I've been leasing a pastured mare since Feb. A big TB/draft cross that was thin to begin with, even with being pulled in for a lunch of alfalfa grass hay, forage pellets and probiotics. She actually gained weight at horse camp, because she didn't have to share. She's been in the same herd for years but the dynamics have changed and she's not top mare anymore.

I finally put her in a paddock and she has blossomed, I've changed the pellets to alfalfa forage pellets and rice bran. Thats all it's taken. She gets wormed and had her teeth done a couple of months ago. But no matter how much I let her graze, upped the hay and pellets, she wouldn't gain the wt. I think separating her is what did it. I realized at camp how slow she eats and when the weather turned a lot of the boarders complained the feeders weren't throwing enough hay. I doubt they feed by weight and probably don't put out more flakes than horses. When I fed there was always more flakes than horses so they had something to move to if they got bumped off by the more aggressive horse.

I'm not crazy about her being in the paddock, and it's only for the stormy weather but it has made a big difference. When I put her back in pasture on Thurs it will be intersting to see how her wt does.