horse is a pig

["David and Lanora Doud" <dldoud@ev1.net>]

I need some advice or my husband horse is going down the road.

 

First of all I have a Arab/NSH mare that I am training to do CTR,my husband has a QH gelding that we got for companionship and also so he can ride with me. We just brought them to our place a few weeks ago and it has been wonderful.  We have a 64x56 square paddock that the horses are kept in, my husband and I throw out flakes of really good quality coastal hay quite frequently and they get a mix of sweetfeed and steamed, crimped oats twice a day.  There is no grass to graze on, they had that gone in 3 days. I do let them graze else where around the house after we ride.

 

PROBLEM: The QH is an absolute pig and he is dominent. I thought my mare was getting plenty to eat, but I left on Friday for a health conference and came back this evening and I was shocked at the weight my horse has lost, I was furious, because she has always been in good shape. She is the type of horse that you could put out a round bale and she would eat what she wanted, when she wanted and not get overly fat. He on the other hand is very aggressive when it comes to eating and will eat and eat and eat until he is a fat as a tick. We just spent the last 2 hours guarding her so she could eat all the hay she wanted, my husband had to literally stand with a crop and keep him back, he can be very snicky and he finished his portion and came for hers.  My husband wants to sell him, he is a good horse on the trail and is bomb proof. How can we get him to quit being such a chow hound.

 

Thank you in advance.

 

Lanora