Which would work best for a fatty?

[katymay]

I am seriously struggling to get weight off a very fat Dartmoor Hill pony, he has lost loads since we got him but is still too big!
currently turned out on mud with the odd tuft of grass to munch on, two slices of soaked hay to share with the other one for the day, or 3 hours of turn out on rough grass when im not working.
comes in at night around 5 ish, very very small feed of fast fibre and a half hay half straw soaked haynet.
walked out and excercised as much as possible inc trotting but only as far as I can manage to run!

But, was considering out 24/7 on the rough grass, unrugged and no other feed on top, including no hay and up the excersise!

Vet laughed when he saw him and said he is the type to eat a twig and put on weight (sounds bit like me!)

im offering Butternut squash and chilli risotto as a reward

 

[Mince Pie]

Presumably he is not rugged? Could you give him a small bib clip (but don't rug him!!) so he uses more energy to keep warm? Does he lunge? If he's too small to ride could you drive him?

 

[PandorasJar]

I am seriously struggling to get weight off a very fat Dartmoor Hill pony, he has lost loads since we got him but is still too big!
currently turned out on mud with the odd tuft of grass to munch on, two slices of soaked hay to share with the other one for the day, or 3 hours of turn out on rough grass when im not working.
comes in at night around 5 ish, very very small feed of fast fibre and a half hay half straw soaked haynet.
walked out and excercised as much as possible inc trotting but only as far as I can manage to run!

But, was considering out 24/7 on the rough grass, unrugged and no other feed on top, including no hay and up the excersise!

Vet laughed when he saw him and said he is the type to eat a twig and put on weight (sounds bit like me!)

im offering Butternut squash and chilli risotto as a reward

We used to keep fattys in very rough starvation paddocks out 24/7. Not muzzled or rugged.
They were however fed a token amount of hay all year twice daily on top of the grazing to keep forage going through them.
Kept them at a nice weight and fitness as were moving as well as eating. Always had a companion in too if possible as moved each other round.

And YUM

 

[katymay]

Presumably he is not rugged? Could you give him a small bib clip (but don't rug him!!) so he uses more energy to keep warm? Does he lunge? If he's too small to ride could you drive him?

No not rugged at all, very hairy, have been unable to find anyone to come and clip him for me otherwise he would have a bib clip and be left unrugged, cant quite stretch to buying my own clippers.
I am going to break him to drive, have brought a harness although will probably start off with two lunge lines, he wont lunge at all, just looks at me like im an idiot although ive yet to try with two lines.
too big at 5'5 and 10.5 stones to ride him, think he would struggle to carry his own weight let alone mine on top!
think I might get my bike out and see if he will follow on behind that

 

[katymay]

We used to keep fattys in very rough starvation paddocks out 24/7. Not muzzled or rugged.
They were however fed a token amount of hay all year twice daily on top of the grazing to keep forage going through them.
Kept them at a nice weight and fitness as were moving as well as eating. Always had a companion in too if possible as moved each other round.

He has a little companion who suffers from lami, but on the same diet is a perfect weight and he doesnt get any excersice apart from a twice a day walk to the rough paddock and back!
vet said buy a quad bike and make him run behind that

 

[exmoorali]

Apart from upping the exercise - how about some Horse Agility to keep his brain working, longreining, free schooling, walking out inhand, find someone locally light enough to ride him - you can't do much else.

However, I would not restrict his forage. Ab-lib has been proven to be the best way of feeding an equine - keeps their guts working and much healthier. I was wary of doing this with my fatty - but she has actually lost weight since going onto ab-lib hay and straw (she has hay in the stable at night, and straw out on their hardstanding during the day, plus some hay in the morning). Must be because her digestion is working correctly? There was actually a bit of hay left this morning!!