pottamus
Well-Known Member
Does anyone sucessfully keep their Welsh D or cob type that lives off thin air out all year 24/7? How do you manage them so that they do not get overweight?
Cobs out 24/7?
- Thread starter pottamus
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soph21
Well-Known Member
My cob (in post below) lies out with a M/W rug, haylege and 1 scoop of hi fi, 1 scoop of sugerbeet and 1 scoop of cool mix.
barnbrookaa
Well-Known Member
Mine lives out on fresh air 24/7 but the grass gets too much and he does get fat but he tends to loose it through the winter so its all good
hadfos
Well-Known Member
A lot of people keep their coblets out all yr,dont overrug as the warmer he is the less calories he will use to keep warm...the grass starts to deterioate come october and has very little nutritional value,he will obviously need hay when the weather gets alot colder and depending on the grazing...ours(tb though),had plenty of grass but still wanted their hay,if hard feed not needed maybe use a paddock lick with the vitamins in it he will need!!
dwi
Well-Known Member
Its the best way really if you can manage to restrict their grazing because they will keep moving so will burn off more calories than standing in a stable. I would restrict the grazing down to a really small patch and use a grazing muzzle if you find your cob is getting fat.
Honeypots
Well-Known Member
All my fatties live out 24/7. I have one 15.1hh cob and 5 ponies..all prone to being overweight. The only way to manage it is through strip grazing in my main field which is lush for most of the year. I have a section about 15m x 20m for my 13.1hh. She's in that most of the summer and I move the fencing (electric), backwards and forwards according to her weight. My cob is out on a bigger area, approx the size of an arena until the grass stops growing and they'll have the full 6 acres.. They get a feed of Good Doer and High Fibres cubes every day. Cob is a little bit overweight, pony is perfect weight.
My 4 smaller ponies are at home on an acre paddock which has been eaten down to very little.. they just get a little hay at night. All good weight except mini shettie who looks like he's swallowed a beach ball!!
My 4 smaller ponies are at home on an acre paddock which has been eaten down to very little.. they just get a little hay at night. All good weight except mini shettie who looks like he's swallowed a beach ball!!
pottamus
Well-Known Member
I am going to gradually move him over onto his winter grazing by putting him on it during the day and bringing him back onto his diet paddock and hay during the night for October and then move him onto the winter grazing over the winter months from Nov onwards.
I guess I will just have to watch his weight as he will only be ridden during the weekends as we are all road work here and it is already too dark in the mornings to ride before work. So I will see how we go.
He will have a rug and never needs more than a medium weight at all and has access to his field stable at all times if he wants.
I guess I will just have to watch his weight as he will only be ridden during the weekends as we are all road work here and it is already too dark in the mornings to ride before work. So I will see how we go.
He will have a rug and never needs more than a medium weight at all and has access to his field stable at all times if he wants.
buffy2
Well-Known Member
We have all together 4 section ds,that live out,24/7.none of them are rugged,at the moment there on small paddocks and in the winter we keep a eye on how much they are eating.
Boodle
Well-Known Member
Yep. One laminitic cob living out all year round.
Rotated with her Shetland companion between a 1 acre summer paddock, 2 acre winter paddock, and 1/4 acre paddock for when she gets hefty.
She does very well and tends to stay a good weight.
x
Rotated with her Shetland companion between a 1 acre summer paddock, 2 acre winter paddock, and 1/4 acre paddock for when she gets hefty.
She does very well and tends to stay a good weight.
x
RachelB
Well-Known Member
My Welshie went from being like a greyhound in winter to a hippo in summer. It was just a case of keeping the grazing short enough for summer and keeping enough for winter.
Same goes for my fat ID now - graze it down as much as possible before spring. She has a muzzle for if there gets too much grass in summer, and is currently still on restricted grazing which seems to be working (but very, very slowly!)
Same goes for my fat ID now - graze it down as much as possible before spring. She has a muzzle for if there gets too much grass in summer, and is currently still on restricted grazing which seems to be working (but very, very slowly!)
L
lilym
Guest
yes i keep my d out 24/7 spring summer and autumn he has restricted grazing divided by electric fencing, from november onwards he has run of the paddock so it doesnt get churned by constantly moving the fence creating mud patches, the grass has lost the majority of goodness then anyway. i put hay out through the winter addlib, in summer he lives off the grass and bailey's lo-cal, he's chilled and happy living out 24/7 365 days a year, and we show!!
Gentle_Warrior
Well-Known Member
mine is out 24/7, lives on just grass in summe, then he gets 1/2 soop chaff and 1/2 scoop mix in winter. I used to over rug but wil not be this year, he puts it on in the summer and then looses it nicely in the winter
he stays out no matter what the weather. CLipping next wek so he will have a lght weight on, was hoping not to but he will be doig a spons ride next weekend and his coat is thick
he stays out no matter what the weather. CLipping next wek so he will have a lght weight on, was hoping not to but he will be doig a spons ride next weekend and his coat is thick
Chunkie
Well-Known Member
Mine is a laminitic Sec D X.
She lives out all year round, unrugged through the winter. However, at times when the weather is very wet and they don't have a full coat (like last week and at Easter) we put rainsheets on (no filling so they don't get warmed up too much).
From mid/end March until beg December (depending on weather) the two horses are on about an acre. The other horse - who doesn't get laminitis - gets moved onto more grazing for a few hours each day. They are fed Happy Hoof every morning and also have a haynet.
Once we have a few good frosts, they are allowed the whole field of about 8 acres - usually early December.
She lives out all year round, unrugged through the winter. However, at times when the weather is very wet and they don't have a full coat (like last week and at Easter) we put rainsheets on (no filling so they don't get warmed up too much).
From mid/end March until beg December (depending on weather) the two horses are on about an acre. The other horse - who doesn't get laminitis - gets moved onto more grazing for a few hours each day. They are fed Happy Hoof every morning and also have a haynet.
Once we have a few good frosts, they are allowed the whole field of about 8 acres - usually early December.