My last post documented my woes of putting Hudson on a diet
in order to, in short, save her life.
Her heavy weight, which she managed to gain and maintain on a free-choice
hay diet (and, eh-hmm, lack of exercise), was linked to lameness, which appeared to be a low-level chronic
laminitis.
Unfortunately, this lameness, which she had, off and on, all her life, was becoming worse with age. She got to the point where, even though she has been off pasture completely for more than a year, only eating hay, she still would have flare-ups of acute pain.
Unfortunately, this lameness, which she had, off and on, all her life, was becoming worse with age. She got to the point where, even though she has been off pasture completely for more than a year, only eating hay, she still would have flare-ups of acute pain.
Anyway, she has been on a strict diet of 18 pounds of grass
hay a day, fed in slow-feed bags, since March. She also gets one pound of Nutrena Empower Top
Line Balancer and an SE/E supplement to make sure she’s getting the
vitamins and minerals she needs.
Would you like to see the before and after shots? Of course
you would! Drum roll, please…
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| Hudson in March |
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| Hudson today. Are those actual ribs I see? |
At the last vet check, the vet rated her a 6 on the Henneke scoring system,
which is in the middle group on a scale of 1-9, but still on the heavy side. I
dare say that, today, she might rank a neat 5, which is even better.
As for her lameness, it is still there, but much diminished. She walks in the dry lot without limping, and you’ll only see the lameness when she’s making turns. I can’t ride her, but I’m hoping to continue to see improvement here.
I'm happy about these results. Even though Hudson pines for more food, especially grass, she seems overall more comfortable. Unfortunately, her terrible conformation, with her big, front-heavy body (she's half draft) and feet too small for her size, means she's set up for lameness issues. At this point, I'm just aiming at pasture sound and, maybe, good for a few slow laps in the arena.
My vet commented, after seeing Hudson, that many horse owners of overweight horses just can't get themselves to reduce their horse's feed. I definitely understand that. I really didn't want to have to go back to measuring hay and metering it out, being tied to a feeding schedule, and seeing her unhappy (as anyone on a diet understands). But, hey, this is Hudson we're talking about! She's my girl -- my much healthier girl!
As for her lameness, it is still there, but much diminished. She walks in the dry lot without limping, and you’ll only see the lameness when she’s making turns. I can’t ride her, but I’m hoping to continue to see improvement here.
I'm happy about these results. Even though Hudson pines for more food, especially grass, she seems overall more comfortable. Unfortunately, her terrible conformation, with her big, front-heavy body (she's half draft) and feet too small for her size, means she's set up for lameness issues. At this point, I'm just aiming at pasture sound and, maybe, good for a few slow laps in the arena.
My vet commented, after seeing Hudson, that many horse owners of overweight horses just can't get themselves to reduce their horse's feed. I definitely understand that. I really didn't want to have to go back to measuring hay and metering it out, being tied to a feeding schedule, and seeing her unhappy (as anyone on a diet understands). But, hey, this is Hudson we're talking about! She's my girl -- my much healthier girl!
.
