Losing weight, but pooing too little?

[Mrskyfall]

Hi all,
My 15.3 cob has put on too much weight and is a condition score of 5! Oops! So I'm doing something about it. He is out 24/7 at the mo, very very little grass but with about 20lbs of hay that is soaked. My worry is he is only doing 4 poos in 24 hours. Is this right? Should I worry as he seems fine and is losing the weight slowly, approx 6kg per week.
Thanks in advance

 

[Birker2020]

They will only poo out what goes in. You need to reduce his feed gradually otherwise you could cause a serious problem.

WEIGHT REDUCTION
You hold the keys to controlling your horse’s weight. You’ll need to enforce sound nutrition management, become dedicated to a regular exercise program, and use restraint when measuring the ration.

Here's something off a website:

When implementing a weight loss program, it’s important to do it in such a way so as not to stress the horse. Changes in both exercise and nutrition should be gradual.

By increasing the amount of exercise, you can rev-up the horse’s metabolic engine and burn more calories. By shifting to a lower-calorie diet, you can create an “energy deficit” so that the horse begins to utilize its fat reserves as fuel. However, even though the ration provides fewer calories, it should
be balanced so that it continues to provide all the essential nutrients. Develop a program that will allow your horse to reduce its weight without any negative side effects.

Here are some guidelines to get you started:
• Be patient. Weight reduction should be a slow, steady process so as not to stress the horse or create metabolic upsets.
• Make changes in both the type and amount of feed gradually Reduce rations by no more than 10% over a 7 to 10 day period.
• Track your horse’s progress by using a weight tape. The tapes are remarkably accurate and provide a good way to gauge weight loss. When the horse ’s weight plateaus, gradually cut back its ration again.
• Step up the horse’s exercise regimen. Gradually build time and intensity as the horse’s fitness improves. Some horses are natural pasture potatoes. Ride, long, drive or work the horse on a treadmill rather than rely on free choice exercise.
• Provide plenty of clean, fresh water so the horse’s digestive and other systems function as efficiently as possible and rid the body of metabolic and other wastes.
• Select feeds that provide plenty of high quality fiber but are low in total energy. Measure feeds by weight rather than by volume to determine appropriate rations.
• Select feeds that are lower in fat since fat is an energy-dense nutrient source.
• Switch or reduce the amount of alfalfa hay fed. Replace with a mature grass or oat hay to reduce caloric intake. This will also satisfy the horse’s need to chew, reduce boredom, and provide fill for its stomach.
• Feed separate from other horses so the overweight horse doesn’t have a chance to eat his portion and his neighbor’s too. In extreme cases of obesity, caloric intake may also need to be controlled by limiting pasture intake.
• Balance the horse’s diet based on age and activity level. Make sure the horse’s vitamin, mineral and protein requirements continue to be met. A supplement may be added to the ration to compensate for lower quality, less nutrient dense feeds.

HELP FOR HAY BELLIES
A “hay belly” may or may not be associated with true obesity. Many horses, especially the very young and old, may exhibit hay bellies without an associated build-up of body fat. Hay bellies are a distention of the abdominal area due to the volume of grass or hay the animal consumes. The belly expands to handle the load.

To eliminate a hay belly, you need to reduce the total volume of feed that passes through the system. A well-balanced complete feed may be a good way to reduce total volume without adversely affecting the amount of fiber and nutrients required for proper digestion and nutrition.

 

[Shay]

A horse should consume between 1 - 2.5% of his body weight in feed per day. If you are feeding 20lbs of hay that would make your horse's body weight something like 880- 900Kgs? (2.2 Lbs per Kg. 20lbs = 9Kg roughly plus whatever grass he can consume in a day. 1% of 900kgs = 9kgs I've put this bit in as maths isn't my strong point and I might just have proved that all over a forum!)

That is a fairly significant weight! Although you absolutely do need to make sure he has enough roughage to keep the gut moving etc. might it be worth doing more to reduce the calorie load? Soaking hay does help obviously. But might it be worth mixing oat straw as well if he'll take it? Or if there is any way to net the hay safely in more than one place so he has to work a bit for it? Upping his workload if his fitness will permit is also a fair part of it! You are absolutely right in keeping weight loss very slow and steady - you cause nasty complications with fast weight loss. If you are worried about a lack of poo or a possible impaction how about feeding wet bran? It has minimal feed value and will help push things through a bit. Have you asked your vet for advice?