Getting weight off retired horses...

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Rosehip

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Im at the end of my teather, and out of ideas, so turning to you knowledgeable lot to see if you can suggest something (anything!!) I havent already tried!

My old mare - age undetermined but somewhere between 15 - 25 - is a very very very good doer, she lives on fresh air, and last year culminated in concussive laminitis, which wasnt helped by the weight she was carrying round.
Her weight fluctuates almost daily, but she looks nice and well at 485kg.

She is 14.2 Fell and came to me as morbidly obese and 'dangerous'. She is now retired due to bone spavin and ridden issues.

At the moment her routine is:

7/7.30am 100g Hifi Lite
50g Fast Fibre
4lb soaked net
and she is in an 18x18 turnout pen with shelter attached.Due to the mud there is bog all grazing on it, but she can pick a little bit.

5pm Same feed plus her supplements and a 2lb soaked net,then she is let through onto less than 1/4 acre well grazed long thin paddock.
On this routine she has gained at least 8kg, she now weighs 498kg, I put her on a diet when she taped at 490kg!

I can hand walk her, and plan to do so, but she cant lunge because of her hocks. I cant muzzle as she wont settle, and I personally think they are torture anyway, and if I reduce her forage too much she colics.

Any ideas?
 
Clip her body out. Even if she only has a thin summer coat, she will use up slightly more energy to keep warm.

Obviously if it turns bitter, you might want to put a very thin rain sheet on at night, but otherwise be strong and leave her. Clip again when it grows back. Kinder than a muzzle I always think.
 
it is my understanding correct me if i am wrong but if there isnt enough going through the gut then the body goes in to starvation mode just like people and you end up not losing any weight, so feed but feed the right stuff, green grass is fattening so avoid even the short stuff, it is full of sugar, give soaked hay a decent amount for the body to work properly, so the metabolism starts working as it should do again, horses are meant to trickle feed not go without, i am not saying you are making her go without but so many are fat and not given much because what they are given is not right, hope this makes sense. walk her in hand for 20mins a day, good for you too.
 
putasocinit said:
it is my understanding correct me if i am wrong but if there isnt enough going through the gut then the body goes in to starvation mode just like people and you end up not losing any weight, so feed but feed the right stuff, green grass is fattening so avoid even the short stuff, it is full of sugar, give soaked hay a decent amount for the body to work properly, so the metabolism starts working as it should do again, horses are meant to trickle feed not go without, i am not saying you are making her go without but so many are fat and not given much because what they are given is not right, hope this makes sense. walk her in hand for 20mins a day, good for you too.
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Agree with this, my mare was on a bald field and not in work due to a tendon injury, she survived very well on the short green grass that was coming through - there really wasnt a lot.
Is she not rideable atall? A mare I look after is 22, has spavin in her hocks but is ridden with a little bute when needed, to keep her weight down. Not long rides by any means but a couple of times a week to keep her strong and slim.
 
All makes sense :) thanks all!
I too think that there isnt enogh going through her, and would love to turn her out onto "rough pulling" but the grass I have is lush and rich - cant believe Im moaning about having grass! lol!
I do clip her out and keep rugs to a minimum in the winter, hadnt really thought about doing so in the summer even though I used to clip my cushings boy...duh!
I can hack her in company, but she has bolted with me before(when alone), and isnt safe on the roads with anything bigger than a landrover wether she has company or not. She has been beaten in the past, and seems to bolt through fear that she will get it again, so if she trips she will then run off as she thinks I will bop her for 'being naughty'.

She loves longreining, but again, she sometimes gets upset and then has a little meltdown! Shes a complex character! Bless her!

Thanks all :)
 
Does she really need the evening hay if she is able to pick at a bit of grass all night she should be ok or spread it around on the ground so it means moving to get it, I would do the same with the am hay put small amounts everywhere so she has to keep looking for it.
Could you do a circular track or make the thin paddock longer and thinner in some way so she moves further, is she alone as I find if they have company they move around more and even stop eating once in a while to have a play or a good grooming session.
 
Be Positive - I suppose really she doesnt need the evening net, but my other girl is on pen rest after a period in the shelter with lami, and what seren has, Melly wants and will throw a strop (think kid on blue smarties in a tesco isle wanting more smarties!) if she doesnt get it. So she has a small amount when Seren gets her night net... I perhaps spoil her a little bit!
Milesjess - yes, Ill be starting to handwalk her tomorrow :)
 
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