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Author
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Topic: Obese Mare
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youngcole
Junior Member
Member # 2467
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posted May 10, 2004 05:03 PM
I have a mare in her 10th month. Kept her very active until recently. I was lunging her three days a week (walk/trot) sometimes in side reins and she was looking great. She is a big warmblood girl 16.2 and a very easy keeper. We pulled all of her shoes three weeks ago and she was VERY ouchy. I was turning her out in the pasture all day (BIG mistake) and now because of her formally ouchy feet and that yummy hay, I have a very fat mare. She couldn't handle being barefoot so we had to put her front shoes back on two days ago. My vet suggested that I start lunging her again (walk/trot). Freaks me out as I am feeding her less then nothing per the vet's instructions: 2 flakes of grass hay, 1/2 flake alfalfa, no grass, a scoop of alfa/molasses and 1/2 scoop Omelene 200. That is it for the whole day. My mare is looking at me like I am starving her. I need strength folks...she is "willing" me to throw her more food! You know the "look"! Anyone else ever had a mare blow up on them in the 11th hour?
Posts: 4 | Registered: May 2004
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Blistering Winds
Member
Member # 843
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posted May 10, 2004 05:20 PM
If you are under Vet instructions, then don't change it up. Maybe split the feeding up to 2-3 times. Even the small amount will help her out.
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Horses should not be treated as people. They should be respected for who they are and what they are capable of doing!
Born Free Now Expensive
Posts: 4337 | From: Texas | Registered: Oct 2003
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PawNHoofPrints
Member
Member # 518
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posted May 10, 2004 07:41 PM
I had to do the same with one of my cats, and boy is it tough to ignore them when they are begging for food. It has taken about 24 months for her to go from almost a 13 pound cat to an 8. (No one bothered to tell me that steriods would increase their appetite and not to free choice her while she on them for 2 months!!! Gained it MUCH faster than she lost it.) I would definitely keep up with the diet. Obesity can lead to all kinds of problems including founder in horses. If you go to www.purinamills.com, click on equine, and then click on either body condition score and/or feeding calculator, it explains what they should look like weight wise and how to calculate how many calories they need and how many pounds of purina feed are needed to achieve it.
Posts: 434 | From: Missouri | Registered: Aug 2003
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Lou3
Member
Member # 926
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posted May 10, 2004 07:52 PM
just think of it this way - if she's too fat she might have trouble foaling and you might lose her. That should stiffen your resolve somewhat. You're doing the right thing, just keep doing it. ![[Applaud]](graemlins/applaud.gif)
Lou
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gypsey gold doesnt gleam or clink, but stomps its feet and nickers in the night.
Posts: 1551 | From: UK | Registered: Oct 2003
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horse_crazy
Member
Member # 334
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posted May 11, 2004 04:39 PM
Hmm, well as long as you are feeding her, as your vet insturctued, Im not sure what else you cna do or should do. We have one mare that is as big as a house, ont he right amount of feed, on daily de-wormer, is in a turnout with little grass, and is stalled at night. She is HUGE, she is due within the next 2 weeks,a nd hopefully she just has a big baby and not twins. She is a big, stocky QH mare, around 15.2 hands and is bred toa 14.2-14.3 grullo stallion. What a baby this will be!
Anyways(after my talk about my mare), good luck with yours!
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Mares:
Honey-buckskin(in-foal to a smutty buckskin stallion)
BG-palomino/dunalino(foaled a beautiful filly)
Dibby-dun(in-foal to a palomino stallion)
Star Bucks-buttermilk buckskin(not bred, we may just use her as a riding horse)
Fillies:
Lizzy-grulla(will be used as a broodmare in the future, due to an injury as a weanling...we are unsure if she will be riding sound, although she might be, as her injury has healed so well...you can't even tell)
Sheba-black(hopefully will be shown in Halter classes starting this year)
Blue-blue roan(we aren't too sure what we are going to do with this filly yet....but she is a cutie)
Geldings:
Poco-sorrel/overo*Paint*(Awesome riding horse!)
Brandy-*FOR SALE*(Nice 2 yr old, going into training soon, price will go up, feel free to ask me about him..if you are interested)
Foals:
Tinker Bell- Red dun filly. Nice short neck, long legs, beautiful eyes..absolutely beautiful. Very people friendly.
Other 2 foals are expecting between May and June.
Posts: 853 | From: Wisconsin | Registered: Jun 2003
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youngcole
Junior Member
Member # 2467
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posted May 11, 2004 06:09 PM
You know what is very funny. I spoke with Purina today and asked for their opinion. I told them she was obese. They recommended that I feed her Omolene 200 during the last 90 days of gestation at 0.5% of the mare's body weight (7 lbs!), & 1% (14lbs!!!) of her body weight during lactation. She also needs 1% of her body weight in hay each day (14lbs). I can't even imagine how large she we would be.
Posts: 4 | Registered: May 2004
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PawNHoofPrints
Member
Member # 518
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posted May 13, 2004 06:58 PM
I'm not suprised. It is not ideal for them to lose a lot of weight during pregnancy. But it is also not good for them to be obese during pregnancy as the fat will fill the pelvic (birth) canal and can make delivery more difficult or result in a dystocia.
During lactation, her energy requirement will be EXTREMELY high. It is the most metabolically demanding time period besides growth in young animals. If she does not receive enough food during this time period, she will not be able to produce adequate quantities of milk for her foal.
Posts: 434 | From: Missouri | Registered: Aug 2003
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Lou3
Member
Member # 926
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posted May 15, 2004 08:56 AM
Yes feeding enough in lactation is important, its better that they dont lose weight during lactation or it might affect how much milk they produce.
Lou
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gypsey gold doesnt gleam or clink, but stomps its feet and nickers in the night.
Posts: 1551 | From: UK | Registered: Oct 2003
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