Top Tips to Avoid Spring Weight Gain

Here are our 10 favourite things you can do to help prevent excess weight gain for your horse this Spring!

Remember to make any changes gradually, and support their digestive system with PharmaTRAC Total Digestive Support to keep their fore & hind gut comfortable during changes in routine, forage, workload, routine, weather, grass or season.

1. Use condition scoring and a weight tape to help you monitor changes to your horse’s condition and weight, to help you stay ahead of any medical problems.
2. Control grass intake – either by fencing off areas of the field, using a grazing muzzle, or limiting time on grass
3. Soak hay – soaking hay dramatically reduces the nutrients and the sugars in it
4. Increase movement – if your horse isn’t ridden this can simply be taking them for a walk in hand, or moving hay & feed around the field to encourage them to move
5. Review hard feed ration – as long as your horse still has a balanced diet, think about whether their intake is as much as their output or if you can reduce their hard feed
6. Reduce rugs – now the weather is warmer, your horse might be fine with a lighter rug, or no rug at all. Keeping themselves warm is a good way to burn excess calories
7. Up workload – slowly increasing your horse’s exercise regime can help them to lose a few extra pounds
8. Slow hay intake – either by using a trickle feeder hay net, or feeding hay gradually throughout the day. Remember not to leave your horse too long without access to forage
9. Feed less treats – think about if they really need them!
10. Make changes gradually – remember to make any changes gradually, over a period of time, to avoid any digestive upset

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Posted on 27th March, 2024.