|
Post by greyhorse on Aug 17, 2014 16:47:46 GMT
Hopefully someone can help me with some ideas I have a cob who is not getting any fitter and I'm not sure where I am going wrong. He is currently in a bare paddock, no hard feed, no treats. He can't be stabled so I can't bring him in. He also can't wear a muzzle due to a nose injury. I ride him at least 5 times a week if not more. This involves lunging, schooling and hacking for at least 30mins at a time. Sometimes he does more. He is quite lazy but always sweats when working so I know he must be working a bit. Weight wise he is fat, I can feel ribs but not see them. He has been worked daily for months now, since spring but hasn't lost any weight. The paddock is pretty much as bare as it can get so he must be living from fresh air! His companion needs the grass so I can't really restrict any more without turning him out alone which he wouldn't like at all! My main problem is that he just won't do outline. He seems to struggle with everything. He finds canter transitions hard and will only canter a few strides. I have had everything checked and he has had vets who all say it's laziness and stems from being unfit. I have had lessons from two different instructors and he goes lovely after lots of hard work and being pushed very hard but obviously this is no good in the show ring as I need outline from the second I get on which I can't get with this pony!! He pokes his nose out or leans on the bit. I think it's partly my fault as he can spook/buck to evade work which makes me nervous but I get frustrated with schooling as I'm not getting anywhere and can't see any results from my many hours of hard work!! I think it's a fitness issue but how can I build up his muscles if he won't do outline in the first place? I'm not sure where I am going wrong, is there anything else I should be doing?
|
|
|
Post by lucynlizzysmum on Aug 17, 2014 23:09:50 GMT
To be fair 30 minutes a time is probably not going to get him fit. Is there anywhere you can hack taking in hill work?
|
|
foxyt
Full Member
Posts: 204
|
Post by foxyt on Aug 18, 2014 5:08:03 GMT
We build the hunters up from walking and short trots to best part of an hour trotting! It makes me a lot fitter too! Canter transition will become better the more you do, but if it's possible work on these out hacking. I've been working a friends horse who sounds similar to yours and we try and find some where to canter out hacking where we can have a race, the extra adrenalin makes it so much easier to get him going, now after a year of just galloping about and using those muscles more, his collected trot and canter have really come on.
I would leave the arena schooling and get out as much as possible, miles under his feet will get him fitter quickest. Work on a good forward walk, encouraging him to stretch out and take up the contact himself, so he creates power from behind. This will help muscles develop in his back legs and along his back. When you trot, make him really trot on, don't worry about the shape he's making, concentrate on forward and straight. All this will help but 30 mins isn't long enough, get a phone app like map my walk, see how many miles you do, we have a 3mile block we trot around in the week, 40 mins and some good hills, we have a 6 mile block which we do once a week but then we might do 7 to 10 miles on a weekend just to vary it, these are the pleasure horses not the hunters, but there routines are similar 2x3 miles 2x7 miles one days hunting two days turned out. I do understand that's a great luxury to ride hunters every morning and I don't, I only might do days of their work to fit in around my own horses and jobs. But it's just an example of how to get a horse fit. Good luck x
|
|
|
Post by judyh on Aug 18, 2014 7:15:45 GMT
I think your horse is lacking in energy as, in your post, you say he is getting little food. He needs some hard feed to boost this, part of getting him fit will be a good feeding regime of the correct balance. You need to get help from an experienced person who can help you .
|
|
|
Post by fanfarefan on Aug 18, 2014 16:53:40 GMT
how old is he
|
|
|
Post by brindlerainbow on Aug 18, 2014 17:13:04 GMT
Agree with Judyh. The horse isn't getting any energy which is why he is lazy. He needs some petrol in the tank!!! Also 30 minutes of work isn't enough to get a horse fit, it's ok to start with half an hour but gradually build up until he is doing a couple of hours a day. Also make him work when he is being ridden, get him in an outline, use plenty of leg and make him work from behind.
|
|
|
Post by greyhorse on Aug 21, 2014 12:59:35 GMT
Hi, thanks for the replys everyone! He is 9 years. I am just following vets advice as he has a bout of low grade laminitis. She advised a bare paddock and no hard feed as there was enough in his field (it looks bare but he has hardly lost any weight so he must be getting food from somewhere!) I will definatley look at diets though. From a quick google it seems something like baileys lo cal may be beneficial? I have also had a lesson in which he went well so fingers crossed he is turning a corner! I am aiming to work him everyday and will take all advice on board
|
|
|
Post by Toaster on Aug 21, 2014 20:11:17 GMT
You could look in to a basic version of Paddock Paradise by making a track around your field, people who have done this have found their equines fitter as a result
|
|
dis
Junior Member
Posts: 82
|
Post by dis on Aug 21, 2014 20:48:14 GMT
Hillwork, hacking, long slow work burns fat. feeding wise id feed something like pro balance for minerals andvits in something low cal like fast fibre. lessons will improve his schooling, id have 1 or 2 per week until good progress is made then reduce down.
|
|
sarahp
Happy to help
Posts: 9,510
|
Post by sarahp on Aug 24, 2014 16:29:24 GMT
If he's fat you're right, he definitely does not need any energy providing feed, it would just get laid down as more fat! I was about to suggest a balancer to make sure he has all necessary micronutrients, a lo cal one would be ideal or if he has had lami Top Spec do a supplement called AntiLam which might be worth you having a look at.
|
|
|
Post by waspblue on Aug 25, 2014 11:16:01 GMT
You could look in to a basic version of Paddock Paradise by making a track around your field, people who have done this have found their equines fitter as a result This system has helped my good doer, who has been out of work through injury for over 15 months and has piled weight on, even on a bare field! A yard move meant a YO who has been brilliant and has put a little track up in a small paddock for my boy, which has really helped a lot.
|
|
|
Post by Welshies222 on Sept 7, 2014 1:57:18 GMT
If you're worried about the weight/laminitis I would out him on a cup of I think it's top spec lo cal balancer a day on it's own. Then he's getting a balanced diet with all the nutrients he needs, low calories and very little else. Definitely lots of trotting up hills and give him a couple of blow outs in fields when possible
|
|
|
Post by sammyceeee on Sept 16, 2014 19:22:15 GMT
If a horses body has literally no food, it will think it is being starved and hang on to every bit of fat it can, and it wont lose it!! Having no food in the stomach can also cause loads of problems. I agree with a lo cal balancer or a vit and min salt lick in the field. And soak hay to get all the sugars out and give him some of that. He cant work if he has no food to get energy from.
|
|
foxyt
Full Member
Posts: 204
|
Post by foxyt on Sept 16, 2014 21:32:02 GMT
We have a sec a who gets minimal riding but needed to loose lots of weight, I tried cutting him back on hay and grass with no bucket, this turned him in to a wild stallion, a friend suggested he needed balancer, I use NAF slimline which is a powder and he also has a big scoop of lite chaff, over the winter he had this twice a day, small paddock turn out and 4kg of hay as recommended by vet. He loves the big buckets of food, therefore he loves me, and his very placid with his small rider. He has lost 63kg since January and is now about the right weight for his frame. It's important to keep the fibre going through the hind gut to prevent lami, which is why he got so much chaff, but the balancer kept everything else ticking over. I choose the chaff as the best source of fibre as I could trust what was in the bag, we had had the hay analysed and it was brill for the dairy cows that need loads of energy but was a bit too much for small ponies. Don't ditch the bucket buy a feed to suit your needs, and keep the gut moving and happy
|
|
sarahp
Happy to help
Posts: 9,510
|
Post by sarahp on Sept 17, 2014 5:53:49 GMT
Well put. But sammycee, energy from feed and from that stored as body fat will equally well fuel work, in the latter case slimming the pony at the same time. The trick is exercise if you can, and very low energy fibre feed, soaked hay as you say or suitable chaff in a bucket will both work. My fatties have a slice of hay and a bucket feed of low cal chaff and balancer per day which works well. They are out in my old sand school which has a smattering of feeble grass and I reckon too that scavenging for this all day between feeds will help keep the digestive system working, better than standing in a stable with nothing anyway.
|
|
|
Post by cariad on Sept 24, 2014 15:31:05 GMT
When my cushings gelding balooned in size, i was told to make a small paddock in the middle of the field put soaked net of hay at one side and water at other, horse will automatically walk itself around all day grazing and moving back and forth from water, key exercise. Horse needs some form of energy, try hi fi light and beet. Low sugar high fibre. Good luck x
|
|