Hi Dr. Getty,
I found your website about a month ago and have been reading all the previous posts. I really appreciate all the information that is available here.
In one post I found that you do not like grazing muzzles because they cause stress (which I have found to be true), but what can I do with my two draft crosses who are always fat, but really blimp up this time of year? They are out on fair to poor pasture (fescue mostly) for 12 hours a day, and in large dry lots the other 12. Usually starting in mid April until June, I use muzzles to keep their weight down. They hate them! They get a dry cup (58 grams) of beet pulp (soaked) 2x a day with Accell, Fastrack, Nutraflax, and Quiessence. They get a flake of fescue hay in the middle of their time in the dry lot. I would love to have them out 24/7 and without grazing muzzles. Is there a better way for me to manage these two horses?
Thanks,
Kim

Where are you from? Clover, SC

How did you locate this forum? Googled "horse nutrition"

Hi Kim,

I have the same problem as you, if I let my Arab out 24/7 he would be as big as an elephant and I'm not kidding. I really have to limit his grazing time and feed him small meals of hay a day, and his hay he can eat 10lbs in about 10-15 mins he is like a vaccume.
So I understand your problem.
Hope Dr.getty can help us out.

Where are you from? Canada

How did you locate this forum? internet search

Hi Kim and Jenni,

The first thing I would recommend is Quiessence, which I see that you, Kim, are currently feeding. Give your horses 3 scoops per day.

You didn't mention anything about a problem with laminitis, so that is a definite plus. However, I would suggest that you provide grazing without the muzzle, since there is very little pasture. The only concern I have about your pasture, however, is that it is stressed and therefore, will have a higher sugar level than a healthier pasture. So, if you can divide your grazing space and fertilize and allow one side to grow, the grass will have less fructan and other sugars.

Grazing muzzles defeat the purpose, in my opinion, since they raise cortisol levels (stress hormones), which in turn, promote fat storage.

Exercise is very, very helpful. So, whatever you can do to get them moving more would be beneficial. This combined with limited grazing, and Quiessence and you should start to see a difference.

All the best,

Dr. Getty

Dr.Getty has been helping me with my very fat draft and in two months,she has become a beautiful slender and active horse.The exercise daily helps with stress as well as loosing the pounds.

Dr. Getty,
Thank you so much for your reply. My boys do get lots of exercise, no laminitis, and I haven't used the muzzles yet this year. The pasture they are on isn't so much "stressed" as it is weedy. We leased it from a neighbor (it was over-grazed several years ago), we fertilized it in Feb. I just put the horses on it because they get so fat on my good pastures (which are well fertilized, weed managed, and rotated). I was only planning on using this pasture through the Spring in hopes of not having to use muzzles, then put them back on better pasture in Summer, but if I understand you correctly, they would be better off turned out on good pasture, but for less hours a day. Is this correct?

Thanks,
Kim

Where are you from? Clover, SC

How did you locate this forum? Googled "horse nutrition"