Straw and the fatties and insulin resistant horse - reading

[Queenbee]

So, what with this and that, dad being diagnosed with cancer at christmas, his chemo and everything that comes with it. General hatred of riding in horrid rain, my waiting for an op or the all clear from the Drs to ride again.. the beast has had limited riding since the onset of 2017 and is quite frankly developing a tiny bit of a podge.

Over winter he was swapped from straw to shavings. And over winter was on 2 big nets of hay at night... now that spring has sprung and all that jazz, I have recently dropped him to 1 net at night, problem is he is an absolute hog and now tends to gorge on his straw bed, now I would not mind if it was a bit but frankly he doesn't know when to stop - I can put two large flakes in (which used to last 4 days) and 2 days later I find myself doing the same. Some days he is not so much of a hog pig but others he is. And I can't blame him, it is really nice straw :/

So, before I get the usual comments -

Yes he is still in at night - no turning him out at night and in at day on minimal bedding is not a possibility because he will wreck his fencing - every night - he will not stay out at night even with all the other horses out there

No, small holed nets is not an option - his muscles will go squiffy and he gets sores on his gums from the way he eats from a SH net.

No, soaking is not an option - even if I rinse off an occasional net due to dust he will leave the net and eat the bed.

_GG_ came up with an ingenious idea of 'chilli water' spray to spray on the bed - I like this very much.

However, I have this eve made the decision to go back on shavings for the summer at the end of the month and this bale and only use straw for the winter.

And anyway, things should get better now as I have the all clear to ride, unfortunately i got bitten by my dog on friday and am giving my hand a couple more days to regain some strength (and its not my lovely dog's fault, poor thing was in pain)

Anyway ^^^ the above is just my musings and really how I got to reading this article which really made my mind up on going back to shavings. Especially since ben has had time off before and never put weight on of any significance.

I thought I would share it is quite an eye opener in-terms of the potential nutritious content of straw when compared to other fibres and discusses this with specific reference to the insulin resistant horse. For some on here I am sure it would be useful reading

http://gettyequinenutrition.biz/Library/Feedingstrawtotheinsulinresistanthorsemaybeamistake.htm

 

[Cortez]

Yes, that is interesting reading but no surprise. I've been feeding straw for years and have had seriously greedy horses that will happily stuff themselves until the whole bed disappears. Soaking hay is really the best answer, but my previously bed-hoovering glutton who was on shavings has recently gone back on to straw. He still nibbles at it, but seems to be over the gorging. My other horse, who was the one who ate the whole thing overnight, had Cushings and since going on to prascend stopped the overeating. Modern straw seems to have a lot of waste barley grain in it; not helpful.

 

[SEL]

I too have a guzzler. In fact our straw was so good at one point she used to eat her bed before her hay.

Leave her a bucket of chopped oat straw though and she speed dials the cruelty to pony hotline.

 

[Queenbee]

Yes, that is interesting reading but no surprise. I've been feeding straw for years and have had seriously greedy horses that will happily stuff themselves until the whole bed disappears. Soaking hay is really the best answer, but my previously bed-hoovering glutton who was on shavings has recently gone back on to straw. He still nibbles at it, but seems to be over the gorging. My other horse, who was the one who ate the whole thing overnight, had Cushings and since going on to prascend stopped the overeating. Modern straw seems to have a lot of waste barley grain in it; not helpful.

Yep, after seeing the change in Ben, I would agree - not a big surprise here either. I mean he is not obese, but he is certainly more on the side of 'well covered' than I would like and certainly more than ever before :/ This is the first winter I swapped to straw -and whilst I believe it works for us in winter, it does not work for us when spring comes and all that comes with it! Back to shavings for the summer for sure. My problem is that if I soaked the hay, he would just hoover the bed even worse than before. And I have tried putting old ontop of fresh - he digs it up, mixing it in (he picks it out). I love the quality of the straw, but its also the quality that is the enemy in this case! Still, another day or so and we will be riding - from tomorrow until my hand is better he will be lunged. Then we have about 6 or 7 large flakes to get through before going back to straw.

I too have a guzzler. In fact our straw was so good at one point she used to eat her bed before her hay.

Leave her a bucket of chopped oat straw though and she speed dials the cruelty to pony hotline.