Dear Dr. Getty,
I own a 7 year old 17.1 h Warmblood gelding who is
getting too fat. All the years I had to board him
he was always on the skinny side. Now I have my own
place where I can finally give him free choice hay and
turnout. The hay is a orchard and orchard fescue mix
and my pastures are not lush at all. He gets less than
2 pounds of Triple Crown Low Starch along with Glanzen
lite and Quiessence. What am I doing wrong? I'am so
afraid he is getting Insuline resistant like my older
Morgan gelding. Should I quitt giving Triple Crown
low starch or switching to Triple Crown lite?
Your advice would help me so much. Thank you in advance.
U.K.

Where are you from? Charlotte, NC

How did you locate this forum? searching the net

Hi Ursula,

Yes, it would be best to switch to the TC Lite. TC Low Starch is too high in sugars and starch -- at 16%. TC Lite's level is 9.5%.

So, that would be the first step. But, the next thing would be to reduce his feed to a minimal level, only enough to serve as a carrier for his supplements. So, one to two cups per meal is fine.

He really doesn't need this concentrated feed but you need something to add his supplements to. But, he does need hay -- I'm glad you're giving him all that he wants so he can self regulate his intake.

He's a big boy, so you should be giving him 4 ounces of Quiessence per day (4 scoops). If you can have your hay analyzed, it would be preferable so you can determine the exact amount of magnesium he is getting. Also, analyzing your hay for its sugar and starch levels would be useful since he may be getting too much of these carbohydrates. Send a hay sample in to Equi-Analytical Labs at www.equi-analytical.com or contact your local county extension service.

And, finally, exercise is very important. If you can't ride every day, at least walk him on a lead rope, or lunge him.

Keep me posted!

All the best,

Dr. Getty

Where are you from? Bayfield, CO