Bit bothered

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eahotson

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As you know we have moved yards. I moved him from one yard to a friend of mines for a few weeks and now he is with me. At my friends he did have access to some very good grazing and very little work so he has put on some weight and being a Highland is a very good doer anyway. At the first yard he always had plenty of haylage and again he was a bit tubby. However he had much more energy! At new yard he has turnout onto very limited grazing for about 8 hours a day. Fine. A token hard feed so he gets a bucket like everyone else. Fine. The haynet though is minisule! And I mean miniscule.That has to last him at least 12 hours! Explanation being that he needs to go on a diet.RESULT? He is sooo laclustre I don't want to ride him. He is a steady eddie, thats what I wanted but this is rediculous he has no energy at all. I do about 10 minutes lunging a day with him, just enough to get him puffing and panting a bit to try to help fitness and weight but daft as it sounds I think he needs more food. You can't just drop so much so soon.I don't mind him not having a morning feed or only a tiny one and the restricted grazing is brilliant but its the overnight that worries me! What do you think.
 
He should have access to at least a slice of hay at least every 4 hours. Alternatively soak the hay for 2 hours to remove nutrition and then he can eat as much as he wants.

I would also suggest worming him every with a wormer that will treat emerging encysted small red worms.

May also be worthwhile doing a a blood test just in case he has picked up something.
 
What about giving him a supplement like Propell Plus (I have raved abot it so much I should be on commision) it will help him spakle but without sending him loopy or adding any extra weight and will give him any vits/ minerals that he might be missing out on.

You could put the hay in two small holed haynets, one inside the other so he has to eat what he is given slowly?

If these problems are becasue you are on part/ full livery just mention your concerns to the YO.
 
He's lacklustre because he is hungry. If he was mine I forget about feeding hard feed, or if it makes it easier with the other horses around just give him literally a handful......but I would give him lots of hay! 12 hours is tooooo long for him to go without some sort of fibre and damage could be being done.
 
If you don't want to give him too much hay, give him some straw to nibble on. He shouldn't be left for 12 hours without food of some sort; horses are trickle feeders and it can damage their digestion to be left this long.
 
Is it the YO restricting the hay? I also worry about how much hay Chum has overnight (tho he has access to good grass in the day and I have to watch his weight) but I think I've just got it right now. I've got it in a red/black Shires haynet that has really tiny holes - much easier than two haynets. I also soak it for about 10-15mins to get rid of the dust but I'm told soaked hay slows down their eating too. He just gets a token hard feed too.
 
No. I go away at weekends and any yard near enough to me for say assisted just doesn't cut the mustard. I live in a city. Yards near to cities tend to have VERY restricted turnout. At this yard he gets aboout 8 hours and in June they will start going out all night.It has its advantages but still. Everytime I think I have things sorted things go wrong. At the last place things got very bad and without wanting to go into too many details, I was badly bullied and lost a lot of confidence.
 
Agree with the others. I would feed him soaked hay, out of a very small holed net - I can't abide seeing horses with nothing to eat overnight, it's not natural, and will cause problems such as eating beds etc. I wouldn't be overly concerned about him dropping a bit of weight, but he does need to trickle feed. If his grass intake has dropped he will take some time to get the energy levels sorted - especially with spring grass (that makes some horses go fruit loopy) coming from great grazing to pooer grazing will result in less energy, but as he drops weight, increases fitness etc, it should come back.
 
Well Tia I agree. Hard feed is irrelevant really except that a handful (which is all he is getting) just makes him think he is getting a bucket. A GRADUAL reduction in weight with more exercise is what he needs. Fibre fibre and more fibre really.
 
He has just been wormed and I don't think that is a problem. When I first saw the haynet I thought it was just a small teatime haynet with a larger one later but if what I am told today is true then that is that.He won't loose weight either as he will go into starvation mode. The YO is an equine sciences graduate! and an AI. Will have to have a word.
 
Ah ok.

So - presumably he's on hay not haylage?? Have you spoken to yard manager about how much hay he is getting? He needs a minimum of around 10-11 lbs at around 14.2hh (is he around that or bigger). And obviously if it can be given as late as possible after he comes in that is ideal.

It is always so, so difficult getting that balance right between them losing some weight, but still havine enough energy to work. But - in order for you to be able to increas his hay and ultimately his grub you have to work him properly. And swinging him round on the end of the lunge simply won't cut it.

Do the YO's live on site and offer a late night feed service? If they do perhaps you could cut his ration in two, plus offer him a tub of HiFi Lite to keep him going through the night.......
 
I lunge him because he is quite unfit but also because its the only way I can get any work out of him at all. At least I get some work that way.Really he is a steady eddie but a reasonably responsive one, now he is just dead.This is an expensive yard and I thought I would get good care for my horse.I used to enjoy riding him.
 
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The YO is an equine sciences graduate! and an AI. Will have to have a word.

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That doesn't mean to say she knows a lot now does it if that is the way she treats her liveries?!

This is the same scenario that happened at Reasehesth College with one of my old horses. He's an ID x TB/cob, 16.2., built like a bit of a tank I suppose; his weight would be about 600+kgs (guessing here) and he was expected to last from morning to 6pm on just a 3 kg haynet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and these people are MEANT to know what they are doing, I just despair for the poor horses. Because he was literally starving he turned very nasty in a nippy, grouchy way and it wasn't until I had him at home that he changed back to the nice boy he's always been. (He didn't belong to me BTW, but I've now been given him back as she's emigrated)
Your pony really does need a lot more fibre than what he's getting atm; I hope you can talk sense into your YO.
 
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This is an expensive yard and I thought I would get good care for my horse.I used to enjoy riding him

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All the more reason to talk to the Yard Manager about your concerns. They may not be aware that you are not happy. And if they are aware of your concerns, then further discussion needs to take place. They may be advising you that your horse needs to loose weight, but obviously at the end of the day it is up to you to dictate to them how you want the horse managed. So if you want him to have more hay then more hay he must get.
 
Give it some time. Teething issues are not unusual, I don't think any two yards do things the same way. The only way to sort this out is to have a chat with YO, explain that you are not happy with him not having something to nibble overnight, so until they go out 24/7, you would like him to have a larger, soaked, small holed net - if they have any issue with this, I would pop out, buy a few nets, and possibly some hay if they are really against it, a dustbin, and fill the nets, soak them and put them up yourself. Livery yards usually have a wealth of knowledge, but ultimately, they are a service, and whilst I may advise against something I didn't feel was right for the horse (not in your case) I would ultimately do as the owner wished - it is their horse after all. I would be nice about it, explain the exact concern, explain how you think it should be solved. This isn't your old yard, don't think the worst quite yet.
 
Thanks Amymay. I will have to say something. I don't dispute that he needs to loose some weight but its how its being done and I am suprised that an equine sciences graduate should think that this is the way. I went to a feed lecture a few months ago and they showed us exactly how large an equine gut is to reinforce this fibre, fibre fibre thing.
 
Well I have to say this is a brand new yard and I think she is not quite used yet to running a livery yard and is having to learn as she goes along (as indeed we all have at some stage).I will have a word and at least give her a chance.
 
He's your horse. It's not up to the YO to decide he is going on a diet and how to do it. All of my horses, even the good doers, have as much hay to eat overnight as they need. I want to see some shreds left lying about when they are turned out in the morning. I would be devastated if one of mine were being treated in this way, it's not only cruel but it's a danger to his health. You've had great advice above on how to deal with his weight and how much hay he needs. Go to the YO and tell them this is what you want done, and get up there unannounced from time to time to check she is doing what you ask. Then hack him a lot, that will help him lose a few pounds.
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