FOLLOW UP to ex racer coming out of winter - is she really that bad?!

ImmyS

ImmyS

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So I posted this thread a couple of days ago -

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=600214

And seemed the general opinion was 'no top line, big belly and probably a little over weight' but is she really that bad? I was actually quite pleased with how her neck was developing :o, but I know her hind quarters are poor, she has always had a 'racers bum' and it seems it is going to take a lot of work to change that!

Any way I took some more photos tonight to see if I can get a better light (in stable) and show that she isn't that porky however it seems that her coat is so long and shiney that the lighting has hidden any ribs! When I was taking the pictures I could count about 4 or 5 clearly.

So here goes anyway.. Tried to get more angles -

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One outside one -
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I know that she still has quite a hay belly in these pictures however we were out for 3 hours hacking in the pouring rain today and so the horses promptly stuffed their faces on return with as much hay as possible until their evening feed :rolleyes:
 
She looks amazingly well. Wonderful shine on her coat. Yes she's looking a bit too well. But give her some hard work and it will soon come off.
 
amymay said:
She looks amazingly well. Wonderful shine on her coat. Yes she's looking a bit too well. But give her some hard work and it will soon come off.
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Thank you. We currently only hack about 5 times a week and this is generally just walking. Hopefully with lighter evenings and (fingers crossed) access to a local school, her workload will up quite a bit, to a couple of schooling sessions a week on top of hacking and to hopefully build up to some jumping this spring providing her back remains healthy :)
 
Her neck looks better in a couple of those photos (compared to the one posted earlier in the week) - she's fine. As was said in previous thread, just needs to lose a bit of belly and muscle up behind.

She looks very healthy and just the same as one of mine, an ex-racehorse who hasn't been worked much last few weeks due to mud fever, weather etc.
 
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Don't listen to half of the fecking crap on here (that means you don't have to listen to me either!), she looks very well. Trust yourself and your horse, she's looking great in my opinion, good for her that she has you to look after her.
 
just an observation but have u had her back checked? it might be the angle but her pelvis doesnt look even in the pic from behind her (she looks like a typical tb coming out of winter to me) just realised shes not standing square DOH!
 
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doriangrey said:
Don't listen to half of the fecking crap on here (that means you don't have to listen to me either!), she looks very well. Trust yourself and your horse, she's looking great in my opinion, good for her that she has you to look after her.
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Thank you, I am extremely paranoid about her weight because of discovering how she was treated previous to us buying her and the state she came to us in, I do need to learn to relax a little about it!
 
archiepoo said:
just an observation but have u had her back checked? it might be the angle but her pelvis doesnt look even in the pic from behind her (she looks like a typical tb coming out of winter to me) just realised shes not standing square DOH!
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Yes sorry, I kept budging her over but couldn't get her to stand square! (she was eating though bless her so didn't want to make her move too much!)
 
doriangrey said:
Don't listen to half of the fecking crap on here (that means you don't have to listen to me either!), she looks very well. Trust yourself and your horse, she's looking great in my opinion, good for her that she has you to look after her.
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Well, that's not offensive at all to those who stuck their neck out and said that they thought the horse looked like it could be in better shape. Coming out of winter is no excuse IMO: we had 3 TB ex-racers coming out of winter, one who had looked very poor going in, all looking as well as they do mid-summer. Although Reg is less porky as he does a sideline in showing in the summer, so does chunk up for that!

I stand by what I said. She has a hay belly, and her neck is poor. With correct work, that'll change rapidly as she's in good condition in terms of fat scoring. Her coat looks amazing- I wish our horses' coats would shine like that, but Reg is clipped out and Bee is iron grey so they tend to not unless they're in the right light.
 
Lolo said:
Well, that's not offensive at all to those who stuck their neck out and said that they thought the horse looked like it could be in better shape. Coming out of winter is no excuse IMO: we had 3 TB ex-racers coming out of winter, one who had looked very poor going in, all looking as well as they do mid-summer. Although Reg is less porky as he does a sideline in showing in the summer, so does chunk up for that!

I stand by what I said. She has a hay belly, and her neck is poor. With correct work, that'll change rapidly as she's in good condition in terms of fat scoring. Her coat looks amazing- I wish our horses' coats would shine like that, but Reg is clipped out and Bee is iron grey so they tend to not unless they're in the right light.
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I appreciate your comments and im not saying winter is an excuse however I physically haven't been able to work her as much as I would have liked therefore I'm asking for a judgement on her condition considering this, not a judgement on how she would look if I 'could' have worked her a lot more over winter if that makes sense?
 
As I said in your other thread, she looks fine. Stop worrying lol. Once she's in work again she'll soon suck up her belly. Out of interest what's her pedigree? She looks like a real old fashioned (heavy barrelled) TB, like my TBs.
 
Spring Feather said:
As I said in your other thread, she looks fine. Stop worrying lol. Once she's in work again she'll soon suck up her belly. Out of interest what's her pedigree? She looks like a real old fashioned (heavy barrelled) TB, like my TBs.
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I know i really need to stop worrying!
She does seem to have very well sprung ribs

Her sire is beat hollow and dam is on the wing so she has Sadlers Wells, Pivotal bloodlines etc..

http://www.pedigreequery.com/tammela
 
Ah no nothing like the bloodlines on my TBs lol. The only names in there that mine have (and I want to see) are Sir Gaylord, Princequillo, Mahmoud and Tom Fool. They make great sport horses. I'm not keen on ND so don't own any with him in their pedigrees. Anway the point stands, she's a deep barrelled horse and she'll look great once in work :)
 
Spring Feather said:
Ah no nothing like the bloodlines on my TBs lol. The only names in there that mine have (and I want to see) are Sir Gaylord, Princequillo, Mahmoud and Tom Fool. They make great sport horses. I'm not keen on ND so don't own any with him in their pedigrees. Anway the point stands, she's a deep barrelled horse and she'll look great once in work :)
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I knew nothing of her pedigree or history when I bought her! She's proven to be a decent Showjumper, she's very bold, not phased by much and has good straight paces so I'm hoping with work she'll at the very least make a solid all rounder if not a low level eventer but we'll see. :)
 
Immy,I've just read your other thread and I really don't know what the fuss was about - your horse looks just fine. My TB has had four months off and this is a pic of her about 2 or three weeks ago, just before I started any work with her again. Just like yours, she has a bit of a belly, but I really don't care! You know your horse and if the horse is happy, then that's the best thing. Good luck with everything you do with her. :)
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Holly Hocks said:
Immy,I've just read your other thread and I really don't know what the fuss was about - your horse looks just fine. My TB has had four months off and this is a pic of her about 2 or three weeks ago, just before I started any work with her again. Just like yours, she has a bit of a belly, but I really don't care! You know your horse and if the horse is happy, then that's the best thing. Good luck with everything you do with her. :)
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Thank you, your girl looks lovely :) good luck with her also!
 
Oldenburg27 said:
She looks well dont worry, a winter coat never helps the look of any horse coming out of winter...

She has a lovely shine on her x
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No the winter coat isn't great and her straggly mane looks awful a the moment! Can't wait until it warms up a bit so I can sort her mane and tail, she gets her summer coat and looks like this again!

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I don't remember any weight related fuss on your other thread - just a few people saying she's carrying a bit too much for their tastes and that (like many horses on light work over winter) could use more topline. All of which remains true, as far as I can see. Nobody's saying she's a welfare case, or a cause for concern, just that, under other circs, she could look better.
 
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I think she looks fine weight wise, you can see the ribs outlined in some of the photos so she is not fat. She just needs muscle tone & work will rearrange her shape nicely. I think she may have a slightly more sprung rib cage (plenty of heart & lung room) than some Tbs & this makes her look round. She has a stunning coat in the summer doesn't she.
 
POLLDARK said:
I think she looks fine weight wise, you can see the ribs outlined in some of the photos so she is not fat. She just needs muscle tone & work will rearrange her shape nicely. I think she may have a slightly more sprung rib cage (plenty of heart & lung room) than some Tbs & this makes her look round. She has a stunning coat in the summer doesn't she.
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Yes I think she does have very sprung ribs, even though in summer last year she wasn't incredibly fit but still much fitter than now her ribs were always quite visible and although ribby is does giver her a round appearance. It will be interesting to see how she looks this year now she is healthy as last year was spent mostly getting her to a healthy weight. Her coat is just stunning in summer, shame its so horrible in the winter! Couldn't justify clipping her though but it's finally shedding! :)
 
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