weightwatchers for horses.

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Janette

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I went to a Laminitis talk in tuesday night by Prof Knottenbelt. The resident farrier also disected 2 horse legs - one normal and one where the central column had dropped due to laminitis.

As a result, the next day I condition scored Star (the desired effect of the talk) and reckon Star has an average score of 3.5. Not good, but not too horrendous either. Hind quarters are a 3, ribs are there, but you have to feel for them, neck is a bit wide and firm. No gutter.

So! I've cut all meals back (handful of Alfa and a scoop of top Spec balancer). 7kg of soaked hay at night. Her turnout has been grazed all winter by a herd of Shire Horses so is not exactly lush. It's well nibbled and she shares it with 4 other horses. No rugs.

Ridden 5 days a week. She's an energetic soul so there's never any slobbing along

Is this sufficent?
 
Depends what weight she is now?

Sounds ok to me, but 7k of hay overnight sounds a lot ( about 15lb or 4 sections of a normal size bale) but like I say depends what weight she is now.

Can she be turned out 24/7, I find with mine being out all the time, they lose weight better Actually Ben is never any different, he stays about the same, but I do restrict their intake of grass all year.
 
She gets 3 sections of hay, and will be out 24/7 in a couple of weeks. Then all hay and feed will stop.

She isn't obviously fat, but just a looking a bit too well for the time of year.

Getting a weigh tape today. (Mine seems to have 'walked')
 
I'm not an expert on equine nutrition, so for any queries I ring either Laminitis Clinic (in the case of my laminitic horse) or a feed company's nutrition hotline (in the case of a horse that had some special issues and need to lose weight). Both suggested feeding lots of fibre, obviously the lami controlled a slightly different way. But the horse that I have that's needing to lose weight just now is 15.1hh and is coming back to work after one year off - his feeding regime is this:

Everything is split in to two portions, and this is per day:

3 large/heaping scoops TopSpec TopChop lite
2 coffee mugs of topspec light balancer
supplements garlic and seaweed and a couple of carrots

and he gets one large hay net at night, and is on limited grazing. If he comes in from paddock after 4 or 5 hours, he comes in to a treat ball with hay replacer nuggets which keeps him busy and moving around...saves having to soak another net and also our hay is severely short at the moment so at least this is something we can source easily.

He is worked 5x a week but as he's been out of work so long, he's been unable to do a whole lot yet - but his fitness is coming along quickly so by next week he should be able to school for 45 minutes or hack for up to 90 minutes (w/t/c). Had the back man come out this week, and he's poked and prodded so much that horse is not being ridden this week to allow his back to rest, but he's being lunged instead for about 25 minutes.

So far, my boy went from 537kg to 513kg (on a weight tape) in the first 2 weeks. I'm not sure how much more to do-- probably in the 490's. Though I suspect the bigger factor for week one was that he had been on a straw bed which he was eating - and now he's on a shavings bed.
 
I don't think 7kg is alot of hay if its been soaked.

Constant access to roughage is the best way to get weight off slowly, I have always been told/read etc that you are better off giving a fatty ad lib soaked hay, rather than giving them tiny rations
 
As an owner of a laminitic that has been off work for 8 months due to laminitis I think it is a marvellous thing if a few more people are made aware and taught how to condition score correctly. It is ni on impossible keeping the weight off some cobs and good doers and my lad is a good weight now. He went down to 435 on the weight tape from 470 when on box rest and the vet said this was his ideal weight - no gutter, no crest and visible ribs...yes...visible ribs. He has put on 5kg over the winter months so that will need to go again but not too much of a worry.
I have been taking him for short walks up and down the lane over the last few weeks and an going to attempt to get back on for a short walk this weekend...touching all wood he will be ok...although he had a trot and canter round his field this morning so must be feeling well!
I just make it my lifes work to check feet, digital pulses each day and weigh tape every week and adjust accordingly.
Currently he is out during the day on his bare trashed winter paddock nibbling blades as they grow and I move the fence by half a foot each day providing his crest does not thicken and his weight does not increase and he is in at night on 3 pads of wetted down hay in double net small holed nets.
I would much prefer him to be out 24/7 as he was and have more hay to keep him busy longer...but there has to be a compromise somewhere in keeping him sound and laminitis free.
I would not wish laminitis on any horse and I will do everything possible to prevent it coming back.
 
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