fat bellied young gelding ,,,,,help needed before turnout...!!!!!

J

juevans

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i have a young gelding he will be 3 in august this year he is sec d x id and standing about 14.1 at the moment he is very stocky but as got a very round belly and im concerned as he will be turned out for summer(fingers xd) at the beginning of may and iv seen the effects of lammy so im concerned that he is carrying too much weight he as tiniest bit of chaff and speedibeet 2x a day and about 4 haynets a day of hay would he be at risk or is he too young for lammy all the horses will come in at night for the first week but after that my other 2 will be out 24/7 with others on the yard and i want dillon to be out too as he as spent most of the winter indoors which is not good as he is so young sorry to ramble just trying to cover everything
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I'm not sure what you're asking....
S
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Have to agree with shils,again,lmao
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!!
Without piccys cant really pass comment!!
 
If he has a big belly try to feed him on happy hoof to prevent laminitis (thats what i have got 2 of mine on!!) feed him 2 a day. it dose not matter how much hay you give them because it dosenot have the goodness init that haylege or grass has. if you have electric fencing try and move him about regulaly so he dose not eat to much grass!! hope it works?? let me know?
 
Don't agree Hayley. Hay DOES have goodness in it and one of the 1st things you have to do with colic/laminitis is reduce calorie intake. Many people soak hay for hours to extract as much of the goodness as possible from it so as to not harm their horse. Also, moving an at-risk horse about is probably just about the worst thing you can do. The best would be to use the electric fencing to strip graze, ie as he eats a narrow strip bare, you give him a teeny bit more but if you keep moving him, you're moving him onto new grass all the time? Maybe I just misunderstood what you were saying. Jue - your lad is still a baby so I'd ring one of the freebie feed helplines and get some expert advice. If you restrict his feed to protect him from laminitis, you still need to make sure he has the right balance of vits & mins, calcium, protein etc so that his body can grow properly. You're right to NOT make any changes fast (coming in at night for the 1st week) but if he's a good doer you could always bring him in for a few hours in the middle of the day with maybe just a tiny, loose packed haynet to nibble and a mini bowl of Laminitis Trust approved chaff to put any supplements in. Or even keep bringing him in until - say - the end of May to really make the change slowly and safely. Try the feed helpline first but don't panic - it sounds like you're really trying to do right by your boy! x
 
sorry if i didnt make myself clear
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suppose what im asking really is, as dillon is obviously a good doer with this rather large belly if i turn him out 24/7 after first week in may is he a good candidate for lammy or is it unlikely as he is so young some ppl on my yard av said he shouldnt get it at his age so just wanted opinions on wether or not he could,,, also strip grazing is out im on a livery yard
 
J - ANY horse is a candidate for laminitis if his grazing/diet isn't managed properly. Breeding, age, height etc don't keep any horse safe though pople often think that (eg) TBs will never get laminitis. However, some horses are obviously more prone than others and I would guess that your boy does need careful monitoring. I'd restrict his grazing where possible (ie continue to bring in overnight for as long as you think you need to) and weigh tape him a few times a week to watch for sudden big increase in weight. If at all possible, make sure he's turned out on poor pasture but do make sure he's getting all the vits and mins he needs as a youngster x
 
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Jueevans - age is no protection against laminitis - any horse or pony is at risk, as Boxy says above.
I agree that you should restrict his grazing - using electric fenced enclosures is probably the nicest way long term, but you could also keep him stabled or better still, in a barn so he can wander about to restrict grazing time.
Some people have success with muzzles - there are various kinds including 'bucket' muzzles, and grid types. All of them need careful fitting and checking as they can rub/slip over time.
The safest way to manage him in terms of grass is not to turn him out in May, but to start with an hour a day, and gradually increase turnout (again, electric fencing an enclosure means that you will have more control over how much grass he can have).
You should restrict your horse's access to hay and haylage - both have nutrients, and avoid hard feed if he's fat. If you need/want to feed him to give supplements, for example, try using just a chaff (unmolassed) and dampening it so the powder sticks.
Buying a weigh tape (or better still weighing him if your yard is lucky enough to have a weighbridge) can give an early warning sign of weight gain....also checking for soundness and digital pulse changes to the foot can be indicators of laminar inflammation.
Hope he stays sound and happy.
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