Horse weight?

P

PaulnasherryRocky

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Usually I just lurk in the shadows but here is my first post!

Bought my lad about 4 months ago, and (shamefully) I know he has definitely put on quite a bit of weight. Although he has put on this weight he is still very fit, and even after a pretty intensive "jump camp" over three days he did not break in to a sweat once and could have carried on cantering around all day and not be puffed- So my question(s) here is
1- in the pictures, has he put on a significant (and significantly BAD) amount of weight (when you see them every day its difficult to notice changes in weight I find) I did weigh tape him when I got him and he was weighed on a bridge last week, but I have forgotten his first reading, so his current reading of 566kg is pretty useless at the moment
2- does anyone have any tips on keeping his weight down without restricting hay, I have tried soaking his hay but he tends to just leave it and eat his bed instead!
3-What exercises will help KEEP him fit? Hoping to start interval training, any tips on starting that gently would be useful!

oh and C- Can anyone give a "fat score" on both pictures (well, condition score..)


The picture by the stable is when I first got him, and the picture in the sand school was taken a couple of weeks ago.
He is 14.3hh, unknown breeding so I just go with the term "some sort of maxi-cob"

(please leave constructive criticism about his weight, rather than straight out telling me I need to send him to a rescue centre!)

http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk281/125kiaora521/IMG_3019_zps0e061317.jpg

http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/...9310094_8701774322357672969_n_zps7e1ac092.jpg
 
Well firstly, you're right, he does need a diet. You could try muzzling in the field, or swapping part of his forage for straw since he eats his bed anyway. Alternatively double net or trickle net?

Nobody can give you a true fat score looking at those photos as, whilst he is clearly porky, it's impossible to give an accurate score from a photo, certainly not a tacked up one!

And on a pedantic note he's not a maxi cob as he would have to be over 15'3 to be regarded "maxi". He looks very sweet though.
 
He's not too bad but could do with some weight off (I have same problem with one of mine who is very fit as he events, but defo on the porky side).

Change bedding to something he can't eat first of all; echo JFTD in muzzling during the day when sugars are highest in the grass; soak hay for 12 hours - if he's hungry and on shavings or similar he'll eat the hay!
 
Hello and welcome to the Forum!
TBH I think he looks ok but it is difficult to tell from a sideways on photo. Is his crest soft and wobbly? Does he have an apple bum viewed from behind? He looks in keeping with his type. Certainly doesn't need to put any more on though.
I'm a sucker for a cob and he looks so handsome.
I expect others will be along soon to answer your other questions.
 
Nicnac said:
He's not too bad but could do with some weight off (I have same problem with one of mine who is very fit as he events, but defo on the porky side).

Change bedding to something he can't eat first of all; echo JFTD in muzzling during the day when sugars are highest in the grass; soak hay for 12 hours - if he's hungry and on shavings or similar he'll eat the hay!
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Sorry I meant to say- He is only in the field at night and stabled during the day and on a smaller field with 10 other horses, barely any grass on the field at the moment aswell- he's just ballooning on fresh air haha!

Will defo try changing his bedding soon if really upping the exercise doesn't work- Thanks!
 
The trouble is that it looks like barely any grass - until you leave it ungrazed and realise quite how much they are eating by how much it grows!

I'd muzzle, I've had a track system at home the last couple of years but now on livery and my welsh is muzzled out at night and pretty much adlib hay in the day and looks the best he ever has!
 
Thanks!
no apple bum, just "round" but with no heart-shaped dip in it, crest just feels like muscle to me, wouldn't say its completely solid but wouldn't say its wobbly either, more in between the two!

He used to be extremely on the forehand to ride and very tanky using his neck strength, so I wouldn't be surprised even if his neck is all muscle and the rest of him just fat. He has since had a lot of schooling and is beginning to use the right muscles rather than JUST his neck- now that he is so light on the mouth I'm hoping it will help him lose the weight as he will be using his whole body to move rather than just his neck haha
 
He's lovely, just my type, mine also balloons on practically nothing so I feel your pain! He looks a bit porky but really for his type and at this time of year, I would say you're doing a pretty good job. Good advise above, just keep up the good work and monitor very closely, I weigh tape mine every week just to check which way we are heading!
 
Sorry, nothing to do with the question, but wow what a beauty! Look at that shine! Check out the dapples! Are you a photoshop expert? ;)
 
haha I wish! No luckily he just has a natural shine- It was a trec training day and I arrived late and didn't have time to groom- I'm just lucky the sun was out I think!
 
My paddock looks like a cricket pitch at the moment, but the horses haven't touched the hay I put out for them, so they are definitely finding something (lots of poos each day too).

He's a super chap, I could have used him in the colour thread as a lovely example of a seal brown. :)

You know that he's a bit porky, so you can do something about it. I agree with JFTD's suggestions.
 
I've sent some of his tail hair off for analysis as he was apparently born bright buckskin, so I'm seeing if he does in fact carry the cream gene (pointless I know as he's a gelding, but i'm interested to know!)
 
The foal coat is often slightly different to the adult coat, eg black horses looking 'silvery' when they are born. A few breeders on here have mentioned on here that bays born with black legs, often grey out, where as bays with pale legs stay bay and the black legs come through when the foal coat is moulted.

Did your boy have a parent with a cream gene?

Have a look at Wagtail's posts about her filly. She's a brown buckskin/smoky brown (seal brown + cream).

I'd love to know the result of your test when you get it. :)
 
I LIKE! Yes, he is a little tubby . . . but you're aware and on top of it . . . but he is a very gorgeous boy.

As for fat/condition scoring him from these pictures, it's not really possible . . . but you've said that he doesn't have a "gutter" down his bum and his neck isn't wobbly. More pictures needed to tell if he's obese (and to underline his lusciousness ;)).

P
 
Unfortunately I have no idea about any of his parentage, so I would be interested to see if he does carry it. The test is a very reasonable price so it wouldn't feel like wasted money if he doesn't carry it either! Would love to find out more about his breeding lines but somehow I doubt I ever will : (

I shall let you know the outcome when the results come back!
 
hello and welcome. sorry to say, imho, he definately needs to lose a bit of weight. condition scoring is about feeling not seeing, so it will be hard to condition score from photo. nice horse though.
 
Lovely looking lad :)
I take it you're not giving him any hard feed either? Soaked hay is best but unless you can change his straw bed (assuming here) to shavings, lots of exercise up hills if possible? Also it looks like his saddle is too far forward or it is tipping you back? Just an observation :)
 
Micky said:
Lovely looking lad :)
I take it you're not giving him any hard feed either? Soaked hay is best but unless you can change his straw bed (assuming here) to shavings, lots of exercise up hills if possible? Also it looks like his saddle is too far forward or it is tipping you back? Just an observation :)
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I give him a handful (probably less than a handful) of chaff in a bucket so he has a reason to want to go in his stable so he doesn't develop a catching in problem, but no I can't really call that a feed haha! I'm going to put him on shavings I think and definitely upping the schooling.
I tend to put his polypad further forward and more pulled "up" than I perhaps should but the saddle is in the right place! Doesn't tip me back atall- only had it checked all very recently and I absolutely trust my saddle fitter in his opinion : )
Now it's the decision of shavings or woodchip seeing as he is the messiest man in the world!
 
Regarding the colour. I do think that he looks to be a very dark buckskin. This is my filly as a foal:

taylahfoal_zps1dee8a20.jpg


Changing colour:

taylahfoalcoatchange_zpse7793b84.jpg


And her a few weeks ago:

mylittlepony2_zps6ea568bf.jpg


As Faracat says, she's a seal brown with cream.
 
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I thought I'd add the photo so that it shows. :)

10389716_10154266969310094_8701774322357672969_n_zps7e1ac092.jpg


Has the test come back yet? I still vote for seal brown (no cream).

WT - thanks for adding the photos of your lovely girl to compare with. :)
 
The OP's horse certainly has some lovely golden tan paler bits which my girl doesn't. Hers are more cream/pale beige coloured.
 
Oops! Haven't seen all of these replies-

What a gorgeous foal!
I've been terrible, had the hair all in an addressed baggy and envelope ready to send off and just haven't posted it yet! Now this has jogged my memory I will re-harvest some hair and get it sent off!

I have a brain like a sieve!
 
Would just like to update you all regarding Rockys weight! His diet and exercise regime seems to be going well- we are at the BHS jump camp week this week and have had a spiller rep weigh and condition score our horses, Rocky has lost 20kg so far and is condition scored as a 6, which the rep has said is good for his type and she likes the see horses between 4 and 6, so I'm very pleased and will try to maintain his weight now! Thanks all for your help!

Results for the cream gene have arrived at home but as I am away I can't see them yet, argh! Will let you all know when I go home!
 
PaulnasherryRocky said:
Colour results back, negative for the cream gene- he is just a lovely colour of bay!
Click to expand...

Brown! :p

ETA a bit more info.

There are three versions of agouti. Not all DNA testing labs test for the different versions. Luckily it's easy to tell them apart visually.

A = bay
At = seal brown (often mistakenly called dark bay)
A+ = wild bay

So testing positive for agouti doesn't automatically mean that your horse is plain old 'bay'. Looking at the horse in the OP, I have no doubt that he has the At version and is therefore seal brown.
 
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