Question
My gelding has problems with both Cushing’s syndrome and laminitis. He’s overweight, probably a condition score of 7, and he’s 24 years old. His diet is uncomplicated: 2 lb (1 kg) of sweet feed, 2 lb (1 kg) soaked alfalfa cubes, and free-choice mineral block, in addition to some O.K.-quality hay. He receives pergolide for his Cushing’s, though occasionally I take him off that and put him on powdered chasteberry and powdered flaxseed for a week or two. I know he needs to lose weight but how, considering his on-and-off soundness issues?
Answer
Because you mentioned your gelding needs to lose weight, my first suggestion is to switch from the sweet feed to a ration balancer pellet. Ration balancer pellets are concentrated sources of protein, vitamins, and minerals designed to be fed at 1-2 lb (0.5-1 kg) per day. Your gelding would get more nutrients and fewer calories out of 1 lb (0.5 kg) of a ration balancer than 2 lb (1 kg) of sweet feed because it is designed to be fed at a higher rate to meet nutrient requirements.
In regard to forage, he should consume at least 1.25-1.5% of his body weight in forage daily. This can be a combination of grass or hay and other sources like cubes, chaff, or pellets. Since he can still chew hay well, it is best for him to have long-stem forage (grass hay) to maintain proper gut motility. You describe the hay as “O.K.-quality,” and for this horse that’s probably ideal, so long as it’s without dust, mold, and foreign material. If you find he consumes his hay too fast, you can try a slow-feeder haynet that will lengthen the amount of time it takes him to consume his allotted amount of hay. The alfalfa cubes are probably not harming him in any way, but he doesn’t need them based on your description of his weight.
Also, to help with weight loss, you can try to increase exercise by spreading hay throughout the pasture to promote movement. In the same vein, you can feed the hay on the other end of the field from the water source. This will encourage exercise, too.
When the grass gets lush again in the spring I strongly recommend using a muzzle to minimize the grass and fructan intake, as fructan can spark a laminitic episode. Another way to prevent laminitis is adding the hindgut buffer EquiShure to his meals. EquiShure is a time-released supplement that balances the pH environment to promote proper functioning of microbes, and is especially useful for horses prone to recurrent laminitis.
