Hi Judy,

A lower starch feed would be better for him since he is growing.

The big belly you're seeing is not fat -- it's Gas. And, this is a sign that the bacteria living in the hind gut are doing their job. A "hay belly" is healthy.

If you are starting to see fat deposits -- say along the back of his neck, on his chest, or there's a crease going down his back, then he is overweight. And, yes, you should feed him less -- but not less hay -- less commercial feed. He really doesn't need Strategy or any other feed, frankly. He needs all the grass hay he wants, approximately 1/3 of it as alfalfa, salt, water, and a vitamin/mineral supplement to fill in the gaps. Since you need a "carrier" to add the supplement to, give him some moistened beet pulp or alfalfa pellets or even a very small amount (a cup or so) of a low starch feed.

Keep me posted!

Happy Holidays,

Dr. Getty

Where are you from? Bayfield, CO

Thank you Dr Getty,Iam glade you say he doesn't need any stategy,I have been thinking of stopping it,I will get him a vitamin and mineral supplement and something to feed it in,beet pulp or alfalfa pellet.Thanks again for being here for us when we have questions about feeding are equine family.

Hi Judy,

It's my pleasure to be of assistance!

Happy Holidays!

Dr. Getty

Where are you from? Bayfield, CO

Hi Dr Getty,I have another question for you in regards to my colt,He has been home for a week today from the hospital ,he was straining hard to defecate,my vet came on friday and oiled him and gave him an enama,that only helped for a short time and by monday he had to be taken to alamo pintado equine hospital for what they called impaction colic.The only abnormalities was a mild fever of 101.8 and straining to defecate, he also had good gut sound, they did exrays and altrasound and found no foreing bodies or distention.He was treated with enemas intravenous fluids,nasogastric intubation w/mineral oil and electrolytes,they slowly started him back on hay and he did great,they let him come home after 3 days and he did great here for awhile then he started straining again,i called and the vet had me give him soaked alfalfa cubes,and 1-2 cups of bran with some salt,he wasnt drinking enough water ,i have done this now for a week and he is doing fine,as long as he is eating all his food soaked,including his grass hay,WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP HIM HAVE MORE MOISTURE IN HIS POO WITH OUT ALWAYS FEEDING HIM SOAKED FOOD??WHAT DO YOU THINK HAPPENED??NO ONE SEEMS TO KNOW!sorry for the long story.

Hi Judy,

I hope that your colt continues to do well -- thank you for your patience in my getting back to you.

It definitely looks like water is the answer, so encouraging him to drink is critical. You will want to add table salt to his meals -- 2 teaspoons per meal of plain, white table salt (that you buy in the grocery store). And, make sure that he has clean, fresh water close by at all times, free of algae, bird droppings, and/or insects.

There is a supplement that I also recommend -- it's called Tract Gard. This will bring more water into his digestive tract, minimizing his risk of impaction colic.

Keep me posted,

Dr. Getty

Where are you from? Bayfield, CO

Thank you Dr Getty,My colt is doing great now,Thank you for the info on tract gard,i will be looking into buying some.

Judy, one thing that sometimes helps horses drink more is to warm their water in the winter. You could put some sort of heated water bucket or trough heater in his water to take the chill off. There are some that fit in the drain hole in the bottom of the trough and prevent chewing on the wires.

Where are you from? Poolville Texas

How did you locate this forum? Equine DDS

Thank you, Pam -- I agree. Water must be heated to no less than 50 degrees F in the winter in order for horses to get enough. Dehydration is a real threat for many horses during the colder months because they do not like cold water.

So, breaking ice off of the water surface is not sufficient -- a heater, as you described, is truly a necessity.

And, one should never rely on snow to meet a horse's water needs. I know you didn't mention this, but there are many folks around here who leave their horses out in a snow covered pasture with no water supply. It is truly heartbreaking to see. Two gallons of most snow produces only 1/2 cup of water!

Thanks for the valuable input.

All the best,

Dr. Getty

Where are you from? Bayfield, CO

Hi Judy,

Glad to hear things are going well!

Dr. Getty

Where are you from? Bayfield, CO