fat cob

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splashjack

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Hi i have and irish cob who has recently put on some weight:eek:, i am trying to get him to lose some.

at the moment he is on a bare paddock at night with just one slab of hay(Soaked) from 5.00pm - 8.00am then is on the grass during the day.

currently he is only execised at weekends due to work commitments and partners illness:(

Ii it better to keep him as he is or swap him over so he is on grass at nite and off during the day?

he will be doing more work as of next week (hours at work reducing) so hoping this will help to :D

Also he has been suffering with mites (was infested when i got him last year) he currently has his feathers clipped off and has had the jab, someone has suggested frontline spray to help prevent, is this a good idea? does it work?

in 23 years of owning horses have never dealt with mites lol.

thanks :)
 
Personally, I would put a grazing muzzle on him when he goes out on the grass. At this time of year even half the time out at grass can be too much for some horses. Also, do you have a weigh tape? Take twice weekly measurements to track his progress. Then you will be able to adjust his intake accordingly.
 
I have found exercise to be the key with getting weight off my cob. I can restrict his grazing all I like, but unless he is being exercised he doesn't lose any, just stays the same.

I understand that it may be a bit difficult for you at the moment, do you have someone who can maybe lunge him a few times a week for you until you have more time?

Sorry, no idea re mites. I thought the injection was supposed to get rid of them? But don't you have to have two injections 10 days apart??
 
lol wagtail, Have tried a muzzle but he ALWAYS gets them off!!! dont ask me how, its very frustrating lol:rolleyes:

hence the bare paddock and it is completely be no grass at all.

I dont have a weigh tape but will see if i can get one.

He isnt massively obese but has to much of a covering for my liking, he has been on the bare paddock at nite now for a week and has lost a bit but still has more to go.

someone said he would be better on grass at nite and off during the day but surely he is on longer then?

my friend has offered to take him off a bit earleir for me so would only be on grass 8.00am -2.00 pm then on bare paddock rest of the time, would this be enough for him with just one slab of soaked hay whilst on the bare paddock?

Thanks
 
I'd have him on the bare paddock 24/7 with an extra hay ration until his weight is back within healthy norms. Plus as much work as you can give him.
 
hi cobs galore, i agree i think more exercise is what he is needing, thankfully my work commitments reduce next week so should be able to work him 5 days a week at least :)

I am a bit wary of trusting others with him as he is only just 5 and doing so well. im a fussy mummy lol:rolleyes:

he had three mite jabs in sucession and does seem to have worked i am just trying to prevent now rather than cure (hopefully lol) :rolleyes:
 
hmmmm maye be worth leaving him on the paddock for a while (much to his horror:eek:)

my prob then is have so much grass and only a 14.3 on it at the mo who will soon also need to be restricted (he is still gaining a bit he lost in winter) he is an old man lol but once is up to weight will have to come off.

i dont usually allow mine to get to much weight on but have been distracted with an ill partner, so annoyed with myself.(as is aid he not obese can still feel his ribs has no crest but is just loookin a tad porky :rolleyes:)

so if they both off will then will be overun with it,is already knee high in places.

Hmmm time to see if anyone needs some grazing i think.
 
I'm the same as Cobs Galore - I just used exercise to shift my cob's weight. Lots and lots of exercise and he just had normal grazing with the herd.

Re: mites. Mine came with a bad infestation of mites and he had the jab from the vets which sorted it out. He has only just had them again, but at the first sign of a few stamps I got the frontline spray and this sorted it out. Think it depends how bad they are.
 
Either look for a grass livery to use your grass or cut it or let it grow long and stalky and let them on it in the atumn.

I always save a couple of paddocks for early winter, letting them grow adlib knee high - it means I can save hay rations until Christmas that way and the forage is safe as the high lignin content is not easily digestible, so the sugars are low and the fibre high.
 
I sympathise - my daughter's new pony has turned out to be a 'good doer' and has ballooned in the short time we have had her. I have never had a fat pony, so she has surprised me by quickly becoming a lard bucket on a field that my other ponies stay slim on - some ponies must be able to make fat from fresh air.

Anyway, we are going down the exercise route, which has been made easier with the warm evenings in the last week, and she is beginning to look less bloated. The first flush of grass is over too, so as long as I don't move her onto any new grazing, hopefully we will keep on top of it.

Good luck!
 
Hi thanks everyone will definitely get him into more exercise.

Going to put him on bare paddock for a couple of week and see if my friends want any grazing

Re the mites I his were severe but now have cleared up with jabs and clipping. Will give the frontline a go if he starts show signs again :)
 
JFTD said:
I'd have him on the bare paddock 24/7 with an extra hay ration until his weight is back within healthy norms. Plus as much work as you can give him.
Click to expand...

^^^ This, the easiest and quickest way to get weight off is to have no grass, then once weight is stable you can introduce it again.
 
When you say 'bare paddock' and 'no grass', do you literally mean bare, as in the same as turning them out on a school surface? Or is it virtually bare, i.e. enough to pick at but not enough to stuff themselves on? I have a very good doer and am always struggling with her weight.
 
Def going to keep him on the paddock for couple of weeks then rd introduce grass. Have arranged just now for my friend to bring her ponies to eat it down a bit lol.
Fjord his paddock is completely bare just soil no grass as all lol :)
 
Pig oil does not discolour white legs. If you mix Flours of Sulphur in, they look yellow for a day or so. I used to slather it on my girls white feather, and after a day or so, all of the grot would slide off and she would have four sparkling white legs which stayed that way. Great in the winter.
The sulphur helps with skin irritations.
 
My tb is fat at the moment!! We have such good grass at our yard that he has just ballooned!!

I'm pretty stuck on how to get it off as we only have one tiny sick paddock but he can't go in there as he and my other pony are attached at the hip and the other one would go mad without him (as in jump out of his paddock)

He's out overnight so I'm trying leaving them in for longer in the day and am reducing his hay to one soaked section in a double hay net. I'm also trying to up his exercise - he is already being ridden 5 times a week.

It's a nightmare as my other one has sweet itch so ideally I don't like him in for ages as he just scratches in his stable.
 
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