This spring we left Elska out on what we thought was a weedy pasture. Elska responded by gaining so much weight she nearly hit 1,000 lbs before we caught on to what was going on.
We've got her back on the schedule we use for everyone else around here. Four hours of turnout on that 'weedy' pasture and then when we bring her in at night, she gets a small amount of hay and a feed of hay again in the morning. I was horrified when I realized what was going on. She was developing a cresty neck as well. Even though it seemed like it happened overnight, she developed this weight gain in the course of a month. I was seriously considering calling the vet because I couldn't see how a horse could gain so much on weeds. I've since cut the pasture down with the lawnmower and saw where she found pockets of grass here and there that were quite lush. Thankfully she's back on track and looking very healthy again...she should be. ..she's lost 130 lbs since this spring... I envy people that don't have to limit pasture. Wanda
