EASY KEEPERS REALLY AREN’T EASY

Last month we looked at hard keepers and how to help them. Now we’ll take a look at those air ferns that seem to live on next to nothing. You may think that maintaining them is a piece of cake…pun intended…but they have their own challenges. We’ll focus here on horses that get fat easily.

First, what is an easy keeper? We tend to define it as a horse that eats everything placed before him, has no problem maintaining his weight, and tends to get fat easily. Certain breeds have this tendency, such as ponies, Morgans, Minis, and Mustangs. Since I’ve had all of these in my barn, I’ve had some practice in this area! That is not meant to be a blanket statement regarding breeds though. I’ve also had a Morgan who was picky and ate better when fed from larger pans, and a Thoroughbred who gained weight easily once we found a feed that he liked. All horses are individuals and should be fed as such.

There are two main points of concern with easy keepers. First, it is necessary to control their calorie intake so they don’t get too fat. Secondly, you have to make sure they are getting proper nutrition. It’s challenging to make sure they are getting what they need without over feeding them and without expecting them to go too long between feedings. We’ll take a closer look at these points.

Like us, horses develop health problems with an increase in weight. Laminitis, joint problems, metabolic syndrome, and insulin resistance are just a few. There is also evidence that increased body fat can lead to lipomas, which are colic-causing fatty tumors in the abdominal cavity. Obesity increases the stress on a horse’s heart and lungs too. Clearly, there are many reasons to NOT let your horse get fat. Like us, horses gain weight when they take in more calories than they expend by moving around and/or keeping warm. Much of that can be traced to how we manage them. I know it is a sensitive subject, but we humans tend to show love by giving food to other humans, horses, cats, dogs…it’s easy for us to do. Horses don’t equate food with love. Their brains are wired differently. Food is fuel for their bodies. We’ve all been “victims” of that cute pony with the big brown eyes that cons us into feeding her (guilty!) but it’s not about love to her. It’s about survival. Our human need to feed, nurture, and reward with food can be detrimental to our horses’ health.

Also like us, there is a metabolic component. Let’s look at how horses are supposed to function. Horses are grazers. For their size, they actually have small stomachs. They are meant to move around all day, finding small amounts of food, then processing that and leaving frequent piles of manure. They aren’t built to take in large amounts and then not eat for several hours. Horses in the wild eat and move, all day long. Horses that are restricted to small dry lots or stalls should ideally be fed frequent small meals. Going without feed or forage for several hours can trigger a “survival mode” that releases hormones that lead to the body holding on to fat. We humans do it too. That is why diets can be so hard- your body thinks it is starving so it holds on to energy resources in the form of fat. For horses, current thinking is that this trigger happens after four hours. So your pony isn’t lying- her body really is telling her that she is in danger of starving if she hasn’t eaten for six hours! Expecting your easy keeper to stay healthy and slim by subsisting on just a few meals is working against his constitution. Ideally, we would let our horses graze all day long, but that has risks too. If given free access to forage, most horses self-limit, but easy keepers are less likely to do so. They just don’t want to step away from the food. Those are the ones we need to worry about.

Some of your easy keeper’s weight problem can be metabolic disorders. Since I’m not a vet, I really encourage you to talk with your vet about your horse’s overall health. Vets may want to do bloodwork to rule out metabolic issues. While we are on the subject of veterinarians, here is something to think about. Vets spend an incredible amount of time keeping up to date with current research, new meds, new modalities, and so much more. It’s a bit unrealistic to expect them to keep up with new feeds on the market too. If your vet recommends a certain feed, ask why they are recommending it so that you understand. Then talk with your feed store too. It is NOT the job of a feed store to overrule your vet (and they most definitely should not assume that role) but they may have suggestions that the vet may not know about. Expect to carry on a dialog with your vet and your feed store while you are determining the best diet for your horse. One advantage that feed stores have: access to equine nutritionists. If you need more detailed info, or have questions that your store can’t answer, ask to be contacted by a feed rep. They are happy to help you and usually there is no charge.

Let’s get back to the horses. The flip side of taking in too many calories is not expending enough. Remember, horses are meant to move. Ask your vet about an appropriate exercise program for your overweight horse. Like us, changes in exercise should be made slowly and with consideration of the horse’s body and mind. No weekend warrior stuff!

The second point of concern with easy keepers is whether they are getting enough protein, vitamins, and minerals. You may think that you are keeping your air fern at a healthy weight by only giving him a “handful” or a cup of feed. But this is critical: if you are NOT feeding the amount (in pounds) of feed that the bag recommends, you are depriving him of nutrients unless you are giving him supplements. There is more to good health than having sufficient calories. Your hay, even if it is very good hay, is deficient in nutrients too. If you haven’t had your hay analyzed, you won’t even know what is there or missing. You may think your horse looks great, but if you are depriving him of key vitamins and minerals, there is damage at a cellular level that you won’t see. Long term damage, such as joint health, might not show up for years. If you aren’t feeding to the bag’s specifications, it’s time to overhaul your feeding program. Think of it as a healthy thing that you are doing for your horse’s long term good.

So how do we do that? Let’s start with forage. Forage should be the largest part of any horse’s diet, whether they are easy or hard keepers. Remember, they are meant to move around and consume small amounts of forage constantly. It can be pasture, hay, or chopped forages. It’s hard to determine how many calories your horse is getting from pasture, because the sugar content can change daily depending on the time of year, amount of sunlight, and many other factors we can’t control. You may need to limit your easy keeper’s access by using a muzzle and restricting the size of the pasture and hours of turnout, and you should consider using rotation and pasture management to keep your pastures healthy.

In winter, your horse’s major calorie source should be hay, as long as he can chew it. But how much hay? It depends on the number of calories in the hay and your horse’s desired weight. Get your hay analyzed and determine how many kcals are in a pound. This number will vary depending on the time the hay was cut, the field that it comes from, and the grasses that are in the hay. If your hay comes from several different fields, have each analyzed. Once you know how many kcals are in a pound of hay, then you can multiply it by the pounds that you feed and get a total. The general rule of thumb is that a horse should consume 2% of its body weight per day. That means 2% of what he should weigh, not his current weight. Obviously, some horses need more and some need less, but you shouldn’t drop below 1.5%.

Next, take a good look at the info on your feed bag. If you’re feeding significantly less than what it recommends (IN POUNDS) for your horse’s ideal weight and activity level, then you’re giving the wrong feed. It’s time to explore some options, such as “lite” feeds and ration balancers. They each have a unique purpose and your horse’s activity level will help to determine the best choice.

“Lite” feeds are low calorie, low fat and low NSC (non-structural carbs). They provide vitamins and minerals and a moderate amount of protein and have a very low feeding rate. That means that a pound or two will provide your horse’s nutrients, along with good hay. Think of it as low fat, low sugar diet food. Ration balancers can be used in a similar manner, but the big difference is the amount of protein. Ration balancers have a higher level of protein to build and maintain muscle, and usually have a lower feeding rate (one-half to one pound per day.) Ration balancers and good hay (or even average hay) is a suitable diet for an easy keeper. Remember ration balancers are supplements, not feed, and they cost more per bag than feed, but because of the low feeding rate, they last longer.

Now let’s look at some of the equipment that you can use to help keep your horse healthy and satisfied. First, I’m a huge fan of slow feed hay bags. These come in either bag or net form and have small openings for the horse to pull hay through. The small openings mean that he has to slow down to eat it, and that makes the hay last longer. There are several options for the opening size so be careful when picking one out. Slow feeds nets and bags come in sizes that serve a single meal, cover a square bale, or cover a round bale. Beware though- horses are adept at getting into trouble, so always make sure that your horse cannot get a foot through the openings. You may need to adjust where and how you hang single-serve bags. The nets that cover round bales work well inside a round bale feeder to prevent horses from getting tangled up with them. Horses also manage to clip their blankets and halters to nets, so always turn your snaps in.

Nets and bags aren’t the only equipment that will help slow down your horse. There are many new items on the market that are meant to extend eating time, such as slow feed bins. Muzzles are also very effective for horses that are out to pasture. Most horses figure them out quickly. We had one horse in the barn that could empty a slow feed bag while wearing her muzzle! Muzzles are especially helpful if your horse goes outside with others and they share eating space. Again, safety first. Make sure that no one can get caught on any part of the muzzle.

You can also use different feed pans or buckets to help your horse slow down. Pans with a larger surface area mean that he has to chase the morsels around a bit. Adding large, smooth, rocks or chunks of salt block also help to increase the time it takes him to finish his meal.

Finally, there are a couple of techniques that you can use. If not using nets, spread the hay out around your horse’s turnout so that he has to move around to get it. Soaking hay will help to remove the carbs, especially the sugars, resulting in lower calorie hay. Feeding your easy keeper by himself ensures that he isn’t sneaking his buddies’ share too.

Like everything else in horse keeping, things work until they don’t. You may find over time that your horse’s needs have changed and he’s no longer an easy keeper. Perhaps his teeth have deteriorated, or his activity level has increased or decreased, or his age brings about changes. This is a good time to talk with your feed store about transitioning to different feeds or feeding techniques. Your vet should be included too if there are any health concerns.

In summary, the key points for your easy keeper’s health are to monitor how many calories he takes in, make sure that he is getting enough fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals, and slow him down so that his food lasts longer and he isn’t going without for long periods of time.