Fit vs fat for showing

Clodagh

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Perhaps you should look more closely at the hunting field. A lot of top show hunters and riding horses are taken hunting regularly. I know plenty of ponies who show and event (one even came second at Hoys)

A friend successfully showed and hunted her horse but she put a lot of effort into to piling on the pounds once March was over. He whipped in all winter, and was as fit as a butchers dog, but then had to be fatted up to enter the showring. Bizarre!
 

Cortez

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There are still far too many obese horses in the show ring, despite judges being told to put them down the line. The last show I judged I had to fight my fellow judge tooth and nail to put up the best horse, which was also the slimmest/fittest. Some of the others were so fat they could hardly move, and the wheezing! To quote part of the conversation: other judge: "You can't put that up, it's not in show condition!" Me: "But it's the only one with decent movement/conformation/wind". OJ: "Oh well, if THAT'S what you're looking for....". Bit depressing, really.
 

SO1

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It is really hard to keep weight off some native and cobs.

I don't think the problem is the judges it the owners and producer's responsibility to ensure the horse is a healthy weight.

I was at Royal Windsor on the Fri and Sat and yes I did see a lot of overweight horses and ponies but there are also a lot of overweight horses in the general horse population not just in the show ring. There is a strong possibility that some of these horse even if they were not in show homes they would still be overweight, unless they have very careful management as they were good doer types.

I think it is possible for a horse to be fit and fat, if you do increase the feed alongside exercise then the horse gets fitter but does not loose weight.

This is my 15 year old New Forest at Windsor on the Friday The judge commented that he looked very fit, I would have liked my pony to be a bit slimmer. (I don't do much showing though he is mainly a hacking pony and I have to work very hard to prevent him from becoming v fat)

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ycbm

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Was it deliberate to get the span of the bridge on the crest of his neck so perfectly? I'm guessing not, I don't think you could have got it deliberately !

Nice pony :)

I think if show judges stopped placing fat horses they'd disappear from the show ring in less than one season.

I know of show people who rug or stable all summer to stop the tips of the coat from bleaching out and give them s better chance of winning. If they'll do that, then they'll slim the horse down for the same reason, I reckon.
 

only_me

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I know of show people who rug or stable all summer to stop the tips of the coat from bleaching out and give them s better chance of winning. If they'll do that, then they'll slim the horse down for the same reason, I reckon.

Rugging a show horse in the summer to stop bleaching is normal, it would be unusual if you didn't tbh. Most would rain sheets or fly rugs I imagine. Don't see what's wrong with that tbh.
 

ycbm

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Rugging a show horse in the summer to stop bleaching is normal, it would be unusual if you didn't tbh. Most would rain sheets or fly rugs I imagine. Don't see what's wrong with that tbh.

My point was that if a horse whose coat is bleached out will lose to a horse whose coat is not, and people take care to make sure that the coat does not bleach, then if a horse which is fat will lose to a horse which is not, people will rapidly make sure that they present horses which are not fat.
 

Lydiamae

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My point was that if a horse whose coat is bleached out will lose to a horse whose coat is not, and people take care to make sure that the coat does not bleach, then if a horse which is fat will lose to a horse which is not, people will rapidly make sure that they present horses which are not fat.

Wow, thank you all for your points! It is a lot of food for thought - but at the end of the day, I want my pony to be in a healthy condition over 'he would be better, fatter for the show ring. I, as a novice shower, have also learn a lot from you all, as I wasn't aware of the rugging for stopping sun bleaching. I like him to be naked when possible, as I always feel he becomes shinier. There isn't too much to bleach though as he is coloured.
 

iknowmyvalue

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My friend shows her Connie stallion at a relatively high level, and she was telling me today that this weekend she was so disappointed to be placed 6th behind ponies "who could have been hippos". Her pony is absolutely gorgeous and I'd quite like to steal him :p
 

thegreenergrass

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I want my pony to be in a healthy condition QUOTE]

Definitely, so glad you have said that. :) I'm planning on doing a few in hand shows to get my pony out and about but there is no way I am sacrificing his health for a couple of rosettes. It's ridiculously selfish to specifically make your horse obese so you can win a few shows. I didn't believe it was true that a judge would place an obese horse over other fit horses till I watched an in hand show the other week. This was just a quiet local level show so not really a big deal. This poor horse was trudging round wheezing and by the end of it the sweat all over it from just 20 mins of walk and a couple of trots was insane. I was so hoping the judge was going to send out a message to the people there - well she did. She just sent the wrong one. She placed it first. :(
 
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I have seen plenty of horses placed down the line for being too fat. Usually with the owners coming out whinging that the judge didn't know what they were talking about, their horse isn't fat it's just in show condition!

So yes, some judges, more and more btw, are cracking down and dropping obese horses but until the horse has been dropped more often than not owners just out t down to bad judging and won't show under that person again.
 

ester

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There was a wocket woy at windsor/rihs?? last year where someone came out the ring and said judge said horse was too fat. I do think it is a work in progress but at least in progress. What gets said on the welsh groups still scares me though :eek3:.
 
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There was a wocket woy at windsor/rihs?? last year where someone came out the ring and said judge said horse was too fat. I do think it is a work in progress but at least in progress. What gets said on the welsh groups still scares me though :eek3:.

Yes it was at the Royal International and it was one of the most prolific show hunters in the country produced by one of the very best in the business! I couldn't stop laughing lol! And the judge was right! It was just a bit too fat, not as bad as some though!
 

Lydiamae

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I have no idea if my attempt at attaching pictures has worked, I have never done it before :(

But I have tried to attach a selection of photos of my pony from over the last 6 months. He is 14.2, and born 2013. No dob in his passport so he is either rising 4 or just turned 4, so lots of maturing and filling out left to do.

For in hand showing, and for ridden showing next year, does he need more weight? I am aware he needs more muscle, but that is coming with work.
 

Cortez

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No, he looks just fine. The muscling you are aware of.

I'm sure you know that dressage squares are not the thing for showing (don't know which you're at in the bottom pic, but looking smart :).
 

Lydiamae

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No, he looks just fine. The muscling you are aware of.

I'm sure you know that dressage squares are not the thing for showing (don't know which you're at in the bottom pic, but looking smart :).

Thanks Cortez, yes, muscle we are working on. He was at his first walk trot test in the bottom picture, hence the dressage square.
 

AdorableAlice

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What a pretty cob, wishing you lots of luck and fun with him through the summer. If you show him under saddle you could do with a more WH cut saddle to show his shoulder off. GP's cover the shoulders.
 

Lydiamae

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What a pretty cob, wishing you lots of luck and fun with him through the summer. If you show him under saddle you could do with a more WH cut saddle to show his shoulder off. GP's cover the shoulders.

Thank you AdorableAlice! I do intend to get him a WH when he has filled out a little but he has so much growing to do I have just bought 2nd hand from my saddler to tide us over!
 

Hormonal Filly

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This is why I don't show, I always get told my Welsh is to thin but its just because he's fit and the correct muscled up shape. Lots of judges think a cresty neck and fat on the ass is a good thing, when its much nicer looking at muscle, makes me mad seeing a obese overweight welsh (or any pony) but mostly in ridden hunter, thats never seen a jump in its life or looks as if its even ridden, place in front of a horse thats clearly fit and knows what he's doing!
 
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