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Post by graymare on Dec 21, 2008 20:28:30 GMT 1
Never heard of doing this to lose weight. I have. Seen it done; on vets' advice - laminitic pony grossly overweight was clipped out and left unrugged in sand paddock with soaked hay (there was a field shelter to one side). Very unhappy miserable little thing.. The owner was at her wits end; spring and the seemingly inevitable bouts of lammy were just around the corner - vet had warned another epsiode would be it's last, so clipping was pitched as a last-ditch attempt to save the pony's life. Personally I felt the full clip was extreme, and would have thought lighter rugs and starting with a small bib clip to be a more balance approach
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cuffey
Olympic Poster
Posts: 962
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Post by cuffey on Dec 21, 2008 20:34:36 GMT 1
Lightweight rugs in winter!! IMO they only have a place to put onto a horse/pony to keep it relatively clean in mild weather Have you ever put your hand inside one when it is wet --really cold
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Post by beany1 on Dec 21, 2008 20:37:16 GMT 1
Thanks June thats really helpful info, it helps giving back info with 'meat on the bone', rather than lecturing, which can get peoples backs up. She is a client, not a best friend that I could tell what I thought.
SS3 the pony has been in a very poached paddock, I assume that didn't work and now she is resorting to trying to control the situation better - lots of people put their horses in stables, she is giving the yard a go. There is a metabolic thing she is under investigation for so I think all normal avenues have been tried and failed - she is not daft, or cruel.
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Post by beany1 on Dec 21, 2008 20:38:36 GMT 1
Ok ok enough of the shock horror! It's getting on my nerves I just wanted a bit of advice - thanks!
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Post by gingerloon on Dec 21, 2008 20:38:49 GMT 1
cuffey, I'm with you on that one, I'd rather an unclipped horse be unrugged than have a lightweight rug on in cold wet weather.
OP, can the pony be turned out into a field with a muzzle on? Agree with others that the exercise needed is trotting and cantering around a field, and foraging for food, not pottering about a concrete yard. Tis a really difficult situation and feel for you and the owner
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Post by gingerloon on Dec 21, 2008 20:41:05 GMT 1
sorry beany1, I dind't mean the shock horror thing, it just seemed extreme that's all :< :< I hope a suitable way around the problem can be found :< I'd definitely try the walking out in hand though, and not slopping along, a proper energetic walk. it's good fun as well
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Post by june on Dec 21, 2008 20:56:30 GMT 1
I was getting to my wits end with the lami Shetland but soaking the hay for between 12 and 24 hours and putting it inside two small holed nets really has made a difference. I also give her a treat ball with most of the treats (low calorie fibre nuts) too big to go through the holes so she spends most of the day chasing the ball around getting exercise and very ocassionally doing enough work to break up a treat so it does come out of the ball!
Exercise in weight loss is pretty important if its doable. We find the polo ponies drop weight when they start doing plenty of canter work. If she could do some loose schooling or long lining/lunging that would help too. Or even leading the horse alongside another one if it is reasonably sociable.
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Post by beany1 on Dec 21, 2008 21:02:02 GMT 1
I do think the owner is aware of the exercise issue, and she will tackle it when her situation allows. She is actually moving them tomorrow lol! So they will be turned out together for a bit, not sure what she is going to do after that but I will suggest a muzzle - I should think there will be plenty of running about tomorrow. My main query was the shivering and weight loss thing, and how detrimental it would be - obvious really that the horse wouldn't be happy, but I do think she would be prepared to risk that if it got some weight off. She asked me why I thought the vet had said it was a bad idea, now I can get back to her with several ideas, thanks guys Shame the vet didn't educate rather than lecture her really - typical!
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Post by gingerloon on Dec 21, 2008 21:12:32 GMT 1
keep us posted on how the pone does beany
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Post by beany1 on Dec 21, 2008 21:17:33 GMT 1
I will, esp the ?ems type stuff, it's really interesting. Just texted a friend about it, and she said she remembers years ago taking rugs off fatties to slim them down a bit, not clipping, but she distinctly remembers people saying 'let them shiver off a bit of weight'. So maybe she is stuck in the past mistakes, as many are still?
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Post by gingerloon on Dec 21, 2008 21:44:15 GMT 1
rugs off is fair enough, but full clip ? I have to say no to that. rugs off and partial bib clip or just no clip and letting them on wiht it, yes.
full clip, imho is cruel and will result in stress and suffering :<
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Post by june on Dec 21, 2008 22:33:31 GMT 1
I'd agree with rugs off too, its just the clipping and rugs off that could potentially be damaging to the horse's health. Without a rug they have to work harder to keep warm so will burn off some calories but they won't lose an excessive amount of body heat.
I've seen a horse with the early stages of hypothermia and it had to be warmed up under a solarium and then walked around in lots of rugs for a good hour before it recovered. That was an unclipped horse that had been left standing sweaty after exercise without a rug for about half an hour on a very cold day. It was amazing how fast it deteriorated and it was pretty clear it was in some distress. Quite scary.
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maislow
Grand Prix Poster
Posts: 1,815
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Post by maislow on Dec 21, 2008 22:52:45 GMT 1
I'd not clip her but keep her unrugged & see if the owner can take her out for 2 brisk walks a day for 20 mins each
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Post by Zoe RA on Dec 21, 2008 23:21:51 GMT 1
I believe that if the owner leaves this pony to shiver, she will become a cruelty case.
Defo needs to go down the exercise route
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Post by heather on Dec 21, 2008 23:46:35 GMT 1
I can see your dilemma beany1, and I admire your restraint with this person! I agree totally with Zoe and SpecialSparkle. If a doctor advised an obese person to stand around all day naked, in a concrete enclosure, I think that he would be struck off in an instant!! There is a strong risk of pneumonia if the pony were to get really hypothermic, and it is absolutely cruel to deliberately enforce an animal to endure such misery. If the owner's circumstances do not allow her to keep the pony adequately exercised, then she should at least try to get a sharer to help, daily lunging and long lining if not backed. I would also have the hay analysed for content, as if made early, it may be just too rich for such a good doer, even soaked. Threshed ryegrass hay, which is made later to gather the seed is ideal in a case like this, as the sugars are also very low. Heather
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