Ideas for managing a fatty in a yard of skinnies

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soloequestrian

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I've always had TB types so they are on grass in summer and ad lib haylage (big bales) in winter. Out 24/7, come in once a day for hard feed. I have a friend's horse staying now who probably has EMS. For the moment he is in a very small paddock of his own that is just earth and weeds. He gets a small quantity of hay twice a day and has straw available (which he is not impressed with). I'm wondering if any of you have ideas that would mean he could have more space, more social contact and more food both summer and winter. His owner is nervous about letting him into the herd even in winter because of the ad lib haylage. I am worried he will end up standing in mud if he doesn't have much space then either. I hate trying to manage this type of horse, give me a skinny TB to feed up any day!!
 
A grazing muzzle. One that leaves the nostrils plenty of fresh air, not a bucket type. Make certain it is fitted correctly, so that grass touches his mouth and lips, and maybe plait his mane over the headband, just in case he removes it.
 
He had been here a while before I realised how much special care he needs - he came in the autumn and spent the winter out with the herd on ad lib haylage. I think he only really started putting on weight in April but we didn't separate him quickly enough and he did put a bit much on. I think he could go out with the herd again once the goodness goes out of the grass but his owner isn't keen. The vet who came to vaccinate him said that research has shown that if they are determined they can stuff a huge amount of food in through a muzzle - I'm not sure I believed her and I haven't looked for the research but there is an element of 'the vet said it so it must be true' so again the owner isn't keen to try a muzzle. We are planning to set up a mini track system for him, within a small area of the field, but that won't work well in winter because it will get wet and muddy. Aargh.
 
soloequestrian said:
He had been here a while before I realised how much special care he needs - he came in the autumn and spent the winter out with the herd on ad lib haylage. I think he only really started putting on weight in April but we didn't separate him quickly enough and he did put a bit much on. I think he could go out with the herd again once the goodness goes out of the grass but his owner isn't keen. The vet who came to vaccinate him said that research has shown that if they are determined they can stuff a huge amount of food in through a muzzle - I'm not sure I believed her and I haven't looked for the research but there is an element of 'the vet said it so it must be true' so again the owner isn't keen to try a muzzle. We are planning to set up a mini track system for him, within a small area of the field, but that won't work well in winter because it will get wet and muddy. Aargh.
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I tried muzzling my native mare so she could be turned out with her friends, she got highly skilled at accessing maximum grass and put lots of weight on.
 
I use flexible fillies on the big ones and another type for the Shetland. Mine are out 24/7 in them and it does make a huge difference.
 
Assuming you are the yard owner if the owner will not fit in with what works then she’ll have to find somewhere else.
It sounds like it will be very stressful. And isn’t it a bit mean muzzling a horse then giving as lib haylage that it can’t eat with a muzzle on? I know they can graze a bit, I used to use one on the ponies.
 
I'm a YO (SW) and I have a fatty-coblet out with poorer doers in their particular herd set-up.

All of my liveries have their own section of field - and all of them have transitioned to a Track system (they were given free choice). We have a mix of poor and good doers on the yard and what we do is to utilise the centre portion of the Track for the poorer doers, and the fatties go on the outside. This means that firstly the herd doesn't have to be split up; and secondly the good doers on the outside of the Track get the exercise they need! Win win.
 
Is he showing any negative symptoms like laminitis, ridged hooves, coughing etc.? Or just weight gain? If you are used to TBs and are presented with a native, the difference in converting grass to fat is alarming, but that is their nature. Is he in full work?
 
Bertie 13.2 NF is the only good doer in a field of 16.2 plus veterans. However they don't live out and don't put out hay.

He wears his flexible filly grazing muzzle. It is not ideal but being a small adult on a native and most full livery yards being adults with big horses is it hard to find somewhere to accommodate a good doer.

He is on soaked hay when he comes in and exercised most days. I pay for extra exercise for him as my family commitments and work can take up a lot of time.

I think it is difficult if you are putting hay or haylege out and they have very different requirements.

In the winter you might be able to clip and lightly rug so the good doer uses up more energy keeping warm.
 
I did want to do a track system but even that would have been too much grass for just him - he is going to get a mini-track soon so he can be micro-strip grazed hopefully. He doesn't currently have laminitis symptoms but has been affected in the past so pretty sure he is EMS - he has the weird fat deposition thing going on. We have talked about muzzles but his owner isn't all that keen. He is in work but not all that much, a few long slow hacks a week.
 
Muzzle .
However the owner is right about winter.
I had Fatty out one winter with one other we had to fence off the bale and let them in only at night .
All day access was a disaster You could see him ballooning at once .
 
Also the owner needs to work him more .
That’s her job, when you have a horse with a special need when one of those needs is movement you have to meet it.
 
Muzzle, including in winter - horses can eat haylage through a muzzle. Then work. Lots of it!

I have a fatty whose best friends are skinnies. We compromise on giving them nicer bucket feed and less rich hay and her half a ton of exercise. I have a sharer for her and my kids help too so she can be exercised twice a day in summer. She gets muzzles off - so exercise it is!
 
Separating part time in winter might work. I will mention the Cushing's test. Not sure about a muzzle with a sheep ring feeder which is what they get the haylage in - have visions of it getting hooked up somehow....
Work is complicated by him starting to show very slight signs of arthritis although I suspect that standing still a lot of the time is not helping that. We are surrounded by big hills though so the slower work could be increased and hopefully have an effect.
 
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