Who keeps their horses on the lean side through summer?

[Sophstar]

Just curious as both of mine are muzzled 24/7, with my little one in through the morning to have hay and a snooze in the peace and quiet and within the past couple of weeks I have managed to shed their spring gas bellies and I can now proudly say mine aren't the fatties in the field! My welsh I usually keep at around 255 kg (cushings pony made me more picky about keeping the weight off) but weightaped him last night and he's just below 250kg, can feel ribs and is looking lean and my cob's belly is no longer wider than his shoulders My cob can convince anyone he is starving but the amount of grass i find in his muzzle shows hes eating and my welsh is such a muzzle master he can get nettles through the holes.

A bit more off the cob and it will be the lightest he's ever been (respiratory allergies and arthritis are benefitting from slimline pony!)and I feel better keeping them slightly leaner and knowing they can plump up with a couple hours freedom from the muzzles a day rather than fighting to get the weight off.

Anyone else keep their horses a bit leaner through the summer months? If so why do you?

 

[Slightlyconfused]

Me, i like it when you can see a shimmer of rib when moving and sun hits them right and you can feel them easily

It's not just through summer i keep them like that in winter too as it's just healthier for them as well as lowering the risk of lami......it's one of my pet hates people feeding their horses/ponys unnecessary.

X

 

[Ranyhyn]

I TRY to keep mine skinny, the mare I think is a laminitis risk and the two welsh ponies, well - they are welsh ponies We have such excellent grazing at home that it's a constant battle but I'm trying to get on top of it.

 

[chestnut cob]

Usually I have to fight to prevent my horse from becoming obese in the summer, involving muzzles, soaked hay etc etc etc... then I realised that if I let him get lean in the winter, I don't have to panic all through the summer. Every winter, around Nov time, he suddenly drops weight and I panic, feed him up, give loads of haylage so that he looks "well". End result is that he comes out of winter looking like a show horse and he's fat all summer. Last winter I let him drop the weight that he clearly naturally does anyway, didn't change anything (he worked hard last winter too) so he came out of winter quite lean. He's put some on since the grass has come through but I'm not battling with him now, he's just well covered. Not muzzled and am not having to restrict him (though he's never on much grass anyway). I actually don't mind him putting weight on through the summer now, though I am keeping an eye on it.

 

[KSR]

My Lami horse and pony don't have a spare ounce of fat this year.. I will be trying to keep it that way :/

My youngsters are well covered but not overweight.. My sect A is dieting constantly.. He was starved as a yearling/2yo so he hangs on to as much weight as he can..

As for my big mare, she maintains a stable weight but isn't allowed to get overweight at all as she broke her shoulder a few years ago and I try to keep the weight off her joints.. She used to jump competitively so I'm extra careful following the injury..