when to start feeding???

[sevoflurane]

As some of you may know I haven't ridden my boy for 6 weeks due to me being ill, he's been turned out on good grazing and in the last month developed a huge grass belly. He hasn't been fed either in the last month, but I am now well enough to start riding again, albeit it short hacks and 10-20 mins in the school. Now he needs to slim down but I don't want to find that in a few weeks he's lost too much weight and then I need to build him up....so should I start to feed him small amounts now and build up as the work increases and grass decreases???? he's a tb btw

big glass of wine for getting to the end

thankies xx

 

[Ziggy_]

Has he gained weight (fat) or does he just have a big bloaty belly?
Does he struggle to hold his weight over winter?

My TBx isn't a great doer but has lived on grass and hay since April (there isn't a lot of grass either). I shan't start feeding her until her weight starts dropping off. The old rule was always 'feed according to work done, not work you are going to do' ie. increase workload first.

That said, if you struggle with his weight through the winter there'd be no harm in introducing a handful now to give him time to adjust to it before you increase the quantity.

 

[sevoflurane]

Ziggy, I would say he has a big bloaty belly, you can still feel his ribs and he has a nice peachy bottom but his belly looks huge...almost like he's in foal! Woops, I am only talking about feeding him as I increase his work, not in advance ;-P

Last winter I was trying to build him up because he was fresh out of racing and very lean, muscled and racing fit....I would imagine he could drop condition quite quickly if I wasn't careful with him tho