answer me this please....

mjcssjw2 said:
Measfen and Kat, you raise an very valid point, which no one else though to ask, he isn't in work as he has a damaged check ligament - vets instructions!
its my understanding muzzles should only be used when the grass is a reasonable lenght ie they can actually get some. ours if extremely short and very little of it. If I did muzzle him he would rub his raw raw in a day, and usually there is no rubbing at all. As he will force the muzzle to try and get some grass. I do use a muzzle in summer.
He doesn't have any hard feed a bit of chop, which I was just finishing off, think hay or hayledge is probably prefereable to chop to be honest.

Interestingly the ulcers started in the winter when there was very little grass, vet told me to put hay out in the field, this horse keeping is like balancing a see-saw.
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If he can be turned out and there isn't much grass can you get him to move more in the field? Turn out on a hill, maybe a track if you can set it up, hay in very small nets/piles far apart and separate again from the water.

Can you walk him in hand?

What about a treat ball with some lo-cal feed in to keep him busy? A swede or turnip hung up so that it is difficult to eat would work too.
 
Still stuck with how much to risk!
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Try replacing a small amount of haylage with straw first- then gradually increase the straw and reduce the haylage - a kilo of straw is a lot more in the haynet than a kilo of haylage-so lots of bulk, as I wrote previously the amounts I use are ample for my neds (all approx 500kg- but have been fat and 600!) when you get an almost empty haynet in the morning is about the right amount!- no more than 50% straw though!- He may pretend that he doesn't like the straw for a couple of nights but if you persevere you will soon find that he does like it after all!
 
BudsMum I feel your pain! I desperately want to be able to chuck as much hay on the floor for her as she can eat but I just can't give her enough work to make this a viable option for her. She gets fat on fresh air.

I have tried everything except straw as the last time she scoffed straw she got colic...... I may try a bucket of chopped straw a night this Winter though. I do have a trickle net but she refuses to use it in a polite way and just yanks at it furiously and I worry about her neck, so I have stopped using it. Most horses nibble at it with their lips instead of being a violent thug with it but not her. I must say the trickle net probably added a good two and a half hours onto her munching time which is considerable.....

I have returned to a small holed net and this leaves her without anything for a LOT longer than I want, I am ignoring it right now until I think of my next fixit plan. The others on the yard give hay on the ground and theirs don't wolf it so quickly but they're also not TOO concerned about them standing with nothing....

You can try my trickle net with Bud if you like? Have you got anything for swapsies that you don't need anymore? :)
 
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As a YO and anti fat horse person, I'd be doing everything in my power to help. I'd be doing a midnight haying along with a colic check. I used to do this and a 'last thing' skip-out for my three liveries.

They left me the hay ready to throw in.
 
Billie1007 said:
BudsMum I feel your pain! I desperately want to be able to chuck as much hay on the floor for her as she can eat but I just can't give her enough work to make this a viable option for her. She gets fat on fresh air.

I have tried everything except straw as the last time she scoffed straw she got colic...... I may try a bucket of chopped straw a night this Winter though. I do have a trickle net but she refuses to use it in a polite way and just yanks at it furiously and I worry about her neck, so I have stopped using it. Most horses nibble at it with their lips instead of being a violent thug with it but not her. I must say the trickle net probably added a good two and a half hours onto her munching time which is considerable.....

I have returned to a small holed net and this leaves her without anything for a LOT longer than I want, I am ignoring it right now until I think of my next fixit plan. The others on the yard give hay on the ground and theirs don't wolf it so quickly but they're also not TOO concerned about them standing with nothing....

You can try my trickle net with Bud if you like? Have you got anything for swapsies that you don't need anymore? :)
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Thanks billie1007 such a lovely reply. He is being quite sensible with his double net so he may be good with it!
I'm just like you, would love to let him have ad lib but I fear it would be faar too much! He will be similar to your girl with the fatness, I have upped his hi fi mollasses free as it only 400g a scoop and mostly chopped straw...

I will pm you re swapsies :)
 
brighteyes said:
As a YO and anti fat horse person, I'd be doing everything in my power to help. I'd be doing a midnight haying along with a colic check. I used to do this and a 'last thing' skip-out for my three liveries.

They left me the hay ready to throw in.
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You sound like a dream y/o :)
 
I swear by the trickle nets. They may not be cheap but they are cheaper than vet bills!
Earlier this year I posted about my mare and she was diagnosed with ulcers. She now gets 2 trickle nets of hay and these last her from 7pm through to being turned out at 10am the following morning. Quite often there is a little bit left. She also gets a slice of straw every couple of nights, carrots chopped roughly and put in a treat ball and every so often a couple of tree branches to chew on. I try to make sure that she has something to chew on 24 hours a day. She barely gets any hard food, just some chaff based product and she is looking fantastic.
 
Please do not spray his bed with jayes fluid if anything is going to give him ulcers that will. The fact he is eating his bed will suffice him being without hay.
 
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