How much hay to feed an overweight horse: current vs. ideal weight?

Hello, as the owner of several overweight minis, I share your pain. Your pictures do not show a particularly heavy horse, so you have a good place to start. If you have ever been to a mini show, you have to wonder how they get those horses into such amazing shape. Very careful diets are 1 component, exercise is the next & maybe the most important. Those minis are worked, either by hand, or treadmill, or automatic walker non-stop during the show season. You will also need to be very judicious with the hay. Feed no more than 1.5%-2% of his body weight. No grain or pellets, period. And when he goes out on pasture, place a grazing muzzle on him. He will still be able to pick up a bit of grass, & of course drink. Do this, & your mini will look great in a few months. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hello and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is best to feed for the recommended weight. So, for example, if April weighs 12 lbs but should weigh closer to 10 lbs you'd want to feed the amount for a 10 lb cat. I often recommend feeding even 25% less than is recommended for the idea body weight because most cats tend to be pretty sedentary. Feeding an all canned food diet can also be helpful for weight loss. There are also prescription diets available like Royal Canin Low fat and Hill's Metabolic that can help with weight loss. If you are concerned with April's weight after taking some steps to reduce her calorie intake, you can always discuss a prescription weight loss diet with your veterinarian.

HI, good for you for adopting an older dog! She does not look very overweight but can stand to lose a few pounds. You should be feeding her a high quality dry food like Science Diet and look for the weight loss food. Make sure you feed her what it advises you to feed on the back of the bag. treats should be low fat like baby carrots or ice cubes. Based on the picture I would say get her down to about 30kgs and see how she looks. there is no need for wet food if she likes the dry. You should be able to feel her ribs easily but not see them. She should have a tucked in waist as well. Keeping her slim will keep her healthier. Start out with short walks and gradually go on longer ones. Exercise is vey helpful in losing weight. If she feels hungry, you can give her pieces of kibble as treats or stuff a rubber Kong toy with some weight loss canned food as well. Good luck, i hope this helps!

Hi again. Your main source of calories should come from good forage but if that is unavailable, you will need to add more fat to the diet. You can do this with vegetable oils, especially doybrsn oil rather than corn oil. Start with 2 ounces of oil twice daily & gradually build up to 8 ounces twice daily. Another source of fat is stabilized rice bran, which is about 20% fat & is palatable to horses. This is also less messy than an oil. You would feed the same increasing amount as the oil. Watch the manure for any signs of diarrhea or loose stool & back off the fats as necessary. Hope this helps & thanks againfor using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Feed as much timothy hay or similar grasses as possible. Limit or discontinue feeding commercial pellets. Offer about a cup of fresh greens daily. Avoid fruit and "sweet" vegetables such as corn or carrots. Try to increase Bun Bun's activity.

First, be sure to have Boc's teeth checked. At 27 the teeth are probably not in the best condition and you need to then feed accordingly. Horses this age often tend to choke because they cannot chew properly. I personally would feed an Equine Senior type diet mash and no hay. Only “complete” pelleted feeds which are designed to be fed without hay should be used since many pelleted feeds are only grain substitutes and do not contain the proper mineral balance to be used as the major or sole source of nutrition for the horse. Soak the food for one hour prior to feeding. You could also used soaked beet pulp which is highly digestible and easy to chew once soaked. If Boc's teeth are OK then feeding hay is fine but I would still soak it first. If she is emaciated and you cannot get her to eat enough calories in order to gain weight then I suggest you add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of oil (corn or vegetable) to the soaked grain. This adds a lot of calories and they like it! I hope this helps. If I did not answer you question you are welcome to post again or you an always opt to do a private consult where we can chat back and forth and you can ask as many questions as you'd like. Best wishes!

Hello. If it has been quite some time since the surgery, then the alfalfa pellets are fine to feed. To get his weight up, you can try feeding him an extra meal during the day. This should help. But some horses that undergo colic surgery always seem to remain a little thin ( while others seem to put on too much weight). Adding an extra meal would be a good place to start as well as plenty of good quality grass hay. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.