Question

My 13-year-old Miniature Horse gelding eats a diet consisting primarily of timothy, plus an hour or so of grazing each day during the growing season. He receives about 3 lb (1.4 kg) of timothy hay and 1 lb (0.45 kg) of soaked timothy pellets daily. He weighs about 300 lb (136 kg) and is exercised lightly twice a week. He also have a mineral salt block. Right now, he’s moderately fleshy, a score of 6 on the body condition scale, so I know he needs to lose weight. Would I.R. Pellet be appropriate for my gelding and, if so, how much should I feed?

Answer

Micro-Max is a complete micronutrient supplement providing both trace minerals and vitamins. Based on the diet information you provided, only 1 oz of Micro-Max is needed to meet your gelding’s dietary requirements. The included scoop measures 2 oz, so you would need to feed only half of a scoop to deliver 1 oz of Micro-Max.

Providing your gelding with fewer calories than required for light exercise will facilitate weight loss. The current forage amounts are appropriate, as it is best to provide at least 1% of body weight in forage. For example, a 300-lb (136-kg) miniature horse should receive at least 3.3 lb (1.5 kg) of hay per day. If weight loss does not occur in a reasonable time frame, then reducing feeding amounts so they are based on his target weight is the next step. His target weight is the weight he would be at a desired body condition score of 5, likely to be in the range of 250-275 lb (113-125 kg). One change in the diet could be a reduction in the amount of timothy pellets offered. Instead of feeding 1 lb (0.45 kg), offer 0.25-0.5 lb (0.1-0.23 kg) per day.

Micro-Max is available in the U.S. and other markets. Horsemen in Australia should look for Gold Pellet to meet micronutrient needs.