Fat Pony Feeders

08/06/2025

Pelleted feeds can provide flexibility - and relief! - when you are facing difficulties feeding regular hay. Whether it is due to your horses health (respiratory problems, FFW, teeth) or more of a logistic challenge like storage, weather, traveling etc. This episode breaks it down excellently!

As an example, we had to feed our dear Fat Pony soaked hay for a year after her airways were irritated from wildfire smoke. While she also has EMS/IR it is important to feed her small, frequent meals. On hot days soaked hay spoils exceptionally fast and it became very challenging to manage. Low starch, pelleted hay to the rescue! We fed soaked hay morning and evening and put pellets or cubes in her feeders - my life became instantly easier. It also lead to a complete redesign of our feeders as my pony learned to shake the feeders for the pellets to drop out, but that is a different story! ;)

Aug 4, 2025 | Alfalfa, Asthma, Dr. Clair Thunes, Equine Nutrition, Forage, Free F***l Water Syndrome (FFWS), Hay, Hay Cubes, Hay Pellets, Podcast, Respiratory

06/06/2025

‘Tis the season & the anxiety is upon us all. Not enough rain? Too much rain? Fuel prices? What other states are in a drought this year??? How many bales do I need to buy to get us through a year of unknowns? How should I test the hay before I buy - or now that I already locked in a year’s worth??? How do I best store this enormous purchase now that I have paid for it? 😱 At least Scoop and Scale can help alleviate some of your stress with fact based information!

🌾 𝐇𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞! 𝐖𝐞 𝐇𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐌𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐄𝐩𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐚𝐧 𝐈𝐧f𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐧 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐇𝐚𝐲 🌾

As haying season kicks into full gear, it’s the perfect time to tune into our podcast and get advice on everything from sourcing hay to storing it properly. Whether you're cutting, baling, or simply preparing for the upcoming months, these episodes are a must-listen for anyone in the equine world! 🐴✨

🎧 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐞𝐩𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐬:

1️⃣ 𝐄𝐩. 𝟑𝟎: 𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐇𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐇𝐚𝐲
Learn what makes the best hay for your horses, and how to choose the right type based on their nutritional needs. https://scoopandscale.com/ep-30-understanding-horse-hay/

2️⃣ 𝐄𝐩. 𝟏𝟗: 𝐓𝐨 𝐓𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐫 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐓𝐞𝐬𝐭… 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐢𝐠 𝐇𝐚𝐲 𝐐𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧!
Is hay testing worth it? We break down the benefits and why it could save you money and trouble in the long run. https://scoopandscale.com/ep-19-to-test-or-not-to-test-the-big-hay-question/

3️⃣ 𝐄𝐩. 𝟗: 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐇𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐇𝐚𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 F𝐞𝐞𝐝
Proper hay storage is critical to preserving quality and preventing waste. Find out how to keep your hay in top condition until it's needed. https://scoopandscale.com/ep-9-storing-horse-hay-and-feed/

4️⃣ 𝐄𝐩. 𝟒: 𝐇𝐚𝐲 𝐍𝐨𝐰! 𝐖𝐡𝐲 F𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 F𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨f 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐃𝐢𝐞𝐭
Forage is the cornerstone of any horse’s diet. Discover why getting the right hay can make all the difference in your horse’s health. https://scoopandscale.com/ep-4-hay-now-why-forage-is-the-foundation-of-the-equine-diet/

🔗 𝐋𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐧𝐨𝐰 and get your haying game on point this season! https://open.spotify.com/show/6rr2X8hVw8udfSkaFeRTUj?si=a1e12d86d19248c2

01/28/2025

Very much looking forward to this episode! I personally hope for more understanding on subclinical laminitis - gotta wait till Monday to find out!

01/20/2025

Timely information that could save a life!

Jan 20, 2025 | Cold Weather Horse Management, Dr. Clair Thunes, Equine Nutrition, Forage, Horse Nutrition Basics, Podcast

12/23/2024

Here’s a great episode from our favorite podcast! I listened to it this morning while doing barn chores & it was just as thorough & knowledgeable as I expected! Regular body scoring is a good way to detect changes early! And yes, it is challenging to be objective! My new go-to expression will be “mutton withered!” 🤣❤️

Body condition scoring is an objective technique used to determine whether a horse is in optimal condition or not. When a horse’s body condition is less than or more than optimal it suggests that the dietary calorie intake needs to be adjusted. Once you know if your horse’s condition is optimal,...

11/25/2024

Truth… Slow feeders, less calorie dense forage, exercise, exercise & exercise.

ANTI-INFLAMMATORY DIET DOES NOT 'CURE' OBESITY - ONLY FAT LOSS DOES!!

Feeding an anti-inflammatory diet and ad lib forage can NOT reset the hormones (including leptin) involved in fat regulation (obesity and weight loss/gain).

This is plain incorrect.

Fat tissue does not dissolve if you increase antioxidant intake or give anti-inflammatories. The ONLY way fat stores decrease is by use of the stored energy by the body due to energy (calorie) deficit that day. Fat (adipose tissue) is the body’s store of energy from the diet that is not needed that day.

Your horse or pony's appetite will not simply regulate itself by anti-inflammatory 'diets’, meds or ad lib forage.

You can see where the theory comes from, but if you open your mind and think deeply about evolution and horses in the wild (before we got involved) then the answer is clear.

Horses and ponies evolved to get fat when food is plentiful so that they survive when food is scarce (and/or low energy).

Forage scarcity / low energy diets are a NORMAL and NATURAL process!

The confusion comes from the complicated and paradoxical function of hormones involved in weight gain and loss, fat deposition (ie energy storage) and appetite. All of these perfectly natural functions will misfire and fail when an unnatural diet (ad lib, moderate to high energy forage) is available, long term.

The fact is that the body (yours and your horse) is NOT ADAPTED to long term free choice moderate to high energy food!

And the inflammation that occurs is the body’s response as it tries to cram in more fat stores wherever it can e.g. in the internal organs, muscle and arteries – the only way to reverse that is to reduce the excess energy intake!

The answer to the challenge of an obese horse or pony with a dysfunctional appetite who seems to be ravenously hungry despite unnaturally high, harmful fat levels is to:

SIMULATE WINTER i.e. to provide slightly restricted, very low calorie forage. Soak hay. Mix in straw (if appropriate). Use slow feeders and increase exercise (simulates searching for food). Whatever it takes to get the body to use the stores of fat energy.

This is the one and only answer to crack the vicious cycle of chronic obesity and the associated dysfunctional appetite.

Please share to help me spread this message - thank you! 🐴🍏

11/11/2024

We got a shout out on our favorite podcast today! I always recommend listening to Scoop and Scale as they are very, very knowledgable - but especially this episode! 🤩

Although often considered a solution for overweight equines, the truth is, slow feeders can offer enrichment to all horses. By helping to mimic more natural grazing behaviors these feeders can be a tool to help combat boredom as well as to help manage calorie intake. Making horses work a little hard...

10/29/2024

I can't stress this enough, fat horses are not healthy horses. They also have 0 emotional attachment to their own body weight, so it is perfectly reasonable to call them what they are; FAT. There, I said it... ;P And they shouldn't be, it is on our watch and through our actions (or lack of actions) that they become and/or stay fat.

Concerned about inflammation?

Obesity has been identified as the NUMBER ONE cause of chronic, systemic inflammation in humans, and more and more evidence points to the same link in horses. Maintaining a healthy body condition of 4.5-6 on the Henneke Scale (1-9) is a simple and effective tool you can utilize to help manage your horse’s health, including decreasing the potential risk of inflammation.

Follow the link below for an easy to use infographic of the Henneke Body Condition Scoring System. https://www.facebook.com/AAEPHorseDocs/photos/a.347949547690/10157539134172691/?type=3