Weight Issues!
So, after the vet failed AGAIN to tell my mother exactly what she needs to be doing with Mr. Beluga, my little 11 year old mini, I'm coming to you guys for help. My pony is incredibly overweight. The picture of him below is old, about 2 years or so, since that photo was taken he has gained probably 8 inches around his girth.
He is only 36inches at his withers, but is a remarkable 5 FEET 3 INCHES AROUND. Whenever someone new comes over and sees him, they always ask "Oh wow, she must be due any day now!"
I do not live where he does, I'm about 20 minutes away. He lives with my mother, who has owned horses all her life, but never a mini. It seems she can't get it through her head that he does not need to eat as much as a full sized horse.
Also, he has heaves. He's on steroids for it, which my vet tells me can increase his risk of founder. Awesome. I have tried to explain this to my mother and it is just going right over her head.
And to top it all off, I just found out what she has been feeding him the last month or so. A nice healthy mix of pure alfalfa and some sort of hay with molasses mixed right in! She's giving that to him 2 times a day, on top of his near quarter bale of hay. He has PLENTY of grass to graze one, but why would he want to when he could be hanging out on her porch, sipping apple juice and munching on alfalfa cubes?
Please, the vets I've called out refuse to be straight forward with my mother about how severe his weight problems are, I NEED help.
I NEED to get his weight down. ASAP. Help me out, what can I feed him to get his weight down to somewhere near healthy?
He is only 36inches at his withers, but is a remarkable 5 FEET 3 INCHES AROUND. Whenever someone new comes over and sees him, they always ask "Oh wow, she must be due any day now!"
I do not live where he does, I'm about 20 minutes away. He lives with my mother, who has owned horses all her life, but never a mini. It seems she can't get it through her head that he does not need to eat as much as a full sized horse.
Also, he has heaves. He's on steroids for it, which my vet tells me can increase his risk of founder. Awesome. I have tried to explain this to my mother and it is just going right over her head.
And to top it all off, I just found out what she has been feeding him the last month or so. A nice healthy mix of pure alfalfa and some sort of hay with molasses mixed right in! She's giving that to him 2 times a day, on top of his near quarter bale of hay. He has PLENTY of grass to graze one, but why would he want to when he could be hanging out on her porch, sipping apple juice and munching on alfalfa cubes?
Please, the vets I've called out refuse to be straight forward with my mother about how severe his weight problems are, I NEED help.
I NEED to get his weight down. ASAP. Help me out, what can I feed him to get his weight down to somewhere near healthy?