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Morrissey is fat. She has always been a big girl, but she seems to be getting bigger. I'm really trying to focus on all of my animals' nutritional needs. Just because I have cookies and junk food on occasion doesn't mean I'll feed them that way too.The pugs are all pretty fit and trim, Coli is underweight because of her Cushings disease. The goats are going to have every nutritional need they could ever even think of having met. But Morrissey is the one I can't seem to figure out. I already feed her practically nothing. She gets free choice pasture, two flakes of grass hay, 1 cup of rolled oats, minerals and water each day.
I can't take her oats away or she'll throw a fit when the other horses get fed. I don't want to take her hay... that leaves pasture. I'm thinking of getting a grazing muzzle. Horse people out there, especially haflinger people. What are your thoughts?
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I use slow feed haynets for Camryn. Smith Brothers has them for around $12.00. Been using them a year now, one just now needs replaced. Morrisey doesn't look nearly as fat as Camryn did last year. She just needs to trim her middle like me LOL I imagine riding will help trim your girl down quite nicely.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Susan, Morrissey doesn't look terribly obese. Ideally you should just be able to feel ribs toward the back of her barrel. It doesn't sound like you are overfeeding her at all. I don't know her size, but she should get 1-2% of her body weight each day. I guess that my guys weigh in around 1100 pounds. I feed them about 15 pounds of hay - when they are on grass I would guess I feed about 6 pounds. Mine get a scant cup of a Purina Healthy Edge feed, a cup of timothy pellets and a digestive/vitamin mix each day. (The Timothy pellets give them some more to chow down on.) I attended a Purina seminar for horse owners and learned a lot about feeding horses - that's when I made the switch from a sweet feed to Healthy Edge. Their web site tells where they will be having seminars. Other feed companies do the same thing. The prepared feed provides more vitamins, minerals, and fat than plain oats. So they get more benefit from the little they get.
ReplyDeleteI bought a grazing muzzle for Pippin. He foundered so we have to watch his intake of spring grass. I haven't let him out with it unsupervised - it drives him crazy and I'm afraid he'd scrape it off. I did a post with some pictures of him wearing it at: http://livingadream2.blogspot.com/2010/04/pippins-pov-worse-than-getting.html
I used a NibbleNet for Pippin, since he really goes through his hay fast. It worked very well, but he finally began to chew through some of the strips. I may pull it out again, or invest in the hay net that Susan was talking about because soon he'll be stuck in his paddock for more hours each day. I also have three large, round rocks in Pippins feed tub to slow his consumption of his meager dinner.
Hope this helps!
It is really hard to feel her ribs. She has a lot of padding in that area. I'm a worrier so I think about founder a lot. I'm going to keep an eye on her with the new grass growth, but hold off on the muzzle. Thanks for the advice!
ReplyDeleteOh my--I bet that is hard Jamie! I have to keep my donkeys weight down too--if they get too fat they can’t lose the ring around their neck so it’s something I always watch. Hey-wanted to tell you-I’ve had some issues with blogger today and several of the blogs I follow fell off my list. I think your blog was one and I have no explanation for it--just that about 10 of my blogs I like were gone. Anyway--I just wanted you to know. I am going to try to follow again now. If you notice I’m not on there--please let me know as I have already e-mailed blogger about it.
ReplyDeleteThanks Gal,
Amy
I haven't noticed any followers go missing. I'll keep an eye out.
ReplyDeleteHi, found you through Farm Friend Friday... she's a neat little Halflinger and I agree with the others, I don't think she's that much overweight. Good advice about going to the Purina seminars, too. (or any feed seminar). I had a Cushing's mare and pony, and had to watch everything they ate or didn't eat, and it ended up that a prepared feed worked better for them. I'm glad you're not there yet (they couldn't even eat hay because of their age). She really is a pretty mare.
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