Getting a fat horse fit?

Question

This horse that we hope to get soon, is fat because she had a cut on her foot and hasn't been riden in a while, plus she hasn't gotten worked that much, but i was just curious... because all the horses at my stable that are out to pasture get fed all together (you know with the flakes of hay placed around the field) Im not sure if I could just work her all winter and hope that shes in shape by summer or if there are supplements I can buy (cheap) to help lose weight??

I have heard that you can turn fat into muscle.. is it true and can I aviod that?

Also- she will be sued in lessons to lower board price (so worked more), she is a paint, I know about feeding rules etc. how much feed per 100 pounds... but i can't always control how much she eats since she lives in the pasture + she will get hay.

Answer 1

if she is out in the pasture for most of the day and just out of it when your working her she realy doesnt need hay or grain. ( unless the pasture doesnt have alot of grass) My mare is out on pasture 24/7 teh only time she isnt on pasture is when im rideing/ working her or the weather is bad. she only gets grass out in the pasture to eat and she gets fat just by that so adding grain and hay just makes your horse get fatter( again, unless there is no or hardly any grass in the field). also since she is fat and out of shape i would lunge her twice a day 9 morning and after noon) for like 10 minutes each time. and then add time on and stuff. Its hard on a fat horse who isnt ust to being worked to just be rushed into alot of work all of a sudden, think of it this way. You have a fat guy who sits on the couch and eats junk food and plays video games for three months and then you go ask him to do a 3 mile jog, its hard on him just like it would be hard on teh horse. so you want to start out slow and work your way up.

Answer 2

Hi, what you need to do is to gradually start exercising your horse without upping her feed. That way she will lose weight naturally and will be so much healthier. Take a couple of months of weekly increased exercise until the horses fitness has improved, then you can start to build up the fast work and work on respiratory fitness, but wait till after the fat has come off before working the horse hard so as not to strain the heart and joints.  

Fat can't turn to muscle, it is a misconception because sometimes people who are very fit and weight train will stop exercise, continue to eat the same food and then become fat. They think their muscle has turned to fat but in reality their calorie intake was too high for the reduced  work-out.

You have asked a good question which is sure to help others too. Good luck with your new horse :D

Answer 3

Reduced hard food and more exercises are the answer.    Hay is not fattening, just bulk.  You should never use drugs to reduce weight.  The safest way is to do it slowly.  Exercise burns fat and builds muscle - two different things all together.  Start off slowly and build it up.  

You could keep her boxed for part of the day or night to control the intake of feeding on grass.  Or if you have "starvation paddocks" where you are you could put her in there, but never withhold food totally as it will interfere with her digestion.

Answer 4

Well cut her food amount...you shouldn't be feeding her anymore grain then just a bit to be a treat if any. You should stick to grass/alfalfa mixes instead of straight or most alfalfa. Probably only two flakes two times a day is all she needs until she starts loosing weight good the you can do 2 in the morning and 3 in the evening. However i would do 2 and 2 until she is down to her usually weight. Paints are usually easy keepers so change it for her. Also exercise her A LOT make sure she sweats and gets ridden well!

Answer 5

I believe your best bet is excersize. Ido not know why people feed their horses by their weight and follow rules about that as I have never done so and the horses I have owned were in top shape being able to ride every day from nine to five with an hour to eat two cups of sweetfeed and one serving of calf manna and all the cubes and hay they wanted all night lone and during their lunch too. that is that on my feeding routine for a top shape horse. As far as overweight, start riding her. in the morn, one serving sweetfeed to spunk her up, then hit the trail and bring her to a sweat. cool her off and do it again. keep doing that. make sure she is cool by the time you bring her back as they can colic from being too hot and eating the feed as I am sure you already know. I live near a beach. If you do, make sure you test the sand for sink holes before loping or running. I had my horse snap his leg that way and I warn everyone about that but have found that the deep sand is great for making a horse sweat off the pounds. It did break my heart losing my best friend but the sand is still the best way to build strength endurance and speed. deep sand only-never forget that please. anyway, a fat horse is better than a starving one but I am glad you want her in shape and this is definately one way to make sure she gets there. make her sweat alot and ride her. just do not overdo it and consider her first as if you go up in the mountains all day, she needs rest the next as her muscles will cramp. flat land is an all day ride everyday ride though. hope this helps. take what you want and leave the rest but I have done this for many years and it works for these horses. one lived over 32 years by riding every day.aloha taz

Answer 6

If you work her all winter and keep her on a fitness program, she will be fit by summer.

There are no weight loss supplements for horses that I know of. There are a few for weight gain. Your horse does not need supplements, but a fitness program.

You cannot turn fat into muscle. They are two different types of tissues with different chemical makeups. It is true that when a person or horse goes from fat to fit, the amount of fat decreases and the amount of muscle increases, but the fat does not turn into muscle.

I suggests a fitness program with workouts 2-3 times per week. You should start with some short trot sets, then increase the number and duration of the trot sets, then include some canter sets. Is she is already going to be used in lessons, then she will get more fit from doing that work.