Fat 3 year old... what do you do with them?!

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Stormynight

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Self explanatory, really. Definitely a comfortable 4, score-wise. Fatty paddock? Stabling? Muzzle? Nothing, and expect it to drop off over winter? I’m torn, because of his age.

Answers on a postcard, please! :)
 
amymay said:
Can you start doing a bit of work with him?
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He goes out in-hand or on long lines a couple of times a week at the minute; he did a small amount of ridden work over the summer, but our only riding right now is roadwork, and we’re lacking the company to take him out with. Makes it a bit problematic, really... the weight just keeps piling on, and I’m getting a tad concerned.
 
Had a very fat 2 year old and used the winter to get it off. Continued with the track for as long as possible and lived out 24.7 unrugged she's only 11.3 she lost over 100 kg
 
Stormynight said:
Self explanatory, really. Definitely a comfortable 4, score-wise. Fatty paddock? Stabling? Muzzle? Nothing, and expect it to drop off over winter? I’m torn, because of his age.

Answers on a postcard, please! :)
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I would say maybe trying lunging as you could have a large cirle and walk and trot and gradually build up
 
I had the same concerns a few yrs ago for my 3 and 4 yr olds . I kept rugs off completely, still gave ad-lib, reduced bucket feed to just a token. This helped enormously and in the spring when their worked continued and was upped they changed shape and muscles up no end
 
Stormynight said:
Self explanatory, really. Definitely a comfortable 4, score-wise. Fatty paddock? Stabling? Muzzle? Nothing, and expect it to drop off over winter? I’m torn, because of his age.

Answers on a postcard, please! :)
Click to expand...
like you I struggle. I don't believe in backing 3 yo's so riding is out of it and anyway I doubt one would want to ride a 3yo to the extent needed to reduce weight considerably. Working in hand/long reining and leading out doesn't reduce his weight. I would't want a 3 yo lunging to the extent needed for weight loss. I stable at night and hay is soaked and restricted to some extent but it doesn't help. Cannot leave a horse in a stable overnight with no hay. Mine is out in the daytime and I put an active pony in to get him moving around. Can't see much else to do. Next year he will be broken and working daily by next Sept.
 
twiggy2 said:
How is the currently kept and fed? something needs to change but without knowing what's happening now its difficult to say what.
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He lives out 24/7, naked, in a large field on reasonable grass... it’s not wonderful quality, but he’s clearly still getting plenty of it! Feed-wise at the moment he’s only getting a token gesture of hifi molasses free.

He was broken this summer (he came over from Ireland a few months ago), but he’s still very young and appears to be mid-growth spurt, so I’m reluctant to work him “properly”, in any sense of the word. As I say, he goes out a couple of times a week if possible, either in-hand or on long lines; unfortunately riding and leading isn’t an option.

I guess my conundrum is his age and the effect of sectioning off or grazing muzzles? Maybe I should try a small clip to make him work a little harder to keep warm? Or is that nuts?
 
I would reduce grazing and strip graze gradually opening up the field, I am another who does not agree with working youngsters to reduce weight, I aso would rather horses live out in company.
If there is no-one else who needs to lose weight I would reduce field and change his companion on a rota if he gets on with everyone. Then he is the only one constantly restricted.
You could clip but I always feel that's a last resort and yes that's because I hate being cold and I know horses are much better at keeping warm than we are.
 
I’ve got a 2yo that is in not a dissimilar situation to yours - youngstock herd on big acreage/moderate quality grass . He has unfortunately inherited the fat gene from his mother and currently is overtopped despite no hard feed. I’m reluctant at this stage to intervene too dramatically and will utilise winter as much as possible to my advantage.
But I think next spring I will need to intervene more than I would like unfortunately.
 
As others have said, cut off a lot of his grazing. There is a pony at my yard who I think is about 5 and you could put her on the barest field and she still manages to get it from somewhere. One of those who truly lives on air! I'd give him a small paddock and a few weeks to really eat it down before moving any posts. Does he really need the feed? I know it's only a small amount and not much sugar but if he's the kind to hold on to every last bit on their waistline, maybe cut that down too? Some of them just don't even bring their heads up and will just eat constantly so being on a fairly decent pasture, he's probably getting every speck of grass he can!
 
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