summer management & a few other things

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Just wondering how u all manage ur fatties through the summer?I try to bring mine in off the grass for at least4 hrs but I don't give him any food during that time which I know isn't ideal. I can't give him Hay at all because of his RAO and I don't want to give him Hayledge as I feel it defeats the purpose of him being in off the grass! I give him a small amount of simple systems Timothy chop before I ride so he's not on an empty stomach. Is that suitable? He is fed a small amount of simple systems just grass,a handful of spillers coolmix and 3/4mug Micronised linseed once per day.
Also. .. I'm starting a new farrier from this month,he is highly recommended but I know that doesn't always count for everything. How do I judge him? Do I wait and see what job he does?I'm not confident I will know if it's good or bad. I'm thinking of just asking him to explain everything to me?I do alot of reading but am by no means an expert. I am changing because I'm not 100%happy with current farrier.
Lastly,sometimes when at rest my horse doesn't stand completely Square, it's like he points a toe(easiest way to explain). So if he is resting his left hind for example, his right fore is slightly infront of his left. He is definitely sound,I do fortnightly thorough checks on hard ground,soft ground,and circles(v paranoid owner)does he just like to stand like that and I should accept it?
Thanks in advance!
 
Does you horse need just grass and coolmix if its a fatty turned out most of the time? Why don't you drop that give a handful of chaff for supplements and when you keep him in you can feed dust extracted chaff as a hay replacer on a weight for weight basis?
 
The just grass is a low cal chaff,I try to have him on a high fibre low sugar diet and the coolmix is literally a handful cos his friends get hard feed. What type of dust extracted chaff were u thinking?Would I give him it all at once?
 
I wouldn't give him any extra feed at all, unless you make plain oat straw chaff available to him when you bring him in. He probably won't eat it but that will be his choice. I honestly can't see the point of giving him micronised linseed which most people use for weight-gain, when you are trying to control his weight.
 
I agree...it's summer and you say he's a fatty? Why be giving him any extra feed? If he has some supplements then just mix them in with some hi fi light, or similar.
 
You can feed chaff on a weight for weight basis as a replacer ( certain types that is) so a section of hay is 2kg so you can feed 2kg of chaff ( which is a fair amount) and it is much lower in calories. Dengie is dust extracted but if you are worried about sugar go for an unmolassed version. If his friends get feed that's a reason to feed a handful of chaff get rid of mix unless u need it for supps or just give him a carrot as long as he gets something that's fair! If all else fails muzzle but I prefer less time in field but quality time!!
 
Ok Thanks everyone I'll look into your suggestions!
I am giving him what I was advised was the maintenance amount of linseed for his joints coat and feet. Maybe I need to put him on a joint supp instead to cut more calories
 
I would consider using a grazing muzzle or reducing the size of your horses paddock. I wouldn't like my horses to be in for 4 hours with nothing to eat at all.
 
4 hrs is fine. I can see my horses from home and when they are dozing in the sun, they quite often stand there doing nothing but swish flies for well over 4 hrs while everyone takes turns laying down. Mind you these are 24/7 turnoutees.

We used to bring horses in during a really hot summer during the day and they never touched the hay. They came in for a lie down and to escape the fly swarm we seemed to have that year.

About the farrier, just remember you are the paying customer and you are entitled to asking anything you like. I always did.
 
As some others have said, I would consider reducing the feed altogether down to just a 'token' feed - small amount of chaff with any necessary supplements. If you are concerned about him missing out on key vits/mins have you considered maybe a balancer or similar? I don't know much about pink powder but something along those lines to ensure he gets all the goodness he needs without lots of calories.

Clueless on linseed but if there is a maintenance amount possibly reduce that further so he gets the health benefits from it without the associated weight maintenance / gain? Bear in mind that the potential benefit to his joints through the feeding of linseed could be compromised if he is overweight, as this will add additional strain.

I'm assuming your YO wouldn't be keen on any sort of 'track' system with your grazing to try and keep him on the move as much as possible when he's out- but a possibility. If any other horses on your yard are overweight as well
( ;) ) is there might be worth forming a wee diet club to get them all in to shape!

Now is the best time to get it all going- it will be difficult going through the summer but you have the advantage that once you fully get into the swing of things, and into the habit of being strict both with yourself and with him, the winter will come along and make things just a tad easier. Remember it is for his benefit and will equal a much healthier, happier horse!
 
I've got 2 ponies on linseed (for joints) and they're both at a nice weight and haven't put weight on with the linseed. they get 100g each.
Mine get fast fibre to mix with their minerals. I wouldn't be feeding a mix or anything. A handful of chaff when his friends get fed is plenty.
I don't know what your paddock is like but we can section ours as long as we don't attach our fences to the YO, so I have a large square in the middle of mine. Ponies walk around the outside with hay in one corner and water in the opposite corner. It keeps them moving.
 
Easiest thing for me if I were in your postition would be to just make the paddock smaller with electric fencing (although we don't actually turn ours on!) and just move him around if he needs more grass!
 
I have little lady in to drop weight as she was out with my big lad all winter and they had ad lib haylage, she has RAO but I soak her hay, shes out all day on a 90% bare paddock then in at night with her soaked hay in a small holed net, she gets half a handful of hifi apple with any sups.
 
You can feed hay - just soak it! My lad has COPD, he comes in during the day to 1 thick slice of a small bale soaked for 16 hours overnight with just enough hi-fi molasses free to carry his sups.
 
mine aren't fatties but I don't feed them during the summer, the grass is enough for them!

I would get the farrier to explain what he's doing and why! If he's any good, he might do that anyway! my previous farrier done this without me even asking, and I didn't have a clue before that what was good and what was bad! but now I am very picky because I know what I am looking for!
 
katiieking said:
Easiest thing for me if I were in your postition would be to just make the paddock smaller with electric fencing (although we don't actually turn ours on!) and just move him around if he needs more grass!
Click to expand...

See, I don't agree with small paddocks for horses, I know though that for many people this works and is what's available.

I would rather have a horse out on as big a place as possible with plenty of shelter and other "interests' and manage grazing time by stabling through the day/night or muzzling.

At least then they can have a more natural turnout time rather than being in a tiny bit of ground surrounded by lush green food.
 
tallyho! said:
See, I don't agree with small paddocks for horses, I know though that for many people this works and is what's available.

I would rather have a horse out on as big a place as possible with plenty of shelter and other "interests' and manage grazing time by stabling through the day/night or muzzling.

At least then they can have a more natural turnout time rather than being in a tiny bit of ground surrounded by lush green food.
Click to expand...

I agree, more space to move around, more exercise in a natural way rather than a tiny area of lush grass where they stand still and gorge, strip grazing can also have the effect of little movement and time gorging which it not ideal. Obviously it depends on the facilities available but in an ideal world horses would have as much space as possible to keep moving around, a track system is far better than a tiny paddock.
 
I wouldn't put my horse in with no food.
No good at all.
You need to replace the hay with a chaff.
Dont feed any extra hard feed just
add supliments to a chaff.
Reduce his grazing by using electric fencing.
This way he would still be grazing but not starved.
 
A horse should ALWAYS have food of some sort available or it will be very prone to stomach ulcers which are a big problem. Magyk my mums Andalusian dressage stallion is a nightmare to keep weight off in the summer and one of my show jumpers Descent has a similar problem. I used the Greenguard muzzle with Descent and it was so much better than any other muzzle I've tried. We got a nutritionist out to help with Magyk and started feeding him Allen and Page Herbal Quiet Mix feed which really helped, but the turning point was when we started feeding all our horses Lexvet supplement, They all improved, but Descent and particularly Magyk really stood out.Xx
 
I will talk to the yo about the field but he can be a bit precious about the grazing!I will reduce the linseed to half a mug and cut the mix and I'll give him the Timothy chop when he is in!(He doesn't particularly like it so can't imagine he will eat much but at least it's on offer)I try to treat him as a bare foot ulcer horse(even tho he's not!) so leaving him with no food doesn't feel right to me. I have learnt a big lesson letting him get fat over winter so I have my tiny holed nets and self discipline ready for next year&now!my vet would kill me if I feed him Hay,I just can't risk it even though he is fine(touch wood)
Thanks everyone
 
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