???How to get a pony to lose weight???

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Ponymad1369

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Hi, I own a 12hh 7 year old Welsh X cob gelding who's very thick set. I've had him about two months and until two weeks before I bought him he had been turned out for a year and just left so obviously he gained weight.
I feed him a handful of safe & sound morning and night, and then he gets a net of haylage for the night and one for the day we don't have turnout in the winter where I'm at. I know haylage isn't very good for getting him to lose weight but he won't eat hay I've tried soaking it and adding bit of carrot into it to try and tempt him to eat it but he went 4 days without eating any so I decided that it was best to put him on haylage. We can only buy hay and haylage from our YO by the way and they're nice clean bales.
He's lightly hacked for about 15-20 minutes a week and schooled 1-2 times a week for 30mins but his weight isn't really dropping much. I can't ride anymore really due to my work hours and obviously with the days being shorter. Also I let him out in our outdoor arena for about 15 mins a day for him to have a play with his mates, roll and stretch his legs then chase him around with a lunge whip.
We had a weigh bridge last week and he weighed 316kg and the woman who came with the weigh bridge said he should be around 280kg and he had a body score of around 6.
So is there anything I can do???
 
I'd start by mixing hay and haylage together in one net - shake it out well and really mix them together. This should get him eating the hay and then you can slowly reduce the amount of haylage and increase the hay. Using a small holed net or double netting should slow consumption too. Do you work weekends as well or can you up his workload at the weekend? Could you get a sharer to help exercise him? Or find a yard where he can have some turnout?
 
Are you saying this horse is stabled 24/7, only ridden lightly 3 times a week and just 15 mins a day loose in the school? That makes me sad
 
I'll do that with his hay. He's already got relatively small holed nets and they last him just until it's time for his next feed. I work usually once in the week and once at the weekend sometimes I can work both days at the weekend but it's a bit of a struggle. He's also very unfit obviously and a half hour schooling session really tires him out. I can't move yards really because this is the most convenient and there aren't any other good ones near me. Also nearly every yard where I'm at doesn't have turnout through the winter as the horses just turf everything up. In the summer they can go out all day if it suits though. As for a loan/share I'd rather not because it would only really be kids and I don't want that as he can have days where he'll really test you and just put you straight on the floor and I don't want to be responsible for any injuries or anything if you understand what I mean?
 
It's better than most horses where I'm at. And he doesn't mind at all his stable is larger than most get. He's never been fizzy or full of energy even after we've had turnout taken away for winter so surely he's not too bothered.
 
I forgot to mention that he's put out for 15 mins twice a day once in the morning by a lady at my stable and once by me at night. The issue is because we have to put them in the outdoor arena we have to watch them to make sure they're not digging or biting the fence
 
Ponymad1369 said:
I forgot to mention that he's put out for 15 mins twice a day once in the morning by a lady at my stable and once by me at night. The issue is because we have to put them in the outdoor arena we have to watch them to make sure they're not digging or biting the fence
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Can you not then lunge each evening for 10 mins and then give pony 5 mins to have a good roll etc?
 
If he's getting enough haynet to last until it's time for the next one, the obvious thing to do would be to cut the amount down so he runs out a few hours before the next net is due. Is he clipped? If not could you give him a low trace clip and leave him unrugged? It will help him lose weight and might increase his enthusiasm for ridden work, even being a little bit too hot can put some animals off wanting to work, and the more effort he puts in the quicker he'll lose weight. If he's being ridden regularly twice per week a half hour schooling session shouldn't tire him out that much, which is what makes me wonder if he's too hot. Could you try to fit in a short hack for half hour before or after the schooling session?
 
I'll give him less haylage then, he's not clipped so I'll also clip him I usually try and just walk for the last 5 mins of schooling and then go for a 10 min ride down a lane I can't really fit much more in.
As for lunging he's not really keen on it. He'll either go into canter and straighten up and try to pull away or he'll try to turn in. Obviously both of these things I don't let him get away with, but if he's constantly trying to get out of it surely he's not enjoying it? Or do you think I just lunge him anyways and see if he settles down with it? I've lunged him 6-7 times with no improvement at all which I know isn't a lot but if he doesn't like it I don't want to force him.
 
Ponymad1369 said:
I'll do that with his hay. He's already got relatively small holed nets and they last him just until it's time for his next feed. I work usually once in the week and once at the weekend sometimes I can work both days at the weekend but it's a bit of a struggle. He's also very unfit obviously and a half hour schooling session really tires him out. I can't move yards really because this is the most convenient and there aren't any other good ones near me. Also nearly every yard where I'm at doesn't have turnout through the winter as the horses just turf everything up. In the summer they can go out all day if it suits though. As for a loan/share I'd rather not because it would only really be kids and I don't want that as he can have days where he'll really test you and just put you straight on the floor and I don't want to be responsible for any injuries or anything if you understand what I mean?
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I too think it is sad that he is stabled for so long.
He is a horse, shut in 24/7, no wonder he doesnt seem enthusiastic and isnt loosing weight!
He needs to move around!

Move yards, even 24/7 turnout. Especially if you havent got time to work in correctly to counteract his being stabled so much.
Find a sharer, more attention and exercise for him will make a huge difference.

He should never be without forage, but slow down his eating.
Soak or steam the hay, He will eat it eventually, you need to persevere with hay and not give in and feed haylage.
 
All the yards where I am have no turnout in the winter and I can't find any land that's available. Which I have already said so please read everything that I have said before you state invalid comments.
Most of the people on this forum are so, so nice and helpful and it's great but others just think they know everything and they can just force their opinion on everyone.
 
If you genuinely cannot find somewhere with turnout then really you have to lower calorie intake and increase exercise. It really is that simple.

I'd be careful not to cut out forage so much that you cause problems with his tummy, so I would look to soak the hay/haylage. Make sure it is rinsed off after and when he is hungry enough he will eat it. Another option is to try feeding straw. Whatever you do make sure you are feeding late cut meadow type stuff.

You need to exercise him more! No ifs or buts on that - it is not good to have him stood in doing nothing for such vast times. Exercise will help him both physically and mentally. If you can't/aren't willing to find the time to do this then a couple of other options would be to find somewhere with a horse walker (but that is pretty dull for them) or even better pay someone to hack him out or lead him out hacking off something else.
 
Ponymad1369 said:
All the yards where I am have no turnout in the winter and I can't find any land that's available. Which I have already said so please read everything that I have said before you state invalid comments.
Most of the people on this forum are so, so nice and helpful and it's great but others just think they know everything and they can just force their opinion on everyone.
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You have to work with what you have OP and it's difficult when your situation isn't ideal but you will have to think outside of the box a little to meet his basic needs. He definitely needs more exercise and interest in his life than he currently has. He's at a heightened risk of colic though lack of movement and developing stable vices through boredom, aside from having a generally poor quality of life.

If he doesn't lunge well, how about freeschooling? The hack on lead idea previously mentioned is a good one. Is there anyone capable enough and willing to help you with this? Think in terms of not just exercise but enrichment. How about an in hand walk or in hand work over trotting poles, through a course or groundwork sessions? Trick training? Anything you can think of really which will exercise his body and mind will benefit him, at least twice per day, every day ��
 
Some hay can be more calorific than some ehaylage so you really need to have it analysed to be sure what you're feeding.
I agree that you need to up the exercise to help with the weight loss and well done for recognising that ....being overweight is so dangerous and he'll feel so much happier once he's lost some ☺
 
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To be honest I really don't think you have time to own any pony.

Any stabled pony or horse needs at least one hours exercise a day, and that would be steady trotting for most of that time.

Why do you not have time to work this poor pony more?

The only thing that will reduce his weight is work. As to his weight, my Clydesdale is just over 600kg and is 16hh and trim. Your pony is morbidly obese.
 
Orca said:
You have to work with what you have OP and it's difficult when your situation isn't ideal but you will have to think outside of the box a little to meet his basic needs. He definitely needs more exercise and interest in his life than he currently has. He's at a heightened risk of colic though lack of movement and developing stable vices through boredom, aside from having a generally poor quality of life.

If he doesn't lunge well, how about freeschooling? The hack on lead idea previously mentioned is a good one. Is there anyone capable enough and willing to help you with this? Think in terms of not just exercise but enrichment. How about an in hand walk or in hand work over trotting poles, through a course or groundwork sessions? Trick training? Anything you can think of really which will exercise his body and mind will benefit him, at least twice per day, every day ��
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I'll do this with him. That's great thank you. We have a horse walker where I'm at but it just seems like a death trap for a pony who's very switched on as he is.
 
Ponymad1369 said:
I'll do this with him. That's great thank you. We have a horse walker where I'm at but it just seems like a death trap for a pony who's very switched on as he is.
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Being very obese is probably just as much a death trap, to be honest! And he is probably very switched on because he is getting very little turnout and very little work. Something needs to change, or you are likely to have a serious problem on your hands.
 
I do have time to own a pony and most of the horses at the yard where I'm at are only ridden once a week and just left for the rest of it.
And he's not morbidly obese, he's 35kg overweight which isn't bad considering I've managed to slim him down a lot since I got him it just this last little bit that I can't seem to shift.
 
And it's a good thing I got him then because he was far heavier when I got him two months ago. So it's not me who got him into this shape in the first place and I never would let a horse become overweight as he is
 
Mine is an incredibly good dooer and also a massive pig! He gets 2kgs of hay in a trickle net type thing and 2kgs in a tiny holed trickle net. He then gets ad lib straw. He doesnt like it, but he does nibble at it when the hay runs out, so he never has an empty tummy. Hes out for 8 hours a day on average grazing. He was muzzled until a month or so ago. Hes fully clipped and always slightly under rugged. He has a balancer and salt and they go in a big handful of chopped straw and a tiny bit of non mollased Alfalfa.

He doesnt lose ANY weight on that regime unless he is worked until he gets a bit sweaty and puffing at least 3 times a week. If he stood in 24/7 eating haylage and doing minimal work he would gain weight.

Its hard, but you have to reduce food intake and increas exercise. Being stood in 24/7 isnt a nice life for any horse. If you cant help that, then you need to make the time to work your pony EVERY day, ideally twice a day. I am too ill to ride mine much at all at the minute, so I pay someone to ride him 3 times a week. Its not cheap, but then horses arent and sometimes thats just the way it is! And to be fair the extra cost of him being exercised probably isnt much more than feeding really good quality ad lib forage and supplementary feed to a big TB type, so I guess it all evens out in the end :)
 
Ponymad1369 said:
I'll do this with him. That's great thank you. We have a horse walker where I'm at but it just seems like a death trap for a pony who's very switched on as he is.
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You're welcome. If I were in your position, I would make use of the walker alongside enrichment activities. All of ours went in one daily while we mucked out and they were a range of temperaments, energy levels and sizes. Just ensure you have an extra pair of competent, experienced hands when you introduce him but most of them will take to it fairly easily ��
 
Thanks. Do you think I'd be able to find an adult that can also fit on him is I can because I'm very short. But then it's more about weight bearing and seat balance isn't it really? I've always loaned 14.2-15hh cobs that were out 24/7 but that was on their owners land and I can't go on that with my own pony
 
Orca said:
You're welcome. If I were in your position, I would make use of the walker alongside enrichment activities. All of ours went in one daily while we mucked out and they were a range of temperaments, energy levels and sizes. Just ensure you have an extra pair of competent, experienced hands when you introduce him but most of them will take to it fairly easily ��
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Great thank you I'll make use of it then. I feel a lot more confident about putting him in it now. So you would you just put him in for a short period of time first and build him up to get him used to it? And would you put him in with his buddies first so he isn't to stressed?
 
You could also the hanging a haynet from the ceiling rather than on a wall..?it will make it harder for him to get ahold of it
 
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