My horse is heavy and I only feed her straight orchard grass?

I assume you mean you are feeding straight orchard grass hay? Yes, it is better to feed a grass mix. My hayfield has a mix of several grasses with a legume content (alfalfa) of about 20%. If you have mixed grass hay without legumes, it would be best for her. Legume hays are very rich and if a horse is, for example, insulin resistant, then legumes are not desirable in the hay. However, for most horses the small legume content is a rich source of calcium and other nutrients and is recommended for horses with gastric ulcers or prone to them.

If you have to stick with just the orchard grass, then add a slat block and separate mineral block, preferable kept by the water trough to encourage her to use them. My trough is in the run in shelter and the blocks are in there next to it.

If she is grazing the grass, then you can also reduce her intake by having her wear a grazing muzzle. The one I prefer is the Best Friends brand, with the added nose pad to protect from chafing.

Shes obviously getting too much orchard grass if shes overweight! Can you put her off the grass for a few hours a day to get her weight down - or perhaps put a grazing muzzle on her which will reduce the intake of grass?

Grass is of course the best thing for a horse to eat - but you do need to introduce a variety of other feeds which contain minerals that grass doesnt - even if you started feeding her a small hard feed once a day - this would supply these - or give her a mineral lick to have in her field?

xx

Less grass or hay.

Use a grazing muzzle while she is turned out. That will limit how much she can eat.

Then give a nice broad spectrum vitamin one made for horses on a grass hay diet. They make several.

That way your horse is getting all the vitamins and minerals they need and you can then alter the amount of hay or grass to get the desired weight loss.

This is what my vet recommend for our mare. It has worked wonders. She is very healthy and has lost weight quite well.

If you have her on pasture I would put a grazing muzzle on her. As far as the best feed for your mare to get plenty of vitamins without the calories, I would talk to your vet and local feed store dealer. They generally know what their talking about and a phone call shouldn't cost you anything.. Just think it would be better for your mare for professional advice than to assume someone on the internet is right. I have a fat horse I'm slimming down too though, but I've just been taking her on walks every day and put her in a pasture without alot of lush green grass.. hope this helps.

take her off the grass, limit grazing [replace the grass with hay]

the best thing for a horse is GRASS '

i suggest buying horse sense second edition - [even if it is an Australian book] its amazing :) full of everything you need it will be your guide for life it has all the proper feeding, protien etc

Yes think how when you pull the wet grass out from a cloged lawn mower. How dense it is! Imaine gastric juices trying to permiate and process a fist size wedge of that. i belive the hay would allow better capillary flow and even better\safer ruffage in a mix.

But thats just theory I had a hors along time ago, flack of first cutting alfalfa in the morning -same in the eve.

Best