Before and afters - Condition

[Sprocket123]

Some wonderful transformations here!!

Sorry im butting in! I show county level cobs between me and my mum we have 3!, two are slim, fit and muscled. One is fat (she had a op so has had 6months off work) she ballooned on fresh air that one!. as a poster above said there is a hugh difference between condition and fat

We always get lovely comments from the judges for not having a fat cob. I hate that people assume if you show your must be "fat"
If i can find a decent pic i will post it!

 

[Sprocket123]

Your horse*must be fat. Stupid phone!

 

[Goldenstar]

We have an ID that's my OH has as his hunter he been "doing some showing" before he arrived with us he is now 200 kilos lighter now and is what I call hard fit heavily muscled able to do five hours hard hunting.
It was fat that he lost not this mythical " condition" that people tell the selves is different to fat .
It was fat loading his limbs damaging his joints preventing this lungs expanding pressing on this internal organs overworking his heart.
He has lost the wieght of my friends pony , frightening.

 

[Christmas Crumpet]

Happy the day he arrived.

After a month

After 3 months

Hunting weight/fit

I am always amazed when I see these pictures of him. He looked so dreadful when he arrived with no topline, his coat was all dull and he was covered in scabs. It didn't actually take that much work to get him looking great. Unfortunately he was PTS after 2 years with various issues.

 

[AmyMay]

What a sad loss Caroline.

 

[Christmas Crumpet]

It was heartbreaking - he came as a slightly mental ex racehorse who turned into an amazing hunter and the pic of him hedgehopping was his last day's hunting. I adored him - he was a very special boy.

 

[Goldenstar]

It was heartbreaking - he came as a slightly mental ex racehorse who turned into an amazing hunter and the pic of him hedgehopping was his last day's hunting. I adored him - he was a very special boy.

He looks so happy in the hunting pic, you miss them forever but in a good way if you understand me.

 

[eatmyshorts]

The coloured cob,couple of pages back looks amazing now! Why would anyone think a thin cob is 'healthy? They are meant to have condition and an 'apple' bum. having kept and shown coloured cob for 25 yrs , none has ever had laminitis, or been 'unhealthy'. Theres ahuge difference between condition and fat , and the show cobs are worked daily, and horses in proper work dont get grass laminitis. Its a disease of couch potato underworked horses.

Thank heavens a few of your have a bit of decency and understanding! Thanks for that! And for the person who quoted the saying "cobs are meant to be fat - read again closely - please note that was never said here. At no point have I said that I was happy with his weight in the second picture, in fact I have explained how extremely difficult it is to keep weight off him - but how many of you have sympathised, compared to how many have condoned and accused? Nice! BTW, he was fit (although not as fit as he has been)and has never had lami. The change in him was over a number of years (he has an amazing story but quite frankly I don't feel compelled to share it at the moment). The comments here are exactly what I was talking about in that other thread where that poor girl was told numerous times that her cob was ugly - I didn't ask for a weight critique, I'm neither blind nor stupid, and I think perhaps some members may consider being a little more tactful as they will no doubt be putting people off posting.

Oh & some more wonderful transformations to be seen! I wouldn't dream of picking fault in any of them because i realise you have all posted them here because you are proud of them, and they are all gorgeous.

 

[AmyMay]

but how many of you have sympathised, compared to how many have condoned and accused?

Oh, I can sympathise alright, it was always a loosing battle with my little cob mare, and infact a TB that I had too.

I don't think you've been accused here of anything - people have simply said that they actually think the first picture is a better picture of your horse, as it shows one that is not overweight.

 

[tiga71]

Have posted these before but here is Izzy.

Obese, unfit, bargy cob, just before I got him on loan - July 2009

Trec orienteering - Summer 2011

Think this is Spring 2012

Endurance October 2012

Hard work but he is in perfect shape now according to the vet and physio. Had some problems with his feet and neck so was only hacked for 8 months last year, but back in tip top form now.

 

[Magicmillbrook]

Some great transformations both thins to good and fat to good. I hope to be able to posty a slim trim pic of my cob soon. We have gone from 570 down to 530 on the weigh tape, we now have shoulders and a softer crest but still a lot to go.

 

[tallyho!]

Have posted these before but here is Izzy.

Obese, unfit, bargy cob, just before I got him on loan - July 2009

Trec orienteering - Summer 2011

Think this is Spring 2012

Endurance October 2012

Hard work but he is in perfect shape now according to the vet and physio. Had some problems with his feet and neck so was only hacked for 8 months last year, but back in tip top form now.

Oh my, he looks preggers in the first photo..... Wowzers on that last photo

 

[AmyMay]

Now that is a transformation Tiga71. What a smart, smart horse.

 

[Kat]

Lovely cob Tiga, but I looked at the first picture and the snip of white on his belly caused an optical illusion that made him look like he had the most grossly swollen belly! Have a look, it makes him look hugely fat, an example of unflattering markings on a coloured, but in the last untacked photo because he is slimmer the same thing doesn't happen. Bizarre! Lovely, lovely boy though.

 

[tiga71]

Lovely cob Tiga, but I looked at the first picture and the snip of white on his belly caused an optical illusion that made him look like he had the most grossly swollen belly! Have a look, it makes him look hugely fat, an example of unflattering markings on a coloured, but in the last untacked photo because he is slimmer the same thing doesn't happen. Bizarre! Lovely, lovely boy though.

I see what you mean! But actually his belly was huge, like a hippo. Here it is from a different angle.

Thanks for the comments. He is a great horse and has taught me loads, my horse of a lifetime.

 

[eatmyshorts]

Love the endurance photo Tiga!

Go on, do your worst, since my previous one was obviously what's been described as one of the "not so good" transformations!

Just off the boat from Ireland...

Out showing with my hubby - this was his first horse...

This fella isn't quite so difficult to keep the weight off! I gave him to a friend who needed him last year for her birthday.

 

[Goldenstar]

How big is he is he Tiga ?
You look like you have a great partnership going .

 

[windand rain]

He is lovely and as to the other one I feel your pain it is just as hard to keep a fat horse slim as it is to get an emaciated one right and I dont mean fat. My youngsters in the pictures probably didnt change weight much but sure changed shape lost his fat belly and gained topline I didnt just fatten him up I changed his feeding regime to give him a better top line and less gut
Both cobs are beautiful the chubby one I bet is really difficult as I am sure he lives on Fresh air. I do think it is a shame that the show cobs/horses/ponies are put up the line when they clearly are very overweight

 

[LaurenBay]

Some lovely Horses here.

Heres my Ruby

Roughly 10 months on

 

[Goldenstar]

. I do think it is a shame that the show cobs/horses/ponies are put up the line when they clearly are very overweight

It's a disgrace can you imagine the fuss if it was done the other way round and we had show classes that glorified the underweight and emaciated horse but the in truth except in the most extreme cases horse can be under wieght for a time with out suffering any long term health issues the same canot be said of the obese horse.

 

[eatmyshorts]

He is lovely and as to the other one I feel your pain it is just as hard to keep a fat horse slim as it is to get an emaciated one right and I dont mean fat. My youngsters in the pictures probably didnt change weight much but sure changed shape lost his fat belly and gained topline I didnt just fatten him up I changed his feeding regime to give him a better top line and less gut
Both cobs are beautiful the chubby one I bet is really difficult as I am sure he lives on Fresh air. I do think it is a shame that the show cobs/horses/ponies are put up the line when they clearly are very overweight

Thankyou W&R - Fat Boy Fat, as we call him, is a nightmare! The Oprah Winfrey of the horse world! There are some more pics of him on page 18 of the "Coloured horses - does nature get it right?" thread, where i am winning the battle slightly more! I actually regret posting the photos of him on this thread now (admittably he is probably the heaviest he has been in the second photo - & that was in full work, on a starvation paddock!). I agree that fat horses should be put down the line, absolutely.

 

[tiga71]

How big is he is he Tiga ?
You look like you have a great partnership going .

He is 15.1. We do lots together. He is pretty much worked 7 days a week. Gets a day off after an endurance ride. Longlined once a week for easy day. We do trec, endurance, jumping, hacking and this year want to compete at cross country and maybe a baby one day event. He loves jumping and in Feb we are doing our first SJ competition, a RC qualifier at 75 cm and 85 cm. I have been riding since 2008 and we have had lots of lessons and improved together.

 

[Goldenstar]

He is 15.1. We do lots together. He is pretty much worked 7 days a week. Gets a day off after an endurance ride. Longlined once a week for easy day. We do trec, endurance, jumping, hacking and this year want to compete at cross country and maybe a baby one day event. He loves jumping and in Feb we are doing our first SJ competition, a RC qualifier at 75 cm and 85 cm. I have been riding since 2008 and we have had lots of lessons and improved together.

Well I am well known for not doing coloured and hate fat cobs but I think he's lovely and you look fab together.

 

[AmyMay]

I have been riding since 2008 and we have had lots of lessons and improved together.

Completely and utterly impressed!

 

[Kallibear]

Lovely stamp of cob, eatmyshorts. He looks fine in first photo: nice weight if rather unfit looking. Looks fit and muscled in second although angle means can't well him much extra fat he's carrying. Doesn't look much and nothing like your first coloured.

You posted a picture of an obese cob as an example of 'how my cob should look'. It's not surprising so many people have commented on it. In fact it'd be worrying if people though being so fat was a good thing and said nothing! Some people genuinely do believe that being fat like that (even if they're are fit and muscled (they're not mutually exclusive!)) if fine or even desirable.

 

[Kat]

He is 15.1. We do lots together. He is pretty much worked 7 days a week. Gets a day off after an endurance ride. Longlined once a week for easy day. We do trec, endurance, jumping, hacking and this year want to compete at cross country and maybe a baby one day event. He loves jumping and in Feb we are doing our first SJ competition, a RC qualifier at 75 cm and 85 cm. I have been riding since 2008 and we have had lots of lessons and improved together.

He looks and sounds absolutely fab, and I'm very impressed by how busy you are and how much you are doing, especially considering you have been riding a relatively short time. He is VERY gorgeous too, have you thought about trying a little bit of showing? I bet he'd do well in coloured classes and cob classes and maybe things like riding club horse or family horse/pony classes or even working cob.....

 

[Bambi.]

Before when i first had him

And now

 

[Mildred]

The day we brought him home, just after being bathed. His feet were appalling and he has a badly broken tooth and was covered in scars, and was impossibly headshy.

A few months later.

 

[Kallibear]

He looks and sounds absolutely fab, and I'm very impressed by how busy you are and how much you are doing, especially considering you have been riding a relatively short time. He is VERY gorgeous too, have you thought about trying a little bit of showing? I bet he'd do well in coloured classes and cob classes and maybe things like riding club horse or family horse/pony classes or even working cob.....

No he wouldn't: he's not fat enough . Actually, that is sadly too true for the cob classes . Head lovely and the exact type of cob I like. He's what I was hoping Piper would be but he hasn't made the height

 

[Kallibear]

And ooooo, oooo , ooooo , I have a proper fat to fit photo too!

Before, after she spent all summer jumping the electric fence

After