Very fat cob help!!!

Yeh basically that Annagain. Your friend sounds in a similar situation to me. Hope she is as large as the horse else she will be severely underweight by end of summer. I had to give up poo picking because I lost half a stone in a month and I have no weight to lose. People think I over feed my horse they do not realise it is only a handful of chaff in the bucket. I full clipped him and had him out naked on dry days at temps as low as two degrees and he was plenty warm. Few weeks back I secured a place at same yard but in a smaller field for him this summer in the hope it will help him to not get any bigger.
 
Why not ask your vet if it is possible that your horse may be insulin resistant and benefit from taking metformin if the horse really is putting on weight on fresh air.Also maybe get a different type of muzzle and alternate the muzzles so any rubbing is on different places.
 
It is a total nightmare when my pony lived out he was muzzled 24/7 and ridden or lunged every day and it just about kept his weight under control. It was exhausting I did not get home till 9.30-10pm every night. I had problem with the muzzle rubbing or coming off.

The best thing I found for reducing muzzle rubs was vet wrapping felt onto the sides, sewing fleece round the bucket bit and putting cream on the rubbed areas. I got some flamazine from the vets. However even with the rubs on his face he came 3rd in a large best condition class because most of the entrants were overweight. I used to cry about his rubbed face it was awful.

In the end I moved yards due to a case of AM on the pasture he was on and he is now on part livery so is only out on the grass from 7.30am to 2.30pm instead of 24/7 so easier to manage grass intake and does not need to wear his muzzle so much, though expect it won't be long before he needs it again as spring grass coming through.

It is very difficult to find yards that cater for good doers.
 
Alternate muzzles so rubs don't occur in same place (I use Shires Deluxe and a Greenguard); vaseline on where it may rub two times a day minimum and sew sheepskin around the areas that rub (I cut up a girth sleeve). The skin does harden but preventative measures are needed so the rubs don't get bad in the first place.

I have same with Irish Bog Pony who was fit as a fiddle then threw a splint just as entered first event. He is out 24/7 on a field which looks pretty well grazed, but the grass just keeps on coming. He shares it with my TB who needs feeding up. It's about planning and management but doable (just).

Although IBP is walking an hour a day working under saddle in the school under the advice of my vet and obviously walks around field, he has put on a bit of weight with no fast work so working hard to limit intake.
 
wattamus said:
Apologies in advance for any terrible spelling- I'm on my phone and it thinks it knows what I want to say..... M
OK so crippled cob has been gaining a lot of weight, YO fertilised the fields over a month ago as she's overstocked, suddenly all this grass has come through and cobby had gained loads of weight. She's not particularly round/ bloated but has a good covering and a huge crest...... Due to her past treatments she's at high risk of getting lami, I muzzle her as much as I can during the day, but she gets sores so have to be wary. I've tried a green guard and she just rubs her nose until it comes off! I'd like to bring her in but she has arthritis and ceases up. I ride her every other day for forty minutes on average but mainly in walk as she can't do much else due to her 3broken legs! Does anyone have any advice or suggestions as to what they would do in my position? Or any effective exercise tips?
Starvation paddock is pretty much out of the question because if I move to another field I won't be allowed to move back (bearing in mind we have 50 horses on 25/30 acres), it'll be too small and I'll end up having to supplement their food in a couple of months, I just need a solution that will work until the grass stops growing!!
Click to expand...

Hi OP, I can sympathise with you - for those that said it is easy to manage: it's not. It's really hard. So I'd like to make a point that it is NOT easy - it takes a lot of effort and time, but it can be managed. I like to think I'm a very responsible horse owner and I am there as much as I practically can be with working 12 hour shifts 5 days a week. I make sure I ride my fat Welsh D 6 days per week and if that isn't possible for whatever reason, I pay a girl at the yard to school him for an hour. It's a constant struggle to ensure he stays slim and even with my best efforst (restricted grazing time, smaller paddock, grazing muzzle, staying in at night or staying in during the day, sugar free feeds in the winter, been ridden at leats an hour per day 6 days a week), it still isn't enough. I am keeping his weight under control - just. He is still fat, has a creasty neck and CANNOT get any fatter, however I think I've just managed to get the balance right. It causes a lot of stress as I have a poorly grandma at the moment who lives 200 miles away and when she calls, I drop everything to go see her - so I have to make sure he is ridden while I'm gone. He can have one day off, but not two.

He is strictly muzzled through the day and on short grass at night un-muzzled. When we get a splurge growth in grass, he is muzzled in the daytime and then brought in at night with a well soaked haynet.

Please don't give up hope, it is manageable - you just have to be really on the ball with it. Checking the weather and keeping an eye on it for the few days ahead helps, like if we've had some rain and then due a few nice days of sunshine, I know to keep him in at night and muzzle durinf the day as the grass with be very sweet. Also make sure that if it's forecast frosty mornings (which can still happen this time of year), make sure he's in. Frost on grass can cause a surge of sugar in the grass and can lead to extreme weight gain and colic/lami.

Keep going and experiementing with different things, you'll eventually find something that suits you and your pony and you can manage in. Good luck :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top