Help Your Horse Thrive: A Guide to Choosing the Best Weight Gain Supplements
Does your horse struggle to maintain condition despite adequate feeding? Factors like age, metabolism, high workload, or underlying health issues can cause weight loss. Weight gain supplements can be a valuable tool to support healthy body weight, but they must be used correctly.
This guide details how to choose the right supplement for your horse, focusing on the safest and most effective nutritional approaches.
Why Some Horses Need Weight Gain Supplements
Before using supplements, always work with your veterinarian to rule out underlying causes of weight loss, such as:
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Age: Senior horses may have poor digestion or difficulty chewing.
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Dental Issues: Worn or missing teeth reduce forage intake.
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Illness: Parasites or stomach ulcers can drastically affect body condition.
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High Metabolism/Stress: Some horses burn calories faster due to genetics, stress, or intense workload.
Key Factors for Supplement Success
The safest and most effective supplements provide extra calories through fat, protein, and digestible fiber, minimizing the reliance on nonstructural carbohydrates (NSCs), starch, and sugar.
| Key Nutrient |
Benefit |
Common Sources |
| Fats and Oils |
Provide safe, calorie-dense, slow-burning energy. |
Flaxseed oil, soybean oil, stabilized rice bran. |
| Protein |
Critical for muscle development and maintenance. |
Soybean meal, alfalfa-based products, whey protein. |
| Digestible Fiber |
Fuels gut microbes and supports healthy digestion. |
Beet pulp, hay cubes. |
Types of Equine Weight Gain Supplements
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High-Fat Supplements: Concentrated calories for safe energy (e.g., stabilized rice bran, flaxseed).
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High-Calorie Commercial Weight Builders: Formulated pellets/powders combining fats, proteins, and vitamins.
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Digestive Aids: Probiotics and prebiotics to support gut function and maximize nutrient absorption.
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Muscle-Building Supplements: Amino acid blends to support muscle growth and topline development.
Top Recommended Horse Weight Gain Supplements
Always choose a supplement that is recommended by nutritionists or veterinarians.
| Supplement Type |
Recommended Examples |
Primary Benefits for Weight Gain |
Other Key Benefits |
| Stabilized Rice Bran |
Manna Pro Max-E-Glo Stabilized Rice Bran |
High-fat, "cool" energy source (min. 18% fat) to safely increase calories. |
Promotes a slick, shiny coat; provides balanced Ca ratio. |
| Flaxseed Oil Blend |
AniMed FSO Flaxseed Oil Blend |
Concentrated fat calories for energy and weight support. |
Rich in Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids for healthy skin and coat. |
| Commercial Weight Builder |
Farnam Weight Builder Supplement |
Provides 50% fat for highly digestible calories with no added sugar. |
Contains Omega-3s and amino acids to support coat and muscle. |
| Beet Pulp Supplements |
New Country Organics Non-GMO Beet Pulp Pellets |
Safe, highly digestible fiber calories; fuels gut health. |
Aids in hydration (must be soaked); supports ideal weight. |
| Probiotic Blends |
Probios Equine One Oral Gel Probiotic |
Enhances feed efficiency and nutrient absorption; supports gut health. |
Excellent for stress, travel, illness, or after worming. |
How To Safely Introduce Weight Gain Supplements
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Introduce Gradually: Mix new supplements into your horse’s grain slowly over seven to 10 days to prevent digestive upset.
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Monitor Progress: Regularly track progress by measuring your horse’s Body Condition Score BCS
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Prioritize Forage: Even the best supplement should complement, not replace, a high-quality fiber diet.
Mistakes To Avoid
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Skipping Health Checks: Supplements cannot fix underlying issues like dental problems or ulcers; veterinary care is essential.
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Overfeeding Concentrates: The bulk of a horse’s diet must still be forage to avoid metabolic issues, colic, and laminitis.
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Over-supplementing: Mixing too many products can lead to nutritional imbalances and wasted money.
With the right approach, equine weight gain is achievable and your horse can look and feel their best.
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