Managing fatties and skinny horses

MiniMilton

MiniMilton

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I'm hoping theres a simple idea i'm missing. I have 5 fatties on a year round diet. I have 1 skinnier horse that doesnt need to be on a diet. They live out and have a barn to run in and out of and I bring them into the stables once a day just so I can feed the skinnier horse.

I've had a track system before and left the regular horse in the middle. But then it rains and all the fatties abandon him and head to the barn. The skinnier horse is the same height as 2 of the fatties so leaving feed higher wont work. Do I just need to admit defeat and get another skinnier horse?

I have loads of land and too much grass. I just wish I didnt have to have them all on restricted grazing!
 
Can you section part of your barn off and then put her in during day with a large haylage net? Or create an area especially for her with woodchip and minimal grass, that still gives her sight of the others?
 
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Could the fatties take it in turns to spend a day / half day with the skinny, or failing that, you just need to buy another horse!
 
I think you will just have to admit defeat and buy another skinny horse!! Im in the same situation... So am keen to see replies, but am contemplating offering livery or something for a poor doer!
 
I have this problem most are too fat, its been a very mild year and the grass is still trying to grow. Mine are in a barn but its divided with electric fence and gates, so I have too sets of feed patterns for those and then the ones that I think really need extra either come in the day or the night and have extra feed and as much hay as they can eat.
Could you split your barn entrance and the barn inside, so you have a way in from each side with the thinner one perhaps having its own walk way in to his side? On a track you just stop when it reaches his walkway, it does mean the fatties will have to learn to walk all the way round to get in if they are on the wrong side of the gateway.
 
In the spring I will have the same issue but the other way round one Fatty and four who can pretty well graze as they want.
And the fatty is going have a reduced workload from now on so I won't be able to depend on exercise as much to keep the weight down .
I am going to borrow a pony to keep him company .
 
Instead of a track all the way round could you just do three sides, and then they can all get to the barn? Or fatty in with the skinny horse with a grazing muzzle?
 
Put the least fat/in most work out with the skinnier horse with or without a muzzle? Just how slim is the skinnier horse- you might be surprised at how he/she holds his/her weight when with the others as obviously the bucket feeds will be different, certainly by the time the summer comes anyway!
 
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