Would it be madness…

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BBP2

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…to turn an extremely fat young native pony (Connemara) out on 20 acres of pasture?

Horse is currently fat and bored. Brought in to a limestone and sand track system this summer because of serious liver issues. Thankfully latest blood tests show great improvements. Unbacked and unable to be exercised for that and other health reasons that we haven’t figured out just yet. I wasn’t able to soak hay all summer because we didn’t have enough rainwater and his weight is well above what it should be. I’m now soaking hay, but his movement is still restricted as my track now has too much new grass regrowth, he goes out for a bit with his muzzle on but it’s not ideal. He also bored because my other horses won’t play with him. He’s only 5 and right now I don’t feel I’m giving him the quality of life he deserves.

The other day I went to see a place that does retirement and holiday livery. It’s a 20 acre field, on a hill, with 7 other horses ranging from 2yo gelding to 20 year old. It’s old pasture rather than lush regrowth (photo shows just a corner of it, the flat part, to show the type of grass cover).

Mentally I think he would love to go and have a winter holiday living on a hill with a herd. I feel like it also could add the movement he needs to build some muscle and see if it gets him to a point where we can really see what we’ve got. He could be taught a bit more herd etiquette but still have space to run and play.

I don’t want to give him laminitis and kill him obviously, but the lack of decent quality movement here is doing him no favours either and without that we are struggling to shift the weight. The new hay we bought to help with liver is probably too nice for him.

I know none of you know him and can’t know the full situation, but I’d love to know your thoughts. (The professional advice is that there is no point starting to try training him for at least another 4-5 months of his liver being completely normal, as we think that may be the cause of a lot of the issues we have seen).

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It's not really advice or possibly of any help/a valid point of reference, but I turn my Connemara out on pasture like that.
She's never been footy or ems-esk and is not as lean as you would want a horse with those issues, but she is also not fat really. There is also OH's cob turned out on the same pasture and she's pretty spot on weight wise (has lost a fair bit both winters we've had her but we just let her get quite ribby).

They both move about courtesy of my tbx in with them who is a busy bee and enjoys jollying everyone into a group gallop, so I think that counteracts the grass a fair bit.

Might be worth a try and you can always pull him back out again if he balloons or goes footy. You might just have to keep a close eye for the first few weeks.
 
Do you lose your space where he is now if you move?

Looking at that photo i would certainly consider trying the grass turn out and carefully monitor his weight (weekly weight tape) - if it started to increase then you can always bring him back to the track routine.

Going into spring I would think differently - but going into winter, not much more grass will grow and 7 horses on 20 acres will keep it in check anyway
 
I think the fact you’re trying this heading into winter when grass is going to become less potent anyway will work in your favour.

I think the extra movement could massively benefit him and there’s a good chance he’ll probably lose some of the excess weight on that setup over winter.

Then see where you are when we get to Spring time and make decisions appropriately.
 
The only downside seems to be possible additional weight gain but you can step in deal with that if it happens. As a winter option I think it has lots going for it for a young horse.
 
My teenies live out all year round in a huge field. Yes, they are too fat at the moment but they'll lose it over the winter in quite a natural way so I'm not overly worried.
 
BBP2 said:
…to turn an extremely fat young native pony (Connemara) out on 20 acres of pasture?

Horse is currently fat and bored. Brought in to a limestone and sand track system this summer because of serious liver issues. Thankfully latest blood tests show great improvements. Unbacked and unable to be exercised for that and other health reasons that we haven’t figured out just yet. I wasn’t able to soak hay all summer because we didn’t have enough rainwater and his weight is well above what it should be. I’m now soaking hay, but his movement is still restricted as my track now has too much new grass regrowth, he goes out for a bit with his muzzle on but it’s not ideal. He also bored because my other horses won’t play with him. He’s only 5 and right now I don’t feel I’m giving him the quality of life he deserves.

The other day I went to see a place that does retirement and holiday livery. It’s a 20 acre field, on a hill, with 7 other horses ranging from 2yo gelding to 20 year old. It’s old pasture rather than lush regrowth (photo shows just a corner of it, the flat part, to show the type of grass cover).

Mentally I think he would love to go and have a winter holiday living on a hill with a herd. I feel like it also could add the movement he needs to build some muscle and see if it gets him to a point where we can really see what we’ve got. He could be taught a bit more herd etiquette but still have space to run and play.

I don’t want to give him laminitis and kill him obviously, but the lack of decent quality movement here is doing him no favours either and without that we are struggling to shift the weight. The new hay we bought to help with liver is probably too nice for him.

I know none of you know him and can’t know the full situation, but I’d love to know your thoughts. (The professional advice is that there is no point starting to try training him for at least another 4-5 months of his liver being completely normal, as we think that may be the cause of a lot of the issues we have seen).

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Given everything you’ve said here, I think you’d be mad not to, and am 101% sure you will both be far happier for it. Good luck.
 
This is all pretty positive, which I hadn’t expected 😄 I think you’re all right that going into winter is the time to do it. The main downside being a) cost, and b) not having his beautiful face around every day.

I’m lucky to have my own land, so bringing him back at a seconds notice is no problem at all for me. I’m going back there tomorrow with my sister to take a look, as she really isn’t keen on the idea (we both utterly adore the beautiful weirdo). The lady running it seems fantastic and does 2 checks a day, feeds, rugs if needs be (not that he would need rugging, although I have just cover coat clipped him so he isn’t tooo warm and toasty), but it’s close enough to me that I could go and visit him several times a week. It might also give me a little more time and space to devote to getting my arab truly comfortable.
 
Obviously doesn't work for everyone I do think there's a lot to be said for space and learning to self regulate eating wise. Mine was less fat of 60 acres of hill grazing in a small herd than strip grassing a lush field. I always have an eye out for the right type of field as mine has far too much lush clover in it really.
 
Cloball said:
Obviously doesn't work for everyone I do think there's a lot to be said for space and learning to self regulate eating wise. Mine was less fat of 60 acres of hill grazing in a small herd than strip grassing a lush field. I always have an eye out for the right type of field as mine has far too much lush clover in it really.
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Same here. Pony was never so fat as when the yard decided to start strip grazing. In the same field!

I'm another in the Yes, Go column.
 
Give it a go!
Not quite the same, but myself and a friend moved our two horses from one yard with postage stamp size individual turnout, to a yard with our own 4 acre, full of older grass, not lush.
I was worried about them piling the weight on, but instead they’re the happiest they’ve ever been and haven’t put weight on. They’re maintaining really well as they are moving so much more, playing together, foraging the hedgerows and even laying down for a mid afternoon snooze!
Best decision we ever made.
 
I kept an older cob and young cobs/natives on similar. Huge hills, lots of streams and bushes and rough ground. Lots of grass as well. They were absolutely fine. They moved an absolute ton. Far more than I've seen them do on a track. The young horses played a lot as well so everyone moved about even more. Everyone was sound and in good condition.

I think in your shoes it would be madness not to do it.
 
Marigold4 said:
Sounds like a good plan. As long as he integrates into the herd well. Are the others in the herd barefoot?
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Yep all barefoot and he is too. Most are a fair bit bigger than him so hopefully won’t let him bully them. He’s actually extremely social, he is just rougher in his play than the mares like. One of the issues I have had here is that he goes into pursuit mode, and scares the others, so I’m hoping that in a proper herd he would other ways to communicate, and might not feel so pent up that that happens. The lady has a mixed herd and also a second 15 acre flatter field that is geldings only, for those that are too colty for the mixed herd. I don’t think he will have that problem, he isn’t colty with my mares, just a bit of a thug. If he comes back in spring fitter and leaner and his bloods are still good, I might be in a position to see if he is ready to bring into work and back, or if there is still some underlying issue. It he certainly doesn’t have anything that makes me think I need to investigate it before turning him away.
 
chaps89 said:
Another saying go for it :) is he local enough you can pop in from time to time to check in on him?
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It’s just under 30mins from me, and sort of on route to work if I’m in the office. And the person running it is happy for owners to go as much or as little as they want. She says she has owners who go up daily and others who pay their bill and leave them to it. So I’d be able to go at least 3 times a week I think.
 
My own,admittedly limited experience of retirement/grass livery is that they know what they are doing.I am sure that if a problem started to arise they would let you know.
 
BBP2 said:
Yep all barefoot and he is too. Most are a fair bit bigger than him so hopefully won’t let him bully them. He’s actually extremely social, he is just rougher in his play than the mares like. One of the issues I have had here is that he goes into pursuit mode, and scares the others, so I’m hoping that in a proper herd he would other ways to communicate, and might not feel so pent up that that happens. The lady has a mixed herd and also a second 15 acre flatter field that is geldings only, for those that are too colty for the mixed herd. I don’t think he will have that problem, he isn’t colty with my mares, just a bit of a thug. If he comes back in spring fitter and leaner and his bloods are still good, I might be in a position to see if he is ready to bring into work and back, or if there is still some underlying issue. It he certainly doesn’t have anything that makes me think I need to investigate it before turning him away.
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Good that you have two different herd options. Maybe the herd can talk him out of his rough play and he will come back more civilised! Win, win. BTW my filly's GGT liver results came back as 14!!! Having been 400 some weeks ago. I'm more and more convinced it's caused by her eating the bindweed in the field. It's now now died back. I've fed her milk thistle since the issue was first noticed, and will continue to do so every summer now.
 
I did this with an overweight young pony, moved from a very small bare paddock to acres of grass. The ability to move around so much more seemed to balance any weight gain and by the time she came home, was actually a bit lighter!
 
Definitely not madness but if possible weight tape weekly just to see what if any changes happening. Movement is very important and often underrated.
 
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