Fat horse slim - EMS CAN be reversed!! ?

[pistolpete]

What’s your regime now? It’s a fabulous result!

 

[PapaverFollis]

Bloody well done. I'm having such a bad year with mine but am going to commit to pulling my finger out and being a meany meanster about giving them extra food. You've inspired me.

There's literally a post on my Facebook feed right now of a horse going to opposite way and people saying how much better he looks with "condition" on... makes me want to scream!

 

[Floofball]

What’s your regime now? It’s a fabulous result!

Thank you ? I’m trying to work that one out ? I will be setting up some form of track at home eventually as it is definitely the increased movement that helps him. In the meantime I’m looking for a full livery a lot nearer home, as I want to put my energy into enjoying keeping him fit and healthy while he is sound! My criteria is mainly, flexible all year herd turnout (I still can’t imagine him being ok out in the day during grass growing season ?‍) availability of meadow hay/haylage that will be fed ad lib but in slow feeders - no more weighing ? and most importantly access to good/safe hacking! At the moment he’s just getting some extra hand grazing and a balancer, we’ll see how he gets on with his weight but probably stay on a basic feed with the addition of oats and linseed if extra calories are needed.
The one thing I’m really pleased about is I never thought I’d be able to retire him if lameness got the better of him in the future, but now I know there are options for him to have a really good quality of life ? It’s felt like ‘tough love’ at times but hopefully been worth it ??

 

[FinnBobs]

Well done floofball! I have managed to do the same with my Connie. A lot of hard work but definitely worth it! x

 

[SEL]

Bloody well done. I'm having such a bad year with mine but am going to commit to pulling my finger out and being a meany meanster about giving them extra food. You've inspired me.

There's literally a post on my Facebook feed right now of a horse going to opposite way and people saying how much better he looks with "condition" on... makes me want to scream!

We've had an obese cob come to the yard and one of the showing crowd has said he looks great and she doesn't know what all the fuss is about.

 

[PapaverFollis]

We've had an obese cob come to the yard and one of the showing crowd has said he looks great and she doesn't know what all the fuss is about.

It makes me cross. I have a fat horse. I know I could and should do better. Sitting back and telling myself lies about how great she looks with condition on etc etc would be lovely. I'd feel comfortable and happy. But I can't do that because it's not true!! So I have to look at her every day and feel cross and worried until I actually try and do something about it instead. Currently got all 3 on dirt, weedy hardstanding and a roughly 15m circle of field space! The plan is to strip graze into the field and be really strict about it for the rest of summer. I really struggle to have them hungry but I'm just going to have to get over myself.

Or I could post her lardy arse on Facebook and bask in the compliments it seems...

 

[SEL]

It makes me cross. I have a fat horse. I know I could and should do better. Sitting back and telling myself lies about how great she looks with condition on etc etc would be lovely. I'd feel comfortable and happy. But I can't do that because it's not true!! So I have to look at her every day and feel cross and worried until I actually try and do something about it instead. Currently got all 3 on dirt, weedy hardstanding and a roughly 15m circle of field space! The plan is to strip graze into the field and be really strict about it for the rest of summer. I really struggle to have them hungry but I'm just going to have to get over myself.

Or I could post her lardy arse on Facebook and bask in the compliments it seems...

Only side on photos of my lardy arse Appy right now, preferably with a hind leg back in her 'slim' position. Field tracked, hay soaked, feed = oat chaff and still she piles it on whilst she's out of work. When my euromillion win finally comes through I'm building a proper track system!

 

[sharni]

is this the horse that is at Gawsworth Track livery?

 

[Floofball]

is this the horse that is at Gawsworth Track livery?

Yes he is ??

 

[Floofball]

Well done floofball! I have managed to do the same with my Connie. A lot of hard work but definitely worth it! x

Very well done you ?? I haven’t verified it yet, and it could just be hearsay but I was told today of a study of a 1000 horses with insulin resistance and only 3 reversed it ? ? ? So we may be in the 0.3%! if it’s true no wonder my vets were thrilled!
On the other hand, people have been contacting me to say their vets have said it cant be reversed - once a diabetic, always a diabetic
Off to google scholar...............

 

[Fransurrey]

I think the issue lies in the fact that the majority of horses on livery yards, particularly in the summer, look like your top picture. It has become so normal that people don’t recognise it as overweight. I’d even say that your ‘overweight’ picture is actually on the lower end of the scale as to what I see local people posting on Fb. The trouble is, when people see a fit, healthy horse, they think it’s too thin.

I agree. A friend of mine has a horse that make the top photo look anorexic. He's morbidly obese, but she just can't see it, sadly.

 

[Beachbabe]

He looks amazing, I wouldn't recognize him as the same horse.
Thinking about setting up a track around my fields as my horse is overweight, although he's not got EMS, he does need to lose weight.

Definitely do it. It's the absolute best way of getting your horse svelte like and fit. Sadly there are so few yards that will allow a track to be set up. I've been at three yards where I've been allowed and only from April-October. I've set it up in fields of an acre for two and it's been plenty. You don't need much space as they are constantly moving round. If I could find one near here, I'd be a very very happy livery

 

[poiuytrewq]

Fantastic. I’m very jealous. I can’t get any weight at all of mine, in fact if anything he seems to continue growing

 

[Cutgrass]

Well done, what an achievement!

It's really nice to see this as I've just started sharing a cob who's gone beyond good doer into being a right pudding and the weight needs to come off!

 

[Fjord]

That's an amazing result, he looks fantastic now! I hate it when people laugh about how fat their horse is, it's just not funny. My girl was an absolute unit when I got her and getting weight of her has been really hard. Taking her off the grass in spring has been the only option, I can't do a track but section off the bit they trash druting the winter and use electric tape to make lines so she has to walk round more. I'd love a proper track setup.