Fat horses, this weather, frazzled grass

[poiuytrewq]

My field, like most peoples I guess it pretty brown and scorched looking. It might be slightly worse as we don’t seem to have proper grass, it’s thin wirey stuff with lots of bare patches, we planted it and you can still see the lines in which it was drilled.
I have fat horses, including tiny ponies who have had laminitis in the past and usually wear flexible fillies muzzles all summer. I’ve removed them for a few weeks now and no sign of even slight discomfort from either. No ones loosing much weight, a bit but all bar one could do with loosing a fair bit more.
They stand in during the day on soaked hay.
My worry is are they getting enough fibre over night? I’d say they have nothing but if I put wet hay out I bring it in again and put the majority in the much heap.
Would you just not bother?! They come racing over for it seeming starving and are trying to lean through fences to nibble at other stuff. It’s the same hay as they are happy to eat in their stables, and the are very ready to come in every morning which to me implies hungry, I worry about ulcers is the problem!

I think it looks greener on these photos than the reality!

 

[poiuytrewq]

My other bit of grazing is completely screwed, it’s resting but going nothing at all!
I usually have too much and need to strip graze!

 

[ihatework]

Surely this is perfect for fatties?
I have a 3yo that is a natural fatty and is in for work. So she gets a similar paddock overnight and then ad-lib haylage in day.
Although long fibre is important they do not need to be stuffing their faces 24/7

 

[poiuytrewq]

I’d be perfectly happy if it were just the ponies as they are very happy muzzle free and yes it’s great for them. The last time I remember having frazzled grazing through I figured they were fine as all heads down constantly but the big horse ended up with ulcers.

 

[milliepops]

I'm haying overnight to give them something to do that isn't scalping the already scalped grass My field is going to be terrible in winter after this summer, it's small and bare and the horses are now pulling up the nettles and thistles in desperation!
If worried could you give a little less in the daytime to allow some of the hay ration to be eaten in the field?
though I was told when treating my welsh for ulcers that they should eat more during the day than overnight (hence why it's deemed OK to leave them empty for a few hours before the morning dose of gastrogard).

 

[poiuytrewq]

Interesting, yes I suppose they do actually sleep a bit overnight.
I think they did pick at it slightly but it’s a pita having to rake it up the next day.
They don’t eat a huge amount in the day really either. I soak a packed hay cube between the 4 and there’s always scraps left.
Saving the grass a bit as another thing isn’t it ?‍ Same as you winter is going to be a mud bath with no grass cover.
My old boy is cutting his hocks daily getting up on it it’s that hard out there.

I keep telling myself it’s better than having knee deep lush Green grass…..

 

[Polos Mum]

If you are offering them soaked hay and they choose not to eat it - I think you have your answer

How may poos are they doing - a count of what is coming out is a helpful indicator of what is going in

If you look at your verges / areas they can't reach - you might be surprised about how much there is growing. Mine seem to suck it up by the roots so I never see it but it's definitively coming out in sufficient quantity!

I guess it's like leaving a big plate of rice cakes out at a party and then thinking everyone must be hungry when you bring out the birthday cake. Everyone prefers birthday cake to rice cakes - but they will eat rice cakes if they are genuinely hungry.

Could you give you ulcer prone one a little bit of something first thing before they go out, so he starts the day with more in his stomach than the others?

 

[HollyWoozle]

I think if they don't eat what you put out then they are fine. Our grass and field looks worse than yours (our grazing is always poor though) and we are feeding hay morning and evening, unsoaked but not vast quantities. Ours aren't super fatties but one has mild cushings and the other two get chubby and they all look great at the mo - when the hay is gone they forage what they can. They do somewhat trash the ground but since our grazing is never good we just leave them to dig and whatever else.

 

[milliepops]

agree if they aren't eating it then i wouldn't worry. Mine are hoovering every scrap i give them, inside and out!

 

[SEL]

I backed off the overnight hay about 10 days ago when there was some left but everything is going now, so I'd just play around with a bit less until they're eating it all.

The cracks in my field now are so big I've taken to squishing poo into the real trip hazard ones. Trying to mollify myself that it's fertilizer. Took baby cob up to the just cut barley field and there will be no galloping. The cracks in the ground are huge.

 

[meleeka]

Mine aren’t eating as much hay as I’d expect so Ive cut down the amount they get.

 

[Hallo2012]

my fatty is on a similar paddock and i put a tiny net of soaked hay and a big trug of straw chaff out-some days he eats it, other days doesn't so i figure he's only eating it when hungry.....try the chaff?

 

[Melody Grey]

Our pony who is usually constantly muzzled at this time of year has had his muzzle off for about a month now to no ill effect. The field is scorched and although I have plenty to go at, it’s standing hay now and am strip grazing it though there’s no green about it at all, that said they’re not losing weight.

mine come in during the day as usual and are having their normal hay though I’m considering giving a broad spectrum vitamin and mineral supplement since there’s been nothing green for about a month.
The rested field they’ve been off for about 6 weeks is a little greener though hardly any growth. We really need rain!!

 

[JoannaC]

My two are fat and on similar but by the amount of poo I assume they are getting plenty. Also if you are giving them hay in the day I wouldn't worry about the night. Mine come in during the day but they just get a small feed so they get their supplements and then some hay at lunchtime.

 

[Widgeon]

How may poos are they doing - a count of what is coming out is a helpful indicator of what is going in

Yes....this is how I assess whether my fatty is getting enough to eat. His field doesn't look as bad as yours but it looks pretty bad - and yet he's still doing a dozen poos a day. So he can't be starving! I think they must be eating it off as it pops out above the ground....

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Mine are looking quite good for summer and are having hay in the field as there is hardly any grass they are mucking on the dead stinging nettles quite a bit.

 

[Bernster]

Can’t believe my rotund one hasn’t lost weight with the sparse grass, but he’s stubbornly hanging onto his belly. He gets soaked hay and minimal hard feed (for his supp), so he’s def getting plenty! And it’s so tricky to up the exercise with the hard ground.

 

[Cortez]

Good grief, why would you be feeding fat horses? I absolutely love it when there's a dry summer and I don't have to restrict grazing.

 

[Patterdale]

Can’t believe my rotund one hasn’t lost weight with the sparse grass, but he’s stubbornly hanging onto his belly. He gets soaked hay and minimal hard feed (for his supp), so he’s def getting plenty! And it’s so tricky to up the exercise with the hard ground.

This is why he hasn’t lost weight - you are feeding him!!

It absolutely baffles me why people do this. They are fat, therefore they are getting enough. I see so many people going to so much effort and expense to feed FAT horses who are turned out! Sorry but it completely blows my mind.

 

[pistolpete]

They do need to eat something. Thing is if their heads are down they are eating. Also think in this warm weather they expend zero calories keeping warm. Mines still muzzled and fat! No feed just about five grass nuts to give his boswelia and magnesium.

 

[Bernster]

This is why he hasn’t lost weight - you are feeding him!!

It absolutely baffles me why people do this. They are fat, therefore they are getting enough. I see so many people going to so much effort and expense to feed FAT horses who are turned out! Sorry but it completely blows my mind.

Edited - I’m going to put this another way - how long do you advocate that a stabled horse should go without any forage?

 

[ponynutz]

Another for if they aren't eating it they don't want it!

 

[Patterdale]

Edited - I’m going to put this another way - how long do you advocate that a stabled horse should go without any forage?

We’re not talking about a stabled horse.

 

[millitiger]

My field looks similar- we haven't had rain more than a 10 minute drizzle since mid-April.

Mine are in during the day with hay.
I felt bad for the and put some hay out overnight and they ignored it so, despite the field looking bare, they must be finding enough to eat!
Both a good weight, don't need restricting but aren't looking lean either.

 

[dorsetladette]

Mine are all round ish. Ground is like concrete and nothing growing. They're getting a net of soaked hay daily. They pick and then move away. Its all gone by morning so obviously eating it. I'd prefer to spend a little on hay now than ulcers later. I also have 2 babies so don't want them going hungry.

 

[humblepie]

They definitely eat less at night so if not eating it then they can’t be too hungry.

 

[windand rain]

No more than 2% body weight in dry form especially if living out as the dead grass is perfect trickle feed. I wouldn't stable a 500kg horse needs no more than 10kgs of hay

 

[HappyHollyDays]

My track is pure dust so I let them on to the middle so I didn’t have to feed hay. It’s now brown and looks dead but I’m still getting a full barrow full of poo in the morning from 2 on about 3/4 of an acre as part is fenced off due to sycamore seeds falling and the loafing area is a sand school. They do get a handful of balancer for Danilon/supplements and they now only get a slice of hay each if they come in for the day. The Connie is looking very svelte, has ribs which I can now see and DP has only had one flare up of high insulin since April and all without a muzzle or soaking hay all summer long.

The ground is deceiving, it looks dead but if they are pooing plenty they are getting enough to eat and don’t need any extra.

 

[Barton Bounty]

Dont have a problem with burned grass ?

 

[Bernster]

We’re not talking about a stabled horse.

Ah, then maybe you quoted and replied to my post accidentally, if you meant to reply to the OP.