Laminitic pony and free choice hay?

I let my horses in the pasture early, before the grass started to grow, so pony won't have problems with eating too much - laminitis. They have almost nothing in their pasture now. My mare is more... hm... athletic-thin and she needs a lot of hay. But pony gets only small quantity of hay, because I'm afraid laminitis will get back. What should I do? I can't get the pasture in two parts, because it's small even now. They get meals three times a day (in the stable) but in between they are out.
(And pony is very greedy, doesn't know how to stop eating, so I'm terrified laminitis will come back if I give them free choice hay...)

Get a grazing muzzle for the pony. Leave it on most of the time. You might be able to take it off for short periods when you are there and then put it back on. Fat pony will probably be able to get just enough grass and hay to get along ok but not enough to self destruct with her teeth.

I'm a fan of that idea ^^ Also, if you give free choice hay, you can cut back on the amount of food you give him- with him in the stall, you can be guarenteed he won't get any of the other horse's feed, and it will help her stay at a good weight if you give her the amount you are now, plus the hay. This is how I get my horses to a nice weight.

I like the grazing muzzle idea.

Thanks everybody :) I'm going to order grazing muzzle from internet, because I never saw something like that in our shops...

So I'm terrified laminitis will come back if I give them free choice hay...)

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All depends on the quality of the hay not the amount of the hay


Hard to get fat eating lettuce, but easy to get fat eating chockolate.

^^agreed :)

I do not disagree with this in general but in this case this pony needs to seriously lose some weight, now.

It's impossible solution :P If I give them low quality free choice hay then my mare won't gain on weight. If I give them high quality hay, then pony could get laminitis. I think a grazing muzzle it's quite good idea.
You think he is fat?
I don't think he is fat... His ribs are easily felt. Should I post some pictures from this year?

Oops, wrong thread, thinking of the thread with the really fat pony. Sorry.