Need some tips to get the weight off?

Kokopelli

Kokopelli

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These posts about lami have really got me thinking and worrying (don't worry it's not Andy I don't think he could be fat even if he tried :p )

Anyway this is Ben I've had him a week now and absolutley adore him but he just has to look at a blade of grass and he puts a bt of weight on.

He hasn't got a stable atm but by the end of this month he hopefully will and he can only have a limited amount of work as he hasn't been backed long so is a bit unfit.

He is on restricted grazing and we're trying to do as much work as possible but have no arena and fields are a mess so have to take it easy to prevent slipping. He doesn't get any food or any treats like apples or carrots but he doesn't look like he's going to drop the weight, I plan to weight tape him every week to see an improvement.

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Hi Koko, I have seen your previous posts about Andy and you have gone from one extreme to the other, its never just simple is it!!

Anyway, I have succumbed to grazing muzzle this year along with half of our yard, most of them never needed to use them before but the grass is rich and plenty at out yard.

I did feel really guilty at first but he eats well with it on and apart from a rub under his chin had no ill effects. He has been wearing it out for 4 weeks now and he is looking loads better. Dread to think what he would look like now if he hadn't had it on.
Good luck, good doers are as hard work as poor doers, although cheaper to keep :)
 
Have found this year that grazing muzzles on for my lardy ones is helping.
Neither of them had worn them before but TF took to hers quickly, tho BF still has a paddy when I put that one on late afternoon till breakfast time.

What I found worked when I had natives which were prone to tubbyness was to have them in at this time of the year & turned out in sparse (bare) paddocks from around 10am till 4pm. Company helped when out too, as this kept them moving about as well. Oh - and working daily :D
Even daily walking out - to help lose weight & get slowly fit will help. Obviously increasing time worked every 5 - 7 days.
Long reining too :)
 
Having them out from 10am to 4/5pm is the worst time tbh the sugar in the grass is at its highest. Best off having them in from 9/10am to 7/8pm with soaked hay and oatstraw mixed.

Even if you haven't got a stable, make a small paddock and run some electric fencing around the inside edge so you have a track for them to walk around.

Muzzling is a great idea too.

You could feed a small handful of FF with magnesium. this is good for the feet and fat pockets :)
 
I agree the worst time to turn out a pony you are wanting to lose weight is during the day when the sugars are at their highest in the grass caused by the sunlight.
I muzzle our pony overnight and bring him in during the day which also means he is out of the heat and flys. When he is in he is on 12 hourly soaked hay to munch on. My pony had a bad acute case of laminitis and i wouldnt wish it on anyone. I have a thread on here with weightloss pics of our pony :).
 
Both of mine are in muzzles 24/7. Brat pony has just had a minor episode of footiness so hes been kept on a bare paddock with soaked hay, piles and piles of nettles and pony nuts sprinkled round. Keeps him moving, sniffing them out and keeps him occupied for hours.:D

He got the all clear from the vet so is being weaned back onto the grass which luckily the rest of the herd have chomped down beautifully! If you have a master pony in their muzzle, they can still consume quite a lot so so he can't gorge on the time he is allowed on the grass, I have taped off and halved the size of his greenguard muzzle so he currently now only has 2 small strips to nibble through. Means he's having to walk and keep moving to find grass that he can fit through. Plus means he can integrate himself back into the herd after being seperated for 2 weeks and he's getting more exercise searching:)
 
I've had my fatty out at night but he was still putting on weight, although the grass has less sugar and he was out longer. He was out for 14 hours, but he's only out 7 now. I soak his hay for 24hrs and he is not on a lot of grass. Trying to work it off too, only had him for 5 months but it's a constant battle, he is an exceptionally good doer.
 
I also agree that they are usually better out overnight.

However, I was passing on to Kokopelli what did (and still does) work for lardy natives in MY experience.
They were/are, not one of them laminitics, but chunkers who stuffed all the time they possibly could. Out in the daytime meant they also move around to escape flies (natural fittening) and once they had been able to nibble for an hour or so, then its snore time for a long while too.
Out in the sun means they sweat more too, thus also keeping fat reduction down a bit, tho they always had the opportunity of a shady area to go to.

Its worked for me for many years, so am still happy to do that if required.
But, as said, the current 2 Fuzzies are ok wearing muzzles & I'm monitoring them :)
 
xXMrsIrishXx said:
I agree the worst time to turn out a pony you are wanting to lose weight is during the day when the sugars are at their highest in the grass caused by the sunlight.
I muzzle our pony overnight and bring him in during the day which also means he is out of the heat and flys. When he is in he is on 12 hourly soaked hay to munch on. My pony had a bad acute case of laminitis and i wouldnt wish it on anyone. I have a thread on here with weightloss pics of our pony :).
Click to expand...

I've always been told the worst time is early morning. So if you turn out for the evening and don't bring in til late morning, you've still hit the worst time.

Ours are all out on grass 24/7, small paddocks initially with hay and expanded to what sustains them. Something to make them move helps too. One extreme to the other this year, no grass last year due to heat and now far too much of the stuff, even the poor doers have been moved to smaller fields!

Pan
 
No, the best time in the summer is early morning; as the sun starts to get higher and warm up the sugar intensifies, ideally they need to be in around 9.30ish. In winter is a different matter if frosty, then they need to come in earlier as the sun hits the frost it produces fructans.
 
Thanks for all the fab advice it really is one extreme to the other I'm a master at keeping a good doer fat :p

Wish I could bring him in during the day but that's not possible until we move yards which could be a month from now.

Will definitley get the little guy a grazing muzzle any suggestions on brand? I used to have a green guard for a fattie a LONG time ago but it rubbed his face so I'm not keen on it.

MrsIrish I saw your thread and your pony is a real credit to you he looks fabulous now. :)
 
Worth trying the Dinky Pony site - both of my current Fuzzies have theirs & Tiny Fuzzy picked up scoffing (nibbling!) straight away. BF took a lot longer to work it out.
They have built in 'fluff' round the nose to help prevent rubbing & TF's only rubbed on the 1st 2 or 3 days tho nothing to make her sore, just little bare patches. The hair soon grew back.
BF's (full size) has not rubbed one iota :)
 
I kept my girly in a paddock with bare grazing she could nibble on, rotating between 2 so that one grew back a little each time. Had hay weighed out at 2% of her bodyweight and then soaked so she had that to eat daily along with some hard feed (happy hoof or something, though wouldn't feed that now due to the sugar) and regular free schooling-saddle didn't fit as she was so fat!
That was summer last year and I wouldn't dream of letting her get so fat now or ever again for that matter. She's in similar living conditions now actually to keep her weight down! New horse has lost 27kg too as she was fat.
Meg in May last year:
fattay.jpg

Nearing the end of summer:
mooseslim.jpg

Now(lost a little more weight since this picture!) :
25.jpg

New horse on arrival:
DSC_0031.jpg

Now 27kg lighter:
12.jpg
 
PandorasJar said:
I've always been told the worst time is early morning. So if you turn out for the evening and don't bring in til late morning, you've still hit the worst time.

Ours are all out on grass 24/7, small paddocks initially with hay and expanded to what sustains them. Something to make them move helps too. One extreme to the other this year, no grass last year due to heat and now far too much of the stuff, even the poor doers have been moved to smaller fields!

Pan
Click to expand...

Our pony is always brought back in by 9 oclock after the school run :)
 
He hasn't been backed long so i understand the work thing, but do you have something you could lead him off on hacks? nothing like work to get the weight off! How old is he?
 
My two ISH are masters of being fat! (Rider owner not much better!) Not much evidence of ribs at this address!

They are out at night with grazing muzzles, in during the day with a couple of slices of hay, and have no feed other than a low cal balancer and a handful of HiFi lite. They are enormous. We have a lot of grass, but they are on the worst field we have, and its not the greatest calibre of grass. I think it is extra lush this year due to all the rain. The only thing that will get them down is more work, which I can't give them at the moment. I despair of ever getting my mare back eventing again! I need to teach them to box walk!

The only good part is they are cheap to feed!
 
We use the shires muzzle on our pony and he seems to get on really well with it, we opted for a bright pink one as easier to find in field should he loose it lol
 
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