Why don't people let their horses drop off in winter?

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NellRosk

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I see so many threads in feeding about how to maintain weight in winter. I'm completely the opposite, got 2 fatties so I'm perfectly happy to let them lose a bit over winter. Makes my job of keeping them trim in summer a lot easier. Obviously I'm not talking about oldies or poor doers, but people with natives or good doers... Do any of you let your horses naturally lose weight in winter? Surely this is what they do in the wild? (Just to add mine get ad lib haylage but I do not/ will not give them masses of hard feed to maintain weight).
 
NellRosk said:
But isn't it the natural way of things to put on weight in summer then lose it in winter?
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The thing is the natural way of things is for horses to not survive much past their late teens. We aim to keep them fit and healthy way beyond that, and to do that they need fibre for gut health, protein for immune system and soft tissue and minerals etc for hoof health. Not easy to do that on short enough rations to allow them to drop condition through winter, although it is possible with careful diet planning.
 
In the wild, horses may drop weight because forage is scarce and winter becomes a time of survival. No need for owners to replicate conditions in the wild- because we can't. No point.

Better to maintain a good constant through the year. A good doer on spring grass can whack those kgs back on with the blink of an eye anyway.

Now if you're talking about diet plans for fatties, then that's a different thing altogether.
 
amymay said:
I suppose it is. But our horses don't need to store fat in order to survive winter.

And regardless, horses are not kept naturaly. We've domesticated them.
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Not when they're over rugged and over fed, no they don't.

I don't allow mine to get fat in summer, but I do allow them to drop weight in winter.
I also don't clip or rug...I let them them get hairy. Yes...they are domesticated but I like to keep them as close to "natural" as possible.
But then again I don't hunt or compete, they don't need to be clipped rugged and stuffed full of cereals either.
 
My horses that hunt are at about their slimmest coming out do Christmas .
Which makes sense because the are working .
If your horse is fat winter is a great time to get on top of things but if your horse does consistent work all year there should be no reason for large ups and downs in wieght.
 
JillA said:
The thing is the natural way of things is for horses to not survive much past their late teens. We aim to keep them fit and healthy way beyond that, and to do that they need fibre for gut health, protein for immune system and soft tissue and minerals etc for hoof health. Not easy to do that on short enough rations to allow them to drop condition through winter, although it is possible with careful diet planning.
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What, I never said reduced rations. My post says ad lib haylage. I just don't feel the need to pump them full of conditioning hard feed to prevent them losing weight. They naturally lose a few kilos over winter and then naturally put it back on in summer when the grass is better.
 
Hippona said:
Not when they're over rugged and over fed, no they don't.

I don't allow mine to get fat in summer, but I do allow them to drop weight in winter.
I also don't clip or rug...I let them them get hairy. Yes...they are domesticated but I like to keep them as close to "natural" as possible.
But then again I don't hunt or compete, they don't need to be clipped rugged and stuffed full of cereals either.
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This ^
 
Hippona said:
Not when they're over rugged and over fed, no they don't.

I don't allow mine to get fat in summer, but I do allow them to drop weight in winter.
I also don't clip or rug...I let them them get hairy. Yes...they are domesticated but I like to keep them as close to "natural" as possible.
But then again I don't hunt or compete, they don't need to be clipped rugged and stuffed full of cereals either.
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My horses have a job and work harder in the winter than the summer. So the need feeding, clipping and rugging.

If your horses are not worked then I can understand you not clipping, rugging and feeing etc.

How do you prevent them getting fat in the summer?
 
My horse does his hardest work in summer, eventing, so is at his slimmest then. Personally I prefer him more rounded in winter to have a bit of protection against the cold, while he is in lighter work.

To an outsider I think he would not look so different summer or winter, when the spring grass comes so does his work increase, so any weight variation is minimal anyway. It is more about him being more squishy in winter and toned in summer!
 
I think if you are "using" the hunger of winter to repair the negligence of allowing horses to become too fat in summer, then perhaps a revision of feeding regime is in order. I aim to keep mine at a constant weight year round.
 
Red-1 said:
My horse does his hardest work in summer, eventing, so is at his slimmest then. Personally I prefer him more rounded in winter to have a bit of protection against the cold, while he is in lighter work.

To an outsider I think he would not look so different summer or winter, when the spring grass comes so does his work increase, so any weight variation is minimal anyway. It is more about him being more squishy in winter and toned in summer!
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Ooh lucky you, mine is more squishy in summer!!!
 
Cortez said:
I think if you are "using" the hunger of winter to repair the negligence of allowing horses to become too fat in summer, then perhaps a revision of feeding regime is in order. I aim to keep mine at a constant weight year round.
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Yes that's exactly what I'm doing :D :D no feed bills for me in winter I'll just starve the *******!!
 
Cortez said:
I think if you are "using" the hunger of winter to repair the negligence of allowing horses to become too fat in summer, then perhaps a revision of feeding regime is in order. I aim to keep mine at a constant weight year round.
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This might be the single most important post I've ever read on hho.
 
Mine are still young so still developing our management, but they are fed adlib through the winter but are out 24/7, they are allowed to drop weight but I do monitor it to keep an eye on anything unusual. In the summer they are on a track and allowed to put on some weight but I try not to let it get too much - I don't mind them being a bit podgy going into winter but not fat fat. But mine aren't in work and are still growing, so will have to see how it works when work has to be taken into account. I hope to keep them relatively unclipped so I can get away with no rugs for as long as I possibly can. From my point of view I have seen more problems caused by ponies getting fat in summer, not losing weight in winter (due to rugs and feeding), getting more fat, still not losing weight and ending up with chronic weight issues and metabolic difficulties. I am trying to maintain them year to year rather than the same all year round, so at least they won't get fatter year after year.
 
I think the straightforward answer to the question posed in the thread title is that people are worried others will think they are not looking after their horses correctly.
 
Am I really the only person who owns a native pony that is not a good doer? He was thin and sleek in spring, lean and sleek in summer/autumn, and is now lean and fluffy...

He gets ad-lib hay, as much turnout as possible, and a drop of runny beet and unmollassed chaff with his vitamins in year round. He was out pretty much 24/7 until the start of November! I only brought him in to work with him and keep him in the habit, and when he was on box rest for his stifle.

I own rugs for him, but he really doesn't seem to need them, even in heavy rain. It was pelting down today when I caught in, but it just runs off him. I actually think his coat has better waterproofing than his rugs do...

Sorry, that went off on a tangent!
 
Because ours don't build up fatty reserves because as eventers the extra stress it would add to them would be wholly unnecessary. They need to be kept as lean and fit as possible through the season, so come winter if they dropped off they'd tip rapidly into 'thin'.

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This is Smokes, as of today. He is at his perfect weight, and ideally will remain this weight all year round. He's a fatty in the summer but drops off easily in the winter so it is an effort. But worth it. Means he's never putting more weight on his legs or more stress on his body than is necessary.
 
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