How much should she weigh?

[Suec04]

Hi All,

i put a weigh tape on my heavyweight, 16hh cob mare yesterday and she measured in at 603! i know she needs to lose some weight as she has a crest and i can't feel her ribs. any idea what figure i should be aiming for? also is it better to strip graze her or feed her hay in the 'starvation paddock? she is out 27/7 atm on restricted grazing (ie. she has scoffed the lot!)

thanks in advance for your help

 

[joulsey]

I rarely weigh tape, infact I did for the first time the other month as I could tell the mare had got a bit tubby for my liking (16.2hh CBxTB) and she also came in at 603kg. I tend to just condition score her, but im guessing as you say she has a crest and you cannot feel her ribs shes on the higher scale!! Can't advise what weight to aim for, I never really do trust the weigh tapes TBH.

 

[chestnut cob]

I don't weigh, I just condition score and go by how he looks. Weight tapes are really only useful IMHO for gauging if they have lost or gained weight, as they are usually out by quite a lot.

Depending on how fat she is, I would probably feed soaked hay in the starvation paddock, possibly mixing with straw if she really needs to lose some. How much work is she getting?

 

[Celtic Fringe]

Totally agree that the tapes only show if they have lost or gained weight. My 14.3 Welsh D weigh taped at 450kg but was accurately weighed at the vets at 560kg! Fully eventing-fit 16h Anglo-arab x cob weighed just over 600kg so 16h cob possibly weighs a fair bit more. We keep fatty mare on field that has already been eaten down a lot - she has to keep moving and look for the grass that is there. Otherwise she gets a small amount of hay in a starvation paddock and a cup of balancer each day. We can now feel some ribs (thought they had disappeared for ever). Main issue is that she knows where the grass is greener and will try to break out if at all possible so it is vital to keep the fencing in really good condition.

 

[Leo Walker]

My 15.2hh welsh cob cross, who looks like a slightly chunky welsh weighed 612kgs on a weigh bridge when he was a good weight. Weight tapes arent accurate, your much better off condition scoring

 

[autumn7]

15.3hh HW cob weighs 604kg (girth 196cm) when fighting fit.

'Relaxed' summer weight rises to 640kg (girth 202cm) - and that is a struggle to maintain at times but doable. Weights are measured on a horse weighbridge.
I move strip grazing tape to allow reasonable grazing overnight when fructans are low, then supply haynet during day but no additional fresh grass as don't move tape until following night.
Horse is in light work over summer months.

 

[Suec04]

thanks guys. have never condition scored before. :/ any articles/books you can recommend or shall i post pics of her on here and ask you lovely people for some help?

 

[joulsey]

http://www.baileyshorsefeeds.co.uk/feedingexplained/conditionscoring1.htm

It normally only goes up to 5, but that goes up to 9, but its all the same anyway. Lots and lots on google.

Put a picture on as well and I'm sure people can help you out

 

[Suec04]

http://www.baileyshorsefeeds.co.uk/feedingexplained/conditionscoring1.htm

It normally only goes up to 5, but that goes up to 9, but its all the same anyway. Lots and lots on google.

Put a picture on as well and I'm sure people can help you out

perfect! thank you. i will take some pics this evening and then figure out how to post them

 

[TGM]

Don't aim for a figure on the weigh tape, aim to get her so that you can feel her ribs easily and she loses her fatty crest. You can use your weight tape once a week to check she is actually losing but you can't set an actual figure you should aim for as it varies according to conformation.

 

[Goldenstar]

Weight tapes almost always under estimate the weight of cobs .
My TB is 650 kilos on the weight bridge at the vets .

 

[STRIKER]

Blue cross fat horse slim, draught breed 16hh 630-680kg, or sport horse 580-630