SUPER fat stallion (pics added pg. 3)

[MindyLee]

Sorry but I cant post pics of him! I sent one out to someone to post for me but it has never been posted.

As far as him not getting enought to eat and that's why he's eating leaves if false. He just eats leaves no matter what. He watches them to fall from the trees so he can nab them up. His weight when it comes to his normal look is NORMAL, just a super fat bloated belly. He has a good top line and has no fat rolls on his body anywhere. just that he looks prego. He's a drafty style mini, but now looks like a prego drafty style mini.

If someone can help post pics, I have sone of him just before the snow hit of what he looks like normal and with the fat belly.

[email protected]

thanks guys

 

[HGFarm]

Please email me the pics and I can post them for you this evening.... [email protected]

 

[MindyLee]

Please email me the pics and I can post them for you this evening.... [email protected]

Sent some pics to Happy Appy and just sent you 4 pics I just took about 5 mins ago. Hope everyone can see how fat he is with the angles and through his winter woolies.

I know its so hard to picture what Im disribing without a visual

 

Thanks for all the help everyone.

 

[happy appy]

Here are the 2 pictures that I received.

 

[Ashley]

He is more on the stocky side so isnt going to be real trim looking. However I would say he is probably getting more than he needs as he isnt just fat in the belly but is also fat in the neck. He is a bit hollow in the hips, if it were me I would cut back on hay and have a higher protein grain.

 

[HGFarm]

Ok, am posting the pics I got here too.....

 

[rabbitsfizz]

OK, treading softly as this is a very sensitive issue, BUT...I think your boy has dwarf issues, and I think that is probably why he has a big gut.

He does not look fat to me....

 

[Little Wolf Ranch]

I agree that he does NOT look fat - a bit cresty in the neck but he also seems to have a head that's too big for his body. . .although it could be the camera angle.

 

[MindyLee]

No way is he dwarfy looking!

( not sensitive lol) if you look at his pro shots I have of him taken in 2009, he looks really good. He's just really fat this time of the yr for the last 3 yrs now. By time spring hits, he is actually under weight from heavy pacing and I put him on weight gainers and up his feed x3 per day. I do agree he is heavy boned and has a little bit of a bigger head.

 

[Sandee]

In the clipped picture of him his head doesn't look much out of porportion to me. He does look overweight all over. The suggestions about giving him better quality food is good, however, I lean towards you are over feeding him period. It is as difficult for a horse to diet as it is for a person. You need to look on the forum for the thread that talks about how to determine their body weight (it's a math formula done with measuring their body) then determine how much he should weigh and feed only 1 1/2 to 2 % of that number to get him reduced. Be careful in the winter time that you don't reduce him too fast or too much as it does take more calories to stay warm in winter.

For instance my stallion is almost 32" and weighs around 225-250 ( a little on the heavy side for showing). He gets 1/2 lb of beet pulp plus 2 1/2 lb hay (yes, I weigh everything) plus supplements all spread out in three feedings a day and some pasture turnout. When to temps drop into the single digits here, I add another 1/2 lb in a fourth nighttime feeding.

 

[ohmt]

Definitely not dwarfy.

Now that that's out of the way, I have a gelding that is a twin to your boy conformation wise. His sire and him have been the worst as far as trying to figure out a good feeding program. They require a lot more protein than my other mature horses. It looks like your boy is a bit cresty in that first picture which means he's a bit fat all over. In the second pic he looks like he's at a good body condition, just needs more protein. That's how my gelding used to look, only with a bigger belly (yes, he did look preggers). I feed good plain hay (no alfalfa) and then he gets omelene 300 morning and night. I started with the recommended amount but had to add a little bit more. I also give a cup of beet pulp morning and night. I don't know if your boy would do well on the 300 if he's cresty. I'd give him a protein supplement. I give a 30% protein supplement to some of my stallions that need a little extra but are easy keepers. I bet if you tried that and gave him some beet pulp you'd see a good change

 

[ForeverFarma]

HAs he been tested for Insulin resistance? He has abnormal fat pockets all over, and cresty, which would make me think he is. That's not something the vet can just draw blood and say he is or isn't- it's a rather drawn out test.

 

[Marty]

I just think he is the old style drafty type miniature. He's got little short legs, a big ole crest on him, a lot of hair, out of shape, its winter and so he's fat.

 

[MindyLee]

Thank you everyone!!!

Maybe Im just a worry wart LOL I just know that he's such a good looking and in-shape skinnier boy in the summer and turns sooo fat in the winter. I can see him getting fatter just thinking about food so I just want to make sure he dos'nt kill over from a heart attack cause he is too fat. When I 1st got him in 2004, he was so over weight at almost 5 yrs old that he was having a hard time breathing and I surely dont want to over feed him and kill him myself. He is my 1st mini and the love of my life (even before my hubby, but dont tell him

) And want to make sure he lives a long and healthy life with me for may yrs to come.

I can say that since I have changed hay guys, I've noticed having to adjust all my horses feed intake as this hay dont seem to be as good as my old guys even tho it looks pretty close. So I will be changing back and hopefully get things back to the way they where. And not to mention, Bob here is defently harder to get a good balance when it comes to finding just the right program for him.

Also Thanks for the tip on the myth on alfalfa hay about being so hot. Maybe I will try adding some alfalfa pellets to everyones feed since its safer then I assumed.

Thanks again everyone!!! you are so helpful and love this fourm for info!!!

 

[Carolyn R]

MindyLee, I don't think your boy is "overly" huge. Yes, he has his winter jammies on and yes, he has his winter weight on , like many outdoor mammals.

I always keep in mind, how much is fluff, how much is chubby, and how much does he run come spring and summer.

You said he was a stallion, and I know my boy does his share of pacing come (spring) summer, so as long as he is not obese, just chunky, I don't get too worked up about it. Remember, roughage is important to keep their digestive track moving/keep them producing body heat in the cold months. Yes, protien helps with those saggy bellies, mine get a ration balancer (for those that need more I add other calorie sources, this time of year they all get a bit more) and generous serving of hay 3 times a day (more like a free choice slow feeder with the hay, they can't pick through it, but eat what they take at a slow pace).

My boys look pretty chunky right now,very simalr to your guy, but this is one of them in late summer, my Buckeroo son, and I don't think he looks all too bad considering he is straight out of the turnout.....

 

[Eagle]

Hi, I have only had minis for 4 years so I am not experienced but I just wanted to mention the problems I had with my stallion this autumn. He had a huge belly so I cut back on the grass and he became lazy and depressed, I called the vet and we tested for nearly everything. He looked really awful. Then his neck flopped over and he had what seemed like water in his belly as it was big and squashy. The vet said to change his diet as he seemed intolerant to grain. He now has grass pellets and sugar beet with a small cup of sunflower oil and a vitamin supplement called Excell E http://www.equistro....ge/ExcellE.html He also gets hay 3 times a day or more or less as he wants it. He is doing much better now and he looks better too.

This is him in the fall



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Tomorrow I will take a resent photo

 

[mad for mini's]

Hi Mindy,

I'm another vote for trying alfalfa

I started adding soaked alfalfa cubes to my mini's feed and all the "hay bellies" disappeared within a week or so. I'm not adding alot, I bought one of the 50lb bags from TSC and it lasted me two months, feeding four mini's and one goat. I tried uping their chow but had a couple that were getting cresty necks on higher amounts and it did nothing for the bloated bellies. Those two are not affected that way by the added alfalfa, the belly is gone with no weight gain. I'm very happy with the way they look now and they are loving their warm alfalfa mash

 

[MyBarakah]

To me he has no topline and is all belly... but too, hair can be quite decieving. When's the last time he's had his teeth done? Also... feeding grass hay makes them loose topline and gives them that grass belly.... I think changing his diet would make a difference. And yes... I would take him off the grass and put him on alfalfa... and some soaked shreeded beet pulp.