Horses and weight - is there any point

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WishfulThinker

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Right. My boyo is 14 years old. He hasnt had a hard life and he enjoys being ridden.
I however am at the moment over weight, very overweight and I am working on getting it down, fingers crossed.

However I am now thinking that realistically, it took me 2 years to lose the weight before - that was without any healt issues and with all the time in the world to go to the gym etc. So its going to take me longer this time. I am not really going to be able to ride me horse any more, not properly anyway, just the odd hack here and there.

I do have a sharer for him - when she turns up - but she doesnt do as much with him as it was made out she would - so he is getting fat, despite being muzzled. He has no health issues that are known - other than this headshaking that has stopped now he is home, so I am not sure that I want to move him anywhere new, adn we have a pony coming to keep him company and to be broken for Emma in a few years.

I don't actually know what I was meaning to say/ask..............I just feel that I am failing him by having him just plodding round a field as he likes to be out and about, but I also don't want to loan him out 100% again as I only got him back in October. I think in my head in the magical pony land that is my youth that I keep in there I forgot that horses age, and that I have a limited time, and how long things take...................I mean I see him now and he doesnt look that different to when I first got him, well other than a bit wiser and a lot less naughty.

I cant believe its been nearly 6 years I have owned him.
 
Time does fly when you're having fun - can't believe I've had Chumley for 5 years now. The only thing is that he can't do much now due to Bone Spavin and wish I could roll back time though I used to do a fair bit with him so I don't feel like I missed out too much. Chumley is the type who doesn't give a stuff if not being worked - it takes up valuable eating time. However my other pony Toby gets bored after a few days of doing nothing.

Couple of ideas: Perhaps you could lunge him to help keep the weight off him, make it interesting with poles, jumps etc? Or perhaps long reining? Have you ever taken him for a walk in-hand, I've had to do that a few times with my old boy and it's actually quite nice - like walking a very big dog lol.

Also, perhaps do some groundwork with him to get him thinking a bit if you think he is getting bored - don't know how you feel about the dreaded P word... but I've recently done a bit of Parelli (initially because I had to learn how to lunge Toby this way as he was taught that way) but have found it quite interesting learning about body language etc and pony loves the 'games' and showing off. There are other types of 'natural' horsemanship if this doesn't float your boat :)

Regards weight, I'm would like to be thinner too but not getting too stressed though I've put half a stone on in two months because I've not been riding much due to a problem with Toby. I've also moved to a new yard that involves driving past a Chinese and an Indian takeaway every night.. I'm hopefully back on Toby soon and will start up the lessons again and my instructor makes me work hard!

I've also recently 'discovered' cooking.. I used to buy lots of low fat ready meals etc but after making a New Years Resolution to start cooking from 'scratch' (I do cheat a little by buying some ready made sauces..) I've noticed that I'm lighter than when I last went to Weight Watchers!!
 
I couldn't agree more with Chumsmum...you could do so much on the ground to help with his weight, if you feel riding him is a really issue because of your weight (long reining is also great exercise for the human!). However, can I also add that a perfectly health 14 year old horse should suffer no adverse problems from being ridden by a 'substantial' adult. I don't expect you to tell us your weight / height etc, but if you are capable of riding daily (ie you are fit enough), then your horse would be likely cope with an hours steady exercise each day (all the better if you enjoy it and look forward to it!)

I always find muzzles irritate horses (however this is different for individual horses), but if you can strip graze and keep the grass in the area he's allowed short (ie he can graze it each day all over and keep it close to non existant), this might be a happier option. If you are looking for a pony, two of them strip grazing the paddock would be even better (bearing in mind my negatove experiences with ponies and laminitis!).

People are forever saying 'potential eventer' in adverts and I always hear 'he could do so much more'. Well, maybe that's true, but not every horse can be top of their sport, get round Badminton or become a top class dressage horse. Like humans, they all have their limits, physical and mental restrictions and happiness levels!

I have an 11 year old ex-racehorse who is very happy in his new 'handy pony' role. He has become a mountain goat on the scree hills of the common, team chaser, showjumper and dressage pony (17.2hh of pony!), as well as handy pony walking over blue tarps and moving flower pots! He spends all day with two old boys in the field, eating and sleeping. Loves to pop out for a ride, but never looks back when I turn him out again! He's ridden several times a week, but I'm past beating myself up over him doing nothing for the odd week because I'm up to my eyeballs with the rest of life. He's well cared for, very much loved and seems so happy being a one person horse.

At the end of the day, I suspect your boy is very happy being loved and well cared for....he could have it an awful lot worse!
 
Yeah, I know because at least he is seen every day. Unfortunately not by me as he is an hour bus journey from my house and after I get home and see to Emma its nearly 7 and no time to go see him. I am trying to make it 2 night during the work week I go and see him and a day at the weekend. Until I can drive that is the best I can do.

I am miffed as I got a sharer as I know he needs exercise, and I thought great, a keen teen will do lots - well she hasn't. Just the odd hack here and there, and since she pays for his feet to be done you would think she would be a tad more keen! She used to bug the tits off me texting like 10 times a day.........now nothing.

I am just saving up for the electric (permenant) fencing, so hopefully this month that will go in and he will have a shock when his field is halved!
 
HollyP said:
I too was going to suggest the dreaded P word!

xx
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I take it thats parelli? My mum used to do stuff like that when I first got him. She is tiny yet she is the boss of him (was never me- which caused issues). If I cant catch him she will tell me what to do and she will read him as I am doing it and it always works. When I had a broken ankle and couldnt ride he was lunged every day and he had a gym ball and jumps set up round the field and he used to play with the ball and would bomb about going over the jumps himself.

The sharer is adamant she is riding him lots, but I have told her to make sure he does get a good work out. He is a horse that needs attention - I think Ideally he would be happy at a petting zoo. We tried a working livery but that didnt work as he started headshaking and its not clear if it was environmental or stress/emotional.

I know he will never be much - at best he is a riding club horse as to go well he needs a very good rider. He did ok at small events when I first got him and he was loaned to a girl who evented. I think he loved that as he came back in fine form and very happy. I might see if my friend will take him to some events that she is taking her lad to.
 
I was going to suggest leading him out in hand for it would benefit both of you! Good luck, I know how hard it can be to get the weight off....
 
mahorse said:
I was going to suggest leading him out in hand for it would benefit both of you! Good luck, I know how hard it can be to get the weight off....
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Well, Going to get the OH sorted with the controls. He has good balance as he does DH and used to do MotoX. Its just the turning and stopping. I will be walking out with the wee pony to get him used to the area.

I know that he will lose weight quickly when worked - I might supplement him with Cider Apple Vinegar as this helped his joints and kept his weight down a few years ago.

And I will just have to try my hardest.

I guess I could also take him jogging with me? lol. That would be a sight......to fat arses wobbling along the road. hehe
 
The horse I share has three of us to play with
- his owner
- me
- his other sharer

We're all quite busy people with work/study and so forth but between us he gets exercised 6/7 days most weeks. He is an Arab (with a little bit of TB) so quite a teenager-sized horse but actually owner is mid-20s now, I'm 31 and other sharer is older.

You could always see about getting a smallish adult to co-share?
 
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