Sussexbythesea
Well-Known Member
My vet wants my gelding to lose 60kg before a diagnostic tenoscopy and to carry out annular ligament transection on both his hind legs and plasma platelet therapy to his oblique distal sesamoidean ligament on his left hind. So far it has taken 5 weeks to lose just 15kg but vet keeps going on about a 720kg horse that lost 80kg in 5 weeks. He doesn't seem to think that is unsafe. That is more than double the recommended 1% a week loss. I've read about hyperlipaemia before and just seen Auslanders link about it in another thread but vet doesn't seem to think it is an issue. Maybe it is because he is a horse not a pony? (19yrs old 16.1hh WB gelding).
Prior to injury my horse was on Alfa-A oil and D&H Ultimate Balancer plus 4kg 9hr soaked hay at night and unrestricted grazing 8 hrs a day and ridden approx. 5 days a week hacking and schooling. He is now restricted to a starvation paddock and only feeding 9-14 hr soaked hay (vet says total 8.8kg a day) and changing to Hi-Fi light to get his supplements in Relax-me, Cortaflex liquid and Devils Claw. There isn't a lot I can cut out and I cannot exercise him. Initially I made him a small paddock which he ate down and then I moved a couple of posts every day or so to strip graze but then he got fed up and broke out of it. He is now on another tiny paddock with extra fencing and I'm hoping now he had eaten it down and only having soaked hay he will lose weight a bit quicker. He had a right strop this morning though so he may try to get out again.
Does anyone know how much energy is in Baileys Lo-cal balancer compared to D&H Ultimate Balancer? I can't see it on the Baileys web-site as can't scroll down the full list of ingredients. I can see the D&H is higher in protein. Vet wants me to feed the recommended full amount of balancer but I'd prefer not to fork out another £30 odd quid if there isn't much difference. Should I stop the D&H and swap to Lo-cal?
Also any other weight-loss tips appreciated as I'm sure my vet thinks I'm a secret feeder or lying about what I give him.
Many thanks.
Prior to injury my horse was on Alfa-A oil and D&H Ultimate Balancer plus 4kg 9hr soaked hay at night and unrestricted grazing 8 hrs a day and ridden approx. 5 days a week hacking and schooling. He is now restricted to a starvation paddock and only feeding 9-14 hr soaked hay (vet says total 8.8kg a day) and changing to Hi-Fi light to get his supplements in Relax-me, Cortaflex liquid and Devils Claw. There isn't a lot I can cut out and I cannot exercise him. Initially I made him a small paddock which he ate down and then I moved a couple of posts every day or so to strip graze but then he got fed up and broke out of it. He is now on another tiny paddock with extra fencing and I'm hoping now he had eaten it down and only having soaked hay he will lose weight a bit quicker. He had a right strop this morning though so he may try to get out again.
Does anyone know how much energy is in Baileys Lo-cal balancer compared to D&H Ultimate Balancer? I can't see it on the Baileys web-site as can't scroll down the full list of ingredients. I can see the D&H is higher in protein. Vet wants me to feed the recommended full amount of balancer but I'd prefer not to fork out another £30 odd quid if there isn't much difference. Should I stop the D&H and swap to Lo-cal?
Also any other weight-loss tips appreciated as I'm sure my vet thinks I'm a secret feeder or lying about what I give him.
Many thanks.