Top tips for weight loss please xx

[Supertrooper]

Right the story, the new boy (16.3hh shirexcob) was a bit on the chunky side when we got him but in the three weeks that we've had him he has already lost weight and is looking much better and he's got more energy also.

The farrier has been out today, this guy also shod him in his previous home and said he's looking much better. He said he has been borderline laminitic as he was far too fat. Thank god we've got some weight off him!!

Having lost one horse to laminitis I'm not going through that again so far we have not rugged him, he's on a well eaten down paddock and he has one small meal a day of happy hoof or fast fibre. He is ridden 3/4 times a week, half an hour of walking but striding out (he is recovering from a tendon injury so just building up time gradually).

Any other tips/ideas much appreciated xx

 

[Cuppatea]

Do just what you are doing! Just watch him in the spring/summer and frosty nights with the grass but so long as the weight stays off and he has regular excersise (when his tendon repaires 'theoretically' he should be fine!

 

[NeilM]

As he becomes more able to hack out longer, try to get some good long rides in.

I have a very good doer who only needs to sniff fresh grass and it goes straight to his crest. We recently had a holiday with the ponies and rode a minimum of four hours a day for four days and it really improved his size and shape.

Keep doing what you are doing, as it is obviously working, our farrier has NEVER been complimentary about H's weight

 

[Pearlsasinger]

Keep doing what you are doing. If you feel that he needs more bulk without calories, supplement hay in winter with good quality oat straw. We control our good doers' weight very successfully with this method.

 

[Moggy in Manolos]

It sounds like you are doing all the right things, I would just keep doing what you are and being a shire x cob you can leave the rug off a bit longer (if not for all of winter) which will help him use energy to keep warmer

 

[kerilli]

All sounds good so far. When you have to start giving him hay, I'd soak it for a long time (12 hrs, say) to leach the goodness out of it. I was advised to do this by a vet, for a horse who had had laminitis in the past.

 

[Supertrooper]

We are not going to put any rugs on him unless we absolutely have to, he came with loads of rugs from light to medium weights but we are going to keep 3 or 4 and sell the rest of them as he just doesn't need them. This is one of the biggest errors I made with my last horse, I over rugged her pure and simple and she didn't need it, it was for my benefit not hers!

He is not a happy bunny about being in the fatty field! I think he's had alot of titbits in his last home as he watches you all the time so he's a bit miffed at the moment! Bless him, he had a big cross hoony fit earlier but that's fine he's used a few more calories not so good for his recovering leg injury though!!