Weight management tips

[Mishymoo]

After some advice..what do you feed your lead rein ponies? Our Welsh A hasnt managed the winter too well. I hadn’t realised how much weight he had lost until I clipped him off for spring, his coat is so thick it really hid it.
Anyway he’s looking abit ribby & has lost weight around his quarters. He lives out mostly, the grass in winter is so bad where we are, but so so rich in the summer. I’m only allowed to put a small hay bag out for him during winter, as we’re not allowed hay out in the fields generally but the farmer agreed he could have a small hay bag as he’s in lone paddock. I’ve asked multiple times for him to be moved into a larger mixed field. Anyway, he’s always just had a small handful of chaff with a multi vitamin supplement, in previous home too.
I’m just struggling to keep his weight level, we got him in August and he got so fat within such a short time because the grass was so rich & I had alot of Comments about him being over weight, now I’m getting comments about him being to thin , we’re not allowed to section off the paddocks in spring summer either.
God how do people manage?
Anyway, can I ask advice, should I put him on a balancer now to help him put some weight on, or just leave it now as spring grass is coming?
What do people feed their Welsh A’s year around please?
Photos of him in now & in October
Please be kind, I’ve had so much crap at the yard.

 

[TheMule]

From the photos you have posted he looks spot on, I would want to maintain him at that weight. Keep him warm and with enough fibre now you’ve clipped him as the nights are cold, but I certainly wouldn’t be adding any feed in

 

[Errin Paddywack]

Can you muzzle him once the grass gets growing? Only solution I suspect given you can't restrict his grazing.

 

[Timelyattraction]

If my welsh a looked like that at this time of year I’d be very happy. Looks perfect for spring/ coming into summer, now the grass is picking up he will put on weight without any extra feed so I personally wouldn’t go feeding him up with hard feed because he will very quickly go from that to being overweight if you can’t restrict his grass. I also muzzle mine in summer as she won’t stay in a small electric fenced paddock so she’s in the big field with my two bigger ones and the muzzle is a good solution to stop her from getting too big