The majority of horse owners look forward to this time of the year; all the horses are out and there is less mucking out to do and more time to spend with your four legged friends.

This is the ideal scenario for summer time horse keeping but, in reality, this time of year can be a never ending battle against the bulge for many.

Good do-ers

The good do-er is in some respects great; they don’t need a lot of food so are cheap to keep and you never have to worry about having a horse that won’t hold condition over the winter. On the other hand, it can be a constant battle to keep them slim. Management of a fatty equine over the summer can be tough but there are things that can be done to prevent the piling on of the pounds.

Genetics

The good do-er type does not have genetics on its side. Most good do-ers will be of native or draught origin and were bred to be able to do a hard day’s work on rough grazing and a small amount of feed (if any). The horse’s digestive system is designed to cope with a more or less continual supply of low quality grass, topped up with various herbs, shrubs and trees, all varying with the time of year. The native type has adapted to be able to survive harsh winters and, therefore, be able to survive on meagre helpings.

Domestication

So why do we have a horsey population that is increasing in size? Domestication has meant that the horse not only has to deal with being stuck in a tight space (whether stable or field) without the ability to browse and exercise itself, but also has to deal with a grass sward which is generally speaking of too high a quality. Modern grass lands have been sown to be highly productive to produce meat from cattle and sheep and milk from dairy cows. Under estimation of the nutrient contribution that grass makes to the horse’s diet is no doubt partly responsible for increased obesity in the horse population. If the grass is able to pile pounds on to a beef animal then it doesn’t take too big a leap to realise what it will do to your horse if free access is allowed.

Modern living

The modern horse is essentially fed too well. Most horses are kept in good/fat condition right through the winter; also the majority of grazing available to us is far too good for the majority of horses. There are things that can be done to help work around these issues to ensure that your fat horse does indeed become slim.

Grazing

Good do-ers should definitely have their grazing limited from the end of April onwards in Scotland. How this is done depends on your own personal situation, and one or a combination of a few of the following suggestions can be put to good use in the battle against the bulge.

1. Limit turn out time – bring in at night or during the day depending on what works best; some horses may only be able to cope with very limited grazing (1-4 hours a day), especially if the grazing is rich. If you have a turnout area that is grass free, make use of this and feed soaked hay in place of the grazing.

2. Muzzle – this may enable your horse to be out most of the time with his friends. Some horses take better to these than others. The only problem is that a horse shouldn’t be left in a muzzle 24 hours a day so this method would have to be used in conjunction with limited turnout.

3. Strip graze – this enables the grazing to be controlled by the use of an electric fence. The horses are given access to a fresh strip once a day or at other intervals depending on the grass and the horse. In some instances once a week is enough. Be careful with this method at ‘flush’ times of the year as what looks like a bald area one day can become lush almost over night if the growing conditions for the grass are suddenly optimised (eg rain shower after a dry spell). Move the back fence up behind the horses so that the area they graze in doesn’t get bigger and bigger during periods of ‘flush’ growth.

4. Race track system – this works by pushing the horses round a narrow circuit – normally round the edge of a field. It can be constructed using electric fencing . This can work well in the summer as it means that the horse has to walk more to get at its grass. This needs to be set up and started before the grass starts to grow or you will have to use this in combination with strip grazing to start with. Obviously the length of the track will be determined by the number of horses you have; two horses will not need much space if the grass is not to get out of control. Again this can be used in combination with a muzzle or limited turn out.

Winter buffer

The bad news is that if you didn’t make use of the opportunity of winter to allow your horse to lose weight, then you have an even bigger battle on your hands. In nature, ponies would lose a lot of weight over the winter and then build up store over the summer for the next winter and this is how native types have evolved. Use winter to get that weight off your horse; his work is probably reduced so cut back his feed, don’t over-rug, allow your horse to be cool so that it can burn off some fat. Make sure you use next winter appropriately. The good news is that your horse can still lose weight using the above management methods but make sure your horse comes in to next spring ‘running up light’.

Feeding and

exercising

All that the good do-er requires, unless it is working hard, is a vitamin and mineral premix and some quality proteins. This can be provided by feeding a powdered mineral in a small amount of a light chaff, by using a mineral lick (Country Horse and Pony Lick) or by using one of the many balancers available (eg Equilibra, Ultimate balancer). All of these are low energy and essentially provide all the vitamins, minerals and proteins that your horse requires. Remember that these products don’t have to come as a pellet and some of the more concentrated versions come as a powder or meal (eg pink powder). Don’t starve these ponies, their digestive system still requires low quality fibre to be going through it, so when your pony is off the grass make sure that you are feeding it hay that has been soaked for 6-12 hours to keep their gut and mind healthy without piling on the calories. Don’t be tempted to pile food at your good do-er to give him more energy. Getting the pounds off and getting him fitter will go further than any feed to perk him up. If he is working hard and not carrying any extra pounds then a small amount of oats or a competition mix can be used to provide your horse with some fast release energy.

The best way to keep your horse slim is exercise, the importance of this cannot be over-emphasised. Exercise, limit grazing, don’t overfeed bucket feed and use winter to get the pounds off your horse and he will soon be fit and healthy.