Does she look fat?

[LoobyLoosome]

My vet once said

'Horses spend about 8 hours a day eating, 8 hours sleeping, and about 8 hours watching the clouds go by!'


His point was that keeping a horse in for 8 hours makes little difference, since they'll just rearrange their schedule and spend their cloud-watching time in their stable! Better to keep in for all bar about 3 - 4 hours per day.

 

[Cedars]

I just wanted to say, I know nothing about horses and its my first summer with them too, but you sound like you really care about your ned and that'll get you a long way with them.

Everybody makes mistakes in all walks of life. Just follow advice (you can never have too much!!) and you'll do fine.

My OHs advice (he does actually know something, he's had his own ponio for ages!) says dont change diet dramatically - or anything with them for that matter!!

Good luck lovely

Hannah xxxx

 

[RubysGold]

Loobyloosome: If keeping them in for 8 hours will just make her rearrange her routine, why will 3 - 4hours help? Wont she just change her routine for that too? Sorry, that just confused me lol.
Thanks Hannah, by 'don't change diet dramatically' do you mean, don't just start bringing her in suddenly?
Nickie

 

[Mel1]

unlike other people I dont think she is hugely overweight,
she needs more muscle and less belly
DO NOT bring her in as what she needs is all the exercise she can get so maybe fence off a smaller amount of your field so she's having less grass but still enough room to walk/trot if she wants
and have a good riding program with schooling/lungeing and long hack building up in length and intensity as she gets fitter. if you increase her exercise program but cut down her food she's only going to get tired and not put on muscle properly. Keep feeding small amount to keep her energy level +vitamin+ mineral
I think people have been too harsh on you she doent look pregnant at all
x

 

[LankyDoodle]

Yes, she is very overweight (as in hugely). People are not being harsh, they are being honest. What ps people off on this forum is when advice and opinions is asked for and everyone says 'no, she's so slim, not overweight at all' when clearly, the person saying it is either trying to be kind to the OP or, more worryingly, has an extremely skewed perspective of what is fat and what is not. What also does my nut in is people (for eg, showing judges) who think trim is unhealthy or people who cannot recognise an obese horse when they see one. It's not healthy.

Rubysgold has accepted the excellent advice and the opinions here very well (all of which she asked for). She has asked for these opinions because she is new to owning horses; she wants the best for her horse and recognises it is extremely overweight. Yes the horse needs more muscle but she also needs to lose a considerable amount of weight - no one is being harsh here at all, just giving the opinions that were asked for. RG hasn't taken objection, so I don't see why anyone else needs to.

 

[Spudlet]

She is quite a tub I'm afraid

Try here http://www.worldhorsewelfare.org/information/right_weight_advice

There is a podcast that tells you how to condition score and there are tips on how to get the weight off her.

Well done for recognising the problem as lots of people don't so you are ahead of the gane already, and now you can do something about it before a serious problem develops!