URGH he's put on weight *sigh*

Shysmum

Shysmum

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Went to the vet for his booster and he was 475 kilos.(14.2 gypsy cob). Vet said he's a BS 4 :eek:

He is ridden 4- 7 times a week, is muzzled all the time when out, stabled at night with 2 sections of hay, one in the morning, and had a scoop of feed balancer at night.

I am just about to go on hols, and he's going to be having two weeks off, had a lami scare last year......aaaaaaaaaaaarrghhhhh.

So the new plan of action is - move to a much smaller paddock (not his strip grazed one with the leccy fence, as he just tried to jump it) with his muzzle on, no balancer, and soaked hay. I am going to ask the YO to lunge him three times a week. No rugs at all.

The vet said that the shoulder pads can come up within a few days, and I noticed them when I was riding this morning (a very fast hack, I am pleased to report).

I am quite upset tbh - I've worked so damned hard, but the grass just seems to be so good, and also I'm away for 2 weeks and will of course be worrying.

Sorry to ramble x
 
ok... sounds like you're being pretty sensible...

I would definately cut out the balancer and give a handful of mollasses free chaf with a powder supplement instead. maybe add magnesium as this aids the digestion of sugars and thus helps prevent them getting fat!

Soak your hay for at least 12 hours if not 24 - changing your water half way...

try a track system for grazing? - won't be wide enough to jump and will make him walk to eat...

stable during the day - grass is lower in sugars overnight and cut hay down to two sections... my 17hh is on 3 sections a day on top of his grass alocation...

is he ride and leadable? could a trusted fellow livery / y/o lead him out on a few hacks? fast work is good for stamina but walking is good for fat burning...

you have my sympathy... grass is rediculous this year!!
 
Right, some good ideas there. I'll chat with my YO tomorrow - tbh it's occured to me that he can stay in when it's really wet anyway, and on the days he's lunged he only needs to go out for an hour or two.

Thanks so much x
 
We are about to bring our fat beggars in for the day and out at night,
we had my lad just right for the first time in three years and our mare needed
a bit on, being ribby (from a rescue).
with this bloomin weather and 5 acres for two horses, both are now as fat as butter, I have considered fostering a couple of ponies but OH isn't keen on that idea so I am literally going to get the lawn mower on the fields, at least it will get rid of the buttercups
 
I am going to keep the boy in for the next few days to get him off the grass, and ride a couple of times a day. Such a pain, and yes it is the weather doing it, isn't it.
 
I have a similar problem :(. So tricky. The only thing I haven't tried is the grazing muzzle although he's on restricted turnout now. Does lo cal balancer have a lot of cals in it?? He just gets that and a handful of chaff. Fattest he's been although more a 3 than 4. Fingers crossed for ya.
 
Vet told me to not feed him anything at all - no balancer even - as he simply does not need it. So the top spec lite I've just bought (£25) is going to have to sit there till the autumn. She says to give him a couple of equibites a day instead. More bloody money :rolleyes: On the plus side, she said he's one of the fittest cobs she's seen, which is fab, but I just heard the "fat" issue - hubs keeps reminding me of the "fit" bit.

I'll take a pic of the freezemark today - the scabs have come off now, and it's very pink, but I think it's worked properly.
 
Sounds like you are doing the best you can and I wouldn't give him any food, not even balancer tbh, most of it is just dust anyway. Soaking the hay is good and I'm a fan or double (or even triple) netting hay for those with restricted rations to make it last a bit longer to reduce the time they're stood in with nothing to eat.

Enjoy your holiday :)
 
I can empathise completely, Shysmum. We're off on hoiday for two weeks and ours will be turned out all the time :eek:

Nothing other than the grass, but this year, I am worried - they'd be better in 24hrs with ad-lib haylage and three good meals of high-everything hard feed :eek:

When will we stop worrying about them? Everyone on my yard will be looking out for them and two perfectly capable people 'in charge', but we still worry!!

Enjoy your holiday! I am determined to enjoy mine!
 
Im having a problem with one of mine regarding weight... just cant keep it off!!! The grass is just too good, and our feilds in the summer are usually bone dry with just midgen of grass!!! we have noticed that even with restricting feed and hay and grass - its the straw also... so watch out if your horse is in and eating the straw bed.

Im currentley spraying the straw bed to stop them eating it.
 
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