Polar Bear is new, and he's technically not a mini, as he is 10 hands high. I measured him today with our height and weight tape. However, the weight tape said he weighs 150 lbs. There is just no way this is accurate! He has an ENORMOUS hay belly (we just got him). I am giving him .2 lbs of ration balancer with probiotics to get him proper nutrients since he has some coat/hoof/gut issues (farrier is coming) and he is on 2 lbs of hay in his stall at night and a grazing muzzle during the day. He has not figured out how to eat in the muzzle, but he can drink. To be honest, he doesn't seem to be all that hungry. When I put on the muzzle and he goes in the pasture, he doesn't eat at all. He just stands around, walks a little bit, and maybe puts his head down now and then. I tried to show him he could get a blade of grass here and there, but he's not that into it. Will he eventually learn? I don't want to starve him all day, but I don't want to just give him access to grass, either.
What else can I do to reduce his hay belly? Seriously, it looks like he is uncomfortable. We have high quality hay, so I am hoping that with the probiotics will help. I know mini horses are 'round' per se, but yikes! He's has runny poo since he arrived, and that is why I am pumping him full of probiotics. I am going to keep trotting him in the arena and working on gorund work, but just wondering if there's something else I can do that I am NOT doing ... ?
What else can I do to reduce his hay belly? Seriously, it looks like he is uncomfortable. We have high quality hay, so I am hoping that with the probiotics will help. I know mini horses are 'round' per se, but yikes! He's has runny poo since he arrived, and that is why I am pumping him full of probiotics. I am going to keep trotting him in the arena and working on gorund work, but just wondering if there's something else I can do that I am NOT doing ... ?