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Thoughts on Bucky
Hey guys! There is a horse in my barn that has completed the no grain challenge and has been on the SBM (and hay) diet for 1 ½ years now. The past couple months his owner has noticed these dimples on his side and we have been trying to puzzle out if these are fat deposits or u related. He received ½-1lb of SBM per day (depending on work load) and 20-25lbs of hay per day. I would love to hear your guys’ thoughts as to what these could be! Thanks in advance!
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3 Replies
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I’m not sure what the dimpling is, but his overall condition looks great in that second photo.
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I think we need more info. Has he gained weight or lost weight? Has the pasture changed with new weeds? I’m not sure what to think. If it is fat then 20 to 25 lb of hay a day may be too much starch. Is this in addition to pasture? If so, how much pasture?
We often forget to reduce or stop feeding pasture in the summer as the starch adds up to increased body fat. People put on body fat in very unusual ways that may have a genetic basis. There are some that only add fat below the waist while above the waist there is little body fat. Maybe your horse is adding fat in this unusual way.
If it is increased body fat in an unusual patters then reduce the amount of hay or, if there is no pasture, soak the hay to remove the starch which in turn will reduce the insulin which in turn will allow for loss of body fat. All of this is in the webinar called “The Ins And Outs Of Fat” if you need a refresher.
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Thank you for your thoughts! Bucky has not gained or lost much weight in the past year and is on very limited pasture (mostly hand grazing for 5-10min a day) as the farm he lives on has dry lot paddocks and stalls and while some grass does grow in the paddocks occasionally, I would not call it ‘pasture.’ My main reason for posting about him is that I had never seen a horse put on fat in the form of dimples on the side before and was curious what others have experienced. I will talk to his owner about perhaps decreasing the amount of hay he is fed or soaking his hay to decrease the starch content. Thanks!
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