Not sure this is possible but I've been told by 3 different people...

blitznbobs

blitznbobs

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My Cob is too thin... AAARRRRGGGGHHH (including my vet)

After years of starving cobs it appears I have done this too well... so any ideas how he can gain a couple of pounds without turning him into a nutter... cos I've never had this situation before - My thin old horse I can shovel corn down and he doesn't get silly but buggerlugs gets silly on happy hoof....

BnBx
 
If he's the right weight for his height and type I would smile sweetly and continue as you are. Even if he is a bit light at the moment (as ours are) thats the best way to be going into spring anyway :)
 
After not having anything native for many years im the same with my cob, ive just started giving approx 300grams of mix with a bit of hifi and a bit of oil once day., he also gets a slice of hay to munch whilst im grooming,

im finding the increase in workload and sweating from being such a fur ball has assisted in the weight loss so have also been taking it a bit easy on the fast hacks.

im still cautious though as the grass is deffinatly coming through and i dont want to find him suddenly gaining.
 
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Well Blitz, it would appear that you and I have the impossible dream - you have a thin cob, and I have a seriously obese ex-racehorse. I have no idea how, or why he has put so much weight on, and I can't get it off - he is 21 and looks like a mare about to foal. There is no grass in the field, he gets two tiny feeds a day and one haylage net at night - normal size net, not one of those cargo nets. Can we swap horses for a while?
 
i dont have any thing recent, put it this way.. he was in a 11 inch d ring to d ring saddle and its now to low on him cause the chubb has gone he has a wither :eek:

even though he was fully clipped end of october he still has a coat that is over an inch long :eek:
 
sorry no ideas of how to help but please could you share how you managed to get a thin cob :) I would love to be in that position with mine............the best I have managed so far is to get her to just fat rather than hugely fat...please share your secrets :D :D
 
oh please please be careful. Last year was the first winter with my cob (my first horse) and i had really nasty messages from his previous owner saying he was too thin, id neglected him - bla la bla
So this winter i asked for advice and changed his winter feed from mollichop to alpha a oil with a scoop of sugar beet
Big mistake - sprign is here and he is overweight - i am so so worried and working him liek mad ot try and get it off - he wil probably ahve to wear his muzzle 24/7 for a good few weeks and be seperated from hsi herd into a starvation paddock.
I so so wish id ignored the "experts" who made me feel liek crap last year - id so much rather my cob was under rather than overweight now - i hav elearnt a very harsh lesson my poor lad is going have to pay - i do know one thing next winter, a scoop of mollichop and thats it, i hope he does get thin and sod anyone who threatens to report me to horse welfare!
 
I agree, I think we need some photos - do we really need an excuse for photos?:rolleyes:
I really would not worry if he is seeming fit and full of energy with a bright coat and eyes. The grass is coming through and he will soon start gaining weight. At this time of year they should be at their lightest after the winter.
 
WandaMare said:
sorry no ideas of how to help but please could you share how you managed to get a thin cob :) I would love to be in that position with mine............the best I have managed so far is to get her to just fat rather than hugely fat...please share your secrets :D :D
Click to expand...

Wll the 3 people were, my instructor (who is well into showing so take what she says with a large pinch of salt) my farrier - who usually tells me my horses are too fat and my vet who I would trust with my life never mind my horses... and I think the secret has been our absolutely **** haylage off our unfertilised fields and only hifi lite to eat... oh and 1 hour schooling 5 times a week with a day of hacking. (yes he's very fit for a cob).

I think I'll just put him out a bit more and see what happens... not really worried as he eats whatever you put infront of him:)

But it was a shock I have to say

BnBx
 
WandaMare said:
sorry no ideas of how to help but please could you share how you managed to get a thin cob :) I would love to be in that position with mine............the best I have managed so far is to get her to just fat rather than hugely fat...please share your secrets :D :D
Click to expand...

weight loss started in winter, lived out 24/7 with small amounts of hay (had plenty of grazing) and only ever in a m/w rug, plus hacking when ever weather was good, then when fields dry a bit of lunging to, hes not been fed all winter barring a token handfull of chaff.

then for the past month hes had no rug on, and work load has upped a lot.

how cruel do i sound LOL.
 
I keep my Welsh cob "too thin" for most people, he's not ribby or anything but he's not bulky. After the spring I had last year I'm taking no chances.

I find Alfa Beet quite good for getting condition on without the fizz.
 
I have been told recently that my fell pony needed more weight on - appears my diet protocol was a bit too successful too!! I'm not too concerned as we head towards the spring grass but I have increased his hay from 1.5% body weight to 2% body weight per day and guess what - weight has appeared within 3 weeks!! I wouldn't do supplementary feeding if possible - just a little more forage.
 
Yeah I've put him on ad lib haylage (which as I said before is really poor quality - not moldy but poor nutritional value and he's out 12 hours (ish) a day)

BUT he is a show horse so although my head says keep him under rather than over -- well the judges say something else - so it's a really delicate balancing act.

BnBx
 
if it helps B my cob is also destined for the showing world, our comps start end of this month with devon county end of may..
 
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