Ulcers vs weight gain

[clairekat]

Just looking for advice on managing ulcers vs weight gain
Back in feb I had my mare weighed on a weigh bridge and she came in at 735kgs with a body score of 7/8 so started on a diet on 8kgs hay at night stabled no rug, a small feed of hi-fi once a day and grass in field for 10 hours during the day or another 8kgs of hay if in. I saw a slow reduction in weight and then spring arrived and weight started going back up so I reduced hay down to 6kgs at night, most mornings I would find some hay still in net, she also has a straw bed and will eat that if sufficiently hungry enough.
She then started getting colic and had 7 boughts from April through to last week so the vet scoped her last week and found pyloric glandular ulcers. She has now started a treatment of injections of something beginning with O, sulfrate ( not sure on spelling) and corn oil twice a day and I have been told to keep her out as much as I can to encourage grazing and reduce stress. No problem, she's in a field of 7 and there isn't too much grass now. And then I get told we are moving fields today to fresh grass. I just don't know how I can treat the ulcers and keep her out and get her weight down, she was just starting to look a decent body shape with less of a peachy bum and less cresty neck. The vet did say the corn oil will cause weight gain so to only feed 30ml twice daily as he is aware I was trying to get her weight down.

 

[P.forpony]

Managing ulcers when they’re good doers is hard!
A simple change to your current routine would be to soak her hay Which would bring the calories down. Other than that, what is her current workload?

 

[clairekat]

I'll see if I can persuade her but previously she went on hunger strike over soaked hay. Today she has refused all feed with meds in as she has stuffed her face on grass

Her workload is very light, I did briefly consider a part loaner/sharer for her but had bad experiences with that in the past

 

[P.forpony]

I know it’s probably the hardest thing from a management perspective for a lot of people but the only real answer is exercise.
As much as you can manage if riding is an issue things like lunging, in hand walking, if you have access to a horse walker or riding and leading is my favourite with the really fat because it saves the weight of me on their backs and you get two done at once ?

 

[dorsetladette]

Does she need to be stabled? could she live out over summer on a fatty paddock or set up a bit of a track system to encourage movement. Like others have said exercise is key to shifting the weight.