Honest Opinions On His Weight Please

TheresaW

TheresaW

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This is Mac, my 16.1 Suffolk Punch cross. He is more suffolk than anything else. YO owner is concerned about his weight and has suggested that he is verging on obese! I have seen him a hell of a lot heavier than he is at the moment, and I may be looking at him through rose tinted specs, but for his breeding, I just cannot see it. He could be a bit lighter I think, but I don't think he is that huge.

What do you all think?
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Apologies it is not the best pic, he was snoozing with his friend.
 
see my post 'fat girl' and I think you will see that he isnt fat, these heavy horses are just that I suppose - on my yard there are quite a few TB's so my mare looks big I suppose!! He is gorgeous however - I wanted a chesnut gelding suffolk....and ended up with a roan mare!!x
 
Thanks both of you.

TangoHarvey, your post prompted me to post. I had looked at it, and didn't think that your mare was that big, but then thought, if I was looking at Mac blindly, who was I to comment?
 
its hard to tell from a photo, i would suggest you condition scored him, there lots of videos and information avaliable online about it, i would say you will find him to be overweight as i did my horse who i didnt think was fat
 
I dont think he looks too at, maybe a 6 on the conditions scoring guide I got from Spillers the other day at a quick glance... Try getting a condition scoring guide, and see what he comes out as....we had a rep from Spillers come to the yard last week with a weighing pad and she said that condition scoring was the best way to check them out, and monitor them...
 
I think he looks just fine. People always think my Percheron cross is fat because he has an apple bum but he has that all the time. Even at the end of hunting when he is a bit on the trim side he still has the same bum.....bit like me!!! Heavy horse crosses are just that...a bit heavy, it's their breeding...don't worry. If it wasn't for his white face you could almost think he was a Suffolk.
 
I think he looks ok too... he's never going to be as lean as a tb, it's his breeding. He is lovely, the spitting image of my friends' show cob, just a hand bigger!
 
I think he looks fine for his type. You wouldn't want to see one of mares at the moment who has decided against all odds to grow into a fat sod :)
 
From that photo I would say he looks 'well covered' but certainly not obese!

Could perhaps lose a little bit but TBH his side of winter I wouldn' be too concerned as he stands.
 
I'd say he's fine for his type at this time of year - and TBH with a serious hay shortage on the cards I wouldn't worry about sending him into the winter on the larger side and letting him drop a bit before the spring.
 
Porky maybe, but not verging on obese I wouldn't have thought. He is a heavy horse remember :) Also, I am so jealous - always wanted a Suffolk Punch or a part bred one, not practical for the sort of riding I do, but I just love em so much :D xx
 
I have Belguim draft x, simular build, Can be over 600kgs in summer by weigh tape, in March he will be about 540kg.
I go from... my god he's too fat, to... he's too thin in a month.
I measure them in dress sizes, he's about a 16
 
Hello. What a handsome chap he is.

Well, my girl is a Suffolk Punch x Thoroughbred. She does take the TB side a little more than he obviously does, but she still has the huge barrel like chest.

Compared to her, he is carrying more condition, and based on the photo alone I'd say he is carrying a little too much.

If I knew how I'd attach a photo of Rosie....
 
i think it is difficult to comment on one photo on weight unless the horse is hugely obese and then it is very obvious.

i would however like to say i think he is extremely handsome.
 
He looks just fine to me. A heavy horse isn't designed to be whippet thin, and I've seen plenty of tubbier sorts around than your boy! He's lovely :)
 
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