Overweight horses may be prone to founder / laminitis.
If your horse is overweight, you might want to try the temporary diet for potentially
insulin resistant or Cushings horses. This is a *temporary* diet until you can have
your hay analyzed in preparation of figuring out the necessary permanent diet.
The point of the diet is to feed a very low sugar diet; therefore, no apples, carrots,
sugary treats,grain, pellets, senior feed, or anything with molasses
(which is used as a binder), and NO grazing.
[] Feed grass hay (low sugar content, see http://safergrass.org) in the amount of
15 lbs/day for a 1000 pound horse (weight is determined by the horse's "ideal" weight).
Soak hay before feeding to lower sugar content.
[] Supplement with beet pulp (beet pulp comes in pellets or shreds -- find the type
*without* molasses). Wash the beet pulp until the water runs clear,
then soak so that the pulp absorbs water).
[] The following supplements can go into the beet pulp, until your hay has been analyzed
and you have determined what is needed for a balanced ration:
Salt, iodized, tablespoon
Magnesium, 1.5 grams per day, per 500 lbs body weight
Vitamin E, 1000 IU per day per 500 lbs body weight
For more detailed information, please go to the Equine Cushings list, where you will
have support from people experienced with overweight horses and also Dr. Eleanor Kellon:
