Weight loss - how much should healthy horse lose per week

[PollyP99]

Hello


My mare has been on a weight loss plan for the winter as she gained too much last year. I had her on a weighbridge in November and she came in at 539kgs. I was advised by the nutritionist that she needed to lose around 39kgs - basically get her around the 500 mark. I weigh taped her at the same time so I had something to guage the loss with, she was 518 on the tape, today I taped her and she was 478, this seems an extreme change and she doesn't look hugely different. Her girth goes up one more hole on each side with ease so she has lossed but this seems a lot.

Now I'm thinking maybe I messed up the first taping, anyone have an idea how different the weighbridge to weight tape normally is, on average?

All this aside I'm going in the right direction and will now tape her weekly, what is a good amount does anyone think for a healthy horse to lose. She's on 10 hour soaked hay, not much grass in her paddock (out 7am to 6pm) and fast fibre for supplements.

Thanks

 

[Wagtail]

Hello


My mare has been on a weight loss plan for the winter as she gained too much last year. I had her on a weighbridge in November and she came in at 539kgs. I was advised by the nutritionist that she needed to lose around 39kgs - basically get her around the 500 mark. I weigh taped her at the same time so I had something to guage the loss with, she was 518 on the tape, today I taped her and she was 478, this seems an extreme change and she doesn't look hugely different. Her girth goes up one more hole on each side with ease so she has lossed but this seems a lot.

Now I'm thinking maybe I messed up the first taping, anyone have an idea how different the weighbridge to weight tape normally is, on average?

All this aside I'm going i. The right direction and will ow tape her weekly, what is a good amount does anyone think for a healthy horse to lose. She's on 10 hour soaked hay, not much grass in her padDock and fast fibre for supplements.

Thanks

Horses can lose a hell of a lot of weight when put on a controlled diet. One of the horses here lost 18 kg in one week when his exercise was upped and he was muzzled during the summer.

 

[PollyP99]

Horses can lose a hell of a lot of weight when put on a controlled diet. One of the horses here lost 18 kg in one week when his exercise was upped and he was muzzled during the summer.

Wow really, so it is possible. I will know come next weekend as I'll do her again, I have to admit I can't feel/see ribs yet so I'm not thinking she's lost too much. She looks good very shiny, quite frisky and has felt much more forward so feeling well.

I'm doing the same excercise pattern as in the summer minus grass so it should do something.

I did get a comment on a recent photo that she looked less 'thelwell'! How rude, ha.

 

[Supertrooper]

My pony has lost 18kg in a week, I stopped giving him haylage and that's what he'd dropped on weight tape!

I weigh tape mine weekly and have a record of it. Since November he's lost 74kg on weigh tape but I'm also taking a photo side on and from behind every week so I've got a photographic record.

This is the first winter I've had him and I've learnt a lot for managing him! He needs much less than I think he does!!

 

[cobgoblin]

It might sound a lot, but if she lost say seven kilos a week for six weeks - then that's 42kg. If she was a 100kg person, then the equivalent weight loss would be 1.4 kg per week. Which is less than 3lbs.

 

[Equi]

Like humans they loose water weight. I've known people loose a stone or more in a week just with losing water.

 

[Mongoose11]

I could quite easily get 30kg off my mare within three weeks by cutting her hay a little and upping her canter work. That kind of loss comes pretty easy!

 

[ChesnutsRoasting]

Hello


My mare has been on a weight loss plan for the winter as she gained too much last year. I had her on a weighbridge in November and she came in at 539kgs. I was advised by the nutritionist that she needed to lose around 39kgs - basically get her around the 500 mark. I weigh taped her at the same time so I had something to guage the loss with, she was 518 on the tape, today I taped her and she was 478, this seems an extreme change and she doesn't look hugely different. Her girth goes up one more hole on each side with ease so she has lossed but this seems a lot.

Now I'm thinking maybe I messed up the first taping, anyone have an idea how different the weighbridge to weight tape normally is, on average?

All this aside I'm going in the right direction and will now tape her weekly, what is a good amount does anyone think for a healthy horse to lose. She's on 10 hour soaked hay, not much grass in her paddock (out 7am to 6pm) and fast fibre for supplements.

Thanks

What percentage of bodyweight are you feeding her daily?

 

[PollyP99]

What percentage of bodyweight are you feeding her daily?

She has 1.25% of her body weight overnight with the assumption she is finding .25% (perhaps more) in the day, they have been strip grazing standing hay pretty poor looking but is head down so getting something!

 

[PollyP99]

I could quite easily get 30kg off my mare within three weeks by cutting her hay a little and upping her canter work. That kind of loss comes pretty easy!

That's interesting, my surprise at the apparent loss was due to posts where people struggle to get much off, it does seem the loss is real and what should expect so all good!

 

[ChesnutsRoasting]

She has 1.25% of her body weight overnight with the assumption she is finding .25% (perhaps more) in the day, they have been strip grazing standing hay pretty poor looking but is head down so getting something!

The rate at which she loses weight will be dependent on factors such as amount of daily exercise, rugging & any metabolic issues. Weigh tapes are not accurate & if the tape is not placed in the exact position everytime, the readings can vary considerably. I wouldn't compare her weight loss rate with others. At 1.5% she will & is losing weight.

 

[PollyP99]

Thanks all for the advice. I would love to be able to get access to a weighbridge more often but that's not possible so I will for now try to keep the weigh tape to a place I can repeat fairly accurately. It does seem like she's losing so I'm pretty pleased with that! Need to be trim before spring, don't want to be worried all summer!

 

[tankgirl1]

My mare fluctuates on the weightape by 20kg or so every flipping time I take it to her! I think they can be difficult to get in the same place each time, especially if the horse isn't standing square

 

[PollyP99]

Just found a Bluecross guide 'FAT HORSE SLIM' which states that healthy weight loss is 1% of body weight per fortnight if body score 4, 1% per week at 5. My mare is a 3.5 I think so now I have an idea.

Thanks all for your input.