Summer Weight Loss Camp 2018

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Lucky788

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Would anyone like to join me in sharing progress and weight loss tips?

I’ll start...retired cob who went in to spring much bigger than I’d like, 3 weeks into fat camp and lost (using weight tape so not ideal but a guide) 15kg ish so far!
Routine: in during the day with 3kg soaked hay (small holed haynet) & out at night on small thin strip, pretty bare. Did try muzzling but he must be the only horse to put weight on - possibly as had to allow him into longer grass so he could graze!
 
15 kilos on weight tape is impressive considering he is not been exercised.

My pony is on diet grass suddenly started growing and he piled on the weight. He is ridden normally 4 times a week.

Out during the day in juicy grass field with muzzle on from about 7-2.30 and then comes in and has a haynet over night along with a couple of handfuls of dengie molasses free for bfast and dinner to have his supplements in.

I have just started upping his exercise from 4 to 6 sessions a week, one of the sessions is on the yard water treadmill. He has been on this program for about 10 days and no weight loss on weight tape yet but his martingale was tight round his neck and now it is not so tight so he has lost a bit of weight on his neck.
 
I’ll join you!

Mine, IDx known him all his life and got fat during a year off due to injury. I took him over when sound and thought ‘I’ll easily sort his weight out’. How naive I was! Long story short - after trying to exercise the weight off last year he went lame, when I sent him in for a workup I asked for insulin resistance test as I knew he wasn’t right. EMS was diagnosed and now my life mission is to reverse this condition for him. I have managed to get 50K+ off him over winter even with all the box rest and rehab but plans went array when the grass started to come through.
I had planned to keep him on his winter grazing and supplement with forage when his weight dropped. Alas the short ‘stressed’ grass has caused allergic reactions (sugar intolerance the most likely suspect].
So now I have moved fields and set up a track that I am strip grazing him onto. Currently out during the day and in at night with 3k soaked hay (he’s 16.1) Spillers lite & lean balancer, ready fibre with added magnesium (supposed to help with breakdown of fatpads) and salt.
Touchwood no weightgain as yet and just been given the ok to up his workload but I’m conscious I can’t rely on exercise so have to manage his diet.
So far no allergic reactions and the next step is to turnout overnight as sugars are lower and bring in during the day to soaked hay.
I need to get him really lean with no adipose tissue to reverse the EMS, and at the same time not cause other problems - ulcers etc, it’s definitely a challenge and not sure I’d take on another ‘good doer’ again!
Good luck to everyone in similar situations :-)
 
SO1 I think major grass bloat at 1st measurement has made that difference sadly as body scoring is pretty much the same!
 
Retired 10yo (due to undiagnosed falling down) cob. Looked reasonable all winter out all day stabled with ad lib hay at night. Turned out for summer and ballooned in 2-3 weeks. Now out on narrow fairly bare track 24/7. Has constant access to stable with one slice of hay in haylage net. Small hand full of low cal chaff twice a day. Has lost 22kg over last 4 weeks on tape.
 
10 kg in the last 2 weeks. In a fairly bare paddock and strip grazing, putting out a bit of hay when not moving the fence. Riding 5-6 days a week , mainly at walk due to arthritis in his knee.
Weight tape is quite accurate as I compared it against weighbridge, also girth has easily gone up a hole.
He also has EMS.
Feeding a joint supplement plus freestep lamalert, and a rock salt in the field.
 
I need to measure the fat appaloosa. Tied up in early March and was off work for 10 weeks as I struggled to get her sound again (bloods went on to show a liver problem too). Was out in a muzzle but must have got too much grass through it on the summer field and ballooned. Her crest was solid. PSSM positive and likely EMS.

She was 575kg on the weigh tape 10 days ago so I'll see what she is this week. Definitely dropping now she's back in work.
 
The Beast was 680kg at the end of last summer and I managed to get 40kg off over winter despite having to rug her warmly after she tied up when she got cold. A week of 24/7 turnout on spring grass and she was back up to 665kg! Gah! Immediately stabled during the day until YO could set up a fat paddock on one of the winter fields. She's been in there day and night since Saturday. Tuesday is weigh in day so we'll see where we're at tomorrow!

She gets worked everyday but no hacking at the moment so just schooling or longlining so not hard enough to shift the weight. Upcoming yard move will hopefully mean access to hacking, just hope new YO is amenable with regards a fat paddock else I might be back to square one. I don't like stabling if I can get away with not as it was a factor in her tye up as well.
 
I'll join in too! 8 year old cob mare, recently purchased and was looking very well when I bought her in February. Didn't lose much over winter and due to issues with lack of fitting saddle, sore feet (not lami, just soft, worn soles) was in intermittent work.

Currently being brought in most if not all days - for anything between 5 to 10 hours. Gets a trickle net, 2x small feed of fast fibre (to mix her supplement in) plus a fibre block - reading about though I think I'm being too generous! Often

W she only eats about 1/2 to 2/3rds of the net.

She's then out in about 6/7 acres with 4 other horses and is muzzled. Grass is very slow in coming through up here - all the other horses are still skinny and needing fed but mine still looks like someone has pumped her full of air!!

She's back in work now so hacking 3 times per week plus 1 lunge session to build her up again.

Weight tape has her at 440kg measuring at the girth but she carries more weight round her belly - which at the widest measures 592. Will track both measurements to hopefully see some progress!
 
I'll join as well.

8 year old traditional cob x Clydesdale, 15.2hh. Has been out of work completely for 6 months and previous 5 months only in very light work due to various issues....lameness, sidebone and liver damage.

Had Allen & Page out today and she weighed 729kg on weighbridge, with a body condition score of 4 on the 0-5 scale. A&P would like to see her around the 675kg mark.

She has two small feeds of Fast Fibre a day with a small handful of chaff as this is the only thing i can give to get her to eat her numerous supplements.

Currently out during day, for around 6-8 hours on a small section of grazing which she shares with her field buddy. In at night with soaked hay, 8kg at present but told by A&P nutritionist that she can have unlimited 8+ hour soaked hay, though i will probably cut the amount down but going to buy some very small holed haynets to slow her down. I am going to try to put a track around outside of the paddock at weekend.

She can slowly be brought back into work now but will only be hacked at walk for half an hour twice a week at present.
 
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That’s interesting about unlimited 8 hour soaked hay...I need to pursuade mine to eat hay soaked for more than an hour!
 
Unlimited soaked hay wouldn’t promote weight loss for my lad - I tried! Strict weighing (dry weight) of all feed with oat straw chaff available if hungry is the only thing that has worked. 1.5% of target weight. Guesstimates of grass intake blur things hence the 3k net overnight at the moment - always a litttle left in the double netted net so don’t feel cruel :-)
 
Whitehorseslave said:
Unlimited soaked hay wouldn’t promote weight loss for my lad - I tried! Strict weighing (dry weight) of all feed with oat straw chaff available if hungry is the only thing that has worked. 1.5% of target weight. Guesstimates of grass intake blur things hence the 3k net overnight at the moment - always a litttle left in the double netted net so don’t feel cruel :-)
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I weigh everything almost an obsession now as each slide of hay varies so much, it’s deceiving!
 
I'll join :(

My boy has ballooned since being on boxrest for 6 weeks! I managed to get 40kg off him over winter and he was looking pretty good until he went lame and now all that works come undone I fear.

I have bought a small holed haynet and am double-netting his other net. I am trying to reduce his haylage intake, but it's hard work to get the balance. If I do too little and he eats i worry about him sitting with no food and ulcers etc and he turns into a grump. If he has enough then he's a lamb. On the blue cross fat-horse-slim it says he should only be getting 9.6kg a day which he would literally eat in a few hours! (Even split into a couple of double netted haynets a day).

I'm going to try and invest in even smaller holed haynets and then see if I can reduce the weight I'm currently giving but I need to wait till payday as, after paying his vet bills, I have nothing left!

I bought some topchop zero to try and give him that and less haylage but apparently boring chopped oat straw is actually the best thing ever and he wolfs this down - so can't really use it as a replacer!

I think it'll actually be better when he can go out as his field isn't rested so the grass isn't great. What really works with him is actual work but I won't be doing much other than walk for a few weeks at least.
 
I’ll join in. 14.1hh cob cross with a whole host of health issues, worst being a tracheal collapse, full length, that limits her exercise. Also has a pharynx collapse in trot and canter.
Weighs 530kg currently, realistically I need to try and get her under 500kg. She has EMS, is the least greedy pony when it comes to hay and feed (leaves it generally), but looks at a blade of grass and balloons.
Current routine is out 8am til 5pm on the baldest part of field I can find. Muzzles last about 4 seconds before she has them off so I don’t bother now. In overnight with 3.5kg of hay, which she leaves about 1/4 of and a small bucket of chopped oat straw (that she just knocks over). Token half cup of soaked fibre cubes in the evening to carry her breathing supplement, magnesium and equishure.
Ridden 6 days a week but limited due to her breathing- mostly hacking and very light schooling- lots of walk and short bursts of trot and canter.
 
I too shall join. I have a winter balloon after me giving up the riding until we got some sunshine - so about 10 weeks off work. Just started back last week with hour long hacks and small burst of fast work.
He is in a field of near nothing with hay overnight. Fed on a balancer alone.

We shall all need to put out fat to fit pictures on!!
 
Lintel said:
We shall all need to put out fat to fit pictures on!!
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For the first time ever I dont have a horse on a diet. I actually need to feed him. this is him currently. Hes only really half fit at the minute so still a way to go, but I highly recommend driving if you need the weight off. Leo does 10k mainly trotting, 3 or 4 times a week and does fast canter work in the school another 3 or so times.

Ignore the mane. We are trying to grow it back and its at that awful stage where its making my fingers itch!

32977024_10155714990788667_5197534061706346496_n.jpg
 
I will join Orange #2 to the group :o :D
Orange #1 still looking super fit so I'm using her as a grass hoover. I could really have done without YO fertilising my field and resting it :eek3: Like Leo, Kira is still needing feed to maintain condition as she's working so hard. She ran up a bit light in the early spring but looks good now.

And at last, the bay retirees are looking amazing, they are on bare/stripgrazed grass and considering they are both good doers, I am feeling very happy about them.

But Salty... *sigh* Salty lives for food.. she's ridden every day and is not in a bad condition -overall- but looks in foal :o She's now having my trickle net overnight as she has promised not to put her foot in it so I'll need to give her an even smaller paddock during the day:(
 
I have 3 at varied fat levels! My Appaloosa 16’2 mare is massive. She is in a xxxw saddle even when slim, but can’t blame it all on bone structure! She isn’t diagnosed with anything but she does always hold fat in the bad patches such as her crest so i am very cautious with her diet. But exercise is a gentle plod as I am heavily pregnant!
New forest pony is nicknamed the tank as he is very robust and good doer. Currently under investigation due to liver issues, so not being worked until we get biopsy results and hopefully manage to treat effectively (went suddenly photosensitive so has sore burnt socks)
3rd is a tb ex racer who is actually quite a good doer but has a poor gut and probably ulcers so can’t be too restricted.
They all live together on a track which really helps, but have been gaining weight. It is very weedy but I find it is helpful as less grass! They are in during the day at the moment due to ponies photosensitivity and to give mare rug break (developed sweet itch this year, but struggle to find a comfy rug for 24 hours) with an armful of hay to nibble on. They are so full of grass from the night they don’t finish it. Small amount of Speedi beet and chaff for supplements- barely covers bottom of bowl.
I didn’t find strip grazing worked at all last year as they would just gorge on the new strip and barely move. I’m lucky I can control my own field and it has a track all around, cutting out about 6 acres in the middle, leaving around 2, some of which is dust as was the poached bit in the winter
 
I'd love to have a track for the oldies but the fencing isn't the best so I reckon they'd get bored and go for a jolly round the rugby pitch or churchyard :D having them penned into one corner of the field makes it easier to keep on top of the perimeter security :D :D
 
16:3 appaloosa weighs 800kilos and is 70kilos over weight.
Been on rest since sept due to suspensory branch injury. Just got the all clear to start three months walk work so hopefully will shift some of the flab
He is out at night on a well grazed down paddock and in during the day on 3.5 kilos of soaked hay from 8am till 6pm ish. He finished his hay by lunchtime so he has a bucket half filled with honeychop light and healthy as a low calorie filler.
He either eats it all, half or doesnt.
 
Update: Had to amend the routine yesterday which mean he stayed out all day and night, but had one section of hay (soaked) in the field in the morning. I was expecting him to bloat up but he didn’t in fact he was slightly lower in the weight tape than the day before! so now considering leaving out for longer to keep him moving?- also have a new type of muzzle to try to see if he can spend some time out with his buddies now the grass is eaten down - will keep you posted! :)
 
I weigh taped The Beast yesterday and she's managed to put on more weight! Gah! But yesterday was also the first day she's come in from the fat paddock hungry so going to give it another few days/week before I make any further changes. She's strimmed off all the longer grass around the edges of the paddock now and I've reduced her feed to the smallest possible amount to give her her salt and vitamin E. The next step would be bringing her in during the day again but fat paddock rather than big field overnight. Hoping to avoid that if possible. Roll on yard move and available hacking!
 
I will be re weigh taping tomorrow as it has been a week since last time. I am feeling quite hopeful as his girth is going up. I keep getting quite stressed that I'm starving them (Exmoor is joining in but not being monitored) as the paddock is so bare and they're only getting an pre eaten down strip and some hay. Does anyone know what is an acceptable rate to lose weight at?
 
Hipo said:
I will be re weigh taping tomorrow as it has been a week since last time. I am feeling quite hopeful as his girth is going up. I keep getting quite stressed that I'm starving them (Exmoor is joining in but not being monitored) as the paddock is so bare and they're only getting an pre eaten down strip and some hay. Does anyone know what is an acceptable rate to lose weight at?
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I can tell with mine by how hungry (or should that be hangry!) he is if he’s getting enough food - it’s a fine balance though! I also count poos none of this is based on anything scientific but had helped me keep the balance right so far!

How much have they lost?
 
In the first 2 weeks he had lost 10kg. I will weigh tape again tomorrow , a week since I last did it. I would be surprised if he hasn’t lost some more. I have also upped his exercise in the last few weeks. Previous to that was only doing 10 mins walking 2 or 3 times a week due to knee arthritis , now doing 30+ mins 5/6 times a week, mainly walking but some trotting on advice from vet.
 
How are our chubbier types getting on? The Beast's fat paddock has had the desired effect, she's even hungry enough to eat Top Chop Zero! She ballooned even more for a couple of days after going in there but came back down and has stayed at 665kg since. That will do. I'd prefer 640kg but happy enough at that. Think she's dropped more from neck and quarters that the weigh tape won't show.

The big move is tomorrow though so by the weekend hacking should be possible! Pleased that we've managed to stabilise her weight in a less than ideal working regime, looking forward to getting her fitter now.
 
I think there is light at the end of the tunnel :) Salty has eaten off the bit of her paddock that she's allowed in so they are now out overnight which should keep on top of the growth a bit better. Hoping I will have some good grass left later in the year to stripgraze into. Considering asking the vets if I can pop her on the weighbridge when I take her for her jabs tomorrow :o
 
We seem to be stuck at 600kg on the weigh tape, but I do think he has dropped some from other areas.
I am now beginning to up his exercise a bit now as he has been more sound on his knee which should help.
 
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