Extremely Obese Mini

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Performancemini

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We got back an 8 year old gelding today that we sold four years ago. A very loving, but rather 'horse ignorant' home. They have been 'killing him with kindness'- he is so extremely obese! At four he was pretty slender and now he looks like an obese draft horse. His crest is not terribly thick; but he is so fat all over. His sheath is so fat that from the rear you would almost think he was a stallion
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(he's not-we had him gelded at a year). His chest is so fat and wide now he looks almost like a crab when he trots (I think it's a trot ). He is just not healthy and I am concerned about getting him back to health the proper way. We have grass hay with clover in it (no broodmares here-I heard that is not good for them?). Anyway-what would some of you consider the best way to help him back to health ?
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(He doesn't drive or longe). He's about 30 inches tall. His little legs and hooves are still pretty refined like when he left here-not sure how they hold that giant 'beer keg' up, poor baby!
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Time, diet, and exercise.

That's how I'm personally losing weight...
 
Lots of time, do the diet slowly. Limit his feed to 1.5% of his current body weight, might have to work him down to that level, perhaps start at 2% of his current weight, so he doesn't feel starved and it doesn't come off too quickly.

Here are some rather old pics of my mare Misty from right before I got her and about a month after she was here. When I got her home I put her on limited grass hay and a ration balancer.

I think this pic was taken the week before I brought her home (I'm taking the pictures, so not in them):

Misty 3.jpg

And, this was taken about a month after I had her home on the mentioned diet:

Misty - june 3 2005 - full side.jpg

She is a 38" mare.
 
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Chandab: Your mare (first pic) looks great compared to my little man. When I said 'Extremely' I wasn't kidding! Disneyhorse: Whoa! Hope I do lots better with his diet, exercise and time than I do with myself LOL!!!
 
I would suggest a slow feeder net of some sort and weighing his feed so he gets, as Chanda suggested, 1.5% - 2% of his ideal body weight (as well as you can estimate it) and a ration balancer rather than any grains. You will be surprised I think at how quickly he starts to improve just by not being overfed every day.
 
I would suggest a slow feeder net of some sort and weighing his feed so he gets, as Chanda suggested, 1.5% - 2% of his ideal body weight (as well as you can estimate it) and a ration balancer rather than any grains. You will be surprised I think at how quickly he starts to improve just by not being overfed every day.
I suggested feeding based on his current weight as a place to start, so as to not cause too quick of weight loss and run the risk of Hyperlipedemia (sp?). Should have clarified; then, after weight loss had begun, to work towards feeding amounts based on ideal weight.
 
The joys of chunky ponies. Mine was in similar condition. His skin literally has wrinkles because he lost so much!

My advice - dont rush. It took him how long to get that fat? Wont come off in 6 mos completely. Teach him to lunge, and use it. Thatdid wonders for my guy. Then, I found him a friend. Those 2 running in the pasture helped a lot, as did "fence flirting" with the draft horses across the fence LOL

Patience, time, and the good ol "feed him less junk and more "healthy" stuff" diet!
 
muzzle for turn out, dry lot when not muzzled. I give fine grass hay, a little enrich 32 supplement and I give remission for my pork chop. Comes off lots slower than it went on. Take care and best wishes.

ps you might want to test for cushings. Pergolide helps.
 
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I suggested feeding based on his current weight as a place to start, so as to not cause too quick of weight loss and run the risk of Hyperlipedemia (sp?). Should have clarified; then, after weight loss had begun, to work towards feeding amounts based on ideal weight.
My apologies Chanda for the miss quote, and yes, you are right, if he is terribly obese caution is a good idea.
 
When I got the horse shown on my avatar, he was so obese that he looked like a broodmare ready to foal. He had been turned out to pasture and made the most of it! The ideas that have been suggested are all good. What worked for my guy? Grass hay, limited to 1.5% of body weight which was weighed to make sure, 22 hours a day dry lot turn out with a small herd, walking with me 2-3 days a week but the biggest help was a weanling that was weaned and then adopted this gelding as his "uncle"! That weanling played and pestered him so he was a busy uncle. Best of luck!
 
I have a 30 inch 2 year old I am fighting the weight battle with. How much would his ideal weight be in a guesstamit? He is walked with me as much as I can, dry lot but then he eats anything that doesn't move including manure thus a muzzle, grass hay in nets at 2% and Safechoice at .25 per 100#, he is about 220 and looks fat. He has a knack for getting into other horses hay being an expert escape artist and his mouth never stops. You would think he is starving, literally, all the time.
 
I highly recommend using a magnesium/chromium supplement, I really like Remission, but Quissence is also one, and I think Smartpak has their own version. I've dealt with a few obese Minis/ponies and the Remission along with diet changes help a lot with weight loss. You should monitor his weight weekly and make sure he's not losing too much too fast. Other suggestions here are also great, slow feeder, grazing muzzle or limited time grazing, a ration balancer (I use Triple Crown 30% Supplement).
 
I have a 30 inch 2 year old I am fighting the weight battle with. How much would his ideal weight be in a guesstamit? He is walked with me as much as I can, dry lot but then he eats anything that doesn't move including manure thus a muzzle, grass hay in nets at 2% and Safechoice at .25 per 100#, he is about 220 and looks fat. He has a knack for getting into other horses hay being an expert escape artist and his mouth never stops. You would think he is starving, literally, all the time.
Here's a picture of my 31" stallion (excuse the fresh clip job tracks, he hates the clippers, so we just go for done rather than pretty).

Che` - May 19, 2012 - haircut.jpg

I have a scale and have weighed him on several occassions, at good weight he seems to hover around 175#, about what he weighs in the picture (he's been as low as 150#, too skinny then; he was having teeth problems, so trouble with eating, we got that resolved and he gained back to his normal 175#).

Build will play a role in what your little guy should weigh; heavier built horses are going to weigh more. My little stallion if pretty light built.
 
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When our stallion suffered an eye injury recently, he was imprisoned for a few weeks at what is apparently a fairly reputable vet hospital here in NW WA state (Pilchuck.) I knew he was pudgy, but the hospital staff confirmed the fact (my only consolation is that, after comparing photos I took a year and a half ago to current photos, he came to us overweight.) In the past year or so, we've had two mini horses (and since May, a baby, for a total of three) on about 3.5 acres of grass, clover, weed mix; divided into 5 sections through which we rotate them.

I'm not sure how tall Nicky is; there is a photo below with me and I'm 5 ft. 5 in. Nicky weighed 297 lbs. and was assessed with a body condition score of 7 of 9. I was not familiar wth the body score used, but believe it is the Henneke; this link explains: http://umaine.edu/publications/1010e/

Nicky's diet goal is 250 lbs with a body score of 5 of 9. The vet hospital recommended that we feed him 4 lbs of good quality grass hay per day and a supplement (they recommended Horse Guard) until he reaches a body score of 6 of 9. Then he is to be fed 3.75 lbs grass hay until he reaches his weight goal and body score of 5 of 9. Then he may eat 3.75 lb to 5 lb of grass hay maintenance based on how he's doing. Also, the hay ration is to be adjusted based on how much pasture he eats. [i haven't quit figured out how to do that....]

Also he is to increase his exercise slowly so as not to stress him. The vet hospital was giving him walks twice a day for 5 to 10 minutes, I think. I've been taking him out 3 times per day for half hour walks during which he is allowed to graze a bit. He knows how to lunge better than I do, so I try to take him out every evening for 5 to 15 min trotting in circles. (Sometimes that works out; sometimes it is cut short if he freaks out. ....I have a trainer now who is helping me get better with that sort of thing. .... a scared half-blind horse can be pretty scary when he acts up.)

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AngC: Your set up sounds much like ours with acreage and the 5 pasture/paddocks (as I call them). The first is the mixture of sparse grass with some clover and weeds. The second is mainly just weeds and dirt (none of the horses will touch these weeds-forget what the lawncare guy called them, and they weren't a toxic to horses one)-the grass that is there is a tiny patch at the rear that is basically none existent now, since two other horses had ate it off-that's were I put Pepper (the poor obese fellow), our 3-4 pasture is usually the 3-way combo and the 5th is pretty lush grass, which we save for late fall and they are weaned onto it gradually (Pepper will never see it this year). I did have him checked-no signs of founder past or present and his hooves and soles are very healthy-Hurray! No cushings. My feed store suggested I find a fish scale so I could weigh his hay (I'm going to search Craigslist) and he has Purina's Nature's Essentials 12% supplement. They also gave me the same advice about feeding the 2% to 1.5% body weight as most all of you have. And the slow increase of exercise. I notice he does very little past a walk. His trot seems labored-of course, with that big body on those small legs and hooves! I showed the farrier a picture of him 4 1/2 years ago (he's 8 now) before he even stepped into the barn. He stopped dead end the doorway and his jaw dropped! He couldn't believe it was the same horse! But he was very encouraging too! I want to work at being able to get pics up on here for all of you to see!
 
SLOWLY add a little cinnamon to his feed until you are up to about a teaspoon a day. Worked wonders with a mare I had that was so obese when she came- I thought she would drop over dead every day in the summer heat. I would slowly increase excercise with your guy

AngC- what a beautiful Appy!!! I am in love!
 
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Well, the farrier came out and trimmed him the day after. His hooves weren't real grown out; mostly out of proper shape. I was concerned because the left front was short on the inside and longer on the outside and toe and he seemed to be twisting that foot and leg when he moved. Farrier said no signs of founder and the soles and walls were in good shape. But today I went out to give him his first 5 minute hand walking and noticed he seemed to be gimpy on the left front. It became more pronounced on the concrete where he slowed down. I groomed him and took him to the lawn to try walking. Once he got started he walked out fairly briskly, but when we made a wide turn he seemed hesitant and then he seemed like he almost went down on that left front for a second. Did it again when going down a gradual slope into his paddock too. He kind of buckles. Reminds me of my husband, who's knees give out on him sometimes. He doesn't seem ouchy when I press his shoulder and parts of his leg and joints. I tapped around the bottom of his hoof and nothing. I suppose I need to have the Vet out to check. I don't recall him doing this the day we brought him home or the next after the Farrier was here. I guess this is our year to loose our shirts to the Vet-he's already been out here 4-5 times including spring vaccinations.
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They say nothing in life is truly free-I hope this little guy isn't going to stretch that point.
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Well, the farrier came out and trimmed him the day after. His hooves weren't real grown out; mostly out of proper shape. I was concerned because the left front was short on the inside and longer on the outside and toe and he seemed to be twisting that foot and leg when he moved. Farrier said no signs of founder and the soles and walls were in good shape. But today I went out to give him his first 5 minute hand walking and noticed he seemed to be gimpy on the left front. It became more pronounced on the concrete where he slowed down. I groomed him and took him to the lawn to try walking. Once he got started he walked out fairly briskly, but when we made a wide turn he seemed hesitant and then he seemed like he almost went down on that left front for a second. Did it again when going down a gradual slope into his paddock too. He kind of buckles. Reminds me of my husband, who's knees give out on him sometimes. He doesn't seem ouchy when I press his shoulder and parts of his leg and joints. I tapped around the bottom of his hoof and nothing. I suppose I need to have the Vet out to check. I don't recall him doing this the day we brought him home or the next after the Farrier was here. I guess this is our year to loose our shirts to the Vet-he's already been out here 4-5 times including spring vaccinations.
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They say nothing in life is truly free-I hope this little guy isn't going to stretch that point.
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The odd stride could very well be due to the new trim, even if not an extreme trim, if his hooves were out of balance, so was the rest of the leg, so it'll take time for everything to normalize. The tendon, ligaments and muscles need time to adjust to the new balanced trim.
 

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