Extreme weight loss needed

[throwaway2022]

Picked up our new pony last night, wow he’s overweight! Knew he’d be a project (was a bargain buy) but wasn’t expecting him to be so big.

Hay is soaking, he’ll be getting a handful of chaff with balancer and I’ve moved him into my other stable with shavings in as he was eating his nice straw bed. Going to try and get him bathed tonight so we can clip and start bringing him into work, he’s incredibly hairy so can’t do much until his coat is off. Going to do a full clip and pop a 50g on him.

Any tips or advice would be really appreciated, I’m a bit overwhelmed if I’m honest! We have a walker so planning to start him on that every morning then groundwork in the evening. He’s ride and drive but I’m taking it back to basics and tbh, it wouldn’t be fair to put extra weight on him right now anyway.

On the bright side, he’s the sweetest pony and will be beautiful in due course.

 

[throwaway2022]

 

[throwaway2022]

Oh and any tips for hair growth, lots of feather and tail to regrow! Will start mtg after he‘s been cleaned up?

 

[Kaylum]

We often feed our over weight ponies straw mixed in with hay. Here is a very good article about it.
https://www.redwings.org.uk/news-and-views/straw-study

 

[Chianti]

Put him on a track. My pony is the lowest weight he's ever been and he's doing no work. The herd walks miles every day on the track. They have ad lib, soaked hay so are never hungry.

 

[dorsetladette]

a friend mixes straw with hay in hay nets and then loose straw in a manger for them. He cobs are the slimmest I've seen in a while and she's often complimented on there condition.

If he's ride and drive I'd get him out long reining. Round fields, up hills out on the roads or in the school, anywhere really.

Good luck - its hard when they are rounder than they should be.

 

[Birker2020]

Picked up our new pony last night, wow he’s overweight! Knew he’d be a project (was a bargain buy) but wasn’t expecting him to be so big.

Hay is soaking, he’ll be getting a handful of chaff with balancer and I’ve moved him into my other stable with shavings in as he was eating his nice straw bed. Going to try and get him bathed tonight so we can clip and start bringing him into work, he’s incredibly hairy so can’t do much until his coat is off. Going to do a full clip and pop a 50g on him.

Any tips or advice would be really appreciated, I’m a bit overwhelmed if I’m honest! We have a walker so planning to start him on that every morning then groundwork in the evening. He’s ride and drive but I’m taking it back to basics and tbh, it wouldn’t be fair to put extra weight on him right now anyway.

On the bright side, he’s the sweetest pony and will be beautiful in due course.

Sorry if it's already been said but you need to reduce weight gradually, sudden weight loss can cause Hyperlipemia which can be deadly.
So try and do weight loss gradually, remember his stomach will be quite expanded so he needs to be fed less gradually. This can be done over several weeks. Be careful when exercising on the walker, ten minutes max to start with, his joints may be sore because of his weight.

Blimey I'd consult your vet for advice I've just looked at his photo.

You will end up with a smashing horse, good luck!

 

[SEL]

Oh dear - he's had a good summer ?

Small hole nets, mixing straw in and lots and lots of walking to start with. Are his feet ok?

If you're turning out then hopefully your fields are now just pickings and if he's having to move to graze that will help.

 

[The Xmas Furry]

Make the changes gradually, please don't just clip, diet, work.
It will take a while but better to go slowly than to potentially have a hangry weak pony which will be susceptible to any bug going as well as potential ulcers and stable vices.

Good luck x

 

[Squeak]

Blimey I'd consult your vet for advice I've just looked at his photo.

You will end up with a smashing horse, good luck!

Completely agree with Birker on this one, I'd speak to your vet first to get a plan together and make sure he's not got any issues that need sorting or dealing with.

Also agree that he looks like he'll be smashing

Keep us updated on your progress!

 

[Floofball]

Good luck with him, he does look like a very nice pony ?? can’t wait to see before and after pictures!

 

[Tarragon]

I don't know what your winter regime is like, but I tend to not get a lot done over winter! It might be tricky getting in the right amount of the right sort of exercise in these cold, dark and wet months.
I wonder whether a track option with an active herd for the winter months might be enough to get the weight loss in a more natural way and then start again in the spring before. If your regime includes much time in a stable, I think you are already at a slight disadvantage.

 

[Tarragon]

Am another one who would love to see the before and after photos!

 

[ihatework]

I’d do the clipping and the bulking out soaked hay with straw from the off.
Take care with the exercise.
Build it up gradually and start on straight lines if you can, those joints and soft tissues could be easily compromised with that lard!
But I reckon you have got a cracker hiding under the layers. Can’t wait to see the after photo

 

[throwaway2022]

On training at the mo, will catch up tonight. Thanks everyone! Keeping the soaked hay ad-lib initially and definitely building fitness up gradually.

Can’t wait to get cracking with him!

 

[SussexbytheXmasTree]

This is a good guide from the Blue Cross and as others have said it’s a medium-long term issue to sort not something you can do quickly without risking other serious issues.

https://www.bluecross.org.uk/sites/default/files/d8/2020-05/Fat horse slim.pdf

 

[Goldenstar]

Yes he needs a serious diet .
I would leave the hair on the top of him and give him a chaser type clip and leave him unrugged .
Turnout in the barest paddock you can and bring him in at night to restricted soaked hay .
Alternatively you might keep him on muzzled turnout the whole time it all depends on what you got in the way of fields , this is working well for me atm and it half’s the droppings the horses do .
I see you have a Walker I would start at five mins twice a day and if you have another horse lead him from it .
You need to build up very gradually with the work and until he’s slimmer it’s needs to be just walking he’s dangerously fat .
It’s taken me two years to get my last purchase slim he was also dangerously obese .

 

[hobo]

Glad he has found you and you will do your best for him . I think a vet visit before you do anything too dramatic . Mind you the photo is not the best the black wall above him made me look twice as to how fat he was! Will look forward to his progress over the next many months.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

I bought an obese draft mare and got her weight down to acceptable over about 2 years. I gave her a measured amount of hay along with as much straw as she wanted. I didn't soak the hay and after she had colic, I swapped the long straw for plain oat straw chaff, we went through 2 bags of Honeychop per week, for a while, then she got used to having ad lib forage and realised that she didn't have to eat everything in sight. She had learned to self regulate.

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

Defo full clip and light rug, lots of longlining or walk hacking up and down hills and a track if you can manage it but understand if you can’t ?

pelleted balancer and no chaff if he’s not prone to bolting it or choking ?

another who would be interested in full before and afters ?

 

[throwaway2022]

Finally have a minute! So bathing didn't happen, I was driving for 12 hours yesterday and I'm shattered, plus it's freezing. Rinsed his tail off though, literal dreadlocks of poop, poor lad. His feet are a mess but managed to get the farrier booked for tomorrow. Need to have a proper look in the daylight but he's got something going on with his legs, scabbiness and they're itchy too so probably mud fever and mites in the mix. Going to give my vet a ring and have him checked over and put a plan together for his weight loss. Hoping there's no skin issues when I get his coat off. Oh and waiting to hear back from my dentist!

Despite all of this he is the sweetest pony and such a beautiful boy.

 

[throwaway2022]

Going to get some 'before' photos tomorrow in the light and weight tape him!

 

[throwaway2022]

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

Finally have a minute! So bathing didn't happen, I was driving for 12 hours yesterday and I'm shattered, plus it's freezing. Rinsed his tail off though, literal dreadlocks of poop, poor lad. His feet are a mess but managed to get the farrier booked for tomorrow. Need to have a proper look in the daylight but he's got something going on with his legs, scabbiness and they're itchy too so probably mud fever and mites in the mix. Going to give my vet a ring and have him checked over and put a plan together for his weight loss. Hoping there's no skin issues when I get his coat off. Oh and waiting to hear back from my dentist!

Despite all of this he is the sweetest pony and such a beautiful boy.

Might be worth getting a tube of sedation and taking everything off including the legs and treat from the ground up. Do the legs first with the sedation at its strongest incase he’s sore. Just a thought as it’s something I’d do ?

sorry either my meds are mucking my brain or my phone is buggering up my posts ??

 

[hobo]

T that is a much nicer photo of him he looks very sweet . Vet visit will set you up with the correct plan for him.

 

[LadyGascoyne]

What a fun project! I agree with everyone else, he’s going to be lovely.

Mim put a lot of weight on when she was briefly at a yard where I couldn’t control her management.

I let her have the winter turned out 24/7 and unrugged except for seriously heavy weather. I didn’t clip at all. She had hay mixed with straw when the grass had really become poor. I walked her in hand for miles and miles (she was unbacked at this stage).

She exited winter showing ribs (vet was happy with weight) having gone in worse than the below photo.

 

[teacups]

Mine had to lose 10% of his bodyweight and the hay/straw mix technique was used as part of the management. Arrived early autumn and got there by spring.

Even if they don't like to eat straw, it will slow them down if they are trying to pick the hay out - plus you know that if they really are hungry, there's always some straw for them to eat.

He also got lots of small nets to avoid standing without food for long periods as much as possible - that's not achievable for everyone.

ETA - sounds as though he's lucky to have found you! Look forward to hearing updates

 

[eahotson]

I bought an obese draft mare and got her weight down to acceptable over about 2 years. I gave her a measured amount of hay along with as much straw as she wanted. I didn't soak the hay and after she had colic, I swapped the long straw for plain oat straw chaff, we went through 2 bags of Honeychop per week, for a while, then she got used to having ad lib forage and realised that she didn't have to eat everything in sight. She had learned to self regulate.

Thank you.My little cob put on weight over the summer which is natural. I planned not to rug her over the winter and to give her some straw as well as hay so she could have unlimited forage.The yard manager nearly fainted at the suggestion.

 

[throwaway2022]

The official ‘befores’!! Not the best as I didn’t have anyone to hold him. He’s had a quick bath, wasn’t a fan so I only gave him one wash. He’s not properly clean but is clippable which is all that matters. Had his feet done, farrier said they’re actually not too bad and should be fine after a few more trims.

Didn’t bother with his mane or tail, they’d take forever to dry in this weather, never seen a tail so thick! I’ve just plaited his mane to keep it out of the way for now but will detangle all the dreads properly soon.

Anyway, meet Percy nn Piggy/Piglet

 

[throwaway2022]

Could see his fat pads more clearly when he was wet, bit nervous about seeing him with his coat off. Skin looked good though!