Fat Pony Feeders

08/09/2024

This is Philip Himanka, the amazing hoof care practitioner we are fortunate to have for our Fat Pony Consuela. This gets downloaded right away to listen to while I do my morning barn chores today! And The Humble Hoof podcast is an amazing source of knowledge we would definitely recommend you listen to!

We all have seen those horses that seem to be uncomfortable over various surfaces no matter how much we "do everything right”: tweaking their diet, removing excess sugars and starches, balancing their minerals to grow a healthier hoof, and giving them all the building blocks to actually grow sole. It's easy for us to get discouraged or beat ourselves up that the foot isn't responding to all our ingredients for health. So what is going on internally?

Philip Himanka, a mentor and clinician for Progressive Hoof Care Practitioners, chats with me about what is important when it comes to healthy sole tissue, how he works on some of these cases to get them more comfortable and grow healthier structure, and what we are looking for on radiographs to know if the internal structures are struggling due to damage.

You can hear the entire conversation on any podcast app under "The Humble Hoof," or directly at this link: https://thehumblehoof.com/2024/08/09/sole-depth-and-hoof-comfort/

And for those who want to geek out on topics like this, register for this year's Progressive Hoof Care Practitioners Conference in Chicago, IL, October 3-6, 2024! Visit progressivehoofcare.org/conference to sign up and I will see you there!

Thank you to our amazing sponsors:

Equithrive offers supplements for everything from metabolic health to joint support – get 20% off your first order at equithrive.com with code HUMBLEHOOF

Cavallo Hoof Boots is offering 20% off a pair of Trek hoof boots at cavallo-inc.com with code HRN

A special shout out to Grid as New, Mud Control Grids – they are a game changer for any mud issues, big or small! – mudcontrolgrids.com

Also be sure to check out HayBoss Feeders – haybossfeeders.com – for all your slow-feeding needs. I get my Hay Boss feeders from Mountain Lane Farm in NH!

07/25/2024

We love hearing about happy horses eating from our hay nets! 🥰

07/08/2024

The OG Fat Pony is one of these choke prone gobblers, she gets her bucket feed sopping wet and spread out over the bottom of a big, flat trough to slow her down.

Great infographic from AAEP regarding choke in horses.

A few things you can do to help prevent choke:

- Feed at ground level
- Feed hay before grain and use slow feeders for fast eaters
- Soak your feed or hay pellets/cubes until they make a soft mash
- Feed in a large bucket or trough with obstacles to reduce how fast they gobble their food (salt blocks are my personal favorite but smooth rocks work too! And yes, gobble is the technical term 😉🤓)
- Reduce competition for food amongst horses by feeding separately
- Stay UTD on dental exams!

07/02/2024

I remember how surprised I was when I first read this, I was so convinced it was acquired like in humans.

A higher percentage of obese horses have equine metabolic syndrome but this is because EMS makes them eat more and gain weight easily, not because obesity is causing EMS. Read more in the proceedings from Dr. Kellon's presentation COMPARATIVE HUMAN AND EQUINE METABOLIC SYNDROME from the 2021 NO Laminitis! Conference: https://www.e-junkie.com/i/11jjb. Downloads are free.

07/01/2024

This! I am bummed that my old pics of the FAT Fat Pony will not fit the parameters, but I will definitely submit her more recent pics for the model that shows ribs as well as regional fat deposits (albeit smaller now).

Share Your Horse's Photo for Research We need your help to gather 10,000 horse photos for a research study with the University of Guelph! We're using machine learning to predict your horse's body condition score from photos. We're working with Dr. Dan Tulpan, PhD and Dr. Saeed Shadpour, PhD at the U...

06/12/2024

A seasonal PSA for all of us in the northern hemisphere who are buying a year's worth of hay about now or soon!

Hay with too high moisture content is dangerous, both for the risk of catching fire as well as for the risk of growing mold (creating respiratory and digestive upset) and the possibility of botulism toxins created in damp, anaerobic pockets.

Did you know?

Hay baled with too much moisture (>25%) is at greater risk of catching fire due to microbial activity generating significant amounts of heat. If hay reaches 150-175°F, it has the potential to burst into flames. If you ever feel heat between your hay bales, remove them from the others, spread them out (ideally up off the ground on pallets) and allow them to dry.

06/02/2024

And when you can spread them out at ground level it is even better...

Oh, the joy of eating hay,
In the sun's warm, golden ray,
The horse's belly full and round,
Horses munching, a pleasant sound.

But alas, all good things must end,
As hay supply began to bend,
The horse looked up with pleading eyes,
Begging for more to materialize.

So if you see a horse in need,
Hang more hay to feed,
For their happiness is plain to see,
When they munch contentedly.

05/30/2024

Good pointers & reminders! One slide says that a horse can eat up to 5% of their body weight in a few hours, I would like to point out that if you are talking about ponies that time frame goes down to mere minutes... ;)

05/22/2024

I often tell our clients that pairing up an easier hay net with a more restricted hay net is a good way to keep an easy keeper eating for a longer duration. The easier net is faster to eat, reduces “hanger” and then the slower net keeps them busy for more hours.

04/26/2024

The season is upon us in full swing! Do not underestimate what a mere shimmer of green or under the fence access can do to a sensitive horse!

Every year, as the seasons change to spring in the Northern Hemisphere and fall in the Southern Hemisphere, we as hoofcare providers often see subtle (or not so subtle) changes in some horses' comfort, movement, and hoof health.

It might not be overt. Owners might see it as hoof sensitivity, or a horse that is choosing to trot in turn out instead of their usual cantering, or walk in turn out instead of their usual trotting.

Often, this can be a result of excess sugars from grass changes leading to inflammation in the hooves.

So how do you tell if this is a problem? What do you look for? And how do you treat or prevent it?

On this week's podcast episode, Rosemary Zwanenburg and Kristen Wertz chat with me about what they see in hooves affected by seasonal changes and what owners can do to help.

You can hear the entire conversation on any podcast app under "The Humble Hoof," or directly at this link: https://thehumblehoof.com/2024/04/26/are-seasonal-changes-affecting-your-horse/

Thank you to our amazing sponsors:

Equithrive offers supplements for everything from metabolic health to joint support – get 20% off your first order at equithrive.com with code HUMBLEHOOF

Cavallo Hoof Boots is offering 20% off a pair of Trek hoof boots at cavallo-inc.com with code HRN

A special shout out to Grid as New, Mud Control Grids – they are a game changer for any mud issues, big or small! – mudcontrolgrids.com

Also be sure to check out HayBoss Feeders – haybossfeeders.com – for all your slow-feeding needs. I get my Hay Boss feeders from Mountain Lane Farm in NH!

04/25/2024

Monday!

03/28/2024

Yes! Hay nets can save you money & make your horses improve their body condition! Part one of the study showed no increase in dental wear from feeding hay in hay nets, so check out that one as well if you have time to read some more…

03/23/2024

Getting good feedback on our products brightens any day! This is Jewel enjoying her new hay net, the Perfect Hay Net in green, mesh size 1
1/8”.

03/19/2024

“Ohhhhh my goodness! I am so, so excited! I’ve talked about your unique hay nets all weekend! I am absolutely thrilled! Thank you!”

This was from our raffle winner Emily Grimstead when I wrote to her that she had won a hay net of her choice.

These are Emily’s two lovely horses, Jewel, an 8 year old Arabian mare, they started showing together last year and have hopes to have more shows coming in 2024. The other is Goosebumps, Emily writes this about him and I had to share;

“Here is Goosebumps who will be enjoying the raffle net! He is my 24 year old retired Appaloosa pony and the love of my life. Now he teaches beginner walk-trot lessons at a Girl Scout camp! ❤️ Isn’t he the cutest!? He has a really neat story. He was slaughter bound and was saved by a nice lady years ago. I did a lot of showing with him and he has won quite a few fancy awards. I’ll never have a better friend.”

Emily, a red, 7/8” mesh net is in the mail, on its way you & Goosebumps!

03/18/2024

Here's a very timely podcast from Scoop and Scale about spring grazing I listened to while feeding and mucking this morning. I know that if I can see a faint shimmer of green on our small track my dear Fat Pony can eat that faint green shimmer and trouble can follow rapidly. I spray the areas I can't fence off with a mixture of distilled vinegar, dish soap and salt on warm sunny days for an effective, fast and safe grass removal. Don't forget about the "under the fence grazing" possibilities either!
If you feel confused about warm season or cold season grasses, or when it is safer to let them graze in the morning vs the afternoon, take listen!

As the cold and snowy winter turns into a bright green spring, we all dream about turning our horses out on a picturesque landscape to graze, but should we? Is it safe? The fear of fat ponies, laminitis and other metabolic diseases haunt us. Dr. Clair and Michelle discuss the importance of being pro...

03/18/2024

We have a winner! Well, technically she came in second, so we decided to have two winners in the hay net stuffing contest. Madison was almost unchallenged with her 10.5 seconds until the end of today when Ben showed up & surpassed her with an unbelievable 9.03 second time. This is the time it took to open the hay net, shove a big body pillow into it & then pull it shut. I don’t think there is a hay net on the market that can possibly be faster or easier to load???

03/17/2024

Look at this amazing fan art we were given by Madison & her mom! They painted it for us at the expo today. 🥰 Madison also happens to be the current - possibly unbeatable? - fastest hay net loader so far at the expo. She opened, loaded & shut our green hay net in 10.5 seconds!!! If you think you can beat her, come try it out!

03/16/2024

We got visitors! Beth Beymer and Giotto stopped by!

03/16/2024

Preach.

03/15/2024

We are at the Rocky Mountain Horse Expo - come find us! We have inventory at special expo prices, games & prices! :)

03/13/2024

We will have a booth at the Rocky Mountain Horse Expo in Denver this weekend, come see us!

In addition to bringing lots of hay nets - with an expo discount! - we will also showcase our solar powered, automatic hay feeder!

We are counting down the days to this year's Rocky Mountain Horse Expo and boy, do we have a lot in store 🤠

Just to name a few exciting activites being offered... Which are you looking forward to?

There's fun for the whole family, 2 legged and 4 legged 🐴

Tickets are available now and keep an eye on our website for updated information!

The Rocky Mountain Horse Expo is brought to you by the Equine Heritage Foundation. Donate to equine heritage today - coloradohorsecouncil.com/heritage

03/10/2024

Saturday evening spent in my shop. At least I have good company! Big things are coming. 😁

02/15/2024

Happy Valentine's Day! This was the cutest V-Day pic we saw online all day!

01/10/2024

This is good information which is often missed when discussing how to properly feed a Airplant of a horse, or a Chunky Monkey Pony. They can, and will, get overweight on hay alone. Many EMS/IR horses lack the "off switch" which will tell them to stop eating, so they simply do not self regulate their hay intake.

This is why we designed our hay nets to be able to be dropped by our feeders whenever you want them to, wherever in your track system or paddock. Spread out the calories both over time and distance!

FORAGE ALONE CAN MAKE YOUR HORSE TOO FAT ❗️

I've found myself saying this 3 times in the past week...

Grass, all types of hay (including organic meadow hay) and haylage can all cause obesity.

Don't assume that all fat horses are overfed from a bucket. Some will happily eat double the normal intake of forage if fed ad lib (free choice).

Some of you already know this, but more and more horses and ponies who aren't fed much in a bucket are obese, and there a persistent myth that if you feed natural non-ryegrass hay, they will regulate and stay a healthy weight. This is simply not true.

Some will overeat more after restriction; some will regulate if fed ad lib (but not many); some will literally eat themselves to death (yes, even on just hay).

Horses are all VERY different so be open minded and MONITOR your horse or pony regularly and carefully.

Monitor, monitor, monitor your horses and ponies to avoid and manage obesity.

Please help spread the word by sharing - thank you 🐴🍏

01/02/2024

Happy New Year!

Our 2024 started with a deep, mystery abrasion on a fetlock, so the first ride of 2024 was scrapped in favor of wound care. 😖 I carefully explained the timeline to my dear Fat Pony: “this happened _before_ midnight, so this was a poor ending to 2023 & not a crappy start of 2024, alright? _Before_ midnight, comprende?” 🤣

12/16/2023

This is a great podcast episode for anyone caring for an equine with sensitive airways or full blown airway disease. Our hay nets are designed to handle soaking & staying wet 24/7 which is important regardless of why you need to soak your hay, just to wet the hay to weigh down the spores/dust, or to reduce water soluble sugars. And again, stressing ground level feeding outside of a dust containing trough is incredibly important - both for airway drainage as well as for not swirling up more of the dust & spores inside a closed space.

How and what we feed horses with equine asthma matters. Barn air quality is also a major factor in equine respiratory health, especially during the winter months when horses spend more time inside. Dr. Clair and Michelle talk about the importance of lower respiratory system health in performance and...

11/29/2023

10/02/2023

Incredibly valuable information made into easily read bullet points by The Humble Hoof. If you have a horse prone to laminitis - or simply want to ensure you don't! - take a few minutes to read this & let it sink in.

TL;DR movement, movement, movement.

And also, check out the podcasts by The Humble Hoof, I listen to episodes when I sew hay nets.

09/28/2023

The OG Fat Pony would say that those ponies are amateurs & she could get that done in way less time. This is why we have spent an incredible amount of time designing a safe hay to slow her down, she is a dedicated professional…

PONIES CAN EAT HALF THEIR DAILY INTAKE IN JUST 3 HOURS 😳🐷🐴🍏

In research trials investigating pasture intake, ponies over-compensated for restricted turnout even when fed ad lib forage whilst stabled, off the pasture.

They seem to learn they will be restricted in time so compensate by eating grass at a much faster rate.

Ponies can eat up to 1% of their bodyweight in dry matter (equivalent of 5 kg for a 500kg horse) in just 3 hours of turnout on free-access pasture.

Unfortunately this shows that restricted turnout time is not a useful method of restricting grass intake. Strip grazing and/or grazing muzzles are proven methods of limiting grass - and therefore WSC (includes sugar) and calorie intake.

Research has also showed that ponies can eat up to 5% of their bodyweight turned out for 24h on good pasture, which is double a normal appetite.

It really is no wonder that some horses and ponies can get so overweight on grass pasture!

Feel free to share...
😳🐷🐴🍏

09/25/2023

We got our first international order this week!!! Not for these two beauties, they are in California. But now we can reach the Chonks even further away! 🤩