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traceyjoanne
Silver Member
England
496 Posts |
 Posted - 10 May 2006 : 10:56:19 AM
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hi
my arab mare is rather overweight and dont really know what to do to get the weight off her
she is rideable but i have no saddle for her
she lunges for ever without breaking into a sweat
i lunge her over a jump every so often which she loves and this gets her warm
i have ridden her bareback just walking with the odd trot but my balance is not so good bareback
i need a good exercise programme to help her weight problem and also is she best left out 24/7 or not
up until now she has been out a couple times a week but has now been out for 2 full days and nights
obviously i dont want her getting lami but am worried about what to do and how often i should exercise her and doing what
any advice will be appreciated
tracey
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geegee
Platinum Member
England
3682 Posts |
Posted - 10 May 2006 : 11:54:29 AM
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Hi Tracey,
Is there a reason why your mare has (up until now) only been going out a couple of times a week?
I would say that keeping her in is not good for her weight as she cannot exert any energy. It is the same for us, if you work in an office all day, sitting on a chair, you are more likely to pile on the pounds.
If you are concerned about the amount of grass that she is eating, then strip grazing with electric fencing, is very effective. You are able to limit the grass intake.
I am not a fan of lunging as I have seen too much damage done to horses that only get lunged. It puts tremendous pressure on their hocks. (just my opinion).
I would take her out for a good half hour walk at least 4/5 times a week and if poss, get on for a little trot. I havn't tried it, as I have a saddle, but you could get one of the anti roll surcingles? and put that over a numnah and then you have the ring to hold onto, if you lose your balance?
There are some good second hand saddles on ebay?
Anyway, good luck!
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traceyjoanne
Silver Member
England
496 Posts |
Posted - 10 May 2006 : 12:03:41 PM
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hi
thanks for that it is not the buying of a saddle thats the problem it is the fitting of one she has no wither very flat backed and has a roll of fat that is right where the saddle flaps go which causes the saddle to go right up her neck
this is one of the reasons why i need an exercise programme to lose the flab haha
tracey |
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zara
Gold Member
United Kingdom
1066 Posts |
Posted - 10 May 2006 : 12:21:42 PM
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Hiya. This is really funny. What you need is a liposuction machine. attach to mare.......transfer to gelding!
Sorry, just couldnt resist.
You have the same problem as me, after pouring quantities of feed into my mares in the very cold late winter I now have to diet them as grass is growing with alarming speed.
I turn the mares out at night anfd bring in in the morning. they have 8 -10 hours inside daily.
They get a bit of chaff and feed balancer when they are brought in and a haynet. they only eat about half the net and at least that gets some fibre into them and stops them guzzling spring grass 24/7
Hope this helps.
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"to his virtues ever kind, and to his faults a little blind". |
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sazzlepants71
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
3536 Posts |
Posted - 10 May 2006 : 12:22:08 PM
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hiya tracey , can you ride one, and lead her ?
the yard were i am the chap plays polo and can be seen regulary going round the field exercising 2 horses!
rather exciting i should think though !!!
just a thought...other than that maybe a treeless saddle would be another option for your mare,?? at least they are a good investment i feel its something i want to purchase for my horse...its difficult with
a : hard horse to fit & b: limited funds...
good doers can be a bit of a nightmare! |
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zara
Gold Member
United Kingdom
1066 Posts |
Posted - 10 May 2006 : 12:24:30 PM
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| or you could buy a synthetic for the time being , they are very cheap and easily saleable when you need a different one in my experience. |
"to his virtues ever kind, and to his faults a little blind". |
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AkramGold
Gold Member
England
843 Posts |
Posted - 10 May 2006 : 12:43:35 PM
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| I have the same problem with my gelding I turned him out 24/7 for a week and he got so fat he is back in a night now and losing the weight. Even on a patch he gets fat outside 24/7. I know someone thats selling an extra wide cob synthetic thoroughgood saddle thats been on an arab with no withers if its any help its the one with the fourth girth strap to stop the saddle slipping forward. |
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traceyjoanne
Silver Member
England
496 Posts |
Posted - 10 May 2006 : 12:46:58 PM
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i would love to suction it off leisha and put it on dante haha had thought of it
the saddle i am thinking of is the cob thorogood(spelling) with fsh says its for flat backed no wither
would love to have the confidence to lead one whilst riding one
i am just worried about lami never had a horse that has had it so would not really no the signs apart from the stance taking the weight off the front legs
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Sasha Melia
Gold Member
England
1333 Posts |
Posted - 10 May 2006 : 12:48:02 PM
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| As well as in-hand exercise, I would also try putting her out in a starvation paddock as much as possible. She will have to move about in it a lot more than she would standing in a stable. You could section off a bit of her current field with electric fencing if you don't have anything suitable already. I have two fatties that live on fresh air and this is what I have to do! She will prob look at you everyday like she is withering away with lack of food to make you feel sorry for her, but she will be fine! You can make sure she is getting her vits and minerals by feeding a handful of something like Equivite Pasture Plus - they are large pellets desgned to be fed from the hand that contain concentrated vits for horses that are not on a proper daily hard feed. |
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traceyjoanne
Silver Member
England
496 Posts |
Posted - 10 May 2006 : 12:48:42 PM
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forgot to say she gets no real hard feed to speak off just a handful of happy hoof and a handful of slim and healthy!!! when she is in and that is all she has had through the winter too
plus haylage |
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traceyjoanne
Silver Member
England
496 Posts |
Posted - 10 May 2006 : 12:52:52 PM
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| what about one of those grazing muzzles has anyone tried them? |
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Amym
Bronze Member
England
123 Posts |
Posted - 10 May 2006 : 1:40:59 PM
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Hi,
The pony who is turned out with my boy has a grazing muzzle on as after a few days out on spring grass he got HUGE!!! Have to say in my opinion its not ideal. He clearly hates it and they had to swap from a webbing one to plastic as the webbing made his nose sore. The plastic one looks like a hannibal lecter mask. Poor boy is so happy to get it off. I would agree that strip grazing is a better move and plenty of in hand walk and trot if you can't ride.
Good luck! |
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kizzy
Bronze Member
Scotland
228 Posts |
Posted - 10 May 2006 : 1:46:36 PM
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i used a grazing muzzle on two of my horses, one hated it, and stood rubbing her head on her leg, and wouldnt eat a thing with it on, so obviously it had to come off. the other didnt even seem to notice it, and did lose some weight, but it didnt make a significant difference.
there is an overweight horse at my yard, prone to laminitis, the owner put him in the sand school, as oppose to box, as then he can move, its a soft surface, and he only has access to hay in one of those bag with really small holes. he does get out on grass for a couple of hours a day, but it is only a small area. maybe you could try something like this?
also the exercising two at a time as someone else mentioned is a good idea, we used to do that all the time when i worked on a hunt yard. |
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AkramGold
Gold Member
England
843 Posts |
Posted - 10 May 2006 : 1:51:44 PM
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| With lami arabs normally get a real cresty neck it will look raised kind on in a big half moon. My boy gets so fat and never suffers from it I get more worried about his legs. Theres a supplement thing called Lacota Salts made by triple crown its really good for fat horses and laminitus as it gets the gut working. Its quite cheap about 12.00 for two months worth. |
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traceyjoanne
Silver Member
England
496 Posts |
Posted - 10 May 2006 : 1:53:24 PM
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so opinion is no to grazing muzzle
so it seems possibly leave her out then at least she wont gorge herself each time she stays in and then goes out again and do lots of walking and trotting bareback or in hand at least five times a week!!!!!!! and try and get her in field with hardly any grass, which is hard as we each have our own fields |
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Vera
Membership Moderator
United Kingdom
8652 Posts |
Posted - 10 May 2006 : 2:28:05 PM
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I find it easier to get weight off mine by keeping them out. I keep them on an almost starvation paddock. At this time of year I let them have a few hours of grass and then back into the starvation paddock. In the evening I give them some hay which has been soaked for 6-8 hours to give them some fibre as grass is still mostly water at the moment. I borrow a friends mare's to come and eat the fields down to get rid of most of the grass before I dare let mine on it. They get a very small feed once a day too. Once it gets hot I will bring them in for a few hours during the day as I have no shade in my fields.
There is nothing like exercise to get them in shape though. I have spent many hours walking out with Dennis as well as lunge and ridden work 4-5 times a week.
Vera and Dennis
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Hampshire |
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arabic
Platinum Member
England
4562 Posts |
Posted - 10 May 2006 : 2:49:48 PM
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Well Traceyjoanne having read all the posts I can relate to most. My lad is such a good doer and I do the out 24/7 on starvation paddock. Its taken me 5 years to harden to the look of "awwww mum Im soooo hungry" and NOT give in!! I havent tried a grazing muzzle, I just dont think my lad would take to it, but its personal preference. If I bring him in - the grass in his paddock is growing whilst he happily fills his belly with hay (a dab hand at getting large amounts through small holes!!!)only to go back out and gorge again. I make sure that once a day he has a good old munch on a slab of hay and top his paddock up with hay as the grass. diminishes. I'm planning on cutting back the hay this year and strip grazing if I can ignore the forlorn stare at the elecric fence as he waits patiently for it to be moved.
Good luck with the slimming product
Sandie and Freddie
Akram Gold, I am going to look into the Lacota Salts. Sounds quite good! |
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AkramGold
Gold Member
England
843 Posts |
Posted - 10 May 2006 : 3:50:52 PM
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| Its good stuff my boy always has a good tummy even when the others have cow pats!!! I know Sazzlepants uses it with her boys tooo. |
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traceyjoanne
Silver Member
England
496 Posts |
Posted - 10 May 2006 : 8:09:06 PM
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where do you get the lacota salts from never heard of it
can you give it even if they dont have lami and what type of defference will it make
tracey |
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AkramGold
Gold Member
England
843 Posts |
Posted - 11 May 2006 : 09:37:16 AM
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This is what Triple Crown say about them. You can get them through most feeds shops but you may have to order.
Triple Crown Lakota Salts (3kg, 12kg)
Naturally hydrated digestive salts containing sodium sulphate decahydrate (SDD) to help maintain optimum pH of the gut - ideal for horses and ponies prone to laminitis or colic. The original Glauber Salts! |
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zara
Gold Member
United Kingdom
1066 Posts |
Posted - 11 May 2006 : 10:02:57 AM
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| Can you buy Glauber salts from the chemist? |
"to his virtues ever kind, and to his faults a little blind". |
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zara
Gold Member
United Kingdom
1066 Posts |
Posted - 11 May 2006 : 10:06:25 AM
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| Glauber salts = diuretic and mild purgative ( cathartic [sp?]) |
"to his virtues ever kind, and to his faults a little blind". |
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traceyjoanne
Silver Member
England
496 Posts |
Posted - 11 May 2006 : 11:33:20 AM
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Do i keep her out then and bring her in 5 times a week for exercise?
no hard feed and lots of walking till i get some kind of saddle as not good at bareback |
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traceyjoanne
Silver Member
England
496 Posts |
Posted - 12 May 2006 : 9:05:36 PM
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hi all bit more advice needed
i have decided to bring her in until i can manage to get a section of field taped off for strip grazing
so while she is in bearing in mind she is overweight am i better bedding her on straw or shavings and feed hay or haylage
she is normally on straw and fed haylage
am a bit worried about lami and have read up on it this evening as i am not sure if she is showing early signs or not so when i go tomoz depending on what i feel and how she is will get the vet out if only just to reassure me one way or the other
any advice would be greatly appreciated
thanks |
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Zan
Platinum Member
Scotland
3213 Posts |
Posted - 12 May 2006 : 10:20:02 PM
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| Definitely hay not haylage, and preferably shavings not straw especially if she is inclined to eat the bed. What signs are making you think she might have laminitis? Is it the way she's standing? Even if she doesn't have laminitis,if she were mine and really overweight I think I would be inclined to keep her in most of the time anyway at this time of the year because lush grass could be lethal for her. |
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linda
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
1772 Posts |
Posted - 13 May 2006 : 02:43:23 AM
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Hi Tracey,
Leisha has not changed then
I agree with ZAN, keep her on hay and shavings (not too much hay though),
The grass is so rich at the moment and growing like mad!
You must exercise her, do you have an arena where you can loose lunge her?
love
Linda x |
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