Ask The Equine Nutritionist

I have a warmblood mare. I keep feeding her but only her belly is getting large but hanging down and I can still see her ribs... I'm not quite sure what to do. I am feeding her 2 pounds of beetpulp mixed with 3 cups of complete feed a day with mixed in ground flax. I feed my mare about 5-6 flakes of alfalfa hay mix and she just keeps getting fatter in her tummy and is loosing weight around her hips.. what should I increase or decrease?


Yyou don't say her size or weight which I really need to know to calculate how much feed she should be getting.

It sounds as if she is getting too much fiber and not enough protein or fat.

A few questions:
When was she last wormed?
Have her teeth been checked by an equine dentist recently?
Are you sure she is not in foal?

I would increase the complete feed to 6lbs a day and also the sugar beet pulp to 4 lbs.
Try to get her some grass hay as well the alfalfa. She will eat up to 2 1/2% of her bodyweight per day, so maybe she isn't getting enough if she is a really big horse.

YOU can also add in 4 oz per day of whole roast soy or rice bran to help her gain weight.

Dr. Melyni Worth Ph.D. - 2004 (c)

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