HEAVIES - grass, lami etc.

DanceswithCows

DanceswithCows

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I have an appaloosa X TB youngster who needs feeding up/to grow. At the moment I'm borrowing a young Dales type as company for her, which I have the option of buying. He's a great chap and I'd love to keep him but he's already fat, is too young to work hard and I'm having to keep him on threadbare paddocks, while the other one really needs more...I have a field ready for grazing but the dales will just eat himself to death on it I'm sure!

Not sure what else to get really, I can't afford one of the breed I really want just yet but I also have heavies on my wishlist. Whilst I love shires etc. I am more of a fan of the shorter legged continental types, Ardennes in particular. I saw a lady riding through our village on one when I was a kid, with a long wavy roan mane and tail and the image just really stuck with me - they look comfy as hell to ride! I've found a 2yr old within budget.

So my question is, what are the heavies like when it comes to grazing - am I going to have the same issues with fat/lami risk or would they be a good candidate to go with the TBx?
 
DanceswithCows said:
So my question is, what are the heavies like when it comes to grazing - am I going to have the same issues with fat/lami risk
Click to expand...

In a word - yes!

I have lost a Shire to laminitis - admittedly it was a complication of something else. My current horse is a Westphalian Kaltblut, - a 1st cousin of the Ardennes but a bit bigger. She was enormously overweight when I got her and is on a permanent diet now. Fortunately our older Appaloosa has Arab breeding rather than TB and also needs to watch her weight, so they share a field quite well.
 
Sorry my friend's Ardennes is muzzled 20 ish hours a day 365 days, worked hardish and he's still heavy - a lot better than when she got him but really hard work to keep off.
 
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