Following natural weight loss & gain cycle

[Chinchilla]

My mares - nativey sorts - are fat (nothing new there), and it is a constant battle to keep weight off them.
However, we seem to have a system now whereby they are losing weight - in summer. Which never happens.
However, obviously horses are designed to get fat in summer and lose it all in winter keeping warm. Also, with all this talk of a hay shortage, is it actually wise to get them to 'good' weights now, or would it be better to let them follow what they are 'supposed' to do naturally*?
I did read that letting them follow natural seasonal cycle of weight loss and gain is supposed to safeguard against metabolic disease too...

* It is worth pointing out that no, they will not be being allowed to get enormous. I just mean not pushing massively hard at the expense of the field now to get them to a healthy weight, only to then have to spend loads of money in winter on hay and food, when it surely - with good doers - ought to be possible to let them retain a bit of summer bulge then let them shiver it off over winter, and save on hay costs at the same time?

For reference current management is out 24/7 in almost-bare paddock. New Forest has a muzzle on during the day, fewspot doesn't. They're strip grazed (but minimally as am trying to save the grazing for the poor doers in winter )
The unspotty spotty is going to be stabled in winter, NF will be out, both will be unrugged for as long as possible as they share a field with a idiot TB who eats rugs.


Sorry, this is a really rambly thread; I do hope it's vaguely comprehensible.

 

[Mule]

I think if they're losing weight then let them keep losing it until you're satisfied with their weight. Because there's a lot of laminitis around this summer it's probably safer to get their weight down now and see how things go during winter.

 

[ihatework]

If they are loosing weight then you should be very pleased!
These fields are a time bomb waiting to explode as soon as the prolonged rain comes.
We already have some very fresh green shoots spring up after 2 days.

PS - natives should really come out of winter fractionally poor, so that by mid summer they are a good weight. Not slim down to normal so that they are fat the minute spring hits.

 

[Chinchilla]

If they are loosing weight then you should be very pleased!
These fields are a time bomb waiting to explode as soon as the prolonged rain comes.
We already have some very fresh green shoots spring up after 2 days.

PS - natives should really come out of winter fractionally poor, so that by mid summer they are a good weight. Not slim down to normal so that they are fat the minute spring hits.

I AM pleased they are losing weight (in SUMMER!), just worried a bit about very high hay costs over winter.
The NF did come out into spring a bit poor; I was really happy that you could see her last two ribs (wow that sounds sadistic xD )

TBH if I can get them both to middle of healthy BSC then have both come out of winter poor I'd be happy things maybe.

 

[Highflinger]

I have a Welsh section D who lives out 24/7 and I let him fatten up in the summer and slim down over winter. He comes out of winter quite lean which gives him what I feel is some nice "safe" expanding room for the spring. He is now 28, still ridden and I have done this for the last 18 years and works for him. He is on ample grazing (shared with others) and I rarely feed hay until January and even then he only gets around 2 small bales a week and I usually stop mid March ( does of course depend on weather) but even last winter after the extreme cold and wet I hardly upped the hay and still stopped in early March. He did loose topline at the end of last winter and I think I should have introduced something like grass nuts during the really cold spell but he is now looking great although has lost a little weight over the last couple of weeks since the grass really dried up but it is sprouting again so he will naturally gradually expand again. I am always mindful of lami and realise that with advancing age things can change.

 

[SEL]

I have no problem with the Appy dropping weight over summer. She's a ridiculously good doer and can happily put on weight in winter if they're in overnight. The first winter I had her she was out 24:7 on poor grass unrugged with a load of polo ponies who all looked awful by the end of Jan. She was still fat.

I prefer Militaire to go into December a bit on the fat side because he does start to drop quickly in Feb. For him I think its related to coat change, but once he starts to drop I struggle to keep it on him and the rescue case look isn't a good one.