TCJpart84 Diets

'DIETS' & 'NUTRITION':

As you know Tom and Henry have been on a diet since January this year.  All I have done is cut out all the willy-nilly treats, the 'I love you' treats especially, replaced them with a scratch, which they really enjoy. 

The rain this year has meant the grass has grown so they have more of that to eat...but eating grass, that's a moving about job so I take that into account!

They get half an apple each at weigh time after Sunday dinner, their usual feed because they need all that goodness still, bagged haylage freshly filled haybars....and they have lost a little over 100Kg's since the beginning of the year!

...but, when do I stop?

I don't have a target weight for them in my head.  They don't have a bikini they need to look good in, or a pair of amazing jeans to fit in before they stop. I can already use the girths 2 girths ago, is that the horse version of a sucessful diet? They look incredible.  They've modelled for M&S this year.  Perhaps because my effort has been slow and my reasons prevention rather than cure, I should just carry on with the 'diet', only now call it 'nutrition'?

So, that's the new plan:

Tom & Henry are off the diets, and now have a diet based on sound Nutrition guidelines as advised by Dodson & Horrell and me.

Tom & Henry don't do eventing or long distance riding, with the weather we've had recently their lucky to get out at all!!!  But, they do need nutrition.  They need minerals, vitamins, fibre, fibre, fibre and fibre,

I needed to be honest about the load I was giving them to eat.  Now I am happy with the results and believe this is the way to continue.  Plus, when you stop calling it a 'diet', it seems like you're under less pressure.

...yes....going forward, keep weightaping them every week, keep up with the no-treats philosophy, and I'll let you know how it goes!