How to Feed my Hard Keeper?

We have all had that horse that makes you feel that no matter how much it eats, it doesn’t seem to put on any weight. Let me help you with the most important things every horse owner should know when having a hard keeper.

What Is a Hard Keeper?

A “hard keeper,” also called a poor doer or unthrifty horse, is one that has difficulty maintaining body condition even with what seems like adequate feed. This can be due to a faster metabolism, stress, medical conditions, or breed tendencies—particularly in Thoroughbreds, Standardbreds, and senior horses.

You can identify a hard keeper using the Henneke Body Condition Score (BCS), a 1–9 scale:

• 4: Moderately thin
• 3 or less: Underweight

Hard keepers tend to hover around a BCS of 4 or below despite eating well.

There are other factors that can make the horse a hard keeper like:

• Workload: sporthorses that compete or have a heavy training workload need more calories in their diets compared to a leasure horse due to the increased energy needs and travel-related stress.
• Stallions: will burn more calories compared to geldings, due to increased stress or breeding season.
• Temperament: high strung or nervous horses will naturally burn more calories due to the tensions.

Step One: Diagnose Before You Feed

Before you reach for another bag of feed, you need to understand why your horse is struggling to hold weight. Designing a feeding plan for a hard keeper isn’t just about dumping more calories into the bucket — it’s about taking a step back, assessing their entire situation, and making sure you’re solving the right problem with the right tools.

Evaluate Body Condition and Weight

Start with a thorough evaluation of your horse’s current condition. Use the Henneke Body Condition Scoring (BCS) system, a 1–9 scale that estimates body fat based on visual and tactile assessment. The ideal BCS for most horses falls between 4 and 6. If your horse hovers at a 4 or lower and seems to lose weight at the drop of a hat, you’re likely dealing with a classic hard keeper.

Weight plays a massive role in determining nutritional needs — but let’s be honest, most of us don’t have a livestock scale at the barn. If you can’t access one, use a weight tape or body measurement formula and track changes over time. These are useful for noticing trends even if they aren’t perfect.

Consider Workload, Lifestyle & Stress

How much work is your horse doing? Workload directly affects their calorie, protein, vitamin, and mineral requirements. The NRC classifies exercise levels as follows:

• Light: 1–3 hours/week (mostly walk/trot)
• Moderate: 3–5 hours/week (some cantering)
• Heavy: 4–5 hours/week (includes skill work, jumping, galloping)
• Very Heavy: 1 hour/week of speed work or 6–12 hours of lower intensity work

A thin horse under increased exercise demands — especially in winter or during competition season — will require a tailored nutrition plan to compensate. But even beyond structured work, look at stressors. Is your horse fighting for food in a group setting? Being stalled too often? Traveling constantly? Dealing with harsh weather, bugs, or inadequate shelter? These all chip away at calories and comfort.

Don’t Ignore Age, Breed & Genetics

Older horses may need more help maintaining weight due to age-related decline in digestion and muscle retention. That said, being old is not an excuse to be thin. With proper management, senior horses can hold weight just fine. Likewise, some breeds like Thoroughbreds and high-strung performance types are genetically inclined to be leaner — but that doesn’t mean they should stay ribby.

Medical Issues:

• Parasites (fecal egg count)
• Dental problems (quidding, sharp points) – pain in the mouth can intefere with your horses ability or desire to eat.
• Gastric ulcers
• PPID (Cushing’s)
• Chronic pain or lameness
• Underlying clinical disease

Management Issues:

• Herd stress or competition for feed
• Inadequate forage or poor hay quality
• Stall confinement or lack of turnout
• Picky eaters that may reject their feed

Tip: Always consult with a veterinarian and equine nutritionist before assuming the issue is dietary.

I bought the One Horse Life OPP course, where you teach your horse how to relax consciously, and you have no idea how my horses have changed (the hard keepers suddenly have amazing bodies with the same amount of food I was feeding before.) I am learning still but I had never seen such a big impact in a horse, it’s body and it’s mind. *This is no paid advertising* This is me genuinely asking you to check that out and give your horse this gift.

1. Free-Choice Forage

If your horse struggles to hold weight, your first priority isn’t grain — it’s forage, and lots of it. Free-choice forage (a.k.a. 24/7 access to hay or pasture) is the single most important and often underused strategy for helping hard keepers gain and maintain condition. Horses are designed to graze constantly. When we allow them to eat the way nature intended, everything works better: digestion, behavior, stress levels — and yes, body weight.

Offering unlimited access to forage keeps calories and fiber flowing steadily through the gut, which supports weight gain without the metabolic risk of high-starch feeds. It also fuels vital behaviors: chewing, trickle feeding, and movement. Chewing stimulates saliva, and saliva helps buffer stomach acid — a big deal in preventing ulcers.

When you restrict hay, you don’t just cut calories — you set off a chain reaction that ramps up stress hormones, impairs digestion, and makes it harder for hard keepers to utilize their feed. So give them hay, and give it generously.

Free access to forage only works if your horse actually eats it. That’s why palatability is king. Most horses will gravitate toward soft, leafy grass hay or alfalfa. Pasture, if available, is even better — it’s high in water content, naturally tasty, and supports normal foraging behavior. But there is a big but: pasture is seasonal, region-dependent, and often overrated in quality unless well-managed. A field full of “green stuff” doesn’t mean much if it’s 80% weeds and overgrazed spots, and you still have to supplement vitamins and minerals.

If you have access to good pasture, great — use it. If not, your hay becomes mission-critical.

Know Your Hay: Grass vs. Legume

Grass hay is typically sufficient for horses in maintenance or light work, and it should still form the bulk of any horse’s diet. Aim to feed at least 2% of your horse’s body weight in long-stem grass hay per day. For a 1,100 lb (500 kg) horse, that’s 24 lb (11 kg) of hay minimum — on a dry matter basis.

Legume hay, on the other hand, are higher in calories and protein. They’re incredibly useful for hard keepers and underweight horses. Immature, leafy alfalfa is highly digestible and palatable. A small daily portion (up to 20% of total forage) can make a significant difference in weight gain and muscle maintenance. Just be aware that alfalfa is high in calcium, so you’ll need to balance your horse’s mineral intake carefully — ideally with the help of a nutritionist.

There is sainfoin hay that is a legume as well, you might want to read about it since it has great benefits: What is sainfoin hay?

When buying hay, don’t guess quality by color or smell. Look for:

• A high leaf-to-stem ratio
• No mold, weeds, dust, or contaminants
• Clean storage conditions
• Fine-textured cuttings (2nd or 3rd cut preferred)
• A forage analysis, if you really want to know what you’re feeding

Use Hay Nets or Slow Feeders to Stretch Intake and Reduce Waste

If you’re not using slow feeders or hay nets, you’re leaving money (and nutrition) on the barn floor.

You can learn more about our complete guide to using hay nets, not only hung but also in feeders.
Or you can also read our guide on Hay Feeding Systems to see which fits best.

• Prolong eating time (mimicking natural grazing)
• Keep hay clean and off the ground (less waste, less sand ingestion)
• Reduce boredom and stress
• Support gut health through steady forage flow
• Allow more precise intake monitoring

For group-fed horses, place multiple hay nets to reduce competition and bullying. Choose an appropriate hole size: too small and your horse gives up, too big and you’ve just made a mess. Always hang nets at chest height or lower to maintain a natural head position and encourage respiratory drainage.

What If They’re Still Not Eating Enough?

Some hard keepers are picky or disinterested in hay — especially if they’ve had ulcers, stress, or dental issues in the past. In those cases, palatability boosters can help. Try:

• A handful of sweet feed sprinkled on top
• Ground flaxseed sprinkled as well
• A pinch of fenugreek, peppermint leaves, or anise
• Commercial hay toppers (available in apple, peppermint, etc.)
• OneHorseLife – Relax that Stomach or OPP

Use common sense — you don’t want to spike their sugar or add unneeded calories if they’re already on a complex feeding plan. But if a hay topper helps them eat more forage, it’s a worthy tool in your toolbox.

2. Balance the Basics: Vitamins and Minerals

You cannot fatten a horse that’s running on empty at the micronutrient level. Vitamin and mineral deficiencies quietly sabotage everything from metabolism and appetite to immune function and muscle development. If your hard keeper is eating plenty but still looks like a rescue case, it is probably because are you’re missing something essential in the diet.

Why Micronutrients Matter

Trace minerals like zinc, copper, and selenium, and fat-soluble vitamins like vitamin E, play critical roles in:

• Muscle development and repair
• Thyroid and metabolic regulation
• Appetite and feed efficiency
• Immune defense
• Energy conversion

Even mild deficiencies can lower feed utilization and stall weight gain. And if your horse is living on hay or pasture alone (as many are), they’re almost certainly coming up short — especially in copper, zinc, vitamin e and selenium, which are often deficient in forage across North America.

The Solution: A High-Quality Vitamin & Mineral Supplement

To fill these gaps, you need to add a comprehensive, forage-balancing vitamin and mineral supplement — not a sugary ration balancer, not a flavored lick, and definitely not just extra grain.

Common Deficiencies in Hard Keepers:

• Zinc, copper, selenium
• Vitamin E and B-complex
• Amino acids (lysine, methionine, threonine)

Options:

• Ration balancer pellets
• Loose vitamin-mineral mixes

Add according to your hay analysis and feeding program.

One top-tier option is Mad Barn’s Omneity®. This is not your average vitamin scoop. It’s:

• 100% organic trace minerals (better absorption)
• Fortified with all B-vitamins and vitamin E
• Grain-free — no filler carbs
• Includes yeast and digestive enzymes to improve feed efficiency

Tip: Always start by balancing the forage. If your hay is tested, you can build the diet precisely. If not, Omneity® is formulated to safely cover common deficiencies in most North American forages.

3. Calories Are Key

Once you’ve addressed forage, balanced the minerals, and ruled out underlying issues, then — and only then — should you start stacking on extra calories. But the goal is to try to add all the energy through the horse’s forage, because that is what they are built to do. Transform forage into energy.

Now once we have a good forage intake, but we still want to supplement additional feed — but not the kind from cracked corn and sweet feed. The old strategy of feeding more high-NSC (non-structural carbohydrate) feed to bulk up thin horses is outdated and risky. Instead, the goal is to increase calorie density without overloading your horse’s system with sugar and starch. That means slow-release energy from fiber and fat, not a blood sugar rollercoaster from cracked corn and molasses.

The normally suggested calorie sources are:

• High-quality forage (always #1!)
• High-fat feeds (≥10%)
• Stabilized rice bran, Ground flaxseed, Chia seeds
• Unmolassed Beet pulp (soaked) Everything you need to know about Beet Pulp.

Want a smarter, more targeted option? You can look at natural sources of Omega-3 and the commercial options available.

• Omega-3s
• Natural vitamin E
• Anti-inflammatory support
• A noticeable improvement in skin, coat, joints, and metabolic efficiency

⚠️ Important: Introduce fat gradually and feed at the right rate. Excess fat can suppress fiber digestion if overfed and try not feeding oils to your horses.

But here’s the catch: don’t just dump vegetable oil on their feed and call it good. Top-dressing with fats like corn or soybean oil can unbalance the omega ratio, suppress fiber fermentation, and even cause loose manure.

Instead, it’s easier and more convenient for you to use a commercially balanced high-fat feed that includes:

• Stabilized fat sources
• Balanced amino acid profiles
• Fortified vitamins and minerals (especially if not using a separate supplement)

This way you will only feed one thing and will make your job easier.

Support Digestive Health

A healthy hindgut improves feed efficiency and weight gain. Although I think that feeding hay the correct way will aid your horse much more, than feeding digestive aids and forgetting about the hay. So if you want to invest in something, think hay.

Helpful Additives:

• Probiotics & Yeast (support fiber digestion)
• Prebiotics
• Lecithin + Pectin Complexes (ulcer protection)
• Glutamine or licorice (soothing for gut)

Recommended Digestive Aids for horses that are prone to colic, weight loss, or show signs of digestive upset:

• Mad Barn Visceral+
• EquiShure (KER)
• SmartDigest Ultra (SmartPak)

Top Supplements for Hard Keepers

If you go the commercial route:

• Read the tag. Look for NSC (non-structural carbohydrate) content and aim for feeds with <12% for sensitive horses.
• Avoid ingredient lists dominated by corn, barley, wheat middlings, and molasses.
• Look for added fat (e.g. rice bran, flaxseed, chia seeds), quality protein (e.g. sainfoin, alfalfa), and balanced vitamins/minerals.
• ≥10% fat
• ≥12% fiber
• Added amino acids & gut support

Remember: The goal isn’t just to feed more — it’s to feed better. Your hard keeper doesn’t need a feed bucket full of sugar and marketing. They need targeted energy that works with their body, not against it.

Products for a Hard Keeper

Let me be clear: these aren’t magic pellets. I’m not listing these feeds and supplements to imply that they’re some kind of miracle fix.

When I’ve had a hard keeper struggle to gain weight, I always start by ruling out the basics: underlying health issues, chronic stress, ulcers, dental problems, parasites—you name it. Then I look at the foundation of the diet: is it meeting vitamin and mineral needs? Is the forage quality good enough? Only then do I consider adding in any of these extras.

And no, I don’t use all of these products on one horse. Each product has a specific purpose, tailored to that horse’s individual needs.

Best Omega 3 products ( Aid in weight gain, as well as provide anti inflammatory effects and support skin, hair and mane)
Top Weight Gain Supplements/Feeds for Underweight Horses

Winter Feeding Tips for Hard Keepers

Cold weather increases calorie demand.

🌡 For every 10°F below 18°F, add 2–4 lbs of hay.

Essential Strategies:

• Extra hay, pellets or cubes or soaked beet pulp
• Rice bran for winter-safe calories
• Heated water sources to ensure hydration
• Shelter or blanketing to reduce calorie loss from shivering

Monitor Progress

📸 Use photos every 2–3 weeks and BCS charts to assess changes.

Check for:

• Coat and hoof quality
• Muscle tone and top line
• Behavior and energy
• Manure consistency

Final Thoughts

I bought the One Horse Life OPP course, where you teach your horse how to relax consciously, and you have no idea how my horses have changed (the hard keepers suddenly have amazing bodies with the same amount of food I was feeding before.) I am learning still but I had never seen such a big impact in a horse, it’s body and it’s mind. *This is no paid advertising* This is me genuinely asking you to check that out and give your horse this gift.

Feeding a hard keeper isn’t about pouring more grain into a bucket. It’s about:

• Diagnosing the root cause
• Prioritizing forage and fat
• Filling nutrient gaps
• Supporting digestion
• Managing stress and environment

Go to this next article to learn how to manage stress and environment for horses.

With patience, consistency, and a whole-horse approach, you’ll help your horse gain and maintain a healthy weight.

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