Fat horse that lacks sparkle

[soph]

hi everyone!

can anyone help me solve my feeding dilema......
fat (ish) horse that lacks that extra energy when ridden. currently turned out 24/7. being fed dodson and horrell competition mix, which has really helped with energy levels whilst schooling, you can see the difference. however the weight problem is still an issue. hes certainly not obesses or anything just not as trim as i'd like :D
is there anyway i can cut down his feed intake without loosing that energy?
thanks
s x

[ANN H]

If he's fattish and out 24/7 I don't think I'd be feeding him anything at the moment! My friend's overweight Irish cob is out 7 a.m. - 6 p.m. each day and she also feeds him (far too much) in the evening. Our instructor has told us that really he doesn't need feeding at all. However, she doesn't work him - more or less just keeps him as a pet. If he was ridden maybe he wouldn't have the weight problem!

[eventerbabe]

dengie fibremix. i feed it to my horse who's in medium work (or at least was til saddle went caput!). there are different grades, mine is on the easy level, but theres a level up, Extra, for horses doing eventing/dressage etc. it doesn't pile on the condition but provides them with enough energy. i also like the fact its fibre based. you can feed it on its own or in with hi-fi or alfa-a.

[soph]

thanks for such quick replies!
that sounds like just what we need eventerbabe, will look in2 getting some.
sophie