Thoughts on weight/condition and feeding.

J

Jingleballs

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Casp has come out of this winter looking a tad plump - possibly due to the fact that we had to feed hay in the fields for so long due to the prolonged period of snow.

He's now back in regular work which means working him in some format 5 days a week with a mix of hacking, lunging, schooling and jumping.

This was him about 3 weeks ago -

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And this week - sorry not the greatest pictures!

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For comparison this was him at the end of last winter -

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I'm *reasonably* happy with his weight although I know he needs to develop more topline as he lost a lot due to being off for about 6 weeks with the bad weather - not really sure what else I can do for this as I lunge him once or twice a week (just with a cavesson) and power walk him up and down hills on our hack.

He's fed a stubbs scoop of happy hoof and about half a scoop of speedibeet split between two feeds I am however planning on swapping the speedibeet for fast fibre as the grass is starting to come through and he put weight on really easily. He also gets his two hay nets at night.

Welcome any thoughts as it's sometimes hard when you're looking at them every day to gauge how they are looking! I tend to think he looks better when he's slightly heavier - when he gets too lean he looks a bit scrawny and un coblike"
 
I agree he is looking a bit plump and you may be heading for problems when the grass comes through. The only bucket feed I would give him is a tiny handful of something (Fast Fibre/Happy Hoof) with a vit/min supplement if you think he needs it. Soak his hay, or mix with straw, feed in a small holed net, etc., so you can give him fewer calories from his hay, but still keep his fibre intake up.
 
Keeping the fact that spring is around the corner I would say he is perfect - fit rather than fat. Sure he will soon amass some as the spring grass comes through. I'm upping my boys workload from last week to try and get rid of his 'showing pounds' ready for the spring bloom.
 
I wouldn't be giving him any feed other than hay unless you need it to put supplements in.I'd also make sure that you soak all of his hay for twelve hourse before feeding to remove the calories from it.
 
**Vanner** said:
babybear - what's your boys brand on his shoulder?
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It's a micro mark to show that he's chipped. :)

Thanks for the suggestions all.

The happyhoof is to mix his supplements with - he gets a probiotic (he coliced last year and I feed it to him just to be on the safe side) and hoof supplement as he's barefoot at the back.

Hay is currently being sprayed to dampen it but will look to start soaking it (my least favourite chore!) and will be starting to double net it too.

Luckily I suspect they will still be in their winter field for another few weeks so that gives me enough time to help him drop some weight. Also planning to start working him twice a day at the weekends as I want to get him fit for some ODE's this year.

Ah the joys of fat coblets!
 
My cob is currently on a diet. I think your horse looks just right to me. My horse gets soaked hay and a small amount of Spillers High Fibre cubes - just so she thinks she has had a feed.
 
He looks a little trimmer when comparing the pics.

IMO would say he needs to lose a little more. My boy Bruce is a good doer, so I know how hard it is to keep the weight off. I think a mixture of swapping his feed and bringing him into an increased level of work should do the trick!! So I reckon you're on the right track :)

Have you thought about a muzzle for when he's in the field? I know some people don't like them for various reasons, but Bruce has to wear one (is barefoot so threat of laminitis is even bigger for him). We use one on our Shetland and our livery pony. They work really well, and it means you're able to continue giving them feed and hay (and not leave them standing hungry overnight etc) because they're not getting their calories from elsewhere. xoxo
 
During the spring/summer months he is either in a starvation paddock or muzzled. I don't muzzle him all the time as even having added extra padding to the straps of the muzzle it rubs after a few weeks.

I also get him brough in during the day in the summer to let him "deflate" :D
 
Babybear said:
During the spring/summer months he is either in a starvation paddock or muzzled. I don't muzzle him all the time as even having added extra padding to the straps of the muzzle it rubs after a few weeks.

I also get him brough in during the day in the summer to let him "deflate" :D
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Ahh I like it, very sensible of you. Yes, Bruce suffers a little from muzzle rubbage, find duct taping it and dead-sheeping the whole thing up helps! We're hoping that with 3 people working him over the summer he might have the chance of a muzzle free summer which would be a nice break for him. xoxo
 
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