Help! Fat pony!

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AshTay

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In the last month or so my pony has just ballooned!! He's in at night and out in a small paddock with very little grass during the day (after long period of boxrest and still only being just about fieldsound).

I upped his feed over winter as he started to look poor but I must have overdone it (chaff, coolmix and lo cal balancer) as suddenly he's gone the other way. He's now only on a bit of chaff and lo cal.

He has a big haynet at night and a small one in his paddock during the day. I've recently found out that he's been finishing the big one (which has one slice from a big bale in it) by midnight and has been given an extra net so he's getting a bit more than I thought but not loads. (small holed haynet)

I can't exercise him. I would just turn him out but I like him to come in as it gives his tendon a rest from the ground (which can be boggy near the gate but it ok for 80% of the paddock).

I should also add that he's very food oriented and if I don't put hay out during the day and there's barely any grass he's likely to pull some stupid stunt like jumping a fence, or barging through to get to grass in surrounding fields. Or P**s off whilst being led out to the paddock to get at a nearby verge.

What would you do? Leave him out 24/7 so at least he's moving around more to get the weight off and I can reduce hay as there is some grass to nibble on. But at the expense of his already knackered tendon.

Or keep him in still with less hay and just accept that he's going to be frustrated and hungry when he's finished his haynet too soon.


Sorry for the long email - thanks to anyone who's got this far! Advice muchly appreciated!
 
Thanks but I don't think he'll eat the straw - he's actually very fussy and will drop the less tasty stuff on the floor and not eat it. I'll just end up with a load of straw on the floor. I may try that anyway though, thanks.

I've also thought about soaking it to reduce nutritional value but again he'll eat so much of it but once it's been there for so long he'll leave it. He had it soaked when he was on boxrest and I ended up throwing loads out for the other horses to eat as he just ignored it.

(And I've tried leaving him with no choice but to eat the leftovers and he just gets in a tizz and more and more stroppy).
 
What breed and size is he?

1 slice of big bale hay sounds an awful lot!! The dressage horses in full work that i work with arent even on that much!

If I were you I would drop the hay to about half that! Then double net it with 2 small holed hayladge nets so it takes him longer to eat.

You could also drop his feed to just the balancer which will ensure he is getting everything he needs without adding any extra calories.

Have you thought of trying some stable toys to keep him occupied while he is in? If he's not as bored he will eat less.

Also I think you have to be a bit less kind to him! If he is hungry, he will eat whats in his stable. If not. He doesnt get anything else! As long as your hay is decent quality just leave him with it! He will soon learn. And I would try soaking it again as this will help his weight. Try not to soak it too far in advance. if it is left wet for ages before you feed it they dont like it as much (in my experience anyway)

Hope that helps a bit
 
AshTay said:
Thanks but I don't think he'll eat the straw - he's actually very fussy and will drop the less tasty stuff on the floor and not eat it. I'll just end up with a load of straw on the floor. I may try that anyway though, thanks.

I've also thought about soaking it to reduce nutritional value but again he'll eat so much of it but once it's been there for so long he'll leave it. He had it soaked when he was on boxrest and I ended up throwing loads out for the other horses to eat as he just ignored it.

(And I've tried leaving him with no choice but to eat the leftovers and he just gets in a tizz and more and more stroppy).
Click to expand...
Sounds like he may have a sweet tooth. ;)

Soak hay and increase his exercise. Increase gradually using proper/'working' walk, not galloping about... Could you set up a mini track for him to go on? There is no secret to weight loss just bloomin hard work. I have a mare prone to being over weight easily and I really have to knuckle down and be strict with myself more than her. :D
 
If he wont eat soaked hay or straw, possibly feeding him lower quality hay - in terms of nutritional value. This means he can still have adlib - or the same amount as he has now, but it will have less "goodness" in it.
Glad to know that you are still feeding him the amounts he needs - as most people are quite eager to completely reduce the food intake... which obvioiusly could lead to quite serious conditions!
I know you said exercise isnt an option, but doing as much as possible, i.e. inhand walking, would probably benefit him further.
Someone once told me it was better to turn fatties (in the nicest possible way!) out at night rather than during the day. Cant really remember why tho... Something about the grass anyway.
 
I feel your pain!! My mare has ballooned and she is ridden 5 times a week, and I mean ridden. I have had her on a fitness plan and she seems to be getting fitter but not slimmer. On the plus side, I have lost half a stone :)
 
Thanks everyone. Will try soaking, straw and doubling the net. See if that helps. Until the ground become consistently dry enough for him to live out in his paddock.

Exercise is a definite no - long story about his tendon but in a nutshell it won't heal and as far as the vet's are concerned his options are more boxrest (which hasn't actually worked thus far which is why I'm no longer doing it) or pts. He's on borrowed time and my goal is to keep him comfortable and with some semblance of a normal life for as long as possible (he's 23). He's happy, but on/off lame on hard ground and on daily bute.
 
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