"Fat Horse Dilemma"

[BarnBum50]

:confused: 1. Most of us like our horses turned out as much as possible. 2. We like them to be busy in their stalls with hay. 3. We don't want our horse to be fat. I turn horses out (some with muzzles) in my pastures which are very lush.so they don't get bored they are out from 7 am till noon. They get hay pretty much throughout the day. I have a very nice grass hay and I buy timothy first cutting for my pony which I also give to the other horses because it keeps them munching longer. All the horses are on a low starch pelleted grain and barely get more than a pound a day. Even horses in full training tend to be to "fat" on my program. All the horses at my farm, for the most part are very content with no bad stall behavior (except for those few clients who insist on feeding TOO MUCH GRAIN) since they are busy with hay. Since my clients love that their horses are spoiled it is hard to change anything. Any ideas on slimming the horses and keeping the clients happy?:eek:

[appychik]

There's lots of useful information archieved if you do a search... but dry lots would probably help. Not sure if you have that already or not, but from what I've read, a dry lot is a must... i.e. all barns should have at at least one or two paddocks set aside as "dry lots".

If you don't have any dry lots set up, I'd definitely muzzle anyone who's overweight or predisposed to Cushings/IR/etc. The should be muzzle any time they are in the lush pasture.

Definitely cut back the grain on those who are getting too much. As the BO (which I gathered from the OP, sorry if I'm mistaken) it's your job, to some extent, to educate the horse owners. Tell them what can happen if their horses get obese, educate :yes:. They may not like it, but it's in their horses' best interest.

Good luck! CoTh's a wealth of information, so I'm sure someone can get you a few better ideas then mine (although I'd be working on that dry lot pronto if it were me).

[BornToRide]

Test your forage and remove ALL grain - they don't need any. I suspect that the pasture and the hay are too high in sugars also. Instead it might be better if you fed more local, low NSC hay, or you sooaked the hay you have. If you generally have easy keeper type horses, you will be fighting an uphill battle unless you can provide more low NSC feeds.

Check out the Pete Ramey article on feeding for hoof health and consider incorporating a Paddock Paradise to encourage more movement when on turnout.

[Melyni]

Change the 'grain' to a grass pellet. But don't feed much.
Use muzzles. Get a lower quality hay so they can eat more for the same calorie intake.
Use one good vit/.min supplement so no one goes short but reduce the grain dramatically.
Good Luck
MW

[Janet]

There is a discussion of this in the recent Equus (I think).

One of the suggestions was to replace some of the hay with either "less nutritious" hay, or some specific kinds of straw. Lets them keep eating and keeps thier stomachs full, but with much fewer calories.

[sublimequine]

I have the same issues with my mare. She's at a barn where there ISN'T any "low quality" hay. The barn grows their own hay, so it's super-duper quality-controlled and absolutely top of the line hay.

If she was fed free choice on that hay, she would blow up like a blimp then explode. :lol:

So we try and come to a compromise. She gets turned out on grass all day weather permitting with a grazing muzzle, and on the days she gets grass she only gets a few flakes in the morning and a flake or two in the evening, and some hay cubes.

If it's raining or the pastures are too wet, no grass, and she gets about 3 flakes in the morning, a flake in the middle of the day, 3 flakes in the evening, and the hay cubes.

So her stomach has SOMETHING in it the majority of the time (probably overnight she goes without for a bit, until morning feed), but doesn't get dangerously overweight at the same time.

[J Swan]

There's no substitute for exercise.

[sublimequine]

There's no substitute for exercise.

She already said the horses in full training were fat. Can't imagine they aren't getting enough exercise.

For some horses, it seems like you could work them to death and they'd still be tubby if not fed just so. Intake is just as important as how they burn off those calories! :)

[Walela]

Our vet was out in June told me that I was literally loving my horse to death, she's a 3yr old paint mare 14.2 hh busting 1000 lbs:o....
He told me to stop all pelleted feed, if I had to give her some to just give her a handful only morning and night, we have always forked our hay and they stay on a dry lot with barrels, balls and plastic milks jugs to play with they are very content that is all she has been getting since June 18 as of 9-21-08 she has lost 127lbs with a lot of exercise.

[cbv]

That make the horses work for it and limit intake but keep them busy -- maybe do a search? The were basically homemade.

[J Swan]

I bet my definition of full work is different than hers.:lol:

She already said the horses in full training were fat. Can't imagine they aren't getting enough exercise.

[BarnBum50]

After reading all your comments (thank you!)I decided to do a little research. It sounds like my pastures may actually be the biggest problem. Since they are so lush and horses are out more than 4 hours in nice weather I need to make a change according to what I've been reading. Sugars accumulate and build up during the day. They suggest night turnout or at least bringing horses in by 10 am. So we will turnout from 6 am to 10 am. I'm not comfortable leaving the horses out all night without run in sheds. I will also feed more of the "poorer" quality hay I have on hand to keep them busy in their stalls. They may all be a little grumpy for awhile........but aren't we all when on a diet:D

[JSO]

If anyone comes up with the hay feeder link can you please pass it along? I'm not having any luck searching! Thanks!

[Altamont Sport Horses]

I know some people use hay nets, tied up high to prevent getting tangled up, so that it takes longer for the horse to eat the hay it is getting. And I agree, use a "lesser" hay so that they can eat more continuously. The change in turnout may help but even just giving the less nutritious hay should help quite a bit. In the wild horses eat all sorts of scrub of poor quality. We shouldn't feel bad to give them a decent hay. But giving a very high quality hay is too much. Great for fattening up cows but not healthy for the average horse. Have you read the www.safergrass.org website? You may want to recommend that your farm cut the hay in the morning when sugars are lower. Most people seem to cut in the afternoon when the grass has the most sugars. This way the farm could cut the sugar content and still use their own good hay for the horses.

[BarnBum50]

Thanks Altamont,I found a wealth of info on the www.safergrass.org website!

[marta]

according to your post they're in stalls for 19 hours a day.
and muzzle everyone who's on a pudgy side.

[Dalemma]

Get rid of any grain, more turn out, more exercise and less hay.

Its simple....... in put must equal out put.

Dalemma