Answer

By Your Horse

Nutritionist Louise Jones replies:

Although it’s important your pony loses weight, it’s crucial that this happens gradually. You are quite correct in continuing to supply adequate levels of forage, as heavily restricting fibre intake could lead to digestive problems such as colic. Your cob will need between 6-10kg of long fibre (ie hay, chaff or grass) a day in order to meet his fibre requirements, assuming he weighs 400kg.
You should soak your hay for 12 hours before feeding it to reduce its energy content. Another method of providing a high-fibre, low-calorie diet is to dilute the hay with good quality oat straw (50:50).
If your grazing is good quality and there is an abundance of it I suggest you consider strip-grazing or using a muzzle (a mesh or basket type muzzle is preferable so he can still graze – and make sure he can drink properly while wearing it).
Feed a vitamin and mineral supplement mixed with a little low-calorie chaff to balance your pony’s diet and increase his exercise regime. Experts believe lots of walking and trotting is beneficial for weight loss, so speak to your instructor to develop a weight-loss exercise plan.