Hi Dr. Getty, I am hoping you could help me. My 7 year old gelding has gotten very fat. He is turned out approximately 11-12 hours a day. Out pastures are very lush. He is sharing 5 acres with 8 other geldings. I am feeding Strategy and Coastal hay and I give him Alfalfa cubes (soaked) every now and again as a treat. He is currently being ridden lightly 4 times a week. He gets a half scoop in a.m. and p.m. and only 1 flake of hay a day.
I would like to know your opinion on the feeding regimine I am using and if you have suggestions for him to lose weight. I understand that cutting his grain and his pasture time would be two good options. I also understand that feeding grass-hay is best. I am not certain what this is. Is Coastal considered a grass-hay? I am also working on getting him exercised every day.
Lastly, I have heard so many people feeding flax. What are the benefits of flax and what about the oil vs. the ground up seed?
Thank you, Sue

Where are you from? Florida, USA

How did you locate this forum? Surfing horse nutrition

Hi Sue,

You’re wise to be concerned about his weight because being overweight increases his risk of developing metabolic syndrome and even laminitis. So, there are a few adjustments to your current feeding plan that I would recommend.

First, he likely does not need Strategy. Strategy is a grain-based feed -- meaning it is very high in carbohydrates. Carbohydrate digestion results in an elevated level of glucose in the blood, leading to an elevated insulin level. High insulin levels lead to the storage of fat – so it is very difficult for your horse to lose weight on a high carbohydrate diet.

So, discontinue using the Strategy. Instead, I would suggest that you offer him ½ scoop/meal of alfalfa pellets along with a good multiple vitamin/mineral supplement.

I would not cut his pasture time – grazing is what horses do best – and what is best for their digestive systems. Coastal hay is a grass hay – Bermuda grass. And, it is excellent for him. Plus, by adding some alfalfa pellets, you will create the high quality protein mixture that he needs.

Exercise is very important for a lot of reasons, but especially for weight loss. So, you’re on the right track. And, Flaxseed meal is best fed for horses who require additional omega 3 fatty acids in their diet (the oil is just the fatty portion of the flaxseed so it doesn’t have any additional nutrients besides fat). It is high in calories, too, so instead of offering that to him, you may want to feed him an overall vitamin/mineral supplement that also contains some additional omega 3 fatty acids.

I hope this is helpful!

All the best,

Dr. Getty

Dear Dr. Getty,

Thank you so much for your response. It is great to get advice from a professional like yourself. I have a few more questions in response to your suggestions. As far as the alfalfa goes...you refer to pellets (I have "cubes") Is it basically the same thing? Do I feed him 1/2 scoop am and pm or just once a day. I also soak the cubes. Is this necessary?

I was looking at the vit/min supplements you recommend. Which one do you think would be best in my case? The Vita-Key refers to being great for horses off feed. Perhaps this one? Or...the Accel Lifetime has the O3. How do I know if he even needs the O3?

Thanks Again. I am looking forward to your response.

Sue

Where are you from? Florida, USA

How did you locate this forum? Surfing horse nutrition

Hi Sue,

Alfalfa cubes are fine and yes, they are basically the same thing as pellets. But, the cubes do require soaking (which you are doing – good!) because some horses are prone to choking due to their dryness. So, go ahead and soak them and then offer ½ scoop twice a day.

About the supplementation, I would recommend the Accel in your case. It is a very complete supplement that also contains microbials. And, it has additional magnesium, which is very helpful for weight loss. Grand Complete is a good multiple designed more for a horse that is experiencing age-related problems and joint soreness.

I would suggest that after he takes off a few pounds, you should consider adding flaxseed meal to his diet to offer additional omega 3 fatty acids.

Yes, Accel is what I would definitely call a “holistic” product because it takes into consideration the whole animal, not just one area. It contains not only the correct balance of vitamins and minerals, but also digestive enzymes, microbials, and amino acids, for the production of body proteins (such as muscle, hair, hooves, antibodies, etc.).

Please keep me posted on how he is doing!

Dr. Getty

Dear Dr. Getty,

A couple of months ago you gave me advice on getting my horse to drop a few pounds. I followed your direction, however, I did not put him on the multi vitamin you suggested due to the fact that I was on a very strict budget (I lost my job) He is doing better and we are building a round pen so I should be able to exercise him little better.

He recently had his yearly exam and my regular vet made a few suggestions that I would like to share with you. I read your posts often and value your opinion.

He suggested feeding oats and felt that this would give him the protein he needs without the fat. He agrees that he should not be on Strategy. He also felt that a multi vitamin was not necessary if he had the oats. He suggested an electrolyte because I mentioned that he doesn't really drink alot and he ignores the loose salt in his stall. He also felt he could be getting more hay. He only gets one flake a day right now.

In our previous correspondence you suggest adding flaxseed meal to his diet. At what point should this be done, how much do I feed, and what are the benefits in doing so? Do I add this to the soaked alfalfa cubes?

Please help me to understand all this as right now I am feeling a little confused. Thanks.

Sue

Where are you from? Florida, USA

How did you locate this forum? Surfing the Natural Horse

Hi Sue,

With all due respect to your vet, I must disagree with his suggestion to feed oats. Overweight horses tend to be insulin resistant. What this means is, when they eat carbohydrates (from grain), there is a rise in insulin levels. Since his cells do not respond to insulin as they should, the pancreas responds by pumping out even more insulin. The more insulin in the blood, the higher the tendency to store fat.

So, you want to feed a diet that is low in starch. This is critical.

Also, a multiple vitamin/mineral supplement is very important. Think about this for a moment – let’s say that you ate the same thing every day, for years. There is no way that any one food can provide you with all the nutrients you need.

Horses in the wild get a large variety of things to eat – berries, leaves, some seeds, and a variety of grasses and flowers. But, domesticated horses typically get the same meal every day, day after day. There is no way that the diet can be balanced.

In my earlier post, I suggested giving a multiple vitamin supplement that was high in Omega 3 fatty acids, rather than feeding flaxseed meal, because flaxseed meal is also very high in calories. If you budget allows, I would suggest Grand Complete to fulfill this part of his diet.

I really am not able provide a simple answer to your request for exact amounts of alfalfa and other feeds to offer without evaluating the big picture. I rarely suggest this in my forum, but you may wish to consider setting up a phone visit so I can help you comb through all of the options and best address your concerns.

Oh, and about the electrolytes – I prefer to feed plain, iodized salt – just add 2 tablespoons to his feed each day. Commercial electrolyte preparations are mostly salt, anyway, so you’re wasting money. Plus, you run the risk of overdoing it with the other minerals that are added.

And finally, yes – your vet is absolutely right about needing more hay. You should allow your horse to graze on pasture or have access to quality grass hay at all times. Going without food for many hours can not only cause an ulcer, but in terms of losing weight – you’ll be defeating your purpose. Restricting calories too much can do the opposite of what you intend – you will cause his metabolic rate to decrease, so he will be more inclined to store fat.

All the best,

Dr. Getty

Dear Dr. Getty,

Thank you once again for such informative information. I agree with you and am happy to know what I am doing is the best for him.

One last question. You reccommend Grand Complete but in a previous response you reccommended Accel. Whicj one is the better choice for him?

Sue

Where are you from? Florida

How did you locate this forum? Surfing

Hi Sue,

Both Accel and Grand Complete are very good. However, Grand Complete contains the Omega 3 fatty acids that flaxseed contains, so you won't have to feed flaxseed meal. If you fed Accel, you would want to add flaxseed meal, and that’s too many calories for his situation. So, Grand Complete would be the better option. Sorry for the confusion.

Dr. Getty