What to feed a very FAT mare?

[shelly]

I had my mare Lacey tested for IR and she has a normal Insulin count so?????? HELP!!! How do I get all this FAT off her? She is only getting 1/4 cup grain with cinnamon twice a day plus 1/4 small flake of hay...is this still too much? The grain is Horse Kwik by Nutrena. Should I feed her oats or something like that instead of a grain? I am going to start her on an exercise program also with longeing in the round pen.(easy and light to start off!)

 

[Jill]

You might switch her to a low calorie / "lite" feed (if the current grain isn't such -- I'm not familiar with it).

What type of hay are you feeding? Some types are richer in calories than others.

I have two REAL easy keepers here, too. They get fat just looking at food...

 

[Katiean]

I have a mare that had a cresty neck but really wasn't fast. I added cinnamon into her diet and it helped. I was feeding just a plain grass hay and all but my big ol' fatty colt were actually getting thin and they were never satisfied. I switched back to the Alfafa/grass mix and we will see. But, I only feed 1/4 flake of hay per feeding 2x's a day along with their grain mix.

 

[Reijel's Mom]

I had my mare Lacey tested for IR and she has a normal Insulin count so?????? HELP!!! How do I get all this FAT off her? She is only getting 1/4 cup grain with cinnamon twice a day plus 1/4 small flake of hay...is this still too much? The grain is Horse Kwik by Nutrena. Should I feed her oats or something like that instead of a grain? I am going to start her on an exercise program also with longeing in the round pen.(easy and light to start off!)

I hope that's not too much, poor girl!

 

[Becky]

I would look at Nutrena's EquiBlend Premix if it were me. It's a vitamin/mineral supplement. What you are feeding is a complete feed, but likely high in calories. I would feed no grain including oats. Oats will put weight on a horse! Feed a vitamin/mineral supplement (such as the EquiBlend Premix if you stay with Nutrena products) and a low NSC grass hay.

I have a group of overweight horses here on that type of diet. Dry lot only and a protein/vitamin/mineral supplement plus grass hay. Weight is slowly coming off. Good luck!

 

[shelly]

I would look at Nutrena's EquiBlend Premix if it were me. It's a vitamin/mineral supplement. What you are feeding is a complete feed, but likely high in calories. I would feed no grain including oats. Oats will put weight on a horse! Feed a vitamin/mineral supplement (such as the EquiBlend Premix if you stay with Nutrena products) and a low NSC grass hay.
I have a group of overweight horses here on that type of diet. Dry lot only and a protein/vitamin/mineral supplement plus grass hay. Weight is slowly coming off. Good luck!

Thanks for that Nutrena info...I will try it! She is on our local grass hay, but how much do you feed of it?

 

[barnbum]

I believe it's 2% of body weight should be fed in forage a day. Also, I've read the amount you should feed is the % of the weight you'd like them at, rather than the weight they are--if overweight.

I don't go by flakes, I weigh my hay.

 

[shelly]

I believe it's 2% of body weight should be fed in forage a day. Also, I've read the amount you should feed is the % of the weight you'd like them at, rather than the weight they are--if overweight.
I don't go by flakes, I weigh my hay.

I don't have a scale that would weigh hay as I use a weight watchers bowl scale to weigh their grain...but I don't think she is getting more than 3-4 lbs. of hay a day. Her grain weighs 3 oz. and she gets that twice a day.

 

[Matt73]

Cut out the grain altogether and just feed a nice grass hay.

 

[shelly]

Cut out the grain altogether and just feed a nice grass hay.

Thanks...did Lexus foal yet?

 

[Matt73]

Cut out the grain altogether and just feed a nice grass hay.

Thanks...did Lexus foal yet?

Nope. Day 362... :arg!

 

[Carolyn R]

Cut out the grain altogether and just feed a nice grass hay.

Thanks...did Lexus foal yet?

Nope. Day 362... :arg!

One of these mornings I am going to log on and do a happy dance for you Matt, in the meantime, we are all stuck waiting for Lexus to decide what day that will be, LOL.

 

[uwharrie]

I had two horses that were obese when I bought them last year. We put them on Purina Wellsolve with just a tiny bit of hay.

(grass hay is usually loaded with sugar)

both are now on Strategy and a tiny bit of hay to maintain

here is the link showing the difference

http://www.miniaturehorsetalk.com/index.ph...=108316&hl=

 

[wildoak]

I have an obese little 29.75" mare, has been that way since I bought her years ago no matter what or whether she is being fed. She has been out on grass / no additional feed - and developed a large area of what looked like edema on her belly not long ago, so I brought her up and put her on the starvation (she thinks) diet. It's slow but I am beginning to see a horse under all the weight. She gets a handful of Safe Choice & beet pulp in the morning only, and a little coastal hay twice a day. She is dry lotted with another heavy mare and has two yr olds turned out with her at night which gives her a reason to move around some. It's just been 2 weeks, but the edema is gone and I'm beginning to see a hint of weight loss elsewhere. I have not had her vet checked, but I don't think she fits the profile of an IR horse - no big cresty neck, no tendency to founder.. I would like to add something for nutrition/vitamins - may start her on Platinum Performance.

Jan

 

[Matt73]

One of these mornings I am going to log on and do a happy dance for you Matt, in the meantime, we are all stuck waiting for Lexus to decide what day that will be, LOL.

 

[shelly]

I had two horses that were obese when I bought them last year. We put them on Purina Wellsolve with just a tiny bit of hay.(grass hay is usually loaded with sugar)

both are now on Strategy and a tiny bit of hay to maintain

here is the link showing the difference

http://www.miniaturehorsetalk.com/index.ph...=108316&hl=

:shocked

WOW!!!!!!!!!! What a big difference!!! Congrats...what kind of hay do you feed them?