weight control - am i feeding ok ??

Shysmum

Shysmum

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I just wanted to ask for some advice, re my 3 1/2 year old pretty please :)

The boy has been in the starvation paddock during the day since the spring, and a normal paddock at night, with no hard feed, just a mineral lick. No chance of keeping a grazing muzzle on at night then :eek:However, after a vet visit a few weeks ago, we agreed he needed to lose weight (i'm paranoid about laminitis). Anyways, the vet said that basically, he could be in the starvation paddock full time, as his breed can live on fresh air, just with his lite lick - he'd be fine. But he wasn't fine - he jumped out into a neighbour's paddock (from standing over 3"6 fence) as he was so hungry.

So what I'm doing now is - starvation paddock during the day, with some hay in the morning to help fill him up, together with his mineral lick. So far not jumped out again. In the evening he has a scoop of healthy hooves with added biotin and garlic ( as he's not getting the full amount of hh). Then he gets his grazing muzzle tied on :eek: and he's out in the main paddock with his chums. And he's losing weight - hurrah !!!

Does this all sound ok for a young growing pony ? Is he getting enough to make him bigger and stronger - that's my question really. It's all very well saying they can live on fresh air, but.........he's so young.

Thanks for reading, milky bars all round !!! sm x
 
If he's losing weight, you're doing well to me!

All sounds good in my book - he has company, enough forage to keep him healthy & happy, while still dropping weight.

I'm certainly no expert (especially with youngsters) but I'd be happy with that :)
 
thanks so much ! I guess I am a bit confused cos it's like putting a child on a diet when they're still growing - he's very bum high atm. He's in the starvation paddock with his best mate, a mini shetland, who unfortuntely for him is too short of leg to jump out :D
 
Dont feed Garlic with hoof products - apparently the garlic stops the active ingredient working. My farrier told me this a good couple of months ago when I was feed Farrier Formula and garlic. Stopped the Garlic and his hooves improved.

x
 
righto - thanks for that. The boys hooves are pretty good now (compared with practically falling off 8 months ago), so I'll cut out the garlic and carry on with the biotin. Do you feed a hoof health feed as well ? sm x
 
Yes it is a difficult thing to juggle when they are young and growing too. My cob is on a bare grass paddock by day (about two thirds of an acre) and in at night with soaked hay. I do find it hard to give my lad sufficient to keep him happy mentally without too much that his weight goes up. He really is nibbling at blades during the day and has just enough hay at night...any less and he would be very cross and upset and start trying to escape.
 
I agree pottamus - it's a toughie. I did consider bringing the boy in at night, but it seems so unfair as no-one else is in, so I'd much rather he was out with his mates, even tho the darth vadar mask upsets him. At least he storms over to me in the morning, ready for his hay :D

I was worried by what the vet said - you're right, they need to eat more than just what's in the fatty paddock. If I left him there he'd probably disappear up to Farmway on his own !
 
I think you're doing fine. People are very quick to point fingers about fat ponies - and I now know myself how difficult it is. It's ok saying shove them on that bare earth and leave them but you have to look after their mental welfare too. My 3 year old was so fed up last year he ended up in the fence and now has a big hock. I have had to bring him in on a night this year all through summer and that is working for me. Then you have people saying horses should roam free..........you can't win. I think your feed is fine but also have you thought of just giving him a cup of balancer? Chaska is on a cup of Spillers Cool Concentrate now and he loves it and his weight has dropped but he is geting all his vits and mins.
 
right, i'll look into that. Vet said he should be getting what he needs from the lick, do you think he needs balancer on top ? Mind you, the lick is taking quite a battering atm, keep finding it kicked out of the container for some obscure reason :D poor boy, life's just not fair when you like your food is it ?
 
Fab that he's losing weight. As long as he's getting all the minerals he needs from the lick, then better a bit of weight loss than an overweight horse putting added strain on his young joints.

I was rather hoping for some pics of the coloured one!
 
Just thought it would save you feeding and giving a lick and supplements as well. All I do is give Chas the cup of balancer. It's 16.50 and lasts me 6/7 weeks (he is 14hhish). You might find you don't need the biotin either I have seen some horses really improve all round just having a balancer. The Cool Concentrate is like a mix I was recommended it by the Spillers nutritionist (I know she would but it is working). If you have a group of 10 or more at your yard Spillers will come out you know with a weigh bridge and they weigh them and give you vouchers and stuff : )
 
I'd soak the hay to lose the sugars from it as much as possible and feed him a low calorie balancer. At his age whilst you don't want the extra weight you do need to ensure he is getting all his vitamins and minerals, especially with him being on a restricted diet.
 
going to farmway tomorrow to look at feed balancers - just to be sure :D

Thanks so much for all the advice. I cannot tell you what a pampered spoilt pony he is even while he's "turned away" lol. Except on the food front that is. At least his hairy hair is growing very well, his forelock is now down to his muzzle, so gonna have to pull it :eek: cos it's getting rubbed on the darth vadar mask.

I asked the vet when gypsy vanners are "fully heighted" and the answer was "very vague", so any tips there much appreciated too. 14.2 hh at the apple bum.

this is a brand new computer, so no pics uploaded - yet. Trying to work it out !
 
And the good news is............drum roll.........in two weeks he's lost TWELVE KILOS !!! :D

Now i'm worrying he's losing it too quick - not.. sm x
 
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