Anyone still having trouble with fatties?

SaffronWelshDragon

SaffronWelshDragon

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My shetland x is still on the chubby side. I can't feel her ribs and she has a bit of a crest. She's a bit of a nightmare really, because her friend my Welsh A is laminitis prone but hasn't had it for years due to careful management. I also have 2 other ponies who are good doers so I keep an eye on them. Anyway, the shetland (Rose) and Welsh A (Penny) are usually in a fenced of field together so I can keep an eye on their weight. Over the summer I've managed to keep Penny trim, although she's around 24 so that may be a factor. All 4 ponies are now in together and are strip grazed, we pull the field out about 3 meters or so every few days.

Problem is, Rose seems to eat the same amount of grass as the others, but as she's smaller she just puts it all on as fat. I'm hoping to move all 4 girls to their winter field soon (about 2.5 - 3 acres) as the little field they're in is getting boggy.

Does anyone have any ideas on how to keep this weight off? The other 3 will appreciate the new grass, but Rose is sure to expand even further. I'm slightly annoyed because I thought that autumn / winter grass was a bit rubbish nutritionally. Also, could it be the warm weather, maybe she's not having to keep herself warm?
 
Our fatty still has her muzzle on as the grass is still too good! The warm and damp autumn is a proper pain for people with good doers I think. We are just waiting for the grass to go off, it can't happen too soon!
 
star was let out of her starvation paddock last week and she has ballooned already, shouldn't be long now til it gets cold enough for the grass
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defo try a grazing muzzle, if that doesn't work how about a smaller circular paddock in the middle of the other ponies' paddock, so she eats less but is still surrounded by friends?
Under-rug (or no rug!) when it gets cold, 24 hour soaked hay when in (or if out with hay), vits and mins from something like D&H equibites which can be fed alone.

She is defo likely to expand A LOT if she goes out on 2.5 acres of rested grazing, so hers will need to be restricted somehow.
 
Thanks again guys. My plan anyway was to fence off the 2.5 acres then fence off a smaller section within that for Penny and Rose until the others have munched down the larger area.

Off to investigate grazing muzzles, gawd knows if she'll keep it on though!
 
Yes! Mine still has her muzzle on 24/7 and no rug, even though its p*ssing down with rain outside....call me mean, but if she gets a bit cold today, GOOD, she can shiver off some of her fat! She gets baileys lo-cal and a handful of good-doer once a day to keep her vit and min levels up.

The reason for my meaness is she will not stay in her fat strip for more than 2 minutes (yes I have timed her....) before jumping out. If the fence is high, she just jumps through it and takes it all bloody with her, including destroying my nice gate hooks
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yeah you should get one to fit! they tend to come up pretty small anyway... cob size tend to fit pony and so pony sized should fit shetland!

Good luck! I know how difficult it can be with fatties!!
 
The only thing that has worked for me is the racetrack system. It kept my fatty slim, whilst still providing ample for the bigger, hard(er) working ones.
 
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