Founder & putting fat horse on a diet?

Question

My 7 year old Perch x QH mare has grass foundered badly. Dead lame on one foreleg , the vet is coming out to xray for rotation...

Question - ANY advice on her care and how to get the extra weight off her without excersise??

She is only out in a dirt paddock now - never got grain - but is a piggy regarding hay or grass...

All help appreciated!

Answer 1

She may have insulin resistance, which should be checked (blood test) since medication could help.  I would feed only grass hay (no alphalfa or clover) and limit the amount fed.  If she could get small amounts 3 or 4 times a day it would be best.  I give my easy keeper mare a good mineral supplement with choline which is supposed to help obese horses keep the weight down....that would be the only thing fed besides the hay, and of course a salt block and plenty of fresh water.  Good luck.

Answer 2

just get her a round bale of hay and she'll be fine. if she pigs out on hay it won't hurt her. leave her lots on water and she'll be fine.

Answer 3

thats a tough one seeing as how she already isnt on grain at all. if she were mine i'd monitor her grass intake. maybe keep her in the dirt paddock and move her to a grass one for an hour or two... maybe more depending on how much grass there is. i'd feed her just grass hay no alfalfa... and if she loses some weight maybe beet pulp her? theres a beet pulp made in the UK that i have shipped over to the US called "Speedy Beet" and is recommended by the laminitis foundation.

just remember to take advice on this site with a grain of salt... your vet always knows best... and good luck i hope she didnt rotate too badly =(

Answer 4

Yah, Amanda said it for me. You could also give her a salt l**k so that she will drink way more water. By drinking more water she may slow down on the hay and she will urinate alot aswell and detoxify her body while doing so.

You could also buy this supplement powder. I can't remember the name of it at the moment. Ask your vet when he comes by. But it aids in maintining a average or faster metabolism and you just give her the supplement with food or in water, whichever you perfer, it just would help her to metabolize food at a healthy rate in case she's a little slow from the lack of excersize.

Don't forget to walk her aswell. Of course don't ride her or any hard excersize, but leading her around everyday for 20 minutes will stretch her legs and prevent stiffness instead of her just sleeping and eating etc. And will burn at least some calories.

Hope this all helps. :) Good luck! Hope she becomes sound again soon :)

Answer 5

Sounds like she may have a thyroid issue as well. When the vet comes get him to draw blood to check her levels.

Answer 6

hmm... well my trainer soaked her horse's foot in warm water and put a boot on it. She thought it was foundering, but it turned out she had an absess and now she is fine! Good luck!