Those with poor doers

[SmartieBean09]

Hi,

My 27 year old pony lost a lot of weight last winter and I was advised to start building up her feed before we go into winter in anticipation of her weight loss.

Thing is, at the moment she is looking really well. I am not looking to start feeding her up now anyway. I was advised end of August, beginning of Sept.

Would you wait until your horse started to drop weight or introduce more feed in anticipation of that weight loss?

She has never had lami but is on good grazing (although at the moment there isnt too much grass out there) and she gets a handful of happy Hoof and Fast Fibre. Ridden occasionally.

 

[Bug2007]

I'd keep a very close eye on her and the slightest sign of her dropping weight then start increasing feed, the idea is to have a healthy horse all year.

If you look at wild horses they are designed to drop right off in the winter they look horrid to us but then come the spring and summer, they put all the weight on, you don't see a wild New Forset pony with the problems are domesticalted ones have.

However, if you feed Speedibeet this is amazing for keeping on condition, but don't over feed your pony now, being overweight isn't good.

I fed Speedibeet to my TB over the winter and she kept her condition on brilliantly.

Hope it helps.

 

[Stacy_W]

I have an oldie (32), and I start to increase his feed in September. Once the weight is gone with a veteran it soo hard to put it back on, especially when the grass is poor.

 

[TheFox]

I've always been a great believe of having oldies/poor doers be slightly over weight when winter knocks. Making it easier to maintain a constant weight throughout the cold nights, and normally start inceasing feed about mid september.

 

[Horsey_dreams]

My old guy lost alot of weight last summer for various reasons, so he was not good in the winter. This summer i switched his feed from calm n condition to the feed places own brand conditioning mix. What a difference! He is also on alfa a oil. he looks better now than ever. I am going to keep him on this but add some sugarbeet in for the winter. I would def start now

 

[potty_4_piebalds]

I always liked mo to go into winter a bit fat rather than try to get weight on after he had dropped it in winter. i couldnt give mo sugar beet so i used barley rings to put weight on him if he dropped during winter. i would start increasing her feed september time.

 

[SmartieBean09]

Cheers Potty. She looks well at the moment but not fat like she used to be (prob a good thing!) so I know she will eventually begin to drop off. She doesnt mind sugar beet although she completely went off Speedibeet this year!

Hay has gone up so am going to mix in haylage which may help too.

September it is then