I knew that Maxwell would be a challenge when I got him. Obviously being an OTTB comes with a huge stigma of being a hard keeper with bad feet. I can't say that Maxwell really has either issue. I think most OTTBs start out with these issues. They've had shoes on their feet since they were broke to race, so of course they have delicate feet. They're kept in top physical condition, have a very very lean body with pretty much nothing but muscle. They're fed high sugar and starch meals to fuel their athleticism. The first year after retirement seems to be the hardest, for obvious reasons. But generally speaking, I don't believe that OTTBs deserve to be in the 'hard keeper with bad feet' pool. With proper nutrition, proper care, I think that more OTTBs than not can develop into average horses to maintain.
Nutrition, as I've said in past posts, is very important to me. I don't claim to be an expert, I'm the furthest thing from that. It's a constant learning process. Things change, technology changes, ideas change, opinions change.
What works for thousands of horses might not work for yours. What works for yours, might not work for thousands more. It's not about adhering to the 'rules', the 'standards'. They help, but sometimes you have to alter your plan. I've been on quite an adventure with Maxwell and his nutrition. When I brought him home, I slowly transitioned him onto the food I was feeding my previous horse. It seemed like a viable option, we saw great results with the other horses that were on it, it was low starch, low sugar, and had a lot of good stuff in it. Scientifically speaking, there was absolutely NOTHING wrong with the food. However, soon after the transitional phase, Maxwell's loose manure continued. His stomach still made awful grumbling noises (more than your normal, good gut sounds). He continued to make some progress, becoming much less body sensitive, and his wonderful personality bloomed. However, the loose manure continued and I knew his tummy wasn't where it should be. I tried adding yeast & probiotics at a higher dose (the concentrate he was on also included these) to no avail. I did a round of sand clear to ensure he didn't have sand sitting in his gut. Nothing. His loose manure and loud gut continued.
I'll spare the rest of the story, as it's been told here before, but I have to say that the decision to switch Maxwell back onto the Cavalor FiberForce that he arrived to me on was a great one. He went from eating nearly 9 quarts of a concentrate daily to a forage based food in the same amount. The results were like night and day with his manure. About 3 days into the transition from Seminole to Cavalor, his manure was more solid and formed than it had ever been in my care leading up to that point. The addition of WholeGain has been a game changer. Maxwell was maintaining his weight, whether on the Seminole or Cavalor, but wasn't gaining. He wasn't grossly underweight at 1065lbs, but could use a fat pad over the ribs, and some fill in hollow spots.
We were directed to start at 1/4lb and work our way up to a maximum of 1/2lb a day. About halfway through the trial we attempted to increase to 1/2lb, but Maxwell became reactive under saddle, and we could see the look of discomfort in his eyes. The proof however, with this horse, is in the manure. It didn't get as loose as it was, but it became watery and softer than it had been at the half dose. I made the decision to drop him back down to 1/4lb of WholeGain per day. He perked back up, his poop recovered, and I had a happy horse again.
As much as I wish I could have increased his intake up to 1/2lb, I think Maxwell needs a longer adjustment period than a month to be able to make that transition. I am hoping that beyond the scope of this trial, I am able to up his intake of WholeGain to the recommended 1/2lb. In speaking with our vet, we've decided that we need to add some extra support to Maxwell's hind gut. He will be starting a 60 day trial of Succeed as soon as it arrives. We chose this option in part due to it's money back guarantee, and in part due to several personal acquaintances having seen success with it. It is my hope that we can heal his hind gut and then proceed to increase Maxwell's intake of Cavalor WholeGain accordingly.
In conclusion, I feel like Cavalor WholeGain is a great option for adding weight to a horse. I have seen great improvement in Maxwell's body condition over the last month. I feel if we had been able to up him to the maximum dose, he would be at an ideal weight right now. He still has some way to go, and for this particularly sensitive horse, we're just going to have to go about it slower. I recommend WholeGain to any owner looking for a low volume supplement that will deliver maximum high quality product to help with weight and overall appearance to their horses.
I realize this post comes about a week and a half late, but it's been a busy last few weeks!
Before
After
So, the before picture sucks. We tried and tried to get Maxwell to stand, but the day that we needed to get a before, he wouldn't cooperate, probably because his auntie Summer was out to visit and he just wanted to do his own thing. I'm not sure what photo we even ended up with for the before, or if this is considered the official after...but these were the two photos taken at Day 0 and Day 30. It stinks because he's in a totally different position, but you still get the general idea. He's much more filled in around the flanks, has gained much muscle, and has a nice big belly. The ribs are still there, and they show more some days than others, but we've got a bit of a fat pad over them now. As I've said, my hope is to condition his hind gut and try again to increase the WholeGain.
For those interested in the 'beginning' post when the challenge first started, see here:
Link to Diet Challenge Beginning Blog Post
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