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Weight loss for an overweight pony
Equine Nutrition

Weight loss for an overweight pony

A horse that needs to lose weight. My 20-year-old pony is fairly overweight and I don't know what hard feed to give him. We're going to cut his haylage down to 5 kg, as he lives in loose housing with a grass paddock. He usually gets 1 dl of minerals and about 300 g of oats. He only gets the oats to give him a bit more energy. Feels like I'm feeding him completely wrong and I'm totally lost on how to feed him. He needs to lose weight, so what should he eat? Sorry if I've explained it a bit badly, but I need help with what he should be eating. Grateful for any help 🤗
Answers from HayHay's experts

Hello! Think of it like this:

1️⃣ Forage should form the basis of the ration and cover as much of the horse's nutrient requirement as possible. It is also very important that the horse's need to chew is met.

2️⃣ What is missing from the ration: energy, protein, or minerals and vitamins? This is where you can top up if needed, with a concentrate or oats plus minerals, but still based on the horse's requirement.

Remember that any energy in (from forage, concentrate, or oats) that is not used for basic energy needs or movement is stored on the body as fat.

The best approach is to work out the ration using an analysis of your own forage. Hästsverige (a Swedish equine resource), for example, has both an excellent feeding course and a programme for calculating a ration.

https://hastsverige.se/hastens-miljo/foderskola-i-10-delar

https://hastsverige.se/foderstatsprogrammet

Some feed suppliers can provide a calculation, but remember that they will naturally want to sell their own product, so the best option is to get help from an independent person who can work it out around your horse's requirement and the forage you already have.

Joanna Sätter
Joanna Sätter
Equine Specialist
Last reviewed:
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