Thanks for all your input on grazing muzzles etc. This is Day 1 of Sid's boot camp. The intention is that he loses a LOT of weight, enough that I can feel his ribs. I can't find a weigh tape anywhere (what does that tell you, hmmm?) but he is immense:
He's not cresty, but he has layers of fat on his ribs and belly and enormous fat pads on his shoulders and either side of his tail. He is borderline obese, if not actually obese. Oh dear.
I will buy a weigh tape and keep a note of how he's doing. The plan is to start with more exercise and restricting his grazing. I looked at my so-called track and realised it was actually a decent-sized paddock spread out a bit. I have ensmallened the grass area by making it between 2 and 3 m narrower over both long sides. Each long side is about 250m so that's quite a lot of ground. I've made the loafing areas at each corner smaller, too.
You can see how much narrower it is.
I'm concerned that the narrow track won't provide Mattie with enough nourishment when they are in together, so I'm going to make another plan. At the end of the week I'm going to buy a Flexible Fillies muzzle for Sid - all over the place I find reviews that says it is a fiddle to fit, but the kindest and most effective muzzle out there, so I will swallow hard and spent Ā£80 on it. Then Sid can be on his narrow starvy track during the night, and during the day he can wear the muzzle (on the "starve" setting - in other words I won't make the hole any bigger!) and go into the long grass with Mattie. It's not as if they groom each other all the time.
He needs more exercise too. My intention to up our average hack (3 times a week) to 1.5 hours, or more, went by the board today because he was trimmed yesterday and was really uncomfortable on the road. We did 45 minutes of walk and trot but I had to choose the softest, least stony going I could find. He's certainly not lame as he was thundering about the field to complain about having less grass! I'll up it as his feet settle and potentially buy a pair of boots if we can't do the long fast hacks he needs. I'll build up to trotting wherever we can trot and cantering wherever we can canter - we're still mostly at walk. Hill training is OK because it is pretty hilly where I live.
My friend Carol says she will lunge him at trot twice a week for a minimum of 15 minutes, which is great because I just find lunging soooo boring.
If this doesn't give results, I'll consider bringing him in during the day with soaked hay. But I think more movement is better.
So achievements today:
STARTED!
45 minute walk and trot hack
Reduced size of track
He's not cresty, but he has layers of fat on his ribs and belly and enormous fat pads on his shoulders and either side of his tail. He is borderline obese, if not actually obese. Oh dear.
I will buy a weigh tape and keep a note of how he's doing. The plan is to start with more exercise and restricting his grazing. I looked at my so-called track and realised it was actually a decent-sized paddock spread out a bit. I have ensmallened the grass area by making it between 2 and 3 m narrower over both long sides. Each long side is about 250m so that's quite a lot of ground. I've made the loafing areas at each corner smaller, too.
You can see how much narrower it is.
I'm concerned that the narrow track won't provide Mattie with enough nourishment when they are in together, so I'm going to make another plan. At the end of the week I'm going to buy a Flexible Fillies muzzle for Sid - all over the place I find reviews that says it is a fiddle to fit, but the kindest and most effective muzzle out there, so I will swallow hard and spent Ā£80 on it. Then Sid can be on his narrow starvy track during the night, and during the day he can wear the muzzle (on the "starve" setting - in other words I won't make the hole any bigger!) and go into the long grass with Mattie. It's not as if they groom each other all the time.
He needs more exercise too. My intention to up our average hack (3 times a week) to 1.5 hours, or more, went by the board today because he was trimmed yesterday and was really uncomfortable on the road. We did 45 minutes of walk and trot but I had to choose the softest, least stony going I could find. He's certainly not lame as he was thundering about the field to complain about having less grass! I'll up it as his feet settle and potentially buy a pair of boots if we can't do the long fast hacks he needs. I'll build up to trotting wherever we can trot and cantering wherever we can canter - we're still mostly at walk. Hill training is OK because it is pretty hilly where I live.
My friend Carol says she will lunge him at trot twice a week for a minimum of 15 minutes, which is great because I just find lunging soooo boring.
If this doesn't give results, I'll consider bringing him in during the day with soaked hay. But I think more movement is better.
So achievements today:
STARTED!
45 minute walk and trot hack
Reduced size of track