The Irish Draft 2022
Well-Known Member
What never talked about is fat broodmares I seen some obese ones that have been overfeed.
I was stewarding in the Ridden horse section at a show yesterday. Hunters, Riding Horses, Hacks and Cobs. Most Royal International qualifiers. I would say 80% of the horses forward were a very good combination of fit and muscled whilst having a nice covering on them to round the edges. I would not class them as too fat or obese. They were more than fit enough to do their jobs with ease. 2 of the cobs thought they were racehorses the way they were powering round the ring! Of the other 20% I would say 2 would have been classed as a perfect weight fat wise but lacking all muscle and top line. 2 were plenty fit enough to do the job but were far too fat on top of the muscle. The others were just obese and unfit. One horse (that I would put in the 80%) was slightly lame behind in its hocks. Of the obese unfit ones one was a hunter the rest were cobs.
I didn't really see any of the other classes or rings as I was pretty much on my own running the class and legging up all day.
Some judges do drop obese horses down the line. Some don't because - and here is where showing excels itself - if you drop that horse down the line but you are showing under that rider/producer yourself later in the season you will be dropped to return the favour regardless of how your animal looks or goes. So quite a lot of it, but not all of it, is back scratching at the higher levels.
I have also seen a few yearling Shetlands (can't even be a full year old yet!) So disgustingly obese they could almost pass as 3yo's if their body was a bit longer and the tail wasn't a foal fluff! It's not just Shetlands either to be fair, it's quite a lot of native ponies but I obviously notice Shetlands more.
I used to work as an SJ groom and the broodmares were all horrendously obese. It used to give me a nervous breakdown whenever I had to hold them for the farrier. I should stress, the broodmares were generally not the responsibility of the grooms, as they were owned/ cared for by my boss's parents.What never talked about is fat broodmares I seen some obese ones that have been overfeed.
What do you mean by nice covering?, I presume for the 80% you felt were not overweight, you mean the standard definition of ribs easy to feel but not seen, not everyone will agree that if ribs cannot be easily felt that the horse is overweight.
There's been a fair amount of debate about rugs and weightloss on some forums I'm on. Only anecdotal but horses seem to move around more and eat less when rugged, whereas the unrugged population stuff themselves and don't move much.
Debatable and probably horse specific.
Must admit that I have found this though for my ponies it has been more about rugging lightly during storms/heavy rain than temperature alone. Ridden ponies do have different musculature to those who are not so I think we do have to take account of that - better that they are moving about than hunching up letting muscles get cold and stiff.
Brilliant! ??I was at a show on Sunday and the judge was giving feedback to a class I was watching. As the lady who was at the bottom end of the line came out she said, 'he's too fat, that's why he was last'. Pony who was first was nice & slim.
That's the kind of judging I'd like to see more of.
I am another that thinks that horses need a harder winter to get their metabolisms running .
You working with the natural cycle of the seasond
It just feels like we are in danger of normalising horses that look abnormally fat to me- and all the health problems that come with that! Especially as these horses seem to still get rewarded in the show ring.
I'm sure I read somewhere that a fat broodmare is less likely to get in foal than a slim one.What never talked about is fat broodmares I seen some obese ones that have been overfeed.
What's the general view on clipping in winter for weight loss? I don't get much time to ride but have still fully clipped in the past, in order to under-rug to help keep weight down.
If only there was no grass. I've strip grazed all winter & now a combination of track & strip grazing the summer field.100%. There is no grass feb/ march and horses need to feel that. Then when it kicks in, mid april-may they need it. X
I give my retired native a chaser/Irish (so about 1/3 of his hair off) and don't rug. I hope it makes a difference but this winter's been so incredibly mild that I haven't been able to get him where I want him, not helped by his older companion becoming a poor doer and mine stressing if they're separated for management purposes and scouring if he gets insufficient long fibre. I'm relying on a bare track and big bucket feeds for his companion to keep him where he is this summer, then next winter we'll have another go with a bigger clip maybe.What's the general view on clipping in winter for weight loss? I don't get much time to ride but have still fully clipped in the past, in order to under-rug to help keep weight down.
I put the weigh tape on mine this morning ??If only there was no grass. I've strip grazed all winter & now a combination of track & strip grazing the summer field.
Trying to maintain lean natives is a constant battle ?
I clip the native pony either trace or Irish so she has hair on her back to protect from rain. She grows a really thick coat so it helps if she's in ridden work not to have sweaty armpits!What's the general view on clipping in winter for weight loss? I don't get much time to ride but have still fully clipped in the past, in order to under-rug to help keep weight down.
I've had someone phone me before to ask if they could take a muzzle off because she "looked sad".As someone else said, we (as a society) really have normalised both overweight people and horses.
I am actually nervous about starting to muzzle mine when she's out 24/7, because I know that I'll get some looks and possibly comments about it. She's fat, but everyone I've mentioned it to has responded, "she's not that bad". I don't want to wait until she's "that bad'!
It's the same in all mammals, including humans.I'm sure I read somewhere that a fat broodmare is less likely to get in foal than a slim one.
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