Rosehip
Well-Known Member
I appologise in advance as this is going to be a bit of a rant, so sorry to anyone I inadvertantly offend or upset.
Im getting more and more upset and worked up about the whole weight issue, and it has been winding me up for some time, so please forgive my minor spluge, I may not even make sense!
My Fell mare came to me vastly obese, I have worked really really hard to get the weight off her in the 3 years I have had her, and it is a constant battle to keep her at the weight she is now - 483kg - so to be told that my heavy weight cob, with 11 inches of bone and a huge Fell arse is STILL overweight and needs to lose anotherr 50kg at least drives me insane!
She would look thin and unwell at 400kg, just like I would look emaciated and ill at my 'target' weight of 10 stone - I was anorexic and weighed 11 stone fgs! Just beacause 'your' 14.2 tb x is 400kg DOESNT mean that my 14.2 FELL should be!
Likewise when the vet tells me that my mare is too fat at 483kg, but says NOTHING about the 600kg monstrosity where I work (same type/height/age etc) please do forgive me if my brain squishes out of my ears!
I completely and utterly understand that a fat horse is just as at risk as a thin horse, and that being overweight is a serious issue, Im the 1st to look in any given show ring and die at the horse with the red rossette rolling round the arena in 'show condition', but I am heartily sick of the one rule for one, and one for another scenario played out over and over ad-infinitum.
I have been told by my boss that I dont feed enough, by some on here that I feed too much and by others (on here and in RL) that Im doing just fine, I have gone from being confident in my 20 years of horse experience to feeling that I should ask someones advice every time my horse farts differently.
To be honest, I feel like Im a dreadful owner causing my mares and the unborn foal untold damage and should never be let near an animal of any sort ever again.
I really feel that there is too much emphasis placed on an equines weight at the moment, surely if your horse is happy, looks well and you are enjoying it, if it is carrying a few extra pounds (and I DO mean a few, I DO NOT in any way condone horse owners allowing their horse to become obese) then is there really a huge harm?
I spend so much time faffing about with electric fencing, weight tapes and condition scoring my 2 girls that all enjoyment has gone out of being with them just for the sake of it as Im so paranoid about whether I am doing the right thing giving them 2 polo's instead of 1!
So.....I think Im done, I may not have made sense, and Im sure that some of the posters on here will lambast me severely, but thats how I feel, fed up, useless and scrutinised down to the last pony nut.
*Breathe*
Im getting more and more upset and worked up about the whole weight issue, and it has been winding me up for some time, so please forgive my minor spluge, I may not even make sense!
My Fell mare came to me vastly obese, I have worked really really hard to get the weight off her in the 3 years I have had her, and it is a constant battle to keep her at the weight she is now - 483kg - so to be told that my heavy weight cob, with 11 inches of bone and a huge Fell arse is STILL overweight and needs to lose anotherr 50kg at least drives me insane!
She would look thin and unwell at 400kg, just like I would look emaciated and ill at my 'target' weight of 10 stone - I was anorexic and weighed 11 stone fgs! Just beacause 'your' 14.2 tb x is 400kg DOESNT mean that my 14.2 FELL should be!
Likewise when the vet tells me that my mare is too fat at 483kg, but says NOTHING about the 600kg monstrosity where I work (same type/height/age etc) please do forgive me if my brain squishes out of my ears!
I completely and utterly understand that a fat horse is just as at risk as a thin horse, and that being overweight is a serious issue, Im the 1st to look in any given show ring and die at the horse with the red rossette rolling round the arena in 'show condition', but I am heartily sick of the one rule for one, and one for another scenario played out over and over ad-infinitum.
I have been told by my boss that I dont feed enough, by some on here that I feed too much and by others (on here and in RL) that Im doing just fine, I have gone from being confident in my 20 years of horse experience to feeling that I should ask someones advice every time my horse farts differently.
To be honest, I feel like Im a dreadful owner causing my mares and the unborn foal untold damage and should never be let near an animal of any sort ever again.
I really feel that there is too much emphasis placed on an equines weight at the moment, surely if your horse is happy, looks well and you are enjoying it, if it is carrying a few extra pounds (and I DO mean a few, I DO NOT in any way condone horse owners allowing their horse to become obese) then is there really a huge harm?
I spend so much time faffing about with electric fencing, weight tapes and condition scoring my 2 girls that all enjoyment has gone out of being with them just for the sake of it as Im so paranoid about whether I am doing the right thing giving them 2 polo's instead of 1!
So.....I think Im done, I may not have made sense, and Im sure that some of the posters on here will lambast me severely, but thats how I feel, fed up, useless and scrutinised down to the last pony nut.
*Breathe*
When I pointed out about them both wearing NZ's, she then got rather red faced - I tried to press home the point, but she had to answer her mobile.
