Managing your horse's weight is crucial, especially if you have an easy keeper. Keeping your horse at a healthy weight will help prevent issues such as Insulin Resistance, Laminitis, and obesity. Horses that are known to be "easy keepers" have a higher chance of facing these issues, so it's important to prevent them from occurring. If you are struggling to keep weight off of your horse, then keep reading for tips!
What is an Easy Keeper Horse?
An easy keeper is a horse that can live on little feed. It takes a smaller amount of feed to keep these horses in good condition. Some horse owners say that their easy keeper "gets fat on air."
Having a Balanced Diet
Having a balanced diet that allows your horse to get necessary nutrients without added calories is key. Feed your horse a forage-only diet that consists of hay/pasture. Along with this, feed a low NSC ration balancer… I highly recommend the Barn Bag Balancer by Life Data Labs Inc. It contains low sugar and low starches so it will not make your horse fat, but it gives your horse the necessary nutrients they need. Many people think that all horses need grain, but this isn't true. Grain will cause your horse to gain weight, so it should not be fed to an easy keeper. A horse that gains weight easily does NOT need any type of grain, just a ration balancer.
Consider the Type of Grass
Choose carefully what kind of grass or hay your horse eats. For example, the legume, clover can make your horse gain weight very easily. A little bit of clover in hay won't hurt your horse but can cause weight gain if consumed in excessive amounts. For an easy keeper, pasture grasses such as orchard grass and bluegrass are great options. This goes the same for hay- feed a low-calorie hay that won’t make your horse gain weight. Fescue and orchard grass (or timothy) is a good combination for hay (depending on where you live you will be able to find certain types). Many horse owners think that alfalfa is the high-quality hay that all horses need. While alfalfa hay provides many nutrients and benefits, it can cause your horse to gain weight due to the high-quality protein. An easy keeper does NOT need alfalfa. Consider low-calorie hay options to keep your easy keeper lean.
Limit Grass Intake
Just as people limit the amount of desserts they eat per day, you should consider limiting the amount of grass your horse consumes. Spring is the time of year when the sugars in the grass start to increase, so you need to limit how much your horse is consuming. Many people use grazing muzzles because they will still allow your horse to be mobile out in the pasture. Typically most people use a grazing muzzle 12 hours a day; you should not leave a muzzle on your horse for 24 hours. Head here to read about grazing muzzles.
If your horse tolerates a muzzle, great. If not, then you may have to put your horse in a dry lot. If you put your horse in a dry lot, you must provide access to low-calorie hay. Horses are designed to eat small meals throughout the day, so you can’t leave them with nothing to munch on. An empty stomach can cause ulcers in your horse. Using a hay net will increase the amount of time that hay is available for your horse to munch on throughout the day. It’s also an easy way to manage how much your horse is eating. Head here to read about my favorite hay net. I typically leave my horse in a dry lot for about 12 hours, and then let her out in pasture for 12 hours.
Consider Grazing Hours
The time your horse is out grazing plays a significant role in weight gain. You need to let your horse graze during the time of day when the sugar content in the grass is at its lowest. As the sun shines on the grass throughout the day and into the afternoon hours, the sugar is stored in the grass. It's best to let your easy keeper graze during the night and in the early morning hours rather than during the day. On days when it's cloudy, the sugars in the grass are lower as photosynthesis makes sugar in the grass.
Exercise
Your easy keeper needs to get exercise, no matter if it's a horse or pony. It's a bit harder for ponies to get exercise since they can't be ridden, but this doesn't mean they can't get any exercise. Keeping your horse out in pasture will allow them to move around and get more exercise. While moving between pastures, horses in the wild can walk between 20 and 50 miles per day. You can even take your horse on hand walks for exercise. For regular-sized horses, ride them as often as you can to ensure they get adequate exercise.
Cut Back on Sweets
Cut back on the treats or sweet feeds. Easy keepers don’t need any treats or feeds that have high amounts of sugar. This doesn’t mean they can’t have any treats at all though- just choose safe options. If you like to give treats, I highly suggest SmartCookies by SmartPak. These treats have little to no sugar and are a great healthy option for easy keepers. Look for treats that contain little to no sugar.
Keep a Regular Trimming Schedule
Don’t let your horse’s hooves get too long, as this can cause multiple problems. Keeping a regular schedule with your farrier every 4-8 weeks is ideal, but ponies’ hooves grow much quicker than the average horse. Ponies’ hooves need to be trimmed in shorter periods such as every 5 weeks or so. During the spring and summer months, the hooves are also growing quicker than in the winter months. Your farrier will be able to catch any issues early and give advice to prevent foundering.
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