[Dumas'_Grrrl]

OK... My guys are summer fatties!!!!! :roll: They have been on pasture 24/7 and getting a token bit of grain at night. I need to get some weight off...they look like roly polys

I do have a pen where there is no grass. I was just wanting some input on how long I should pasture them and how long they shoud be without food. Obviously I'm not riding them enough to keep their weight down. So I'm looking for input/opinions on how to slim them down without starving them.

For those of you who don't know me horsies...Let me introduce Dumas and Twister. These are older photos... (6 months old...they are a bit heavier now...maybe 50-75lbs heavier)

Twister ^ ~ Dumas v

 

[Peggysue]

have you tried grazing muzzles?? what kind of token grain are you giving them how much how often??

I personally hate to see a horse locked up with NO food...

 

[Dumas'_Grrrl]

I haven't tried grazing muzzles. They get 4cups of grain. Literally 4 measuring cups of grain between the both of them. As in 2 cups (16oz) each. It is more of a ritual than anything. I call them up at night and give them loves and snuggles and then feed them. In the winter when there is no grass we keep them in the 1 acre pen most of the time (free choice hay provided there) Then about every 3rd day we let them out to the 6 acre pasture for a day then call them back up at night. We have found that they will run more if we don't let them on the 6 acres every day. If we limit the time they get there they are actually more active. Make sense?

I don't like keeping them in their 1 acre pen without food either. :? But, I can.....if I have to.

 

[Peggysue]

OK instead of sweet grain look for a ration balancer if you need help I can help you if you give me your zip code

is it possible to throw a flake of hay at a time several times a day so every 4 hours or so... grazing muzzzles woudl be a good option as well but some horses just tear them off

you might also look into MagOx it is a cattle supplement that help horse to utilize the sugars they store and remove them out of the body

 

[Dumas'_Grrrl]

Peggy sue hit me with what 'cha got!!! My hubby works for a feed company so we can get just about anything we want.

My zip is 72638

And yes, I can hay my horses several times a day. I'm a stay at home mom and the horses are in our back yard.

Hit me with the info baby!!!! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

(thanks :wink: )

 

[Peggysue]

which lines of feed does his company carry ?? Most of the "bigger" brands have them

Buckeye Gro N Win
Kent Horsego32
Purina Enrich32
Triple Crown 30%
Progressive Pro Advantage Grass formula
McCauleys M30
Seminole Equalizer
Merit Balancer
Tiz Whiz 30

in mean time I will pull off of zip code LOL

 

[Peggysue]

Looks like Purina is the deal of the day

UNLESS you can get ADM products thining GroStrong Minrate
maybe Tribute product called Essential K
Stamm 30 by Hallaway

 

[TxHorseMom]

If it was me, I would take them off ALL grain, and put grazing muzzles on them. I'm not sure where you're from, but winter will be here sooner than you think. They are of good weight, and I wouldn't want them to get too thin. In my experience it is much harder to put weight on than to take it off.

 

[Dumas'_Grrrl]

Purina is their licensed brand. They also make their own blend of horse feed.

I am very lucky that my guys will hold their weight with just grazing. They really don't need the grain. It's more of a treat for ME. I suppose its the same as giving my kids a piece of candy every now and again. Except I'm giving the horses their candy everyday.

I am in extreme Northern Arkansas, TXHorseMom. We will have good grass untill late October. Then we really need to get hay out there for them.

Maybe I'm worrying too much....After all it IS the begining of fall and they sure do look like they have packed on their winter weight.

I agree that puting weight on is harder, we got these guys last year in October so this is the first year where they have had good grazing and the feed. Last year at this time they were ribby. So...I guess I'll go to the feed store and see what they have on the shelves. I have just been letting my hubby bring home the feed when he comes home from work. My grandfather always fed sweet feed and I guess over the course of this year I have learned so much that I didn't know!!!! Sometimes my head just spins!! :lol:

I can almost guarntee that these horses won't tolerate a grazing muzzle. I can't keep a halter on Twister...He is a halter houdini...good thing he's easy to catch! And Dumas is headshy and I have worked SO hard this year to get him over that. I guess I'm concerned that Dumas will get "****y" with me. Do you think that a grazing muzzle would irritate him to the point of not liking us again? Or am I being paranoid?

 

[Peggysue]

I woudl prob go with the Enrich32 and try to lock them in off and on throughout the day .... the enrich will help them o better utilize what they are getting... the MagOx will help pull the extra sugars out of their system and make it to where they don't "store" it

Loading does on MagOx is 2tablespoons per day for 30 days then 1 tablespoon for maintence dose

 

[kickshaw]

i wouldn't back them off of anything, personally. I like for my guys to have a little extra going into winter...it's harder to put it on than it is to take it off.

IMO, I'd wait and see what they look like come March or April, then make diet plans from there

 

[Dumas'_Grrrl]

Thanks for all the input!!! I think I will wait till March or April, that makes great sence.

In the meantime I am going to get busy and find a quality feed that I can get on a regular basis that will not load them up on sugars. Sound like a reasonable plan?!?!

 

[Peggysue]

do you increase their grain over the winter??

If not the amount of Enrich you would feed is just a little more then you are feeding now think 3 cups instead of 2 to make about a pound....

 

[Dumas'_Grrrl]

We got them last October and they were thin. We started decreasing the amount of grain they got as spring came near. I'm thinking it was Early Feb and we cut them in 1/2 and then one day after we brushed them all out of their winter fuzzies I decied to really cut the grain down. We have had them on the 4 cups all summer. So I don't think I would up the grain any unless they started having dramatic weight loss. We have constant hay available free choice.

 

[FGRanch]

I would say cut the grain out. They actually look pretty good for going into winter. I like to see my guys chubby in the fall.