Condition score please.......(pics)

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Beatrice5

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I have posted asking before about big grass bellies so thought some pics may help.

She has a 5 month old foal so I appreciate has lost her neat belly but this is crazy. She has no neck, tiny shoulders and a very pointy bum which is concave on her flanks but this huge belly. I am about to start riding gently but don't know wether to be feeding her of dieting her? She has no fat anywhere and you can still easily feel all ribs but this massive barell. I Ivermectin wormed her in May and poo pick very thoroughly daily and my field has only ever previously been grazed by sheep.

Anyway expert opinions please :)

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she looks quite normal. She is obviously a mare who is at grass and in consequence has a grass belly. Grass bellies are caused by the high fibre content within the large intestine and usually vanish when said horses are stabled and their diets are restricted to x amount of hat and straights. I think she look very healthy and happy and I wouldn't be worried about her belly at all.
 
I've noticed a few mares recently with big bellys.
If she has been used as a brood mare she will always look like she has a grass belly.
See if it goes down once you start feeding hay and corn. There's a chance it might. ;)
 
She looks like she has a foal belly and grass belly mixed together. She hasn't got a lot of weight on her quarters, but I guess I am only comparing her to my mare when she had a foal at foot last year... here are some pics of her looking, well lets just say more grass belly than foal. After the weaning and working for a few months the weight was replaced by muscle and she got a little less round, however she always had a foal belly as her ribs sprung... any brood mare will always look bigger than perhaps they should to the unaware who perhaps don't realise they have been bred from.

In my opinion I think she looks ok, maybe just needs some condition on her quarters. Are you feeding her any stud mix or anything to support her whilst she has the foal at foot to feed?

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March 2010
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Thank you for posting those pictures you have reassured me there is hope and she isn't a freak. No I am not giving her any stud mix only a small handful of chaff and half a mug of balancer and her garlic. I was confused as to whether she was fat or thin as she looked such a cut and shut job :D
 
I wouldn't be concerned about her size if I was you... We'd be big if we had a foal inside us so it can only be expected really. She just looks like she needs to muscle up now, but she'll probably need some extra feed to help her along. I always used to ring the feed helplines if I had a problem horse, they are so helpful and will offer some tailored advice if needed. Best of luck :)
 
Looks like a big foal belly to me! She's a little poor of muscle over her hindquarters - but this is a lack of exercise thing.

These are some hidious photos of some appalling riding by me, but this was my old share pony who, at least 8 years after having her foal, still had a big old belly. No matter what I did, it never disappeared.

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Thank god for your pic's. My mare foaled two months ago and I was starting to panick because she now looks bigger than what she did when pregnant. I knew that her shape would change and I know the belly hanging thing is completely normal for mares with foals at foot its reasuring to know i'm not the only one :D
 
my mare looks like that - except she is just tubby from the grass :D... (not fat i should add...) just needs working more...

i paniced the other day though as i was convinced she was in foal.... until someone pointed out she was in season :o

and i was actually gutted she wasnt having asurprise baby haha :D


your mares lovely btw OP :)
 
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