Help very fat horse!!

[hadleigh]

I have a 12 year old Hanoverian gelding. He is very greedy and a very good doer and currently very fat!! We do dressage and hacking. He is out for 4 hours a day on good grazing. Works 30 to 60 mins a day Mon to Fri in the school. Hacks out for approx an hour 2 days a week. He gets a small amount of Alfa A Lite, Hi Fibre Nuts and Slim and Healthy twice a day with a couple of carrots. I have a sin bin but he jumps out if I put him in there. Would do the same with a grazing muzzle. Gets approx 10lbs hay a day well soaked for abput 12 hours. Any other suggestions??

 

[bellaM]

I would try to cut the feed out, if he's fat there's no reason for it you have to give tough love! Also be sensible and put him on grazing that isn't quite so good, be tough with yourself!

 

[skye123]

definatly cut back on the food! my mare is a pig and put to much weight on so she doesnt have anything!

 

[hadleigh]

I need to give some feed because he tends to colic if fed nothing, He gets supplements also. Plus he can be very laid back to school so the little bit of hard feed is for that. His feeds are tiny really only a handful!!. I know this sounds daft but I don't have any bad grazing! As I said if I try to put him in the sin bin he jumps out!! I think I am going to have to work him harder! Please God stop raining it just makes my grazing better and better. Anyone want some?!!

 

[Weezy]

How fat is very fat? Have you got a pic or have you used a weight tape - or ideally both! Also the colic/feeding issue is nonsense (sorry) - horses eat their hardfeed quickly, so you are way better off offering some forage instead.

 

[bellaM]

Can you top your grazing or put him in a limited area?

 

[bex1984]

How much actual work does he do in the school? Is it mostly walk or do you do plenty of trot and canter? You may well have to work him harder - it's really your only option if you can't cut his food intake at all. Lots of trotting uphill on your hacks!

Get yourself a weigh tape and monitor his weight, because sometimes you look at them and think they're getting bigger but if you weigh them they've lost weight!!

 

[Evadiva1514]

Have you tried switching the Alfa A Lite to Hi Fi lite?? For my fatties, I tend to give mine slightly less soaked hay and give them a larger bucket of Hi Fi for them to much on throughout the day when they are in. Mine love eating it, it takes a while to get through and it helps mine stay trim throughout the summer months...

 

[Bosworth]

Every time you turn him out put him in a grazing muzzle if he jumps out with one on where does he go. if he is not happy out with a muzzle then keep him in and restrict his feed. With the hay put it inside at least 3 small hole hay nets one in side the other so he has to work for his feed and not bolt it. Cut out all the hard feed. He should not colic on fibre as long as he has it available permanently. i would never advise stopping feeding a horse they need food going through their guts 16 hours a day. He will have that with the hay. Probably the reason why he is lacking in ooomph in the school is because he is too fat. I know when I feel to fat i don't want to be lively - I become a sloth. The amount of hard feed you are giving him will not perk him up. The more work he does on just fibre the slimmer he should get and the more eager he should get to work.

It is kinder to keep him in to get the weight down if you can't get a muzzle on him than to have an obese horse that is a danger to his own health.

Sorry but you have to be cruel to be kind here

 

[Emma27]

Totally agree with Bosworth! You need to get him off the grass, can`t you turn him out in the school with hay to stretch his legs if you don`t have a suitable field?i would rather keep him in than turn him out in a field of good grazing, and i would also cut out his hard feed too if you need to feed supplements just give him Hi-Fi Lite or unmolassed chaff, sorry to be blunt but you really do need to be cruel to be kind.

 

[ISHmad]

I agree too. One of my good doers was going out muzzled in the day and then out at night without it. But still way too fat, so now out in the day with muzzle on and in at night with soaked hay. I prefer them out to move around etc but right now that is not an option, he is too fat and his health has to come first.

 

[mrsbloggett]

You're probably not going to want to hear this but I agree with all those who say cut out the feed or the grass - he only needs one or the other!

If grazing is good there is absolutely no reason to top up with hard feed and hay. If your horse needs to lose weight then he should be fed a MAXIMUM of 1.5% of his body weight, any more and he'll just lay it down as fat.

Be realistic on what you are ACTUALLY feeding him. Be sure that level scoop is level and you are not giving more than you should. I know I'm guilty of it.

Having nearly lost my (ex-fatty) laminitic earlier this year you really do need to limit calorific intake.

 

[shandy133]

my fattys are in (well they stay in my menage) apart from about 3 hours a day. they are fed a HANDFULL of hi-fi lite to give supplements. and they have a small amount of hay, in the small ringed halyege nets at night. and they are worked 6 days a week.

 

[spaniel]

Hannos can be very good at putting on fat and not very good at taking it off again. My advice would be to use a grazing muzzle at all times during turnout or failing that keep him in.

If you absolutely have to feed supplements in a bucket then use a handful, thats literally a handfull, of HI Fi Lite with a little water to stick the supplements to it.

Soak your hay (cant advise on how much as we dont know your horses vital stats) and feed it in small amounts throughout the day and use tiny holed nets one inside the other to keep it going through the night.

If at all possible you should also up his work hours, could you lunge in the morning and then ride at night?

 

[amandaco2]

ive got one a 16.3hh IDx who is well over 900kg on the tape eekkkk
he is not owned by me but am managing him as best i can#
its a huge struggle!

i would cut out ALL the feed and put a mineral lick in the stable(not one of those awful gooey ones either!)if he gets upset give him a chopped carrot.im sure he would get used to not being fed.Alfa A Lite, Hi Fibre Nuts and Slim and Healthy is actually quite full of calories.if he HAD to have something i would give him an eggcup of hifi lite.everything adds up believe me!if you had a kitkat a day it would soon be visable.

and feed low cal hay soaked for 12hours mixed with straw (build up slowly(be extra careful if he has colicked before) to 50-50mix)


and ride everyday doing hill work if poss for 2hrs.
longer slower rides burn fat better than shorter faster ones(but every little helps!)riding twice a day or doing 20mins lunging on a large area would help but be careful not to over stress the joints as he is fat!


anytime he is out use a muzzle.

best for him to be out muzzled than in as he is walkinmg about and using energy whilst out.

best muzzle ive found is green guard for my mare.
if he jumps out use one that lets even less grass in like the bucket type.then it wont matter where he jumps!in fact he will be getting some extra exercise LOL


dont feel guilty if he sulks- its better to be muzzled and lose some weight than get lami and lose his life!
most horses put a good show on for mum and as soon as you have gone he will be nibbling away happily.

 

[hadleigh]

Thanks guys for all your advice. I will show the posts to Whisky who will, no doubt, be round to see you all individually.
I have decided to turn him out for 2 hours a day only. His feed really is only a handful but didn't realise the feeds he WAS getting were bad for him. So it's all change for the next few months. Will do us both good I think. Too ashamed to show you his pic now so will do before and after after!!! He isn't obese but defo too fat.

 

[oliviacharley]

my little fat pony is over weight but does need to have her vits and mins due to being old and I am a worrier...
I would just feed a lite chaff with carrots...? Cut out all the other bits and just a couple of handfuls of chaff...tiny selection of hay in a small netted haynet to let him take his time.
I do actually use a grazing muzzle...well saying that I have done and have just bought another one which my mare will love - its purple!!

 

[ISHmad]

Don't feed carrots, they are full of sugar. The only thing I would say Hadleigh is to ensure that you feed a balancer - something like Top Spec Anti Lam or Baileys Lo Cal to ensure that despite the restricted diet your horse is getting all the vits and mins he needs.

 

[hadleigh]

Yep that is exactly what I have decided to feed. Baileys Lo Cal Balancer. Yes I know carrots are bad bad bad. He gets one or two small ones cut up so they look like a lot!!! His new regime started today. He had 2 hours out. Handful of feed, if he sneezed on it and blew the supplements away there would be nothing left!! Very cross horse when I rode. Get used to it matey. I'm dieting too so we will probably be killing each other this time next week. Have comp at Reaseheath 26th so want to see some difference by then!!! No pressure.

 

[spaniel]

Good luck!!

Stick the weigh tape on him now and then have another go at weekly intervals. It will be interesting to see the results and the before and after pics...after!!

 

[Lucy_Ally]

Mine too is overweight, I had sectioned her field off but she just kept pushing the fence down. We have now reinforced it with 4 1/2 ft high electric fencing with 3 strands so she can't escape - I have yet to see her jump it though!
She is pretty cunning and I worry she ould just remove a muzzle plus I am not really a fan. She is out 24hrs but her grazing has been eaten down a fair bit now and I have upped her work load. If she doesn't shed the weight though she will be coming in at nights on soaked hay. My fitness regime has only been going a few days and she has lost some weight around her middle which is a start!
Good luck I am on a similar struggle so sympathise!

 

[MagicMelon]

I personally think the only thing which will really help him lose weight is to take him off the "good grass". I think any horse who's even vaguelly overweight shouldn't be anywhere near good grass! So he jumps out of your starvation paddock is that right? I would buy higher electric fence posts or something because I really think this is the way to go. Or you also risk laminitis at the moment........

Agree with changing to Baileys Lo Cal Balancer (and a general all round vit & min supplement).

I know what you're going through - my welsh D is suddenly looking a tad chunky. A lot of people would say he's perfect weight for his breed but I want him slimmer (for ODE's etc.), so he's being put into the barely-any-grass paddock during the day which he absolutely hates. He was so grumpy yesterday and will continue to be so. I am also dieting! So we both should know how they feel!

 

[Honeypots]

I seriously sympathise. I spend my entire spring/summer faffing about with weigh tapes and electric fencing!! All 6 of mine are fat natives. I actually welcome the winter. They can all go out together. They get no feed, minimal hay and still come out of the winter fat!
I would suggest electric fencing. Get the tall posts and use strip grazing. I'm not a huge fan of muzzles so prefer this method...

 

[filly190]

Is it possible to keep him turned out 24/7 on restricted grazing. If he is out for only four hours, I would guess being turned out more would help burn off some fat.

 

[Albertina]

I am in the same situation, my Albert is an ID X TB and he is quite fat at the mo on just grass and a tiny handful of alfa a just to give him his carron oil.

I am going to have to up his exersise and he is coming in in the day time with a little hay to keep him going.

You have my every sympathy, getting weight off any good doer is just a knightmare!!!

 

[pixiebee]

mine is alos getting tubby!! have not had much time to ride and he is on good grass, he is on grass livery so have no choice! so i think its going to have to be more excercise and his muzzel. good thing is his muzzel still allows him to eat enough to keep his gut happy but not to eat too much!!

 

[hadleigh]

Turning out 24/7 is not an option as when he jumps out he jumps out of my filed completely and is on the track that runs along the back of ti. There is a road at either end of this track so I'm not to keen to encourage this behaviour!! Also last time he jumped out he twisted his back. My fencing is quite high post and rail. Looking on the plus side he can always start a career as a showjumper!!!