Feeding for Weight loss

[LJW2709]

I would be really grateful if anyone could give me some advise on feeding for weight loss, (seen lots of threads for weight gain but not weight loss) turned my ponies away for the winter, noticing one was getting a little porky but didn't take on board by how much until this weekend when they came in!! I feel so bad now, but I've acknowledged it and am now cracking on with dealing with it. Have weigh taped her, shes off the grass on an all weather turn out and i'm measuring everything! worked out i need to give her 1.5% of her body weight which is 5kg, I'm weighing and soaking her hay and putting in a small holed trickle feed net, will also start exercise gradually. Shes never had lami and really want to avoid her getting it!

I feel like i need to do something else with regards to her feed? Do i need to give a balancer? multi-vit? substitute some of the hay for low cal chaff? Speedi-beat?

If anyone could give me any advise or experience with this that would be great, thank you, most of my horses I am trying to get them to gain weight!!

 

[Leo Walker]

Yes on restricted soaked hay you need to put back the vits and minerals lost. Equimins advance complete comes in a pellted form so no feed needed. Is the 5kgs lasting 24 hours? If not you need to give more, find a way to slow her down even further or add chopped straw or similar.

 

[oldie48]

Zero chop has been my best friend for Fatty. He's constantly hungry, lives for food but a big trug of it means he has something to eat. I moisten it with a little water from the soaked unmollased beet that I give to my other horse and add a balancer. Everything else
he gets is well soaked, small hole nets which I give him at regular intervals or he'd scoff the lot in five minutes. He is hard work but looks slimmer than he did.

 

[LJW2709]

Thank you for your replies! Did quite a bit of research last night and have been out today and bought a few bags and Zero chop and ordered the Equimins advance complete online, great advise and fingers crossed my fatty will be transformed in a couple of months!

 

[Leo Walker]

Zero chop has been my best friend for Fatty. He's constantly hungry, lives for food but a big trug of it means he has something to eat. I moisten it with a little water from the soaked unmollased beet that I give to my other horse and add a balancer. Everything else
he gets is well soaked, small hole nets which I give him at regular intervals or he'd scoff the lot in five minutes. He is hard work but looks slimmer than he did.

I wish mine would eat it! Others have previously but she wont even consider it. Its such a useful tool for managing good doers

 

[Leo Walker]

Thank you for your replies! Did quite a bit of research last night and have been out today and bought a few bags and Zero chop and ordered the Equimins advance complete online, great advise and fingers crossed my fatty will be transformed in a couple of months!

Fingers crossed! Good doers arent easy, and I quite often fantasise about having a skinny horse! Once you have a handle on it, it will all be much easier though.

 

[vmac66]

Good luck with the weight loss plan. It can be done. My mare has lost roughly a, 100kgs in the last 10 months. Combination of soaked hay and low sugar and starch diet. Has also helped that her field is trashed. I've had her for 3 years and for the first time can see ribs. Just to keep weight off in the spring now.

 

[Translationsneeded]

Mine loves top chop zero. I couldn’t leave her with a bucketful as she’d down the lot.
I give soaked hay and a balancer with a handful of top chop. I find it easier in spring because at least they’re out more

 

[ycbm]

For people with fatties, unbranded chopped oat straw in 22kg bales from efeed.co.uk is half the price of Top Chop Zero even if you have to pay for delivery.

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[SEL]

Mine thinks Topchop zero is yummy and inhales it.

She's in a muzzle today. I didn't think there was much grass in the field (sodden, trashed) but she came in yesterday with her crest solid so there's something out there.