Why won't he lose weight?

[loverly]

Bit of a background:

I brought a little miniature from someone who kept him in the backgarden of a terrace house (you can imagine the size of the garden - it was almost non-existant).. He was a little overweight as kept in a shed with only a tiny turnout area with no grass.

So since I've had him I've struggled to keep the weight off but have managed. However, I moved him home (from livery where he kept my previous horse company) as I've got a small paddock of an acre. I've split it into 4 mini-paddocks. The paddock he's been in for the last 3 months is bare with only a ting covering of grass. I feed him a tiny bit of "safe and sound" and added vits and mins to make sure he is getting the right amount. He is exerecised and lunged around 5 times a week (sometimes upto an hours walk with the dogs!).

But he is FAT and I've run out of ideas to keep the weight off. Anyone have any ideas?

The latter photo was taken around 2/3 months ago to give an idea of his size and it has increased slightly since then.

 

[Shysmum]

I'm afraid my answer would be to muzzle him - dinky muzzle perhaps ? And if you can, give him some time either stabled or off grass altogether. If all else fails, muzzle 24/7 with a break of a few hours (tied up or exercising).

he still needs vits/mins as you say, I would only give a light balancer, nothing else.

I'm sure he's wormed but that's another thought.

 

[loverly]

I'm afraid my answer would be to muzzle him - dinky muzzle perhaps ? And if you can, give him some time either stabled or off grass altogether. If all else fails, muzzle 24/7 with a break of a few hours (tied up or exercising).

he still needs vits/mins as you say, I would only give a light balancer, nothing else.

I'm sure he's wormed but that's another thought.

Shall search the web for mini muzzles! He had a worm count last month and nothing came up.

 

[Mince Pie]

Could you get a cart and harness and break him to drive?

 

[Shysmum]

dinky muzzles are good

http://www.tackandturnout.co.uk/About-us


I adore minis - a big horse in a tiny body

 

[be positive]

1/4 of an acre is still a fair size for him, the fact there appears to be no grass is because he is eating it as fast as it grows and this year it has been growing very well all through the summer. If you could make a maze or track round his paddock so he has to move a lot more to find food it will help, put water at one end so he has to go as far as possible to get to it.

 

[TicTac]

Well I wouldn't say he was grossly overweight at all. He's a small native pony that nature designed to pile on the pounds during the summer months to see them through the winter lol

From the sounds of it you are doing everything right. Maybe take him off the grass all together and give him small amounts of soaked hay spilt into 3 or 4 feeds a day or whatever is possible.

I actually think he looks in pretty good shape for a little un.

ps just noticed that the clipped photo was taken 2/3 months ago.

 

[ladyt25]

I agree with Tic Tac, although maybe need a recent pic to judge better. However, remember little ones like that are not designed to look like a fit horse if you see what i mean? Their build can make themappear fat when actually they are not. i- I am not a fan of muzzles - I actually don't get how they limit grass intake to be honest but hey ho, they seem to be the accessory of the moment!

We anaged our fatties fine well before muzzles came in to the picture and I think the smaller paddock/track idea is preferable to a muzzle.

 

[loverly]

He has a hugely thick coat all year so it had to come off!

I cut the grass as short as the lawnmower will cut every week as well to help limit his intake. Shall try the track idea as never thought of doing that.

 

[katie_southwest]

No useful advice but he is the cutest thing Iv ever seen

 

[Gingerwitch]

Ask your vet to check him for chushings and Equine metabolic syndrome - noting major to worry about if he has both and for the price of a blood test and a call out it may save you and him a whole world of pain

 

[murphysmum123]

i have no useful information either just want to say he is just sooooo cute!!!

 

[MagicMelon]

I'd make his paddock even smaller than 1/4 acre and wouldnt rotate - just keep him in one so it literally turns to dirt. During this time of year, my shetland is kept in a yard where our stables open into which has hardcore underneath with dirt / tiny patches of grass on top. It works beautifully for her - lots of space still to keep her active (last thing you want to do IMO is stable as she cant work off calories) yet no grass. To make up for the lack of grass, she gets hay instead. You could soak it if you wanted, although I find I dont need to with mine as she still stays very slim. I let her out into my ponies paddock for literally 20 mins twice a day while I muck out etc. It works well for her, might be worth a go with yours. Yours is awfully cute!

 

[lachlanandmarcus]

I agree with Tic Tac, although maybe need a recent pic to judge better. However, remember little ones like that are not designed to look like a fit horse if you see what i mean? Their build can make themappear fat when actually they are not. i- I am not a fan of muzzles - I actually don't get how they limit grass intake to be honest but hey ho, they seem to be the accessory of the moment!

We anaged our fatties fine well before muzzles came in to the picture and I think the smaller paddock/track idea is preferable to a muzzle.

Fitted properly the research done (proper stuff not by the muzzle makers ) shows they can reduce intake by up to 80%.

The reason they are helpful is they enable the horse to be turned out for a proper length of time: the movement in the field is very good for overweight or lami prone ones. And onto longer grass/larger volume (which they cant be allowed) but lower sugar (which they need)

In addition they have become popular both as weather patterns change meaning we dont always get summers of very little grass growth any more, so have to actively manage more, and also because of the knowledge now in our possession from research that horses who have limited time of turnout in an attempt to reduce intake can actually adjust their eating speed so that turning out for just 2 hours, a horse or pony can use to eat as much grass as if they were out for 8 hours, once they work out that 2 hours is all they will get.

Horses and ponies in the past were generally fed less prepared food and worked harder, people tended to be more all round with their horses - you didnt get children specialising in dressage for eg, the horse would be expected to do some of everything. Also with the decline in riding school numbers, a lot of people now own horses since livery yards are all there is, when frankly they only exercise the horse enough for them to need a riding school.

 

[lachlanandmarcus]

OP what about one of these?? he would look great!!
http://www.viableselfsufficiency.co.uk/SC/saddlechariot

 

[Highlands]

He is very cute, you are on a difficult one. Like a human if you cut right back your body goes into starvation mode and keeps the weight on. Agree muzzle and see

 

[TigerTail]

Ok ingredients for ''Safe and Sound''

Safe and Sound Nutritional Information

Digestible Energy 8.5 MJ / kg

Protein 8.0%
Fibre 23.0%
Oils and Fats 4.0%
Starch content 5.0%
Sugar content 5.0%
Safe and Sound ingredients

Oatfeed, Nutritionally Improved Straw, Grass Chaff, Chopped Cereal Straw, Cane Molasses, Grass, Unmolassed Sugar Beet, Wheatfeed, Full Fat Soya Bean Meal, Wheat, Vegetable Oil, Full Fat Linseed, Mint 1.4%, Dicalcium Phosphate, Limestone Flour, Salt, Blackcurrant Powder, Carrot Powder, Beetroot Powder, Tomato Powder 0.4%, Vitamin/Trace Mineral Premix, Nettle Leaves 0.3%, Seaweed 0.2%, Rosehips 0.2%, Methyl Sulphonyl Methane (MSM) 0.1%, Calcined Magnesite, Garlic Granules 0.1%

I wouldnt be touching that with a barge pole for a healthy weight horse never mind for yours!!!

Id be putting him on a tiny amount of Fast Fibre with Forage Plus supplement/Pro Hoof - links below
http://shop.forageplus.com/epages/es137718.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/es137718/Products/FPS
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PRO-HOOF-1-8KG-HIGH-CONCENTRATED-EQUINE-SUPPLEMENT-/280812474779#ht_1794wt_996

Magnesium actually helps get rid of fat pads, and the above two supplements have the highest quality and concentrate of it so def worth it.

Id also be making him a track, 8ft wide, around the whole of the space youve got. By making his paddock smaller and smaller you limit how far he has to walk to get to food, so he can basically stand still and munch all day

 

[Kallibear]

You'd discovered the reason I'd never ever have a shetland unless you've got a whole flock of them Does he have a friend? He'll be standing doing next to nothing if he's on his own all the time. A friend will help him move about, even just following the other as they move to graze or groom.

He's not exactly about to burst but I'd agree that he could do with loosing a bit more. Although he will never look like a TB I don't think that's an excuse for accpeting him being podgy!

My choices would be: either give him a track round the outside to make the area smaller or put a muzzle on him +/- bring him onto hardstanding during the day with straw to eat ( the yard?). I'd also be trying to find him a friend as a matter of urgency if he hasn't already got one.

 

[loverly]

OP what about one of these?? he would look great!!
http://www.viableselfsufficiency.co.uk/SC/saddlechariot

Oh I like that!!

He is by himself as he is a bully to others and will kick and chase anything.

 

[noblesteed]

has he had his teeth done? only our new dentist said if their teeth are sharp they can't chew for as long as they should so they end up eating more? he suggested it was why mine was chubby...

my fatty gets no feed, if you want to give vits and mins have you tried equibites? little treats that are loaded with vit/mins so you dont need hard feed. been a godsend to mine!