Feeding after ulcers with a fat horse

[doodle]

I never usually fed Robin in the morning, he never needed it. However when ulcers were diagnosed vet said to feed in the morning which I have been doing. Ulcers are now healed but after him loosing weight I fed sooth and gain. Both as an ulcer feed and to hide his antibiotics. I now have a horse who is too fat. I have changed to fast fiber. But. Do I carry on with a morning feed to protect against ulcers. Or do I not feed at all as he is fat? We are not allowed hay in the field so had been giving half a scoop sooth and gain in the morning to protect his tummy and then the fast fiber at night. The last thing he needs is sooth and gain!

 

[doodle]

Sorry I meant to put this in the feed forum.

 

[meleeka]

I’d give him breakfast if he’s going all day with limited forage.

 

[MuddyMonster]

I think I'd be inclined to feed & possibly offer a new small haynet before turn out too.

 

[doodle]

I think I'd be inclined to feed & possibly offer a new small haynet before turn out too.

He has ad-lib hay overnight so he always has some left. Although this has been changed back to small holed nets.

 

[be positive]

I would give a small feed but if he is getting too fat cut the evening feed by the same amount so he is just having the same quantity but divided into 2, then it can gradually be reduced as the grass comes through.

 

[doodle]

He is getting half a round scoop dry weight per feed. Dropping the evening feed would be sensible as he had his hay to eat. No grass in field as yet, there is never a huge amount but plenty. Not growing just yet, this time last week we had a foot of snow although I noticed today with a couple of days wind it has dried up well so grass may suddenly appear.

This is much more normal for him tho so it’s actually good. I have never had to feed him so much to stop him loosing weight but he seems to have gone the other way very quickly!

 

[doodle]

Well he seems to have decided for me. Gave him fast fiber and he refused to eat that rubbish as it wasn’t sooth and gain and he is special so he gets sooth and gain don’t I know. Twice I had to remind him to eat as he said he would rather just go out than eat rubbish low calorie stuff! Sooth and gain no longer an option mister.

 

[maddielove]

Pink mash a good alternative to Fast fibre if he continues to refuse it (though not nutritionally complete and need to feed vit/mins alongside) for my porky mare. I had her on fast fibre this time last year to loose some weight but she ended up grumpy, with a poor coat and her droppings became watery too, switched to pink mash and continued to drop weight but her glow has come back and her guts are much better. I think it must be pretty palatable as she goes wild for a mere 150g of soaked stuff which is mixed with heaps of powdered supplements!

 

[doodle]

He will eat it, it is just it is not a suitably yummy food to delay turnout ?. Ate it tonight no bother. He just knows his rights and he feels sooth and gain is his right! I think also it was made with cold water and of course he has been spoilt by making it with warm water.