why is my horse not losing weight please help

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ellieluvshorses

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last year my other horse was due to have a baby she had a problem with her system in the end and sadly she couldn't have the baby its been a year now and she is still really fat i ride her regularly but she hasn't really lost anything she is on the correct feed thanks
 
Is she fat all over or has a big belly?

If she's fat all over then she's on too much feed, if she just has a big belly then you need to work her to get her using the muscles supporting her belly, raised trotting poles might help.
 
how long for what sort of work? gentle hacking or days hunting it can make a big difference. what about forage? and turnout? is she muzzled?
 
I'm wondering if you actually understand what correct feeding is. From your information she eats chaff and Anti-Lam? Nothing else? Horses have foals, not babies and I'm guessing the lack of resonses to your question is linked to the lack of detail or apparent care with which you phrased the question. If you can't be bothered to write down a better description of the problem and give us more background, I'm afraid you won't get any help.
 
so she is in light work, what about forage, how much is she getting are you soaking it? how long is she turned out for? is she muzzled? how much grass have you got? without this information it is impossible to determine why she is gaining weight.
 
brighteyes said:
I'm wondering if you actually understand what correct feeding is. From your information she eats chaff and Anti-Lam? Nothing else? Horses have foals, not babies and I'm guessing the lack of resonses to your question is linked to the lack of detail or apparent care with which you phrased the question. If you can't be bothered to write down a better description of the problem and give us more background, I'm afraid you won't get any help.
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That doesnt seem alot of hard feed to me TBH. I agree with brighteyes that im not sure you understand what correct feeding is?? Some people assume less is better and this isnt always the case. When i start conditioning my horse for the show season after he has wintered out he looks fat. When really he just has a hay/grass belly and is not fit and has no topline. This is due to the fact he has had little hard feed and no exercise. In order for him to loose weight ( or redistribute it ) i actually increase his feed, give him more calorific feeds and increase the exercise and it works. Off comes the weight.

It might be that your horse isnt fat but just lacks the correct feeding and correct exercise for the muscles that need building.

Hope im making sense.
 
get a weight tape on her and determine of she is overweight.

TBH i dont mind them being slightly on the wrong side of ideal during the winter.

Call Spillers or D&H and ask for feeding advice and take it from there - otherwise call the vet out. xx
 
If she is not being used but is getting turnout and hay/haylage, I'd knock any sort of hard feed on the head for starters.

Weight control should be achieved by the correct diet for the horse, taking into account the type of horse, how well it holds weight, the sort of work you expect from it.

Horses should not be kept short of forage, as they are designed to eat lots of low quality forage. Long periods of time with nothing to eat risks colic and stable vices.
 
AndySpooner said:
If she is not being used but is getting turnout and hay/haylage, I'd knock any sort of hard feed on the head for starters.

Weight control should be achieved by the correct diet for the horse, taking into account the type of horse, how well it holds weight, the sort of work you expect from it.

Horses should not be kept short of forage, as they are designed to eat lots of low quality forage. Long periods of time with nothing to eat risks colic and stable vices.
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I would have to agree here, invest in a good mineral lick and just let her eat grass and hay/haylage :)

Ideally vary your work too so that she is getting to use all the muscles she can, walk and trot can burn more off than canter but a good canter will work the muscles differently too. Also, is there a school nearby that you could use? Mixing the work up really does help with toning and weight loss.
 
I would get her checked by your vet anyway, you don't need to call your vet out specifically, but when they are next on the yard ask them to glance an eye over your horse. They should then be able to work out an appropriate exercise and feeding regime as we can't see her over the internet!

Has she been wormed properly? Sometimes a high worm burden can cause a bloated belly. Again if she hasn't been wormed in a long time seek the advise of your vet as worming a horse with a high worm burden can cause a blockage and all sorts of problems!
 
Troll... anyone??? Or am i jumping the gun a bit? perhaps just another incompetent horse owner.
Sorry, im being bitter because im ill.

Maybe, as brighteyes has said, you should give us a better description of what exactly you feed her, forage wise too and then perhaps we could help.
 
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