How much weight should a dieting horse lose.....

[merlinsquest]

Per week????

Merlin was 511kg on the weigh tape a fortnight ago, I 'weighed' him friday and he was 478kg...... is this good or too fast???

I realise that the tapes are probably not that accurate, but the first time I could not, however I positioned the tape, get it lower than 511 and then friday could not get it bigger than 478, so something must have changed.

He is on restricted grazing with a haynet in the field for if he wants it..... but generally doesnt..... with a small Dengie origial feed with his supplements in.

 

[dwi]

Daisy has gone down from 593 to 555 in a week but I don't reckon its actual weight, more a little bit of weight and an awful lot less grass bloat

 

[merlinsquest]

Yep I know what you mean.... I wish there was a more accurate way to do it..... without travelling to a weighbridge!!

 

[scotsmare]

It could just be that he's less bloated? Weigh tapes are a bit of a nightmare - it always takes me about 6 gos on each horse to get the same reading twice!

 

[kanter]

Tapes are not that accurate but they will give you an idea of weight loss.

Horses weigh about 8 x as much as people so losing 33kg would be like a person losing about 4kg - so I would think this would be ok in a fortnight, though it will probably slow down a bit now

 

[piebaldsparkle]

LOL must have been gas!!! Has he been farting recently??!!

Did you measure him at the same time of day?? It can make a difference.

 

[merlinsquest]

I only see him once a day so its usually the same time..... morning

I had just ridden though so it could be that the girth area was still squashed!!!!

Will look for the pics that I promised

 

[piebaldsparkle]

Saddle & girth area squished more like!!!

No honestly he will have pooped and farted himself thin on the ride...............I know, I'm normally behind you!!!!

 

[merlinsquest]

Nah..... thats usually me..... i just blame the horse.

Wait till august and I will prove it..... beans on toast not an option

 

[lozxox]

Look He's back .......looking as sexy as ever!! (My siggie)

 

[merlinsquest]

Arse yesterday...

Arse two weeks ago...

Full body two weeks ago...

Full body friday...

To be honest I am not sure I can see much difference

 

[merlinsquest]

So he is...... and rightly so

 

[lozxox]

CANT SEE A DIFFERENCE???

He's lost ALOT of weight !!!

 

[jewel]

i can see a differnce he has lost loads

 

[merlinsquest]

The thing is that this pic was taken the day after the fat one, and he looks a lot thinner on this, but he couldnt have lost the weight overnight..... so perhaps its wind afterall

 

[piebaldsparkle]

He definately looks less of a lard arse!!!

 

[merlinsquest]

If he could see what is flying round my garden at the mo, he would s**t some more weight off.....

 

[piebaldsparkle]

Not May Bugs??? Tell them to sod off, it's JUNE!!!

 

[merlinsquest]

Does this look like a may bug to you???????? About an inch long...... ugly as f**k and scary!!!

Four times bigger, and just as crap at flying....... Big nasty pinchers toooooooo.....

 

[piebaldsparkle]

That's a Stag Beetle. Must be mating season, bet there are, loads of them!!!

 

[merlinsquest]

He he he..... you havent seen my other post have you??? I know its a staggy, I dug most of its huge fat witchety grub mates up last year and fed them to the chickens!!!

So yep there are loads, about nine, but not as many as there could have been

And yes I do know they are protected...... now

 

[Box_Of_Frogs]

Stag beetles are on the endangered species list (honestly) so you absolutely MUST NOT tread on it or in any way harm it. In fact, I think you should nip out now with a bowl of beetle food.

 

[merlinsquest]

Oh dear....... what a dilemma...... what shall I feed them.....

....too

 

[RachelB]

He's lost a lot of fat and put on some muscle if you ask me! That arse is rather nice!! My horse was 675kg all this winter (according to weightape and a guesstimate cos it only goes up to 600kg!), she lost about 5-10kg per week with just a muzzle on for 12 hours a day. She is now being strip grazed on very good grass and is losing weight again but I have to remember to weigh her only when she's not had the grass - she can "put on" up to 50kg of grass bloat! She was 600kg according to my weightape last week, although she doesn't look like she's lost 75kg - more like a bit of belly and a lot of winter fluff

I'd love to get her on a weighbridge, I don't trust tapes with her at all because she is a very long-backed horse with most of her belly and weight sitting behind her girth.
Don't be disheartened if you don't see a difference (although I definitely do!), weight loss should be slow anyway to minimise the health risks

 

[merlinsquest]

Thanks Silmarillion...... actually this does all coincide with being told by the vet to work him as per a normal horse, and not treat him like a china doll. I have been a bit precious about his arthritis, but it seems that although the damage is done to his fetlock, it must have been done before I bought him and whatever I have thrown at him over the last few years has made no difference.

So off we go for at least a 1.5 hour hack a day with lots more hill work, hence the arse..... I thought that looked a bit more sexy

and canter work.


No schooling though as his fetlock and hocks dont seem to like that.

Just to add, I taped him again today and he was 498

still at least its going in the right direction

 

[Ellies_mum2]

I can see a big dfference in him (no pun intended)

I think he looks fab

 

[merlinsquest]

Thanks Ellies_mum2....... hopefully I can resist the temptation to put him back in the big part of the field with his chums

but he looks soo sad

then again he soon forgets they are there too.