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Post by Wendy on Dec 24, 2016 3:40:12 GMT
Picked up another mini horse today. This makes two, a mare and a gelding. I also have a pony. The gelding I got today is pretty fat. Anything I can do to get some weight off. Grass hay is all they're getting right now.
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Post by aoconnor on Dec 24, 2016 5:01:44 GMT
Just limit his overall intake over time. Maybe get him moving daily for 15-20 minutes if possible to work some of it off!
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Post by horseyrider on Dec 24, 2016 12:06:47 GMT
I agree with aoconnor. A word of caution here, though. If they lose weight too quickly, ponies and minis can get something called hyperlipemia. It's where fat actually goes in to the blood. The first sign this is happening is usually inappetence. If you suspect this, it's one of those Call Your Vet Now moments. Most feed stores and farm supply stores carry a tape measure thing where you can "weigh" your horse. You wrap it around the girth, and it works by measuring the fat pads that go over the ribs, so you can estimate weight loss or gain. If you can't find one, a tape measure will do. Keep records, and keep the loss on a steady but slow decline. If your mini is sad about not getting enough, you can add a bit of coarser hay that was too mature at cutting. As hay plants mature, the fiber changes from mostly cellulose and hemi-cellulose to lignin. Although cattle, with their four stomachs, can digest lignin, horses cannot; they send it on through. You'll see seed heads of the grass plant are plentiful in the bale; but of course you don't want to see any weeds or mold. Many minis turn in to obnoxious pasture divas because they don't have a job that requires discipline and exercise. Teaching a mini to pull a little cart or drag is a great asset to both horse and human. If he's an older gelding, just take it slow.
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Post by Maura on Dec 24, 2016 16:03:23 GMT
Got a cart? Train him to drive. That would be fun for the family, and the mental stimulation of training and getting out of the pasture is always a good thing.
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Post by Wendy on Dec 24, 2016 23:29:41 GMT
Would love to teach him to pull. He's like a puppy and loves people. He has plenty of room to run.
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Post by katievt on Dec 26, 2016 19:17:48 GMT
Picked up another mini horse today. This makes two, a mare and a gelding. I also have a pony. The gelding I got today is pretty fat. Anything I can do to get some weight off. Grass hay is all they're getting right now. The joke around our place is that minis get fat just LOOKING at feed!
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Post by aoconnor on Dec 27, 2016 3:16:03 GMT
Picked up another mini horse today. This makes two, a mare and a gelding. I also have a pony. The gelding I got today is pretty fat. Anything I can do to get some weight off. Grass hay is all they're getting right now. The joke around our place is that minis get fat just LOOKING at feed!
Air ferns:-) That's what we call our minis!
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Post by here to stay on Dec 28, 2016 13:39:28 GMT
The joke around our place is that minis get fat just LOOKING at feed!
Air ferns:-) That's what we call our minis! Ours was that they got fat if you walked by them with a grain bucket. Only ponies, not mini's.
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coppice
Full Member
Old fat and in the way
Posts: 132
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Post by coppice on Dec 29, 2016 22:48:00 GMT
Run the chubby one around in the ring. Give a local 4Her something to train.
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