turning out in summer! - it seems a nightmare?!

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enchantedunicorn

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I have had my new horse for 4 months now and I have noticed that no matter how much hay I give him its gone in minutes - he definitely gorges his food down! I am worried that he will get colic in the summer or worse laminitis! He is currently turned out for 4 or 5 hours a day and is not muzzled yet. He is due to move into the summer field around May and I'm just wondering what other people do to prevent their horses from getting ill or too fat in the summer? - I have seen other horses take breaks during eating but, he is totally not like this and will just wolf the whole lot down and when i go to the field he is the only horse I see out of his herd attempting to graze!
 
At this time of year there is little value in the grass but if it is there they will eat it, 4-5 hours is not long so I would expect him to be eating as much as he can in that time, mine usually eat for the first 5-6 hours out then stop for a rest not long before I get them in they will then tuck into their hay as if starved eating for an hour or so non stop before slowing down through the evening, they get pretty much ad lib so are never really hungry but their systems seem to need more during the colder weather.
In summer unless they are at risk of laminitis I do not restrict as they will rest, they work harder generally so that keeps the weight down and they are usually in during the day, to keep them out of the heat, with a small net of hay which they rarely finish. If they are introduced to grass sensibly they should not get colic, laminitis is a risk but keeping a careful eye on weight and plenty of exercise should reduce the risk, obviously good doers and natives are more at risk so need more restriction, I have never needed to muzzle as I prefer to restrict grass in other more natural ways and work them harder to keep the weight down.
You will get to know how your horse does in the summer if you know he is going to be inclined to gain weight take steps to get on top of it before the spring so you are not struggling too much, just an increase in work may be enough to help keep him slim or finding somewhere to turn him out that has less grass or a larger area so he moves around more to find his food rather than a small area full of rich grass where he can just stand and stuff his face all day getting no exercise while he does so.
 
Hi , that was really helpful thanks. He is a connemara and he is a little chubby but not fat - I have just replaced his hard feed which was calm and condition, chaff and lots of carrots from the previous owner with a low calorie balancer to get his weight down :)
 
enchantedunicorn said:
Hi , that was really helpful thanks. He is a connemara and he is a little chubby but not fat - I have just replaced his hard feed which was calm and condition, chaff and lots of carrots from the previous owner with a low calorie balancer to get his weight down :)
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Cutting back the feed now is a good idea, especially if he is a bit chubby, aim to get him slimmer before the grass comes through and it should really help the real key is getting the work into them, having them fit and slim through the summer months so you can enjoy the riding rather than spending all the time worrying about their weight.
 
You have a native pony and they are designed to be greedy and eat lots when food is plentiful in order that they can have enough fat on them to get through a bad winter when there is not much food around. However domesticated native ponies tend not to need to do this but they can't stop the urge to eat as much as possible and their bodies are also designed to able to get the most out of limited food so they can survive harsh weather.

You will need to get your pony's weight down so he is not chubby by the time the spring grass comes through otherwise you might struggle with weight control. My new forest will needed to be muzzled once the grass comes through otherwise he will get obese. During the winter he does loose weight but still piles it back on if I am not careful in the spring.
 
You can some hay and some oat straw at the moment to try to get him slim going into summer .
The best way to keep them slim in summer is plenty of work .
Stabling part of the day ( gives them a break fro the flys to )
Grazing track systems are great as the horse keeps moving while it out .
Muzzles if necessary I hate muzzles and never use them but I don't have ponies .
 
Also have a look at the Laminitis site and google about Insulin Resistance. I'd be tempted to soak his hay and net it in small holed nets but make sure he has plenty overnight so doesn't run out. Look into feeding, especially adding magnesium (and perhaps a balancer) and salt. Exercize is going to be important.
I not saying he has IR but the diet may well suit him.
 
Our fields are so bad at the mo my mare attacks hay as if she is starved for weeks! If your fields are as bare as ours I see no reason not to give ad lib hay and cut down on hard feed if you are concerned about weight. If he is gorging on hay freakishly fast and leave him over night to munch you can always invest in one of those smaller hole haynets. Just more time and work needed to get it all out. I would only be worried if he were over weight and on a lot of haylage then that could cause problems when the spring grass comes through
 
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