Starvation paddock V open field

[Persephone]

I am in a dilemma!

I am trying to get some weight off my 16.2 ISH mare, who is standing at 550KG at the moment. Vet says she should be around 520KG.

Am I right in thinking that with all this sun/rain mixture we are having that the grass shoots will be coming through with fructans from tip to root in the diet paddock?

The grazing is organic meadow with a good variety of grasses/peas/herbs etc, but on the diet patch it is purely bright green grass of about 1/2 inch in length.

I am thinking she may be better off on the rest of the field, possibly with a muzzle as the grass in there has not become stressed.

I should know this what with having a laminitic pony in the past but wondered what the current thinking is.

She is worked for 1 - 2 hours each morning, turned out from about 11.30 - 17.00 then comes in overnight with three slices of soaked hay.

I could also lunge in the evening at a push.

Thanks

Jo x

 

[Maisy]

how big is the starvation paddock?? I guess it would depend on how quickly she could eat it down and whether it would have a chance to grow before she ate it iykwim?

My pony is on a little strip atm, but tbh, even with the rain/sun mixture, the shoots dont stand a chance with her cos as soon as she sniffs a hint of growth it is gone!!!

 

[hellybelly6]

Wow, she is only 550 kg!! My boy is 792 kg at 16.3 ish, we have to loose at least 100 kg.

I would go for the fenced of section myself

 

[merlinsquest]

I have just made merlins paddock smaller to be honest.... it was getting too much growth on it....

I decided to let him out to play in the big field for a few hours and then in the starvy patch for the rest of the time

 

[Kallibear]

Do you think she's actually having the volume of grass she's eating restricted much in the 'starvation paddock'? I know that my lot easily eat the same volume in a short-grass paddock as they do in a longgrass paddock, unless it's totally bare looking, and, as you said, the calories in short, fresh grass is much higher.

I think I'd go for the long paddock with a muzzle for at least part of the time (but only if there are patches short enough for her to able to get grass through the holes). I'd also decide based on which paddock allows her to have company.

 

[PeterNatt]

I keep both my Laminitic cobs in a well drained third of an acre paddock from March to October. Don't worry about increased fructans in short grass. The longer more nutritious grass is far more dangerous as far as weight increase is concerned.

 

[angiebaby]

Both my laminitics are on a paddock of about half an acre. It looks completley bare, but they are still eating! I would leave her tbh, or could you make it smaller? and I think her weight seems fine to me!