Hi Gemma,

I see that you also posted a similar question elsewhere, so I'll address your overweight concerns here and remove your other post.

You mentioned that your horse is on pasture most of the time. For an overweight horse, this may not be a good idea since pasture can be too high in sugar and starch. This is espcially true this time of year, if your night time temperatures dip below 40 degrees, and you have sunny days.

So rather than a grazing muzzle (which can be very frustrating, leading to a hormonal response that will keep him heavy), see if you can have your hay supply tested by Equi-Analytical Labs. If it is low in sugar and starch (less than 12% non-structural carbohydrates), you can feed it free choice. Slow feeders are an excellent option and there are many to choose from. I will soon have some on my website, but I like The Natural Feeder, or Nibble Nets, Freedom Feeder, or the Work 4 Feeder.

When using any of these feeders, take your time in getting your horse accustomed to it. If you abruptly switch, the frustration can defeat your purpose.

Exercise is very important, so continue with that. And, I also recommend adding either Quiessence or Carb X (Carb X is a step up from Quiessence, depending on the stubborness of the fat deposits). But both of these provide magnesium, which reduces circulating insulin levels, and hence helps with fat burning.

Keep me posted!

All the best,

Dr. Getty
Author of Feed Your Horse Like A Horse

Where are you from? Bayfield, CO

Thanks again for your response. So do I need to slowly wean him off of Thyro-L, how do I do that? He has been on it for almost three month and is almost out of it. However, I can get a bit more if needed to help wean him off of it. I want to do it properly so it won't cause any adverse reactions.

Where are you from? Utah

How did you locate this forum? Search Engine

Hello Gemma,

You'll want to enlist your vet's help with this since blood will need to be tested once each month to monitor the thyroid function. Generally speaking, if your horse has been on Thyro-L for three months, you would take 2 months to wean your horse off of it. And you would do it very slowly, with your vet's assistance.

All the best,

Dr. Getty :)
Author of Feed Your Horse Like A Horse

Where are you from? Bayfield, CO

Thanks. The vet is coming out tomorrow to help start the process. Thank you so much for all of your advice! Hopefully, I will be moving my horse at the end of the month and will be able to implement free feeding and get him in an environment, exercise, and diet that promotes wieght loss. I will let you know how it goes. Also I ordered your book and can't wait to recieve it!

Where are you from? Utah

How did you locate this forum? Search Engine

Hello Gemma,

Excellent! Yes, please keep me posted.

All the best,

Dr. Getty
Author of Feed Your Horse Like A Horse

Where are you from? Bayfield, CO