[sokel]

We have a 50% american miniature horse that seems to get fat on fresh air and nothing will move it
She is kept out of the fields  with acces to the short lawn in the garden  for an hour a day . she has access to hay when not on the grass but TBH she hardly eats more than a thin slice in a 24hr period
she is walked out and also lunged most days weather permitting  although she has lost quite a bit of  weight  she is still way too fat .
She did suffer with laminitis before we got her but thankfully in the 2 years we have had her she has not been bothered with it 
any advice for getting the weight down ?

[lachlanandmarcus]

What about one of these?
http://www.viableselfsufficiency.co.uk/SC/saddlechariot

[Sbom]

Very cool! But £1500! Eek 

[sokel]

We did think about having her broken to drive as we do drive but not convinced she could pull anything up the very steep hill out of here 

[lachlanandmarcus]

We did think about having her broken to drive as we do drive but not convinced she could pull anything up the very steep hill out of here 

Understood, we live on a hill like that :-))

[honeyend]

I would not put her on the lawn if it was seeded as it usually contains ryegrass and clover. A small pony can at enough calories in one hour on grass for its daily needs. I leave a square next to anywhere they are grazing fenced off so you can see by the grass growth what they have eaten. Its sometimes hard to remember that there is no grass because they have eaten it!!
Have you heard on a paddock paradise, its where you make an inner fence round the edge of the turn out area and put food and water in different places, there fore they walk further also buy small whole hay nets and always  put the forage in them so it takes longer to eat.
I would not feed hay, replace with good clean barley straw or if you can get it oat straw.
 Pony dieting is a full time job.

[sokel]

The lawn was not a seeded lawn and it is fenced off with electric tape so she is limited to just a small area and we already use a haylege net rather than a hay net for that reason .
She seems to blow right up on straw hence the reason we get poor quality hay just for her and keep it seperate from the good hay

[jinglejoys]

I was going to mention a Paddock Paradise too, make him work for his grazing, and a saddlechariot which is stainless steel so lasts forever, costs as much as some well known carriages, fits all sizes and has an instant release system (meaning you don't have to try to get to the ponies head before releasing, you just pull the rip cord 

 
 
Then there's HorseAgility  http://www.thehorseagilityclub.com/your-club/great-britain/
 

[landroverroy]

Err - what happens then when you pull the rip cord? Do you end up in a heap on the floor while your trusty steed wanders off?

[lachlanandmarcus]

Probably, although the theory is you step back off it as you pull the cord and remain upright, like many theories, the practice might be different  but it would be preferable to being bolted with while still in a carriage I reckon....:-))))

[charlsbury border collies]

i have miniature horses and i lunge them everyday 5 mins on each rein keeps them fit as they all put weight on really fast, and are meant to be quite slender. or you can break to harness you can get a second hand english leather harness for £100 and second hand cart for about £250
 

[SheepCrazy!]

Do you have other horses? I used to hack out 5 miles a day on my DalesX  and walk my Sheltand pony behind. Kept us all fit! Ah the day's when the roads were quiet and I had more time, Good luck

[Hevxxx99]

Ensure he has enough Magnesium in his diet as it helps with metabolic disorders that most "fat on fresh air" ponies have. May be worth having the vet check.

Obviously limiting grazing and as much excercise as possible, but if you can keep him in or off grass for long enough for him to get hungry, feed a net of clean but old hay that has been soaked for 24 hours beforehand, or (preferably oat) straw so he is full before he goes out and has plenty of fibre in his gut to help prevent laminitis.

Grazing muzzles are also very helpful if you can get one small enough!