One of the struggles horse owners often deal with during the sweltering summer months is keeping weight on their horses. Some horses don’t eat as much when they’re hot and their bodies are working a lot harder with extreme heat, so they are burning more calories than usual. If you have a hard time keeping your horse at a healthy weight during the summer (or any time of year) consider adding products like these into their routine.

1. A Calorie Supplement

Sometimes your basic grain and hay regimen isn’t enough to keep your horse at your desired weight. If you don’t want to drastically switch their routine by upping their grain or switching their feed completely, try sneaking in a dry fat supplement into their feed.

A good option is the Cool Calories 100 Equine Dry Fat Supplement because your horse won’t even notice the fine powder mixed in with their dinner, yet it still provides a powerful amount of calories and fatty acids. This kind of supplement is so easy to add to your regimen because all it takes is a scoop of powder and a shake of the feed scoop and you’re good to go!

2. Add in the Oils

If a basic weight gain supplement isn’t enough for your horse, consider adding in a mix of oils to really boost their fat intake. Some oils to look for are wheat germ, corn oil, and soybean oil. These three oils have the right fatty acids and omegas that your horse needs to quickly build a healthy weight. You don’t necessarily have to use all of these oils together, you can buy them individually based on which one you want to use. 

If you’re looking for an easy (and less messy) way to use all of these together, look for a product like this Equine Fat Supplement that contains a blend of the three oils, plus vitamin E and linoleic acid which helps provide a healthy coat.

 3. Switch Up the Feed

Sometimes supplements aren’t enough, and it’s necessary to change the feed your horse is getting. It can take some trial and error to find the right feed for your horse, so don’t be discouraged when the first one you try isn’t making a difference. When picking a feed specifically for weight gain, look for a grain that has a high crude protein and crude fat percentage (around 12%).

 It’s also important that the feed isn’t made up of fillers like corn or molasses that ultimately won’t help your horse gain weight. The Safe Performance Elite High Fat Feed is made of beet pulp which adds substance and vitamins to the feed without an artificial filler. It also has high fat and protein levels along with lysine, fiber, calcium, copper, selenium, and zinc that will help your horse look and feel healthy.

4. Dessert Never Hurts!

One thing all horse owners have in common is that we love to spoil our ponies with treats! Usually, treats are made with artificial fillers, flavorings, and dyes that don’t really benefit your horse in any way. Look for a treat that will not only make your horse nicker when he sees the bag, but are also nutritious. 

The Nutrigood FruitSnax Horse Treats contain real fruit pieces and wholesome oats, without anything artificial. These treats are especially fun because you can really see the bits of blueberries, strawberries, cranberries, and other fruits in the treat. It makes you feel even better about feeding your horse extra treats when you can see the healthy ingredients. If your horse is losing his appetite due to the summer heat, try adding a couple of these yummy snacks in with their grain to make their stomachs growl.