24/7 turnout, retired and weight loss

[Horsekaren]

We are going into our first winter retired. He is a little too plump for my liking. He lives out 24/7, he lives with one buddy and they are currently on about two acres, there is another two acres I have closed off for the last month or so, this now has lush short grass in it.
He has a pinch of hard feed for his vitimans, I pop a small section of hay out when the weather is a bit naff. There is grass but they really need to work for it now as it’s been grazed on for two months.
I can’t put ad-lib hay out as they will balloon.
He is naked unless very wet they he has a rain sheet on.
I feel I’m being mean but I need him to drop a bit of weight.
I don’t have water so can’t really soak hay. I’ve ordered a couple of slow feeder floor nets but these are taking a while to come Once they lose a few pounds my plan was to slowly strip the other 2 acres back over winter? Is there a point over winter where grass isn’t as fattening? Or is that it now, it will be lush until end of next summer?

Am I doing this diet right? Any other ideas to help drop some weight?

 

[Horsekaren]

The view that concerns me is this ... haha just realised those pics are to flattering. Looks like he has eaten a yoga ball despite really trying to manage grazing this summer ?

 

[Annagain]

You really aren't being mean. I wouldn't put a rug on him at all, I'd let him get wet. He won't dissolve and any extra calories he uses up keeping warm is a good thing. Having said that, he doesn't look too bad to me considering his type and his situation. Your plan for winter sounds good - yes the grass will stop growing and lose its lushness once it gets a bit colder - I think 4 degrees is the ground temperature at which it stops growing so you will probably need to supplement with more hay than you are at the moment once the grass has been eaten down.

 

[SEL]

My draft always goes into winter porky and so long as I don't get too soft he drops quite a lot by Feb and then I need to hold my nerve and not panic and throw food at him. If he comes out of winter ribby then he handles the spring grass without issue. If I wobble and decide he needs a tonne of food then he gets footy on the spring grass.

So I'd just let winter do its things and see how he goes. The grass is still growing around here (I threw a slice of hay out in rough weather the other day and it was ignored) but give it a month or so and hopefully it'll drop off.

 

[milliepops]

My draft always goes into winter porky and so long as I don't get too soft he drops quite a lot by Feb and then I need to hold my nerve and not panic and throw food at him. If he comes out of winter ribby then he handles the spring grass without issue. If I wobble and decide he needs a tonne of food then he gets footy on the spring grass.

So I'd just let winter do its things and see how he goes. The grass is still growing around here (I threw a slice of hay out in rough weather the other day and it was ignored) but give it a month or so and hopefully it'll drop off.

my retirees aren't prone to laminitis but this is what works for them too. I try and keep them sort of within a vaguely sensible range over summer but because they do no work other than jumping the electric fence they go into winter looking rather well, and come out looking slightly poor. I only feed hay and they live out naked unless its utterly horrendous.

 

[Polos Mum]

I am considering a small bib clip for my unbroken youngster. He is fatter than yours and I can't work him (unbroken)

I plan not to rug him at all and let him use some calories to keep warm (or run around to keep warm)
He didn't get rugged or fed last year and came into spring too fat and has got worse all summer.

My logic is that if he gets too skinny (in my dreams) then I can rug / add hay etc. For his type it's much easier to get weight on if I have to than get weight off in spring.

 

[meleeka]

Mine is currently fatter than that. He will lose most of that by Spring. I can’t scrimp on hay as mine lives with others, but you will notice a difference when your nets arrive. Mine isn’t rigged, unless it’s awful and that seems enough to get the weight off. I would strip graze the winter bit, moving the fence a bit every day rather than giving hay. He’ll probably be very happy with that so you don’t have to feel mean.

 

[Leandy]

Why are you supplementing with hay when he is on 24/7 grazing and too fat? Don't. Feed only when he needs it. It seems he doesn't. The goodness in the grass will decline now until it starts to grow again the spring. Just leave him with grazing only until he has dropped to the correct weight. Only then do you need to think about hay.

 

[Horsekaren]

Oh good glad I’m along the right lines. I get really confused when you read horses should have ad-lib forage, restricted grazing ect. I am not putting hay out as yet, just the odd bit when the weather is terrible. Fingers crossed he will drop some soon, he’s never been that good of a doer so this is all newish not having to throw hay at him.

 

[IrishMilo]

Oh good glad I’m along the right lines. I get really confused when you read horses should have ad-lib forage, restricted grazing ect. I am not putting hay out as yet, just the odd bit when the weather is terrible. Fingers crossed he will drop some soon, he’s never been that good of a doer so this is all newish not having to throw hay at him.

Grass is ad-lib forage, you don't need to supplement with hay Even though it looks sparse to you, he's obviously getting something from it if the weight is staying on.

 

[SEL]

Oh good glad I’m along the right lines. I get really confused when you read horses should have ad-lib forage, restricted grazing ect. I am not putting hay out as yet, just the odd bit when the weather is terrible. Fingers crossed he will drop some soon, he’s never been that good of a doer so this is all newish not having to throw hay at him.

Ad lib forage doesn't mean stuffing themselves senseless with huge amounts of lovely hay (despite what some of my fellow liveries think!). Nibbles count - grass pickings, hedge pickings are all ad lib forage in my book

 

[Esmae]

Why are you supplementing with hay when he is on 24/7 grazing and too fat? Don't. Feed only when he needs it. It seems he doesn't. The goodness in the grass will decline now until it starts to grow again the spring. Just leave him with grazing only until he has dropped to the correct weight. Only then do you need to think about hay.

This. Totally agree.

 

[Horsekaren]

Ad lib forage doesn't mean stuffing themselves senseless with huge amounts of lovely hay (despite what some of my fellow liveries think!). Nibbles count - grass pickings, hedge pickings are all ad lib forage in my book

Oh good, I kind of had it in my head as hay and lots of it !!! When I think of how much hay he used to get through when stabled and be a good weight not giving him any is a hard adjustment. Saying that we put a hay round out last year and he ballooned in a week. I like your wording, things to nibble all day not standing still gorging for hours on end. Thanks!

 

[Jeni the dragon]

I'm like everyone else, they tend to be slightly well just now, then lose it over the winter. I've kept them in a small muddy field getting hay every day, then last year I had a much bigger field and no hay which they actually did better. Same yard but we had sheep so less grass overall. Hoping to do the same this year, just waiting for the sheep to eat things down.

Mine get a balancer all year round plus one gets a handful of chaff. They spend the summer on a track to keep their weight down. Its a constant battle! Neither were rugged last year, but I'm hoping to clip a little and lightly rug them, as Thena got a touch of rainscald.

Its a balancing act and can take a year or two to get it right.

 

[Goldenstar]

I put top chop zero straight onto the ground in my bare field or at least I did until super cob broke out and I had to move them .

 

[HashRouge]

My Welsh Cob is quite fat atm as we have tonnes of grass now after a horrendously dry summer! I'm trying not to worry too much as he will winter out without a rug and the goodness will soon go from the grass. I'll also make a pen so the other one (27 yr old) can have her hay in peace if needed.

 

[Frano]

Your cob does not look fat to me. We are going into winter and it sounds like you have things planned out.