Over weight horse

[Donn Hewes]

My Suffolk mare is an easy keeper! So much so that she is probably 200? or 300? pounds over weight right now. This has resulted in her struggling to keep up on hot and humid days. Two hours of clipping with nice breaks to rest. Three other horses and mules come in sweaty but not breathing at all. Connie is soaked and breathing fast ten minutes after her harness is off. If it is 76 and breezy she is working as easy as anyone else.

I have a feeding system that I like; that has worked for everyone else. No grain, good pasture from about 6pm. to about 7 am. A flake or two of hay at mid day. This system is obviously not working for her. Any thoughts welcome.

[Andy Carson]

Is jealousy welcome? I wish my horse was as easy of a keeper… My wifes riding horse is a really easy keeper too and he stays in a sacrifice area (an small overgrazed area) from feeding time (maybe 6 PM) until 10 PM or so, when we open the gate to the good pasture. That way, he gets 4 hours less grazing time than my horse. I can’t say that he has lost any weight, but at least he hasn’t put any more on. As far as heat, I give my horse a neck and belly clip in the spring and early summer and it seems to really help. I got the idea from riding horse clips, but I designed a slightly different pattern so the hair is on everywhere the harness might rub (except the base of the neck). A hairless belly, especially, really seems to help keep her cool.

[near horse]

I’ve got one of those too, Donn!! Both my horses do well on straight grass pasture. They eat all day (on limited size area) and then back into their dry paddock overnight – maybe a flake of grasss hay to give them something to stay busy for a minute or two. One of these guys is ready for Jenny Craig diet plan – wow. He’s an eater. Wish some of the cows would eat/grow like that!! Good thing is he’s the one that tolerates the work better as well. Still, it’s pretty amazing when you have to start letting out buckles on your harness.

[Scott G]

Donn,

I’d take her off pasture, put her in the corral, and only a couple of decent-sized flakes of grass hay a day. Split it morning and night. EZ keepers can get a grass belly on them fast. Don’t know what your pasture situation is but if it dries up and slows down a bit with summer getting along a few hours a day would probably work.

The fattest horses I’ve seen are ones that are on good pasture constantly. Unfortunately, they have often foundered multiple times as well.

But as countymouse said, better than the alternative…

[Does’ Leap]

We have a very similar system to yours Donn. Our horses usually go out on what the goats had grazed that day. I was concerned about our haflinger earlier this summer because she really started to pack it on, and of course there are the other factors such as how unhappy she is when she is separated. I ended up putting her in a paddock after the horses,so she was next to everyone else, but without much to eat. I had also considered a grazing muzzle, appartently they can get a bit through that little hole, but I haven’t tried that yet.

Kristan

[Donn Hewes]

My reason for not wanting to take her off pasture is separating her from the rest of the group all night. I am not sure how well she / we would deal with that. When the rest of the group goes out they are on small paddocks up to half a mile away. These are single poly wire with tread in posts as they move every two or three days. If I separate her I will definitely hear about it – might even find animals don’t stay were they belong. I might try it.

I am not inclined toward a grazing muzzle but would be interested to hear from any one that is using it successfully.

Also, she is working regularly, (as much as I can give her) and I don’t believe she is at risk for founder, but I will ask my vet about that. He is a 72 y/o horse man. Real common sense.

[Andy Carson]

Maybe you could split her off with the second chubbiest horse (if you have another chubby one). Alternatively (or additionally) if you split her off with a dominant horse and supplement hay (in not too many places), the dominant horse would likely take more hay even things out. Just ideas…

[Donn Hewes]

Unfortunately, she IS the dominant horse. Also, don’t really have any other chubby horses either. I am assuming over weight is her problem. I will see if I can take a couple pictures of her this week. Hope to start mowing hay tomorrow.

[Mark Cowdrey]

Donn,

It’s more work but I have found that my Suffolks get what they need on 2 hrs grazing AM & PM. I needed to try that because of my limited acreage/forage & found it worked well. Got the idea from the Baileys.

Mark

[Donn Hewes]

Hi Mark, What hours exactly do you take them out and bring them in? Do you give them any hay at mid-day or over night? Any grain? How far do you take them to pasture? Thanks, Donn

[Mark Cowdrey]

Donn,
Not set hours as I must be pretty flexible around here, tho generally 7-9 Am and 6-8 PM or there abouts. Last night we finished mowing 7:30 & I am about to go out again so they had hay in a paddock both PM & AM. I grained 2# apiece before we went out for the second time yesterday, we did 2 hours AM and PM, as these horses are not hard & one is only just 5 YO. They are not on maintenance grain tho were for 2 months this spring. I do feed a couple flakes at noon & a couple when they go in the paddock for the night so that they think they are getting something. I am fortunate that my pastures radiate out from my buildings & go no more than 500 yds and usually a lot less. I go over some of my ground 4 or 5 times in a season. I have 18 acres total, about 6 in pasture.

If I can figure out the photo thing I will post some pics.

Mark

[near horse]

I thought that one would graze horses first through a pasture then ruminants (cows etc). I think that’s if your grass is starting to “head out” – horses will be eating the lower quality parts of the plant (stems and seed heads) and potentially stimulate new regrowth (none for us drylanders in the west). Unfortunately, the horses do trample the crud of the stand as well. But, I know you guys back east never let your grass get to the “heading out” stage!

[Donn Hewes]

Hi Geoff, I graze the producing animals (sheep producing milk or meat) first as they take the best to make the most production, and maintain their condition and health. Then I follow with horses to clean up some of the over growth and grass. Yes we have a lot of grass heading out in June, but we work hard to get the sheep on the pasture that were grazed and clipped in May so they will continue to produce well.

After the horses there is still a lot of grass left over and we clip. We have already clipped apx. 50 acres including acres that were never grazed or hayed but are just being rested. The young regrowth of clovers, other legumes, and broad leafs start growing as soon as the sheep move on. The horses and the clipping don’t touch these young plants and the clipping actually mulches it. In a couple weeks it is a sea of clover. it really doesn’t matter how heavy the clipping is just leave it and watch the pasture grow up through it.

[near horse]

Wow. After your horses go through don’t you have a lot of trampled down grass that no one wants to touch? We see that and are really restrictive on how much ground we open up for the horses each day or two. Must be nice to get summer moisture, just not when you’re cutting hay!

[Donn Hewes]

The horses are moving into a new break ever two or three days. Everything that gets trampled gets clipped. then the new grasses and clovers start growing up through. I will try to take some pasture pictures one of these days.

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