Belly

Question
I have a 7 year old arab gelding that i show eventing. He gets worked 4-5 times a week. The hay that is fed at our stables is not very good and there's no grass in the pasture. I feed him vitality ultra, and he gets wormed every 8 weeks. This year he has a HUGE pot belly. He's never had this before, so i'm wondering if there's something else that i can do?

Answer
Hi Stefanie,

Thanks for your question.  Your gelding's pot belly is most likely attributed to the poor hay.  It sounds like the hay you are feeding is not very nutritous therefore he has to eat more of it to get the nutrients he needs.  The belly is a result of the extra roughage he is consuming.  If you switch him to a better quality hay and continue working him, his belly will reduce.   

You have not mentioned whether your gelding's abdomen is sore to the touch or if he is displaying any signs of discomfort. If he is showing any signs of pain or discomfort then you need to contact your vet immediately.  

Similarly if his belly doesn't start getting smaller over the next couple of months (it could take up to 12 mths to return to normal depending on how much his abdomen area has distended)it may be worth having a chat to your vet - just in case.

I'm from Australia so I'm unfamiliar with your brands.  If you would like your feed assessed could you please list the ingedients in the feed, the nutritional analysis (% protein, DE etc) and the amount you feed.  Also the amount of work he gets ie: How long is each session?  What activities do you do?  At what level?

Good luck with your eventing!