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Discussion on Gelding on Diet
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Posted on Thursday, Jul 19, 2001 - 5:18 pm:
My 5 year old TWH has turned out be an easy keeper, too easy. He can get fat just on air. We had about 35 consecutive days of high winds this spring making it difficult to exercise with any consistency. Of course during this time grass was in abundance and our horses were on grass 24/7. Needless to say, we weren't diligent enough watching his grass intake and he gained a little too much weight for my liking anyway. Fortunately he never did founder.
We have taken him off the grass and all grain and he has been on a low calorie diet of timothy hay (just a flake in the morning, a flake late afternoon, and another after excercise in the evening)with increased exercise for the past month and I have been extremely diligent with this as he was starting to crest, was filling in behind the shoulders and in the stifle area. I'm not sure how much weight he has lost, he looks fantastic, his back cinch has moved up at least 6" and the fat has come off his neck nicely (caught it in time I guess). He has more energy, his stamina has greatly improved as has his respiratory function and his gaiting has never been better. Some people would say he is in great shape right now, however I would still consider him moderate to fleshy. I want to be able to see those first two ribs when he moves. Another month I think will do it.
My question: He seems to have a "swelling" or "fat deposit" or something at the point just behind his left shoulder and about 6" down from his withers. It is cool, soft, does not pit, and does not seem painful when pressed. It's over an area about 6" in diameter and is only slightly raised, but this is only present on the one side.
Anyone have any idea what this could be? Could this be a remaining fat deposit or something a vet should look at?
He is probably in the same condition right now as the picture posted in my profile if you click on my name.
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Posted on Thursday, Jul 19, 2001 - 6:16 pm:
Beautiful horse.
That's quite a crash diet. I'd be leary of taking that much weight off that fast. My horse gets 2-3 times that much hay. Plus a concentrate.
I doubt that a lump that is only on one side is a fat deposit.
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Posted on Thursday, Jul 19, 2001 - 6:23 pm:
Hi Sherri, I am also concerned about my arab mare's weight. You mentioned that your horses were on pasture 24/7 and then put one on a hay diet. I'd be so interested to know how you took him off pasture. Did you lock him in a dry paddock, keep in a stall? How did he react? Could he see the other horses out in pasture grazing away. I've considered locking my mare in the dirt roundpen but think she would go nutty seeing other horses off to graze and wouldn't have the run-in shed shelter. Did you make the switch from grazing to hay gradually, confining him just a few hours at first? Thanks so much for any insight you can give to this chubby grazer dilemma. Yes, we do exercise, about an easy hour a day, but not very strenuous stuff (unfortunately due to my riding ability!)
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Posted on Thursday, Jul 19, 2001 - 6:30 pm:
I guess it depends on how hard your horse is working. And I guess it all depends on what "a flake" means to each person. In my case, as a bale of timothy on our farm is of the huge variety (size of a volkswagon) we fork the hay and I'm guessing he'd be getting 20 lbs. at least per day. Remember, I am trying to reduce his weight still, not maintain.
My fella is purely a pleasure horse and his riding time would be considered 'light duty'. I probably ride 4-5 times a week, but it's usually only for about 1 - 1/2 hours per day.
I honestly don't think he's hungry, his coat shines magnificently, he's bright and alert and doesn't seem even slightly depressed. I guess he also gets a couple of carrots every day and has free access to a salt block and mineral block.
I am concerned about this raised area though, although I'm not sure I'd call it a lump. It's more of a swelling.
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Posted on Thursday, Jul 19, 2001 - 6:43 pm:
Hi Linda,
We put him in a dirt paddock, large enough to run around in. We put my husband's mare in with him for company quite often. She was also in need of a little dieting too, but we do occassionally take her out and put her on grass for a half hour or so every day as she needs a bit more than him. He doesn't seem to mind too much. I wouldn't have hesitated though to separate them to take the weight off my gelding. I think it would be kinder to do this than to let him become obese.
We didn't really change it gradually, we simply took him off the grass and started feeding the hay. After riding I occasionally let him chomp on the grass in the yard for 10-15 minutes before returning him to the dirt paddock though.
I think you could probably just remove your horse and put her in the round pen alone without too many problems. Maybe let her have some grass for 1/2 hour or so a day with the other horses. It's better than killing them with kindness and the alternative of having a foundered horse.
It's tough work to get the weight off, but you have to be diligent and monitor your horse's behavior and attitude, but it definitely can be done.
Six weeks have made all the difference in the world to my gelding. When he gets to his optimum weight we will slowly increase his feed, maintain the exercise level and hopefully maintain the weight.
I also think that his appetite has decreased too with his higher level of fitness (same with humans). Dieting alone though might not work, you do have to ride her. Lower calories, increased excercise!
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Posted on Friday, Jul 20, 2001 - 12:13 am:
Linda ~ My mare and gelding are on pasture 24/7 in the fall and winter, but in the spring and summer I have to keep my mare in a small paddock most of the time because she will founder on the grass. She doesn't seem to really mind. She can see my gelding most of the time, and I make sure she has grass hay. Actually, I think it hurts me more than it does her 
Sherri ~ Is there any possibility that swelling could be an insect sting/bite? How long has it been there? Have you shown it to your vet? I really don't think it would be a fat deposit.
Keep us posted 
Suzy
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Posted on Friday, Jul 20, 2001 - 12:04 pm:
Hi Suzanne:
I don't think it could be an insect sting or bite because I would think you'd see some sort of hard raised centre or something wouldn't you? He has a wasp bite on his neck and it looks quite different, a lot smaller and a hard little lump. This one feels like fat. I have only noticed it in the past 2 days so the vet hasn't seen it yet. Actually we went riding last night and I think it's practically gone. Beats me all to heck! I'll just keep watching the area to see what happens but for now it's a mystery. It certainly doesn't affect his saddle fit or the way he moves.
Anyway, I have to brag just a little right now: we are the proud owners of a brand new bright and shiny new 3 horse slant load trailer all decked out with a combo change/tack room, and all the bells and whistles. We can hardly wait to get out on the road.
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Posted on Friday, Jul 20, 2001 - 11:36 pm:
First of all, let me state that I HATE people who get new trailers! Now, back to your horse...... I didn't really think it was a sting, but the possibility did occur to me. My DJ is very sensitive to insect venom. He can get very large swellings, and I can't always see a "point of entry" on them. This thing will probably go away on its own, and you'll never know what the heck it was LOL! Keep us posted.
Suzy
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Posted on Saturday, Jul 21, 2001 - 9:51 am:
Sherri,
Girl, do I ever know what you mean about easy keepers! My TWH gelding is the same; he's on a scant half scoop of 10% pellets twice a day (just enough to hide the wormer & hoof additive junk) and coastal hay in an acre sand paddock area and if for some reason I can't work him enough he plumps up overnight! And work does seem to be the key with my guy.
Tango is lovely - how do you keep him so black? Magic is on night turn out but still seems to get enough sun to bleach out on me. Frustrating since I show a little.
I had a dog years ago that had what the vet called "fatty tumors" under the skin that sound like what you describe. Guess you won't know for sure till you get it chcked out. I'll be wondering with you!
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Posted on Saturday, Jul 21, 2001 - 1:12 pm:
Sherri,
Have you considered whether this swelling might have been something like a hematoma (sp?). You know, a place where he got bruised somehow (usually by a kick from another horse, or running into something) that developes a swelling that fills with blood and then usually reduces over time? I have an arabian gelding, and he had a hematoma in a similar placing as your guy....the vet came out and tried to drain it for us (I understand that can help sometimes) but there wasn't enough fluid in there to get any out. And it just went away over a week or two. He wasn't sore on it, even though he proably got it from another horse kicking him.
Just a thought....
Daisy
PS> Your guy is BEAUTIFUL!
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Posted on Sunday, Jul 22, 2001 - 12:01 pm:
The fact that the problem is assyetrical suggests something besides fat, but perhaps with the rapid loss it will take some time for the fat to balance? Some of the characteristics of different type swellings are covered in Equine Diseases: Skin Diseases: Diagnosing and Assessing Swellings in Horses. If you are still worried I would have the vet take a look.
DrO
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Posted on Monday, Jul 23, 2001 - 11:34 am:
Good morning all! Well, just as a lot of you suggested, the peculiar swelling is gone. I guess it could have been any of the above very reasonable explanations.
Daisy, that's actually what my husband thinks it was (a hematoma from a kick from Jazz), but it's gone anyway so on to the next problem. Acutally for the moment we are problem free (knock on wood.....where is my husband when I need him? )
Dr. O, that's actually what I thought it was, and maybe because of the rapid weight loss.
Sharon, I hear ya when you say your TWH seems to get chubby overnight if you didn't ride the day before. I really try not to go more than 2 days without riding. It's been raining here now for 2 days...hope it quits today...he's probably gaining weight as we speak! LOL! But the diet is sure working! I will never overfeed again! Oh, by the way Sharon, I really don't know why I'm so lucky keeping him so black, especially seeing as how we've had some intense heat this year, other than the fact that I think he is a very smart horse, as he will use the run-in shed with just his head peaking out in extreme heat and in foul weather, whereas my husband's QH doesn't seem to use it at all. I find him in the shade of the trees a lot too when the mare is standing in the sun. We also feed a little ground flax which is supposed to be good for their coats, I don't know, just lucky I guess.
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Posted on Thursday, Aug 23, 2001 - 5:26 pm:
I have two miniatures as companions for my husband's big gelding. We have beautiful pasture and the horses love to be out but my two little muffins are SOOOO fat. I feed them next to NOTHING and frequently put them in the front paddock where grass is much more sparse but still they remain fat. I feel terrible about leaving them in the barn all the time - it seems unfair. Also, when the gelding is out by himself, he makes a terrible fuss and demands that his harem be put out too. Any suggestions?
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Posted on Thursday, Aug 23, 2001 - 6:02 pm:
How about trying those grazing muzzles?
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