Older Horse Nutrition & Care

Question
I have a 23 year old Tennessee Walker who is on pasture most of the time 24 hours a day and is about 150 pounds overweight!!! HELP!! We are planning to move to the farm soon but right now with gas prices so high I have to go every other day to check on him. I have been told not to keep him on pasture 24/7, keep him up during the day & pasture him at night, stall him during the week feeding hay and appx quart of 10%sweetfeed once a day with plenty of water of course and pasture on weekends, stall him all week feeding him enough hay for 2 days and oats in a bucket.....I am at my wits end. There is more but I cannot list all of the advice... I can manage better when we are there as I can pasture and stall but what about the feed. In the winter I feed slice of hay and quart of 10% sweetfeed twice a day, leave him on pasture unless it was below 32degrees then I would stall him with feed! He was doing great like this. Unless he is stalled he will not eat hay! We have orchard and other good grass 6 acre pasture. HELP!! I am nuts with the nutrition advice!!! Everyone I know tells me something different. What do you recommend on getting 150 pounds off of him...I cant ride him daily because I work and am trying ready our home for sale and build another. I appreciate your time!!

Answer
Hi - first off, I would get the opinion of a vet if you haven't done so already.  

This is what I had to do with a ~very~ easy keeper mare I used to have - she actually foundered on pasture so her pasture had to be severely limited.....

If it is a hassle stalling, can you limit the amount of pasture the horse has access to?  Using a cross-fence, such as portable step-in fence posts and electric tape may be an option - that is what I use for mine (they have been used to it their whole lives though).

Section off a portion of pasture, and when that is eaten down, add a little more - depending on how much you add, you can do it every other day or so, or every few days.  

This will limit the amount of grass the horse is getting, without making him go hungry or have to go without any grass at all.

I personally do not like the idea of taking him off for 5 days, then putting back on for a weekend...

If he has to 'work' for his food (move around to find the choice bits etc) he will get more exercise.

Do you have anyone locally who could also ride him for you during the week?  My one mare is a very easy keeper, and probably has a good 50 pound extra right now - yet her pasture mate is much leaner (much more antsy/nervous too).....so I have a young lady working with the easy keeper as a summer 4-h project.

I hope this helps you out some, please feel free to contact me with any more questions you might have.  

Lisa