Sprogladite01
Well-Known Member
Has anyone ever been told by their vet to reduce their pony's hay down to 1% soaked - I always thought the absolute bottom line was 1.2% and even then only in "extreme" cases? I've got my little welsh sec a on soaked as he is very overweight - but he is a companion pony who does no exercise whatsoever and a VERY good doer.
I'm just a bit concerned about cutting him down even further as it already feels like I'm starving him and while I can do it, going out multiple times a day to give him tiny bits of soaked hay is draining. He currently goes out for grazing for two hours in the morning, then it's 1/2 kg soaked hay at 10:30am, 1/2kg soaked hay at 1:00pm, honeychop lite (won't eat topchop zero anymore) at 3:00pm, 1kg soaked hay at 5:30pm, balancer at 7:15pm and then he gets 3kg soaked hay overnight. Currently this is very slightly under 1.2% according to his current weight.
His body condition score is around 4 out of 5 and I know he needs to lose weight - he has been on restricted grazing and a strict diet for nearly a year. With all that being said, he is not cresty, has not had lami (yet) and seems to hold it more in his belly than anywhere else. He has also lost some weight since summer, just very, very slowly. Vet has just done a worm count on him too and fecal was negative, waiting for blood test results.
Edit to add: vet also insisted on bloods to test his insulin levels but they came back as in normal range. Same as last year.
I am more inclined to start taking him for in hand walks than I am to cut his hay any further. I've also toyed with the idea of chucking him out full time and seeing if he self regulates - possibly on a track to get him moving. Just a bit worried it's asking for lami given he's a fat native!
Would welcome any thoughts or ideas...
I'm just a bit concerned about cutting him down even further as it already feels like I'm starving him and while I can do it, going out multiple times a day to give him tiny bits of soaked hay is draining. He currently goes out for grazing for two hours in the morning, then it's 1/2 kg soaked hay at 10:30am, 1/2kg soaked hay at 1:00pm, honeychop lite (won't eat topchop zero anymore) at 3:00pm, 1kg soaked hay at 5:30pm, balancer at 7:15pm and then he gets 3kg soaked hay overnight. Currently this is very slightly under 1.2% according to his current weight.
His body condition score is around 4 out of 5 and I know he needs to lose weight - he has been on restricted grazing and a strict diet for nearly a year. With all that being said, he is not cresty, has not had lami (yet) and seems to hold it more in his belly than anywhere else. He has also lost some weight since summer, just very, very slowly. Vet has just done a worm count on him too and fecal was negative, waiting for blood test results.
Edit to add: vet also insisted on bloods to test his insulin levels but they came back as in normal range. Same as last year.
I am more inclined to start taking him for in hand walks than I am to cut his hay any further. I've also toyed with the idea of chucking him out full time and seeing if he self regulates - possibly on a track to get him moving. Just a bit worried it's asking for lami given he's a fat native!
Would welcome any thoughts or ideas...