Bertolie
Well-Known Member
I need to get some weight off of my fattie and would appreciate any helpful advice and suggestions.
Leo is a 14.3hh, 19 year old, middle weight cob who I have weighed and body condition scored by Spillers twice a year. Back in February he weighed in at 529Kgs and a body condition score of 5.5 on the 0-9 scale (5 being optimum). Looking at him last night he is definitely looking as though he has put some weight on over the last few weeks and I really need to get it sorted.
He gets fed a cup (250g) of Spillers Lite balancer once a day plus a small handful of Dengie Good-doer chaff to mix his joint supplement in.
He is out 24/7 with my daughters 14.2hh pony, on approx half an acre of reasonable grazing - its approx 3 inches long and scrubby. I cant strip graze as Leo has no respect for fencing, an will go over, under or through the fence if he thinks he's hungry. I have been advised by vet not to use a grazing muzzle due to the fact he has a wave mouth.
I have been trying to ride him at least 4 times a week although sometimes this may only be for a 30-45 min hack around the block. He doesn't hack out alone so I am dependant on my daughter riding out with me. He hasn't done much since last October so is not that fit, so work will need to be upped gradually. We do have a small indoor school (not big enough to canter in) but I am really a happy hacker and I am at a loss as to what to do with him in the school!
Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Spillers are due to come out to weigh again in 5 weeks time and I really would like him a little bit slimmer by then!
Leo is a 14.3hh, 19 year old, middle weight cob who I have weighed and body condition scored by Spillers twice a year. Back in February he weighed in at 529Kgs and a body condition score of 5.5 on the 0-9 scale (5 being optimum). Looking at him last night he is definitely looking as though he has put some weight on over the last few weeks and I really need to get it sorted.
He gets fed a cup (250g) of Spillers Lite balancer once a day plus a small handful of Dengie Good-doer chaff to mix his joint supplement in.
He is out 24/7 with my daughters 14.2hh pony, on approx half an acre of reasonable grazing - its approx 3 inches long and scrubby. I cant strip graze as Leo has no respect for fencing, an will go over, under or through the fence if he thinks he's hungry. I have been advised by vet not to use a grazing muzzle due to the fact he has a wave mouth.
I have been trying to ride him at least 4 times a week although sometimes this may only be for a 30-45 min hack around the block. He doesn't hack out alone so I am dependant on my daughter riding out with me. He hasn't done much since last October so is not that fit, so work will need to be upped gradually. We do have a small indoor school (not big enough to canter in) but I am really a happy hacker and I am at a loss as to what to do with him in the school!
Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Spillers are due to come out to weigh again in 5 weeks time and I really would like him a little bit slimmer by then!
