Fat Horse! problem

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dani250102

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Hi everyone,
I have a 13.2h cob x, and he is starting to get quite fat. I work him every night and he stays in all day but we can't seem to get the weight down. I have tried a few muzzles but he just takes them off no matter how many times you put them on. I f anyone knows what I am doing wrong or could suggest anything that would be great. He is 4 years old as well if that makes a difference on anything.
 
What's the grazing like, how much is he on? what else are you feeding, and what sort of work/how long etc.

I'm still strip grazing my three ponies; they are on about an acre. Fed only a handful of alfalfa nuts with linseed. No hay as out 24/7. Only one is hacked out about 3 times a week, but we go out for hours and lots of hills :)
 
To keep the grazing muzzle on you can try putting a head collar over it ,or if the pony has a good forelock put some of the hair under the head piece of the muzzle and the rest over the top plait and secure with a plaiting band, my friend did both with her pony and the muzzle stayed on.
 
AngieandBen said:
What's the grazing like, how much is he on? what else are you feeding, and what sort of work/how long etc.

I'm still strip grazing my three ponies; they are on about an acre. Fed only a handful of alfalfa nuts with linseed. No hay as out 24/7. Only one is hacked out about 3 times a week, but we go out for hours and lots of hills :)
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He is in from 6:30 am until 5pm and has a hay net. He is not on restricted grazing and does around 30 mins schooling or lunging at night. At weekends we sometimes go for a little hack but I am having trouble with him bucking at the moment so we don't do much cantering on hacks (am having my trainer to help).
 
shergar said:
To keep the grazing muzzle on you can try putting a head collar over it ,or if the pony has a good forelock put some of the hair under the head piece of the muzzle and the rest over the top plait and secure with a plaiting band, my friend did both with her pony and the muzzle stayed on.
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Thanks for the advice. I have tried putting fly masks and a head collar but somehow he manages to take the whole thing off in one piece lol! I haven't tried plaiting, so that could work however I am slightly worried he might tear his forelock while trying to take it off. Did your friend have any problems like that?
 
Rather than giving him a haynet during the day, you could give him a big trug of chopped oat straw. I used it to get the weight off my Draft mare who was obese when I bought her. She is now a good weight and maintaining it on ad-lib hay but we don't have plentiful grass.
 
I tried everything (except muzzle as pony will happily rip her face appart to get a head collar off never mind a muzzle) even with 3 on an acre (I closed the other fields) I've struggled! Had her in during the day and out at night as well, nothing helped. In the end I have separated her onto a strip of the field so that grass is pretty much gone in her section and am feeding soaked hay that I'm weighing strictly before soaking. It's finally starting to come off. Oh and I clipped her and just put a rain sheet on.
 
I am another who would just give some chopped oat straw you will need to be strict with yourself over the winter and get the weight off a this age a horses growth slows down and that's when if you have a good doer they start to pile on the weight you need to nip it in the bud .
I would up the work a little if possible say forty five mins but it's hard because you don't want to be overworking a four year old , I like to get them out and about walking leading them from another horse if it's at all possible then you can go further as the horse is not coping with the weight of the rider. A fat four yo is a difficult balancing act .
 
If he is spending all day standing in a stable eating, he isn't going to be burning any fat and he will just turn into a couch potatoe.

Strip grazing or a track system of some sort will be hugely beneficial.
 
NZJenny said:
If he is spending all day standing in a stable eating, he isn't going to be burning any fat and he will just turn into a couch potatoe.

Strip grazing or a track system of some sort will be hugely beneficial.
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This also make sure mins, vits, protein and sufficient fibre is covered by the restricted diet horses tend to overeat / hold weight when they are trying to correct a deficiency.
 
NZJenny said:
If he is spending all day standing in a stable eating, he isn't going to be burning any fat and he will just turn into a couch potatoe.

Strip grazing or a track system of some sort will be hugely beneficial.
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This; I have mine on a track around an acre, then strip grazed on to long foggage. Don't rug either and take him for a long walk!
 
Pearlsasinger said:
Rather than giving him a haynet during the day, you could give him a big trug of chopped oat straw. I used it to get the weight off my Draft mare who was obese when I bought her. She is now a good weight and maintaining it on ad-lib hay but we don't have plentiful grass.
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Thanks for advice. Would you be able to tell me where I could get any chopped oat straw, never seen but I haven't been looking for it lol !
 
LovesCobs said:
I tried everything (except muzzle as pony will happily rip her face appart to get a head collar off never mind a muzzle) even with 3 on an acre (I closed the other fields) I've struggled! Had her in during the day and out at night as well, nothing helped. In the end I have separated her onto a strip of the field so that grass is pretty much gone in her section and am feeding soaked hay that I'm weighing strictly before soaking. It's finally starting to come off. Oh and I clipped her and just put a rain sheet on.
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I know it's really hard to try and keep weight of my pony but I think I might start to strip graze him now that you've said it works. Can't think of anything else that I can try!
 
NZJenny said:
If he is spending all day standing in a stable eating, he isn't going to be burning any fat and he will just turn into a couch potatoe.

Strip grazing or a track system of some sort will be hugely beneficial.
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That's a really good point I never thought of it like that. I might start to leave him out with his muzzle and strip grazing, from everyone's comments I think that this will work best x
 
dani250102 said:
Thanks for the advice. I have tried putting fly masks and a head collar but somehow he manages to take the whole thing off in one piece lol! I haven't tried plaiting, so that could work however I am slightly worried he might tear his forelock while trying to take it off. Did your friend have any problems like that?
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No the horse tried its best but the muzzle stayed on .
Maybe try it on a day when you have time to keep checking .
 
He needs to be out as much as possible but on short grass.

Feed him 1.25% of his body weight in hay and a lo calorie supplement like baileys lo co to ensure he gets al the vitamins and minerals he needs.
 
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