Best method to get weight off an unworked horse?

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Ranyhyn

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My mare is currently out of work due to injury, personally coming out of winter I feel she is still a little on the heavy side and I'd like to get some more weight off her as she is prone to put on a lot of weight spring/summer with our grazing.

As you can see, the field they are on is pretty poor (deliberately) and they are only having vits and mins.

Clearly giving them poor grazing wont work alone so what ideas do you have to improve (or worsen ;) ) their intake?
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She doesn't look to bad to be fair, my gelding is like a barrel compared to her and I'm going to be muzzling him some of the time he is out, lives on fresh air!
 
Put a track around the outside of the field so she has to walk a long way for the food :)

Obvious one is grazing muzzle too.
 
Could you bring her in for a couple of hours a day? My two ponies are out in the day and in at night on not particularly good grazing. If they were out all the time they would be massive. I bring them in in the evening then they have a couple of hours with nothing before getting a very small amount of hay at night. Or take her for walks in hand if she is up to it.
 
Tracking could work, will definitely think about that! Grazing muzzle would be awkward as she is left out with 2 welshies - I'm sure that tells you my issue in a nutshell! :D :D

I could try bringing her in yes, we do have a hardcore area which they could be kept in during the day and turned out to graze by night maybe?

(Leading) I don't feel she's up to that (mentally or physically ATM) not to mention the lack of lead horse and hacking here (we're at home atm) but thanks for the idea anyway :)
 
Your ground looks a lot like ours, and a track system resulted in a muddy morass in a ring around the overgrown centre - works best on dry, sandy soil I fear. Unfortunately the only way to get weight off if you cannot work them is to reduce food intake: take them off the grass for at least part of the day, or muzzle.
 
Except horses are trickle grazers and shouldnt ever be left with no food at all. Quickest way to get colic and ulcers.

Depends how wet it is as to whether you get a muddy track, however she will still have bits to pick at in the mud and as its nearly summer it should be much of an issue.
 
TigerTail said:
Except horses are trickle grazers and shouldnt ever be left with no food at all. Quickest way to get colic and ulcers.

Depends how wet it is as to whether you get a muddy track, however she will still have bits to pick at in the mud and as its nearly summer it should be much of an issue.
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I agree they shouldn't be left without food generally, but a couple of hours here or there is pretty safe. Better that than have issues as a result of them being over weight.

OP - if you leave her in all day, then maybe double up on small hole haynets or you could try one of those trickle nets which seem to have good reviews. At least you will be reducing her intake, and having something to nibble at will stop her from getting bored. It's all such a balancing act. :)

ETA if you soak the hay well, it will also reduce the calorie intake further.
 
You know, someone always comes on with the "trickle grazers" comment when anyone recommends restricting feed, but if you feed good doers (read: greedy) ad lib they WILL be the overweight, porky, laminitus prone horses that we see so much of nowadays. My horses are fed (forage only) 4 times a day, they get 1/3 clean straw, 2/3 good hay or haylage, but they can only have small amounts or otherwise they'd be the size of houses. This means that for about half the time they are not eating. Have kept horses like this for 40 years; never had a colic, nor an ulcer.....
 
LOL don't worry she wouldn't be left with nothing!!! I'll remove her from the grass and put her onto lots of half filled, small holed soked hay haynets.
This horse would walk through fences for grass haha leaving her with nothing is not an option! :D
 
BoolavogueDC said:
LOL don't worry she wouldn't be left with nothing!!! I'll remove her from the grass and put her onto lots of half filled, small holed soked hay haynets.
This horse would walk through fences for grass haha leaving her with nothing is not an option! :D
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Sounds perfect!

I know that food obsessed sort. I give mine an extra foot or so of grass every couple of days by moving the temporary electric fence. I can't move it when one them is out otherwise I am trampled. When I turn him out in the morning he goes full pelt to the end of the field and if it's a day when I don't give him extra, comes full pelt back up the field to find out what's going on. He would literally be wider than he is tall if he was fed ad lib. He no longer has the crest and wobbly bits he had when I first got him. And he doesn't seem to suffer when he stands without food for short periods (well he is clearly starved :rolleyes:, but shows no physical issues). :)
 
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