Weight-loss- best way to do it?

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cokelly

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The horses at my yard are kept on a rotational system so the fields get a break every few months. We've just moved to a new field and it is actually knee-deep in grass! My horse is on grass livery therefore he is out in it all the time...except when I'm riding him. I'm a little concerned that he may pile on the weight and it'll be difficult to get off (not to mention the health risks).

Am I right in thinking that loads of hacking out will be the best way to maintain his weight? And should I decrease his hard feed? He currently gets half a scoop (2litre scoop) of pasture mix and 3/4scoop of alfa-A chaff with Propell-Plus and a few apples and carrots everyday. He's worked normally 4-5days a week- hacking, schooling and jumping.

Any help really appreciated
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Hes got plenty of work during the week if you normally ride 4-5 times but I personally would knock off all hard feed and just feed a token carrot or 2. He should get all the goodness from the grass that he needs. Hacking is good, especially if you have some good hills to work him up and down. Watch out for laminitis though, theres lots of it about according to my Vet and Farrier this year due to the sunshine and rain. Our fields are greener than least year and we have had 2 go down with it at our yard.

Good luck!
 
i agree with izzwizz no hard food!! please BEWARE laminitis we got one pony with it and that was on strip grazing on barely anything. also be careful if you'v got clover in the field!!
 
We've LOTS of clover in the field...

I'll be really careful then! I'll take him off the hard feed then gradually and see how he goes
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Thanks
 
i would keep going with his excersice and do more if poss i would drop his feed and just give him a vit/min lick. i would strip graze his new field as well. What is he on propell for?!
 
Yep going to up his exercise
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Decreased his feed today a little and will continue to do so
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He's on grass livery so a vit/mineral lick is out I'm afraid-- was thinking of a feed balancer? Perhaps Bailey's Lo-cal?

Also impossible to strip graze him as he's sharing his field with 11 other horses!

He's on Propell Plus to keep his haemoglobin up as he's had quite a few problems with anaemia! Propell works soo well for him
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As well as regular top ups of haemoglobin from the vet
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QR

Walking does a lot more than people give it credit. My boy mainly hacks out now, 6 days a week, loads of walking (due to bone spavin) and i swear he's fitter than he's ever been. Don't have to do loads of fast work to see the weight drop off
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yeah i was thinking of a muzzle...but i look a couple up and don't know it they're my most fave things in the world!

Of course if he is just piling on the weight then I'll have to consider a muzzle more seriously...but for now I'll just do everything else!! :P

Checked him with a weigh tape yesterday (not entirely sure if I used it correctly...measured him at 484 kilos -does that sound about right for a 14.3hh MW/HW cob?

Going to research the baileys lo-cal
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Went for a lovely long hack yesterday with him
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