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Discussion on Help with Obese TWH
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Member:
melis1
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Posted on Thursday, Jun 26, 2008 - 9:57 am:
Hi, I own two TWHs. Harley is 16 yo and Brody is 9. This was our second full winter in Upstate NY after living in FL. Learning how to adjust their winter hay portions has been a challenge since Harley had been a 4 on the scale after the first winter. Brody has usually been about a 5-6. This spring Brody had started gaining weight as soon as we turned them out on pasture and was closer to a 7. Harley has remained about a 5.
They are currently out on about a rocky 5 acre pasture for 12-14 hours during the day and in a dirt paddock at night with about 10lbs of timothy hay. Often a little of the hay is left over in the morning. They are ridden 2-3 d/wk, with weather permitting. This past month we have had close to 4 inches of rain coupled with very cool mornings (40s) so everything has been growing like crazy.
Brody recently stone bruised his front left hoof, following a trim, and has not been exercised for three weeks (a combination of rest and all the rain). My vet did a thorough check of his feet and did find the bruised area on his sole. He didn't seem to think Brody has laminitis,yet.
To my horror, Brody has now gained 75lbs (+) according to the weight tape. He looks like an 8-9 on the scale. He has a fat sheath and cresty neck. My vet says I absolutely need to get his weight down and I agree. He advised that I remove him from the pasture immediately and feed only hay.
I've reviewed the weight reduction steps for the obese horse which recommends exercise first. Could I try that and perhaps a grazing muzzle for several weeks, before I totally restrict grazing? Or is this a case of obesity/metabolic synDrOme that calls for immediate removal from pasture?
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Member:
juliem
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Posted on Thursday, Jun 26, 2008 - 1:53 pm:
Melissa, I would take him off the grass immediately. When you get his weight down you could try the grazing muzzle. The damage from laminitis is devastating and requires diligent management. If you can avoid this by taking him off grass, you will not have the lifelong management issue of a foundered horse. Some research shows the damage from laminitis will have already started before symptoms are apparent. Grass, especially lush cool season grass, is such a trigger for horses like yours. The cresty neck and fat sheath are signs of obesity, but in my experience, they are a red flag for impending founder. Better safe than sorry, especially since you have a dry lot and hay. Anyone who has had a horse founder will tell you--do whatever it takes to avoid it ever happening!
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Thursday, Jun 26, 2008 - 4:44 pm:
I agree with Julie, first get everything working toward weight reduction then reintroduce pasture slowly in a limited manner when his condition allows.
DrO
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Member:
scooter
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Posted on Thursday, Jun 26, 2008 - 6:20 pm:
Hi Melissa I would have to agree with taking them off completely. My horse foundered pretty bad last year.
He went on a major diet in the dry lot. When his weight became normal, he was allowed grazing with a muzzle. When he got a bit thin he was able to graze a small short pasture for a couple hours a day.
This summer he has been grazing 24/7 in a small, short pasture and so far so good. He is gaining more than I would like so dry lot may be in his future if I can't start exercising him more.
Julie is right founder is NO fun and management becomes even harder. Good Luck with your horse.
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Member:
melis1
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Posted on Friday, Jun 27, 2008 - 7:14 am:
Thanks everyone. Diane, I have been keeping up with Hank and his diet. You've done such a great job! Hopefully, Brody will be able to shed his extra weight sooner than later.
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Member:
scooter
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Posted on Friday, Jun 27, 2008 - 8:03 am:
Thanks Melissa, the fat horses are hard to manage, like you we have had nothing but rain and the grass just keeps on growing and exercise is next to impossible.
They certainly don't seem to need much feed in the summer for matenance. My horses pasture is SO short it's hard to believe they can get anything from it, they also get 5#'s of last years not so great hay a day and are getting fat with that!
Good Luck with the diet!
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Member:
melis1
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Posted on Friday, Jun 27, 2008 - 8:33 am:
I just want to make sure I'm not going to do anything harmful by drastically decreasing their intake.
Both horses are 14.3 hands. They look healthy at about 850 lbs. So I figure if I feed 1.5% of 1700 lbs that will equal about 25 lbs of hay divided between them. We currently have some moderately stemmy timothy blend.
I'll restart the multivit and extra vit E. They have loose salt and a mineral/salt block. The only thing I don't have yet is the calf manna. Does that sound about right?
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Member:
muffi
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Posted on Friday, Jun 27, 2008 - 9:03 am:
you know my "hard keeper" THW/QH turning 9 this year is no longer hard to keep. They Live in a dry lot but get all the Bermuda grass they can eat and a small handful of Grass pellets twice a day with Table salt, & a little 1/2 cup now Rice bran. BUT what they do get is walking trips - hand walks for about 30 minutes each to the field. I don;t want them to turn it in to a dirt lot as it's full of wild flowers, and it is not fenced. so they are escorted only. They love this tall yellow topped clover stuff.
I get them out to ride about 2- maybe 3 times a week but only one of those times is what I would call Hard Ride. where I push them - canter, Gallop etc. is just timing for me.
I do make them play in their pen some - I call it soccer - I have a large excercise ball that I pull out it's red - and I ask them to run around the pen for about 5 -10 minutes. like lunging but more fun for them. I do that on the days we don't ride.
BUT.. now that you know what I do. My THW/QH - 16.3 is about 1300 right now and beginning to look portly - I have been devouiring this post and have already cut back on the pellets and Rice bran about 1/2 what he was getting two weeks ago. (even started before this post)
so I'll keep you all updated on Comets diet plan too. He doesn's appear anxious at all for feeding so I think that he is doing just fine with less food - so far. lets see if he DrOps a few...Currently I would say he is 5-6. probably closer to 6. he is all muscle though. we have lots of hills and mountains here to build horses up but I see NO Ribs. and no cresty neck or butt either.
But again THANKS HA for reinforcing something that I care about and giving me hints and back up on what to do!
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Member:
scooter
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Posted on Saturday, Jun 28, 2008 - 8:14 am:
Melissa, I did the same as you and had no ill effects, accept the horses thought I was starving them. I actually had to go to 1% of what I wanted them to weigh to get them to DrOp weight 1.5% didn't work. I didn't even supplement them through the summer with a vitamin, but probably should have. I did give them alfalfa pellets for their "grain" and that is 16% protein. They were shiny and healthy with that.
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Member:
sunny66
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Posted on Saturday, Jun 28, 2008 - 10:29 am:
Hi Melissa,
I have a 15.3 hand 1170 pound horse... he gets 8 pounds of hay a day and is not losing weight. He most certainly has more "issues" than your horses - he's not in hard work - so is unable to work up a sweat... yet 
I would reduce the 25 pounds you're thinking of feeding them, not all at once, but week by week cut a couple of pounds, only if they aren't at a huge health risk of course if they are I'd ask your vet about how fast to cut their hay.
I think Dr. O said somewhere it takes about 3 weeks to determine if the diet is working. Good luck
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Member:
melis1
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Posted on Saturday, Jun 28, 2008 - 2:33 pm:
Aileen,
Wow, only 8 pounds a day? Yes, Dr. O says to check their wgt every 3-4 wks. The other issue is that only one of my two boys are fat. Harley is actually fine (my vet agrees)...so I guess I'll have to get a little creative if Brody doesn't lose and Harley does.
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