Fat yearling/rising 2yo

katastrophykat

katastrophykat

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I have a sec A, or rather, I have two. The younger (rising 2) boy I bought over a year ago, went into last summer looking a bit weedy but fine, then I smashed my leg up and rather than being able to get him in off the grass at least during the day, he was left out as Dad had enough to do with my (then broken as well) competition horse to deal with and Herbie wasn’t looking fat. He’s come in this winter like a bull and so I clipped a neck & belly off him and left him naked. He hasn’t lost anything so I extended the clip to a low trace and left him naked... nothing. Still looks like a bull- gelded at 9 months.

He weighed in at 280kg in October, I don’t think he’s much different now. He wasn’t fed hard feed until the grass went off, so started about three weeks ago on 250g top spec stud lite balancer, a handful of Alfa A Oil and some veg peelings. He has a 4 or 5 kilo net overnight (4pm-7am) and goes out all day. I do have another youngster so he had a play buddy so isn’t just stood eating while he’s out, and he isn’t ‘doing’ anything at the moment other than coming in and going out.

His big brother is rising three, gelded 5 months ago and lived out with the colts at the stud last year so came in lean. Came to us in August so hasn’t done a summer on the grass, looks fine. Same feed, except on Top Spec Stud balancer rather than the lite. He’s just started walking out with me to see the world so is doing a little more out & about than Herbie.

We are on livery at at ex dairy farm, the grass is rocket fuel and moving isn’t really an option due to other factors, however much is like to keep them on my own place!

Is there anything obvious that I’m missing with him? Other than soaking hay? He’s not really cresty, just fat across the barrel!
 
Don’t feed anything, why does he need a hard feed?
Natives are naturally good doers in most cases, and him being a section A, on a dairy farm, means he doesn’t need any hard feed imho.
 
Just want to reassure you that the main orthopaedic vet in this area is telling us that there is no connection at all between overfeeding over the age of six months and OCD. So that's at least one worry you don't have. I wouldn't be feeding him a bucket food at all, and probably only straw at night.
 
My sisters rising three year old is living out unrugged and no feed (apart from when he cut himself and needed antibiotics) they have just about finished strip grazing the rested bit of the feild and they will start being fed a bit of hay soon but he is doing well and a good weight.

I would cut the food. Unless skinny and needs it for weight gain dont feed him
 
He doesn't need hard feed if he's fat. That sounds a lot of hay for a pony, I would reduce that and double net it, also soak it for a good few hours, and as someone suggested mix straw in with it to bulk it out
 
It does sound like a lot of hay. A normal horse/pony needs about 2%-2.5% dry weight total feed a day, however you're supposed to calculate it based on their ideal weight not current weight. I've heard people recommend 1.5% if you're aiming for weight loss but I'm not sure about that for a growing youngster. I would be wary of reducing hay too much though as he might just stuff himself with grass during the day if he's feeling hungry by morning, I agree with above advice to mix in straw but remember straw still has calories too.

Alfa-A Oil is a high energy feed, not great for diets! I think the balancer and alfa-a have high protein which is good at his age but with your grass being good I doubt he needs them.
 
Should have added- I only ever hard feed in the worst of the winter, and I am talking about 250g of a lite balancer, about a 1/4 of a cup, and the same of Alfa Oil, I’m not giving him buckets or even scoops of it, but I am feeding on Top Spec’s recommendation.
We have 7 horses out 7-4 or 7-5 on about 3 acres, so although we have great grass, it sharp disappears in the deepest winter, which is why I add additional feed for the 3 months or so before the weather turns.
He’s fed his hay in a trickle net, as I have phobias of ulcers, and that’s my worry with feeding less hay when he’s stood in for 15 hours overnight- if he was at home I’d give small nets and spread them out but I don’t have the option of late night visits at livery. I’m used to youngsters, I’m used to competition horses that have ad lib hay in winter, but ickle dinky ponies are fairly new to me! :D
Come next year, he’ll be out ride and lead and walked out/gently backed and broken to drive, I’m just at a bit of a loose end waiting for then and not wanting him to get bigger, especially for spring.
I’ll have a go at the straw in his net, and soaking the hay. Thanks all!
 
Another vote for straw in hay, small ponies are very efficient at converting any small amount of feed into fat (just in case lol) so you are right to supply a good supply of fibre based feed, maybe use a mineral lick if you are worried about micronutrients. I am sure you know be very wary of grass supply esp on good doing dairy grass for the dreaded laminitis.
 
He’ll be restricted in summer, yes. I can pop a pen in the field for restricting grass and he’ll come in during the day when I can give him a couple of small nets through the day. I can ride and lead with him if I need to, but was hoping not to this year with the three year old to get out and about too.
*hops off to find a muzzle for dinky ponies*
 
honestly, top spec has a lot of fillers that probably won't be helping. I would never feed it. Can I suggest if you want a pellet you feed the equimins adv complete instead, you only feed 30g of that, which shows how much extra bulk is in the TS. We have fed ours it by hand to as I definitely wouldn't want the alfa a oil in him either.

soaked hay/straw definitely a good plan. Are the trickle nets working, I know a welshie that they didn't for but a nibbleze net on the floor worked well as they can't tug on it they have to use their lips (presuming not shod ;))

'dinky ponies' actually make muzzles though there are plenty of other options.
 
If he is too fat he is getting more calories than he is burning, time of year is not relevant when that happens so treat him as you would in the summer, restrict his grazing, give tiny amounts of hay over the course of a day and stop hard feed.
 
I know we have had a few cold days but long term its been really mild. I have slung two fat ponies out in a windswept field, warned the neighbours it would look like cruelty and they appear not to last any weight at all. I would change half the hay to straw.
 
Hi we have four ponies at home all ridden at least once a week in these short days (kids at school) they are out through the day, the half mustang only one with rug as he is 22 , other three Connemaras no coats day or night, hay net when they come in.
One of the Connemara is rising three and is an easy do'er , so have to be really careful with her weight, no hard feed, no artificial manure on the grass or on our own grass for haylage.
The first Connie mare we had, through in experience we fed her hard feed , good high protein grass and lost her to laminitis , I wouldn't wish that on anybody.
Good luck with the weight loss and remember not long to the spring if you want to get weight off now
 
I think you are under-estimating how little feed the dinky ones can require, I would certainly drop the bucket feed or replace with a plain chaff if he needs something for your routine.

My little one (11.2) piled on the pounds this autumn and is currently muzzled when out and getting straw only when in. He gets a small fast fibre feed as a bucket feed, with a powdered no-filler mineral balancer. He is gradually losing weight on this - we don't have ex-dairy grass though, their current field is more ex-bog.
 
Dinky ponies muzzles are good :) they rub the least of all the ones i have tried and let the air to the nose best too.

i bought one for my sec B although he is a buzzy little beast and actually needs feeding up rather than the other way round,l i feed him more than my old 16hh!!!!! but the muzzle is on stand by for spring just in case!
 
At a minimum cut out the Alfa oil - it’s high energy for weight gain, i feed it to oldies to help keep their weight on! I def wouldn’t be feeding that to a section A. Personally I wouldn’t feed anything but hay and grass. In winter you could add a handful of happy hoof lite (which has no molasses/low sugar and provides vitamins and minerals).
 
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