Desperately Seeking Energy Please!

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Remus needs a regeneration. Stat.

There is one main theme throughout my blog posts so far. And that is the lack of energy in Remus. He has always been an easy keeper until last winter when he lost some weight but he gained most of that back this Spring and this Summer we have kept his muzzle on but he still is not immense which is good. But he still has no energy. And I do realize if he was fitter he would have more energy but how do you get a horse fitter when he really doesn’t want to trot or canter much at all?

I have discussed adding oats to his diet, and also been researching other energy supplements. I don’t want a cray cray horse obviously but I would like a bit of oomph when I move him forward. I wear spurs and use them when they are needed but he is not above kicking up with them and then slowing right back down to a crawl. I also carry a whip in dressage lessons and a crop in jump lessons. Tools we’s gots thems!

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Get it, crawling? 🙂

I wonder if anyone has had this issue with their horse or pony and what you did to help? Any supplements worth trying? Should I try oats?? Should I try fireworks? Inquiring minds want to know.

He is a registered Quarter Horse with foundation bloodlines. Those type of horses are all round types and go all day chasing cattle. Remus says…um no on the chasing cattle and yes on the sitting by the pool sipping on a drink.

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not a pool but you get the idea….

I did finally get my photos from Fair Hill Trials in July, so will share a few photos with you so you can see Remus’ wild side even cross country. Horse you crack me up you wild thing you….

This might be a toss up on who is more exhausted looking but it was a hot humid day!! But we are not having a pulling match and he is literally loping! HA

REmus catner
I think this was right before the water jump….where we were both thinking the water would be cool (it was not it was like bath water ICK)

And this over the logs earlier on. This one cracks me up cause that damn PS Sweden bridle and its browband drooping ruins a nice shot in 80 percent of my photos. Hence I won’t be competing in that anymore I am sticking with the Eponia. Live and learn.

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Baby got moves, just needs a little more oomph is all….

 

 

I truly love his expression in the water. He really does love water. And he really does have a wonderful attitude I have to admit but a bit more energy would be lovely.

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The ears always tell the tale! And I spy a Mango Bay Belt that someone made me buy!
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ears still up. I look like I am dying already.

Any suggestions on amping him up so slightly would be great!! Thanks for slogging through all the photos. He is a good boy but we just need a bit more forward!!

 

14 thoughts on “Desperately Seeking Energy Please!”

  1. Amber is a little more on the ‘hot’ side I think since she’s got Peptoboonsmal on her dam’s side, but she gets fed a bermuda/alfalfa mix (about 10 or so pounds each feeding) and about 2 pounds of Ultium Competition grain. I really really like that grain. It really gives her energy, is supposed to help muscles after intense workouts and has helped my mom’s mare. Whisper used to be really really lethargic, and with more food and the Ultium she’s brightened in color and looks healthier as well as has a lot more energy for my mom and I to work with. No craziness tho! She’s still super sane lol people have said it made their horse hot, but personally I haven’t experienced that. Sorry for the long explanation 😂 but yeah check it out! I don’t feed the recommended 4-5 pounds because it has a high fat content which I like but since Amber is an easy keeper she doesn’t quite need 4 pounds 😂

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  3. I know you’re looking for energy, but random internet stranger opinion here: it kind of sounds like maybe you’ve got an “I’m not listening and don’t have to go” problem when you say he’ll respond to the spurs and then drop back down to the dying pony shuffle. (And QHs are… I don’t want to say *good* at that, but… umm… Yeah, no, they’re great at it. lol) I’d be curious what happens if you spent some time re-teaching him that a go command is a “go until I say stop and not a minute before” order and not really an *option*.

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    1. Hi thanks!! yes i do know that Remus is evasive to a point but it used to be he never responded and now he is quite responsive. He just doesnt have a lot of oomph is most of it. He used to balk (YIKES I hated that) and be really annoying to move forward. Now he does move forward but he probably could use a few more lessons on that when I say go you go!! My dressage trainer worked on us all last winter on that. Always a good reminder, thanks so much! AND dying pony shuffle you got it! HA!

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  4. pure uncut cocaine. i hear it’s a helluva drug ;P

    lol in all seriousness tho, Remus is such a cool dude and so good at his job. maybe too good – he knows exactly how much effort everything needs and is very economical about expending that effort! he’d make a good accountant or something lol.

    i think the tricky thing here is adding a little vim and vigor without adding the calories, right? usually ppl want the opposite: to add weight without making the horse too hot. alfalfa has a reputation for being rocket fuel for certain horses, and i’ve been feeding charlie alfalfa pellets for a while to help add protein to his diet. maybe like some sort of alfalfa pellet or cube mash before rides would help?

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    1. Only you would suggest cocaine for my horse. HA HA HA that would be funny (not funny)….

      And you def nailed it on the head with Remus. He is very very methodical and knows just how far to do stuff so as to get it accomplished and no more. Sally loves this about him in fact. She trusts him implicitly with me and thinks he should be already going BN. (With a different rider maybe HA). (And i have a vision of Remus with half moon glasses and a calculator now. THANKS).

      I agree i think i just want to add something to amp him a slight bit….he is NOT overweight for the first time in his life ever so he can afford to have a few more calories….but you are right i do not want to add loads….

      Now to be fair he will amp up some once it cools the eff off too! (He can be quite hot by Harvestfest time (early November and often our last event) as in i had to switch bits last time cause i could NOT STOP HIM HA!

      thanks again!! 🙂

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  5. I live this life. And yes, we improved it noticably through fitness and being very strict about enforcing the go button, also continuing on exercising for a short time after she says she’s “done”. Honestly, though, the thing that has made a world of difference is her (vet prescribed) thyroid meds. So much more energy! Weight loss actually happening! Because yeah, we couldn’t get her fitter when we couldn’t actually feed her much of anything since most energy giving feeds = calories. I was skeptical, but luckily the meds gave us the jump start we desperately needed.

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    1. I was hoping you would post as I wondered how you dealt with your adorable cobs! I know Remus is definitely that sort of build for sure….(just a wee bit taller).

      Back when Remus was fat fat fat we treated him as insulin deficient (he had the crest, he doesn’t now, he had the rolls on his butt he doesn’t now). He was on MSM and a few other imbalance supplements and it def helped but then we went thru last winter where he was not fat. So now he is just on Smart Digest and a multivitamin and his small ration of pellets (10 percent).

      I wonder if I should get Remus thyroid checked. thanks for the suggestion!!

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