Cobs and withers

J

Jingleballs

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Quick question for cob owners - how prominent are your horses withers?

When I got my HW cob he was obese and because of this very flat backed with no withers.

He is dropped from 575kg to around 465kg so most of the fat has gone resulting a me having to get a new saddle.

Had the saddler out yesterday to bring the saddle in a bit more (it's an SC one) and he was telling me how good it is to see his withers coming through as all horses should have a bit of a wither but very few cobs do because they are overweight.

Personally, to me it looks odd as all the other cobs on the yard have a perfectly flat back but you can clearly see my boys withers and also shoulder - I just wanted to confirm that this is normal as I have no other slim cobs to compare to!

I'm also concerned that it could be muscle wastage rather than loss of fat.

Here's a recent pic where you can clearly see his wither and shoulder

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vs when I first got him where it is not so obvious
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Thanks

kx
 
He has very obvious withers in both pictures. Doesn't look that much different to me, although the first picture is only a close up.

This is my cob, Patches.
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my cob has got pretty prominent withers, had saddler out the other day and fitted him a new saddle. . .i thought because to me they were quite high it would be hard to fit a saddle for him but it was fine. . .his back shape looks similar to the first one of your boys
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He is much thinner in the first pic..... look at the neck in the second
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Merlins not a cob so cant really say, but his withers have emerged over the last four years even though he is still a bit overweight!!!
 
He looks great weight wise. Some horses have more prominent withers than others. Even when fat, I could see his withers.

As long as he has a balanced diet and there isnt any muscle problems elsewhere, I wouldnt worry.

He looks very trim and healthy.
 
Sorry. I was too short and sweet in my initial reply, which reads rather ambiguous.
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Yes of course, he is much slimmer in the up to date picture. The neck in the second picture is indeed huge. I'd not like to be sat on him if he decided to set that neck against me in canter across a field, that's for sure.

What I meant was he's always had an obvious wither, so seeing them emerge more so now he's slimmer shouldn't be that much of a shock. He looks great.
 
My cob has defined withers but has a fair amount of muscle built up on either side of his withers. Its difficult to describe really but unfortunatey every photo i have of him has me sat astride him so i can't show you a piccie of his withers.
 
Think he looks healthier and better. Now he can build on that with a bit of muscle and will be uber-gorgeous!
 
Babybear . Ist pic looks good to have lost some weight and yes you can now see withers a little better although you can see them in 2nd pic. Make sure you don't loose any musle now though as in 1st pic hip area looks a little prominent (IMO). He's a lovely cob though my friend had one similar and found it hard to fit a saddle due to no withers and barrel shaped.

Patches . Very nice not too fat and not too thin. I hope you (don't mind me asking but he seems to stand with back legs stretched back? This is not a criticism I just wondered if it was how he was standing at the time of picture or does he always stand like that?

Sophie221. Again nice cob. Just a little over weight but only (IMO.)
 
Thanks Flower lady, He's a tad over weight, I have hardly ridden him this year, he's lucky to get out once a week ATM. I just haven't had time.

Im going to start lungeing him a few nights a week I think, burn some fat off and build up some muscle
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Patches has always stood like that on occasion. Not all the time (as my pictures in the "hogging" thread in the lounge will prove). If I ask her to stand up square, by tapping her chest to make her step back, she stretches out in that way.

She is seen by an osteo (routinely every six months, as are all the horses I own) and had a full lameness work up last year (as she has always dragged her feet - for the seven years I have known of her). I wanted some answers, but there is no clinical reason for her to do it. Vet passed her as 100% sound and she also passed the five stage vetting when I had her.

It's her stance, but doesn't appear to indicate an underlying problem....if that's what you're thinking.
 
Thanks FL - his weight has probably crept up a little in the few weeks since that pic was taken as he was moved to a new field but the grass has all been eaten down and he's coming in looking for a feed now so I can start getting the weigh off again and muscling up (he works 5/6 days a week at the moment to build muscle and keep his weight down!)
 
Here is my cob! He certainly has withers in fact when the saddler first came out to see him when I bought him she commented on how he has withers and that this is unusual for a cob. He has never been fat though and i do keep an eye on his weight, also he is (we think) Clydesdale crossed with warmblood (vet thinks it's warmblood because of his temprament) so maybe he gets his withers from that part of his breeding??

Think your cob looks much better in second pic much healthier for him to be slimmer and I am sure he will be a fitter better horse than all the 'fat' cobs! and less prone to laminitis etc


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My cob has virtually no withers to notice. This is partly because of his shape and partly because he has no atrophy at all over his withers, back and shoulder.


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