What are your routines for your good doers?

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starry94

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I have a good doer, and is a nightmare to keep at a suitable weight especially in spring/ summer.
What are your routines for your good doers? In or out at night? Strip graze/ track system? Does your routine differ from winter to spring/ summer?
I'm just trying to decide the best way to deal with him this year. Thanks!
 
Mine is 15.1 cob, good doer but right weight now, was very fat when I got him.

Winter - in at night, out from 9 - 3.30 ish, no hay in field. Haylage at night - about 6-7 kg. Worked 6-7 days a week. 1 jump lesson, 1 flat lesson, 1 longline, 2 hacks (1-2 hours), 1 hack (3-4 hours), plus clinics/ clear round etc. Sometimes longlined and hacked on same day to get two sessions in.

Summer - out at night, in at 10ish to 3.30. Haylage in stable - about 4 kgs (bit of a guess). Work wise pretty much same as winter but hacks are more likely to be 2-3 hacks a week for 2-3 hours and one longer hack (4-5 hours) plus more competitions, endurance rides etc.

Feedwise he gets about 400 gms of Pure Easy a day over two feeds. And carrots for carrot stretches and a few treats. He goes amazingly well on very little food. I am very aware of how little he needs despite what other people might say.:rolleyes:

I find the exercise the most important factor and it has helped his metabolism so now I don't really have to worry about the odd treat. I am lucky that I work for myself so I can arrange my day to ride.:D
 
tiga71 said:
Mine is 15.1 cob, good doer but right weight now, was very fat when I got him.

Winter - in at night, out from 9 - 3.30 ish, no hay in field. Haylage at night - about 6-7 kg. Worked 6-7 days a week. 1 jump lesson, 1 flat lesson, 1 longline, 2 hacks (1-2 hours), 1 hack (3-4 hours), plus clinics/ clear round etc. Sometimes longlined and hacked on same day to get two sessions in.

Summer - out at night, in at 10ish to 3.30. Haylage in stable - about 4 kgs (bit of a guess). Work wise pretty much same as winter but hacks are more likely to be 2-3 hacks a week for 2-3 hours and one longer hack (4-5 hours) plus more competitions, endurance rides etc.

Feedwise he gets about 400 gms of Pure Easy a day over two feeds. And carrots for carrot stretches and a few treats. He goes amazingly well on very little food. I am very aware of how little he needs despite what other people might say.:rolleyes:

I find the exercise the most important factor and it has helped his metabolism so now I don't really have to worry about the odd treat. I am lucky that I work for myself so I can arrange my day to ride.:D
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thanks for the info, i find it interesting how different people deal with their good doers! just a case of trial and error seeing what works for your own horse i guess
 
Out 24/7. Muzzled but I introduced this very slowly (walked him to field 1 day this week & couldn't work out why he was stalling...I forgot the muzzle!) Brought in everyday for hoofpick, groom, chaff & supps. Ridden LOTS. Found if I kept him in at all he would gorge & the vet / nutritionist warned me of the sugar intake in that first hour of going back out & risk of lami/colic. He has lost 84kg since and looks and feels fab. I rug alot less now too which was a hard lesson to learn! Everyone is different, set up, horse, owner routine...
 
TChamp said:
Out 24/7. Muzzled but I introduced this very slowly (walked him to field 1 day this week & couldn't work out why he was stalling...I forgot the muzzle!) Brought in everyday for hoofpick, groom, chaff & supps. Ridden LOTS. Found if I kept him in at all he would gorge & the vet / nutritionist warned me of the sugar intake in that first hour of going back out & risk of lami/colic. He has lost 84kg since and looks and feels fab. I rug alot less now too which was a hard lesson to learn! Everyone is different, set up, horse, owner routine...
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what make of muzzle do you have? bought a shires one last year and he gave up trying to eat at all after a while so just stood in the field all night eating nothing. want to try a different one this year.
does keeping out 24/7 really work for good doers? i have considered it because i do think he will gorge when he goes out if he has been in all day with a small amount of soaked hay, so not sure how effective bringing him in actually is.
 
Oh mine is a shires and he always has a treat thru it ehen it goes on, has s drink then eats as normal. It does take alot of tlc to teach them how to use it ie 5 then 10 then 15 mins etc hand feeding thru it building up slowly. I found it quite laborious but soooo much easier in the long run as no bringing in netting mucking out etc and he is so much happier out than in. Lots of types tho. Im such a softie i have 2 muzzles i change each day so it doesnt ever go on wet or rub!!
 
During the summer (or whenever the ground was dry enough this year!) my lad was out 24/7. He was muzzled (Shires) and masked during the day and muzzle left off overnight - mask occasionally left on if midges still bad by the time I went home. Seen to am & pm for hoofpick, fly spray and a handful of chaff with supplements. Ridden/worked pretty much every day.

He isn't the best doer, but kept a nice weight on this regime - I found that as soon as he was back out 24/7 he actually ate a lot less, whereas when he is stabled, he is constantly stuffing his face, be it grazing, haynet or feed - just in case there isn't any more I suppose :rolleyes:

In the winter he is stabled overnight with ad lib hay, and has speedibeet & chaff - filling but not much to it :)

I'd keep him out 24/7 if I could - he is very chilled and much happier to see me as he seems to know he gets a feed then back out again - but anywhere round us that has decent 365 24/7 turnout doesn't have other facilities...
 
I bought this lady in may last yr - vet didnt half give the owner an ear bending on how cruel it is for them to be over weight at the vetting :D

Look at those fat pads :eek:
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Got her to this by having her on a track around 8 acres of old fashioned meadow grass, all mixed species not rich rye :)

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Shes out unrugged and still not as slim as Id like for going into spring so the battle continues!
 
My mare was crazy over weight when I bought her 3 months ago, she is looking great now even though she was put on a very lush untouched paddock when I got her.

She is in at night, out from 8am until 4pm and had a double hay net with 2 sections of hay in at night. This seems to be perfect for her. Along with light exercise roughly 3 days a week ATM with this weather.
 
Summer
Out 24/7 muzzled (normally 5 days of 7). If he starts to get a bit of a belly then I'll bring in for a few nights. No feed. If he's stabled then he'll get approx 4/5kg of hay soaked for 12 hours, double netted. Worked 5 times a week. Field is very bare!

Winter
Currently hunter clipped with a 200g rug with neck. Not really on any hard feed, no supplements, no balancer. Occasionally gets a few handfuls of fibre cubes in his treat ball. On approx 9-10kg of hay (unsoaked) a day. Turned out approx 8am-4pm (some variation). Exercised 4/5 times a week (as long as the weather holds out!).
 
Whoa TT what a difference! Looks like a different horse!

Mine is out 24/7, lost loads of weight and looks great now but I am a bit worried she will balloon in spring! I can't really bring her in so although I hope I can keep her trim with lots of exercise I may have to consider the muzzle, she's going to love that!
 
TChamp said:
Oh mine is a shires and he always has a treat thru it ehen it goes on, has s drink then eats as normal. It does take alot of tlc to teach them how to use it ie 5 then 10 then 15 mins etc hand feeding thru it building up slowly. I found it quite laborious but soooo much easier in the long run as no bringing in netting mucking out etc and he is so much happier out than in. Lots of types tho. Im such a softie i have 2 muzzles i change each day so it doesnt ever go on wet or rub!!
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i tried feeding him grass through it to show him he could eat but he didn't bother trying anymore, tried to get it off when i put it on then gave up with that so stood in the field not eating all night! going to look at some other brands to try and read some reviews i think
 
TigerTail said:
Got her to this by having her on a track around 8 acres of old fashioned meadow grass, all mixed species not rich rye :)

Shes out unrugged and still not as slim as Id like for going into spring so the battle continues!
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dont suppose you have any photos of your track system?:)
 
I wonder if all the restricting of grass actually leads to horses eating too much and I also wonder if over eating is due to lacking in vits and minerals or perhaps protein?

Have a read of this artical "The Best and Safest Way to Help Your Horse Lose Weight" under nutrition library at: http://www.gettyequinenutrition.com/

Sorry it doesn't have its own page name so I can't link directly to it.
 
I have a track system on the already grazed field. In winter they eat it to about a half inch long in spring they stay on the same fields but on a track round the outside. In the late autumn they are allowed in strips onto the center of rested grass which lasts until about now when we ive very small amounts of hay and good big fibre feeds. Cant feed mine much hay as they get diahorrea from it which is why they have the feeds. They have no feed or hay in summer and have to find grass to eat on the track. I do feed equibites to give vitamins and minerals. I do let them lose a lot of weight in March and April though and get them as lean as safely possible which means they can eat realtively normal lives without resorting to muzzles
 
Tiger Tail - She looks fantastic now. Well done!

For my good doer:-

Summer:-
A friend hangs her a 5lb soaked net at 7.00am
9.00am I weigh & soak 2 x haynets (5lb each)
9.30am I muck out & sometimes she goes on the walker.
10.30am Tack up & ride. I school 3 times a week, the rest I hack.
12.00ish Turn her out muzzled.
5.00pm Bring her in or daughter does and rides.
6.30pm Stabled with 2 x cups of Fast Fibre & mag ox also 15lbs of soaked hay.
I rinse off soaked hay, then soak another 2 x haynets (5lbs each)

Winter:-
A friend hangs her 5lb soaked net at 7.00am
9.00am I weigh & soak 2 x haynets
9.30am I muck out
10.30am Tack up & ride.
12ish Turn her out muzzled.
5.00pm Bring in & feed Fast Fibre with Happy Hoof & 15lbs of soaked hay.
I rinse off soaked hay, then soak another 2
 
My lad is stabled at night all through the year as it gets him off the grass for a good few hours and onto soaked hay. In the spring and summer I fence a small area of his winter paddock so he is on a bald area and nibbles stuff as it grows through. In winter I strip graze him a set amount each day onto the rest of the field.
This works well for him, keeps him amused and his weight stable. Plenty of riding when possible and only chaff to put a supplment into, no treats, carrots etc.
He is never rugged no matter what the weather.
 
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