Getting rid of a hay belly??

born2ride_33 · 08-08-2005, 09:27 AM

How do you get rid of a hay belly without the horse dropping any other weight? My horse is getting big hay belly but is still skinny, you can see his ribs. He doesn't have a regular exercise plan, would that help? Here's his feed schedule:

Morning:
1/2 scoop of grain
1 flake of hay

11 am:
Put out to pasture all day-apporx. 8 hours

9 pm:
brought in and fed another 1/2 scoop of grain

Blistering Winds · 08-08-2005, 09:32 AM

You don't. Just exercise, cutting the amount of hay back. And making sure the horse is dewormed on a regular basis. I'd increase concentrates though if you need to drop the hay belly, yet gain weight.

Are you sure it is a hay belly and not a wormy belly? how is the pasture? can you just cut the one flake of hay out and just use 8 hours of pasture as his roughage content? Is it that good? If not, maybe cut the grazing down and increase the actual hay. How much does 1/2 a scoop weigh? I have most of my "weight gaining" horses on 3.5 lbs a feeding of grain plus hay and grazing till we get them to where we want, then we cut back on concentrates down till they are maintaining their weight.

born2ride_33 · 08-08-2005, 10:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blistering Winds

You don't. Just exercise, cutting the amount of hay back. And making sure the horse is dewormed on a regular basis. I'd increase concentrates though if you need to drop the hay belly, yet gain weight.

Are you sure it is a hay belly and not a wormy belly? how is the pasture? can you just cut the one flake of hay out and just use 8 hours of pasture as his roughage content? Is it that good? If not, maybe cut the grazing down and increase the actual hay. How much does 1/2 a scoop weigh? I have most of my "weight gaining" horses on 3.5 lbs a feeding of grain plus hay and grazing till we get them to where we want, then we cut back on concentrates down till they are maintaining their weight.

I'm not really big on horse feeds so what are concentrates? No, his belly is a hay belly, he is not wormy, I'm 100% positive. The pasture isn't good enough to do that, it's getting short with some tall spots but he tends to eat the short stuff. I'm actually not sure how much 1/2 a scoop weighs, I don't have a scale. Thanks for that info.

Blistering Winds · 08-08-2005, 10:06 AM

Your horse feed is what is called concentrates. because a LOT Of nutrients are "concentrated" into a smaller package.

Sue B · 08-08-2005, 10:11 AM

It is not the quantity that results in a hay belly, but the quality. That is, the issue.

However having said that....it IS indirectly the quantity because more low quality, or actually poorly digestible fiber, must be consumed in order for a horse to meet their nutritional needs. Often the quality is so low that it is impossible for them to consume enough to meet their nutritional needs. Thus they consume huge amounts of poorly digestible fiber trying to meet their nutritional needs and the result is hay bellies. If an insufficient amount of this poor quality hay is available. Then what they do consume, produces little nutritional benefit. In this case, owners often supplement grains in and effort to correct this. Unfortunately this is not the solution. Since the grains alone do not fully address the problem.

Perhaps an over simplification and extreme example would be, that they are eating
constantly and starving at the same time. They are performing the necessary function
with little positive result. This is why the comparison is often made with the photos of
the malnourished children of Africa with pot bellies.

Acid detergent fiber (ADF) is the percentage of highly indigestible and slowly digestible material in a feed or forage. This fraction includes cellulose, lignin, pectin, and ash. Lower ADF indicates a more digestible forage and is more desirable.

Even if a high quality forage is available, but is harvested too late, the result will be a higher ADF...and a poorly digestable forage.

If, when you crush a handful of forage in your hand, it is fresh smelling like newly harvest forage and is "soft" feeling, then it is generally lower in ADF. However, if it feels rough and course, then the ADF will generally be higher and thus lacking in digestability robbing your horse of nutrients.

The answer is to provide as much quality forage as possible. If you live in an area like I do...often the farmers do not/can not cut hay until long past maturity (sometime in mid July). This hay looks and smells great, but is high in NDF. I have to provide things like beet pulp, alfalfa pellets and hay cubes to compenstate for the lack of digestability in the hay. They still get pelnty or hay, but I replace some of it with these easily digested forages....depending on need.

It also can be dependent on the individual horse. For example, I have some draft crosses that get nutrients out of anytning they eat....then I have some TBs that have trouble getting nutrition out of even good quality hay and need higher amoumts of their hay replaced with the other forages to ensure that they don't get hay bellies and that they are getting good nutrition and appropriate amounts of easily digestable foodstuff without over loading them with feed.

Nes · 08-08-2005, 10:27 AM

Just remember some horses are comformed a little funny so you may not get her tucked up as much as you want

Nes.

harli36 · 08-08-2005, 02:05 PM

A true "hay belly" is not caused by nutrition(unless a lack in protein which is somewhat rare) or worms. It is caused by a lack of muslce along the horses topline. Many times as a horse gains larger amounts of weight he is also not working as much, so some of his muscles along his back will atrophy. Causing the bloated looking belly we know as "hay belly". There was an article on this in a somewhat recent(last year or two) Equus magazine.

Although a "hay belly" is not to be confused with a fat horse or a wormy horse.

Dawn · 08-08-2005, 08:27 PM

What you described is not a 'hay belly' (which is what harli just gave an excellent definition of). What you have described is either worms or sand.

MistyFawn666 · 08-08-2005, 08:37 PM

My mare has a hay belly but it is most likely because has had about 6 foals in the span of 9 years. I keep her wormed so it must just be the shape she has aquired though foaling.

Aricia · 08-09-2005, 10:04 AM

I co-sign Harli... a true hay belly is not caused by nutrition. I have seen horses on top quality Hay get bellies... they are also fat, so you KNOW they are getting enough calories! Its the lack of muscling on the topline that causes the weight of the belly to fall/hang.

As well, the big bellied children in third world countries are NOT the same as a hay bellied horse!

They have a condition called Kwashiorcor which is definitely starvation related, but is nothing like the pudgy bellies our horses sometimes get.

Cheers
Me

08-08-2005, 09:27 AM	#1
born2ride_33 Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Minnesota Posts: 1,646 Images: 243	Getting rid of a hay belly?? How do you get rid of a hay belly without the horse dropping any other weight? My horse is getting big hay belly but is still skinny, you can see his ribs. He doesn't have a regular exercise plan, would that help? Here's his feed schedule: Morning: 1/2 scoop of grain 1 flake of hay 11 am: Put out to pasture all day-apporx. 8 hours 9 pm: brought in and fed another 1/2 scoop of grain __________________ (}--{) **Taylor...3 barrels, 2 hearts, 1 passion (}--{) Yankee's Lucky Boy - '97 Palomino Paint Gelding Dana - '03 Silver Dapple Shetland Pony Mare Tucker was voted MOST AMAZING HORSE and BEST SOLID PAINT GELDING on HGS!!**

08-08-2005, 09:32 AM	#2
Blistering Winds Senior Member+ Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Augusta, Kansas Posts: 31,905 Images: 822 Blog Entries: 17	You don't. Just exercise, cutting the amount of hay back. And making sure the horse is dewormed on a regular basis. I'd increase concentrates though if you need to drop the hay belly, yet gain weight. Are you sure it is a hay belly and not a wormy belly? how is the pasture? can you just cut the one flake of hay out and just use 8 hours of pasture as his roughage content? Is it that good? If not, maybe cut the grazing down and increase the actual hay. How much does 1/2 a scoop weigh? I have most of my "weight gaining" horses on 3.5 lbs a feeding of grain plus hay and grazing till we get them to where we want, then we cut back on concentrates down till they are maintaining their weight. __________________ HGS is a very powerful, addicting place that is just as bad as cigarettes, however healthier for you AND your horse.

08-08-2005, 10:06 AM	#4
Blistering Winds Senior Member+ Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Augusta, Kansas Posts: 31,905 Images: 822 Blog Entries: 17	Your horse feed is what is called concentrates. because a LOT Of nutrients are "concentrated" into a smaller package. __________________ HGS is a very powerful, addicting place that is just as bad as cigarettes, however healthier for you AND your horse.

08-08-2005, 08:37 PM	#9
MistyFawn666 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Wisconsin the "Cheezy" State Posts: 540 Images: 26	My mare has a hay belly but it is most likely because has had about 6 foals in the span of 9 years. I keep her wormed so it must just be the shape she has aquired though foaling. __________________ I've been through the desert on a horse with no name..

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08-08-2005, 10:11 AM	#5
Sue B Senior Member+ Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 3,824 Images: 6	It is not the quantity that results in a hay belly, but the quality. That is, the issue. However having said that....it IS indirectly the quantity because more low quality, or actually poorly digestible fiber, must be consumed in order for a horse to meet their nutritional needs. Often the quality is so low that it is impossible for them to consume enough to meet their nutritional needs. Thus they consume huge amounts of poorly digestible fiber trying to meet their nutritional needs and the result is hay bellies. If an insufficient amount of this poor quality hay is available. Then what they do consume, produces little nutritional benefit. In this case, owners often supplement grains in and effort to correct this. Unfortunately this is not the solution. Since the grains alone do not fully address the problem. Perhaps an over simplification and extreme example would be, that they are eating constantly and starving at the same time. They are performing the necessary function with little positive result. This is why the comparison is often made with the photos of the malnourished children of Africa with pot bellies. Acid detergent fiber (ADF) is the percentage of highly indigestible and slowly digestible material in a feed or forage. This fraction includes cellulose, lignin, pectin, and ash. Lower ADF indicates a more digestible forage and is more desirable. Even if a high quality forage is available, but is harvested too late, the result will be a higher ADF...and a poorly digestable forage. If, when you crush a handful of forage in your hand, it is fresh smelling like newly harvest forage and is "soft" feeling, then it is generally lower in ADF. However, if it feels rough and course, then the ADF will generally be higher and thus lacking in digestability robbing your horse of nutrients. The answer is to provide as much quality forage as possible. If you live in an area like I do...often the farmers do not/can not cut hay until long past maturity (sometime in mid July). This hay looks and smells great, but is high in NDF. I have to provide things like beet pulp, alfalfa pellets and hay cubes to compenstate for the lack of digestability in the hay. They still get pelnty or hay, but I replace some of it with these easily digested forages....depending on need. It also can be dependent on the individual horse. For example, I have some draft crosses that get nutrients out of anytning they eat....then I have some TBs that have trouble getting nutrition out of even good quality hay and need higher amoumts of their hay replaced with the other forages to ensure that they don't get hay bellies and that they are getting good nutrition and appropriate amounts of easily digestable foodstuff without over loading them with feed.

08-08-2005, 10:27 AM	#6
Nes Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Kemptville Posts: 778 Images: 39	Just remember some horses are comformed a little funny so you may not get her tucked up as much as you want Nes.

08-08-2005, 02:05 PM	#7
harli36 Senior Member+ Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: northeastern Pa Posts: 4,450 Images: 43	A true "hay belly" is not caused by nutrition(unless a lack in protein which is somewhat rare) or worms. It is caused by a lack of muslce along the horses topline. Many times as a horse gains larger amounts of weight he is also not working as much, so some of his muscles along his back will atrophy. Causing the bloated looking belly we know as "hay belly". There was an article on this in a somewhat recent(last year or two) Equus magazine. Although a "hay belly" is not to be confused with a fat horse or a wormy horse.

08-08-2005, 08:27 PM	#8
Dawn Senior Member+ Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Tennessee Posts: 30,229 Images: 1328	What you described is not a 'hay belly' (which is what harli just gave an excellent definition of). What you have described is either worms or sand.

08-09-2005, 10:04 AM	#10
Aricia Full Member Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 143 Images: 37	I co-sign Harli... a true hay belly is not caused by nutrition. I have seen horses on top quality Hay get bellies... they are also fat, so you KNOW they are getting enough calories! Its the lack of muscling on the topline that causes the weight of the belly to fall/hang. As well, the big bellied children in third world countries are NOT the same as a hay bellied horse! They have a condition called Kwashiorcor which is definitely starvation related, but is nothing like the pudgy bellies our horses sometimes get. Cheers Me