked in boiling water and then whizzed up with a stick blender. He also gets stabilised flax , ground and cooked, and yeast and bi-carb (he is on Bute) which is why I was interested in the ingredients in this stuff....

He has one mare in foal for 2013.......

Jane, here's a link to SmartPaks page on Body Builder: http://www.smartpakequine.com/body-builder-6254p.aspx?cm_vc=Search If it doesn't open to the ingredient page, just click on the product details tab halfway down the page, then the ingredient tab after that.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

Thanks Chanda, as I thought, it seems to be basically just Rice Bran Oil, which I am already using and can buy in my supermarket for $3.00 for a half litre bottle!

 

[wildoak]

Rabbit, www.equiade.com for Body Builder info/ingredients. Mostly rice bran oil, and of course those "secret ingredients" lol.

Jan

 

[WeeOkie]

My bottle says it is a rice bran oil emulsion containing gamma oryzanol.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

In Europe "secret ingredients" are not allowed, everything has to be declared. I think this is a very good idea but, of course, it does not prevent people from listing the chemical formulas of things as simple as water in order to confuse those of us without degrees in chemistry!

And, what do you know? Having looked up gamma oryzanol it turns out to be a component of Rice Bran .

So that is the Rice Bran Extract I guess.....I think all things being equal, I shall stick with my Rice Bran Oil....

 

[WeeOkie]

Well, Jane, I think I will try to find some rice bran oil when my expensive stuff runs out!!