What's the answer? How do I feed him?

[BorgRae]

Hi all,

I am really quite confused and need some advice please…

We bought a horse back in Jan for my mum (15hh, ISH, 10 years old), he was underweight as he'd be stuck in a field for a long time with no food. Anyway, he LOVES his food, and unfortunately has got to the point where he is rather over weight YO said he really needs a diet!! Oops!

The horses are out in the fields from 09:00 until 16:00 and then stables at night. The grass is good, but fine. When he comes in at night, the second he gets a net in his stable, it’s gobbled down as fast as possible!!

We have tripled his net, but it doesn’t really slow him down very much. We need to cut down his hayledge as he is just getting so big. We’ve pretty much doubled his excersise as well.

My concern is that a lot of the threads I read mention that our horses should always have something to eat through the day/night, yet the BHS say to feed 2.5% bodyweight.

If we gave our lad enough to last him through the night, he’d need 2/3 large nets in to keep him hay’d till morning, but he’d balloon even more!! On the flip side, the 2.5% of his bodyweight hay net would be done in 30 mins!

He really is quite obese, and I’m not sure what to do?! So what is the answer?

Thank you if you’ve made it this far, tea and biccy’s for all!!

 

[maggiesmum]

Can you muzzle him when he's out? Could someone give him his net later on in the evening rather than as soon as he comes in? How about feeding soaked hay? and mixing some good quality straw in with it?

Has he been tested for insulin resistance?

It is difficult I know to find a balance between weight loss and not starving them.

 

[D66]

Use a haynet with small holes or two nets (to get the same effect). Soaking the hay will also help. Try hanging swedes on baler twine in the stable for him to bite - other stable toys may help if he doesnt get too efficient at getting the food.

 

[Faro]

Agree with Maggiesmum. See if he will accept being muzzled when he's out, and also agree with mixing some good quality straw into the haylage. Actually, would it be possible to change from haylage to actual hay (which could still be mixed with straw if necessary) which although still appealing to horses, isn't quite as much of a "treat" as haylage.

 

[BorgRae]

Can you muzzle him when he's out? Could someone give him his net later on in the evening rather than as soon as he comes in? How about feeding soaked hay? and mixing some good quality straw in with it?

Has he been tested for insulin resistance?

It is difficult I know to find a balance between weight loss and not starving them.

A muzzel could help, although the grass is failrly low, but will suggest it, thank you. We tend to put a small hand ful of hayledge in when he comes in from the field, and then his net in at around 8pm. I'm fairly certain that by 10pm, it's all gone!

What's insulin resistance??

Use a haynet with small holes or two nets (to get the same effect). Soaking the hay will also help. Try hanging swedes on baler twine in the stable for him to bite - other stable toys may help if he doesnt get too efficient at getting the food.

I didn't really think of hanging toys to keep him occupied. I'll definnitely invest! He's currently got 2 small holed nets together at the moment, but it doesn't tend to put him off!! He;s a monkey!


I'm mainly concerned that as you said above, it's the balance of weight loss and starving them

 

[NOISYGIRL]

Use a haynet with small holes or two nets (to get the same effect). Soaking the hay will also help. Try hanging swedes on baler twine in the stable for him to bite - other stable toys may help if he doesnt get too efficient at getting the food.

She's already triple netted ! which find really hard to believe hasn't stopped him gobbling it all, when my horse had lami few years back he could only have 6lb of hay soaked and I had to triple net it, it really slowed him down.

OP are they small holed nets you are triple netting with ? not doubting you just he must be some gobler lol

I triple netted with the shires small hole haylage nets and the holes were tiny, it'd be good if there was a way to block out most of the net except for a patch that was triple netted, so that you know like when you take a tissue from a box and another follows, this doesn't happen with the hay (hope you know what I'm on about) ha ha

 

[NOISYGIRL]

A muzzel could help, although the grass is failrly low, but will suggest it, thank you. We tend to put a small hand ful of hayledge in when he comes in from the field, and then his net in at around 8pm. I'm fairly certain that by 10pm, it's all gone!

What's insulin resistance??



I didn't really think of hanging toys to keep him occupied. I'll definnitely invest! He's currently got 2 small holed nets together at the moment, but it doesn't tend to put him off!! He;s a monkey!


I'm mainly concerned that as you said above, it's the balance of weight loss and starving them

My horse wears his muzzle winter and summer regardless of the length of grass, I just can't risk it happening again. See my pics, customise if necessary, the vet told me he has to wear it so he wears it if he likes it or not

 

[BorgRae]

Agree with Maggiesmum. See if he will accept being muzzled when he's out, and also agree with mixing some good quality straw into the haylage. Actually, would it be possible to change from haylage to actual hay (which could still be mixed with straw if necessary) which although still appealing to horses, isn't quite as much of a "treat" as haylage.

Yes, there's the option of hay on our yard. I'll swap him over, will soaking it help, or will it not make much of a difference?

I'll see if we can get hold of some good quality straw... (I may sound completely stupid now... But does it matter which type of straw? i.e Barley straw? I've never done it before!)

 

[NOISYGIRL]

Yes, there's the option of hay on our yard. I'll swap him over, will soaking it help, or will it not make much of a difference?

I'll see if we can get hold of some good quality straw... (I may sound completely stupid now... But does it matter which type of straw? i.e Barley straw? I've never done it before!)

Yes soaking will help

 

[BorgRae]

She's already triple netted ! which find really hard to believe hasn't stopped him gobbling it all, when my horse had lami few years back he could only have 6lb of hay soaked and I had to triple net it, it really slowed him down.

OP are they small holed nets you are triple netting with ? not doubting you just he must be some gobler lol

I triple netted with the shires small hole haylage nets and the holes were tiny, it'd be good if there was a way to block out most of the net except for a patch that was triple netted, so that you know like when you take a tissue from a box and another follows, this doesn't happen with the hay (hope you know what I'm on about) ha ha

He really is a gobbler!!! lol! He's got two small holed nets, and they're held in one big holed one (probably piointles, but we used it to attach all 3 together). The tissue thing you mention is exactly what happens at the mo. As soon as he's found an opening and pulls some through, more strands follow, so he can get to it easily. I'll find another small holed one and swap this for the bogger holed one so he has 3 small holed nets together (if that makes sense?!)

I do feel bad for him. Honestly, when he's at his net, it's like he's never been fed he litterally doesn't stop top breath?!

 

[Clodagh]

I would definately change to hay, haylage is like sweets, its so yummy they gobble it. Hay is not so exciting. I would soak it for 12 hours, then drain well before feeding. Still double net it.
Muzzle him whether he likes it or not, laminitis is much worse than a miserable hungry horse!

 

[lilaclomax]

2-2.5% is a rough guide for maintaining bodyweight... 1.5-1.75% is acceptable for overweight horses and 1-1.5% for obese equines.

Soaking for 2 hours in double the volume of water removes roughly 15% of the sugars.

Double/triple nets are good, try making the volume smaller and spacing out the time given and hang in different locations if possible to encourage movement.

I would also go down the muzzle route

 

[BorgRae]

I would definately change to hay, haylage is like sweets, its so yummy they gobble it. Hay is not so exciting. I would soak it for 12 hours, then drain well before feeding. Still double net it.
Muzzle him whether he likes it or not, laminitis is much worse than a miserable hungry horse!

2-2.5% is a rough guide for maintaining bodyweight... 1.5-1.75% is acceptable for overweight horses and 1-1.5% for obese equines.

Soaking for 2 hours in double the volume of water removes roughly 15% of the sugars.

Double/triple nets are good, try making the volume smaller and spacing out the time given and hang in different locations if possible to encourage movement.

I would also go down the muzzle route

Thank you for these replies. I will definitely change him to hay and will soak it. I'll also put up two sets of nets with smaller amounts in and put at either side of his stable.

We've got a weight hook, so will put him on 1.75% of his bodyweight for now and will get a muzzel for him as well.

It is a worry that we're starving the poor little man, but him being overweight is more dangerouse I guess?!

Thank you for all of your posts, I will put all of this to action and will hopefully see some good results in the coming months.

Thanks again!!