feed advice

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tillsmum

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I have a nf pony who shows signs of having ems (fat pads and mild laminitis earlier in the year) she has lost about 100kgs but still has a little bit to go. My problem is she is very lazy and has zero stamina. We do dressage and have qualified for Broomes but I am worried that she is going to run out of steam. We have been doing 1 intro and 1 prelim at comps with about 10-15 mins warm up as otherwise she gets tired and won't stay in canter. Obviously we are working on her fitness and stamina (doesn't find the work hard and very rarely breaks a sweat), doing long canters to bring up her canter fitness but can anyone recommend a diet for her. At the moment she has been on a weight lose diet so is only on Hifi molasses free with magnesium and a gp supplement.

Thanks in advance
 
What supplement are you feeding?

If your pony does have a metabolic condition it maybe beneficial to feed something specifc and natural - take a look at some of the organic blend on EquiNatural for lami prone horses and ponies
 
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How much hay are you feeding her? You should aim for 1.5% of her bodyweight in forage per day. Feeding less than this can have a negative effect on her energy levels, as well as increasing the risk of problems likr ulcers, colic and bad behaviour.

Has EMS been diagnosed by a vet? If not that might be something worth doing. You could then look at ways to help improve her metabolism, either with the use of metformim, or supplements that have shown good anecdotal evidence of their abilty to help improve metabolism, such as cinnamon.

Check out the laminitis site. Lots of useful advice and support.

Good luck!
 
Have you had her blood tested for any deficiencies?

Fitness level is very important to improve available energy levels. Being careful that you don't go overboard, introduce some oats to her diet. Start with a Half cupful for a few days. Watch for any laminitic symptoms. Increase amount along with increase in work and increase only in small amounts.

Oats are the best way to liven up a pony as you generally don't need to feed many. Though for someone's they don't do a thing.

Increase fitness by increasing work, especially trot work which fittens without burning too much muscle.
 
Hifi if I remember correctly is alfalfa based. Alfalfa is higher in protein and calories than a lot of feeds. Do you need a bucket feed? Generally I think that fatter good doers are much sparkier being slimmer and fitter.
 
I also have a NF pony who is rather over weight and has been tested for EMS. I rang Saracen and they were so helpful. They told me to try Shape-Up which is a feed balancer but it is designed for EMS and lami ponies. I have been feeding it for about 6 weeks and the difference in him is amazing! He is loosing weight and looking amazing and has enough energy to work but not excessive amounts. Give them a ring :)
 
Hi thanks for the new posts on here. Unfortunatly the thread is over a yr old. She is now happily at a healthy weight and being feed Saracens Shape up and 7kgs of soaked hay. She also now lives on a track system. Since loosing weight she has decided she is no longer a dressage pony and everytime I tried to school her she would do everything she could to get out of work. Lol so she has been taken over by my daughter and they are both having a great time.
 
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