Light, Medium and Heavy work

[chunky monkey]

Just wondered what you consider to be a horse in light, medium and heavy work. Do you measure by the frequency of the work or how many hrs a week. Is it like-between such and such light work and between such and such hrs medium work etc.

Just trying to gauge as I am wondering about changing the diet as my boy is loosing weight. I wanted him to loose weight as he was quite porky, but the ribs are showing which isnt right for a good doing cob. I am thinking that I may need to give higher spec of food. Most of the food hes on is low calorie etc, for horses in light work. I dont want to over do the food as the new grass will start coming through soon and he puts weight on just looking at it.

 

[newforest]

I think most horses are in light work. An hour a day hacking is still light. Medium is probably hunting or competitions.
Have you checked the teeth and worms for weight loss, may not just be the food.

 

[eml]

Light work is generally a hacking/RC type horse, medium... hunting or competing regularly with fitness training in between.... heavy work, racing, higher levels of eventing, endurance.

Feed companies tend to overstate the amount of 'hard feed' required for each category so err downwards!! Most leisure horses just need increased or better quality forage if they are losing weight

 

[Rips]

as the new grass will start coming through soon and he puts weight on just looking at it.

If this is the case then why are you considering upping his feed?

Its 'ok' to have them a little light after coming through winter Being a little lean is much healthier then being overweight. Why build him up only to battle his weight all summer?

As with EML said, most leisure horses don't require anything except good forage to keep them in good weight. Even in medium to hard work, my horses are rarely fed. If they are ever fed, its like a token amount of a fibre based balancer.

 

[Joyscarer]

Ribs showing on a good doer cob with spring around the corner is perfect and something I'd love on Joy. Not happening though.

 

[bitsnpieces]

Another vote for probably not increasing his feed, it'll be good for him to go into Spring a bit lean, I always try to make sure that mine are a little lighter just before the grass comes through, the weight is much harder to shift once it's on!

 

[Gillydaydream]

I also agree with not doing anything drastic with his feed at this time of year as he is a good doer. With this weather the grass is going to start coming through early and as soon as that happens we'll all be fighting the flab again!
If your horse is schooling or hacking every day this is still considered light work on the scale of things.

Have you condition scored him all over rather than just looking at his ribs? My ID is a good doer and also laminitic so is watched like a hawk. I was worried about him being underweight last summer as I could see his ribs, but we had a nutritionist come to the yard who did an all over body condition score and said he was spot on.

If you do feel he needs more feed I would do nothing more than up his forage/fibre intake temporarily until the grass comes through.

 

[Trewsers]

My Storm gets ridden every day (weather permitting - don't do force 10 gales!) for half to three quarters of an hour in the school, usually a variety of walk and trot (not much canter due to tendon injury). According to most people this is extremely light work!lol. Don't think I've ever had or will have a hrose that is in medium or heavy work! In fact, most work I've ever done isn't classified as work................Guess you have to be out and about eventing etc or doing megga hacks to count?

 

[sjp1]

I would love to get to the stage where Tobes is in medium work.

Most of the time he is 'resting' or in light work!

Agree feed companies completely over estimate rations, if you went by what they suggest I shouldn't think most horses would get through their stable doors.