Is my pony underweight? ((pics))

ncarter

ncarter

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Hi,

When I got Ozzy a few months ago the vet said he was a bit overweight. He has now lost a bit and is a bit fitter but one of my friends now thinks he is borderline underweight...what are your thoughts please? (he is a Welshie but a light build)
Please excuse the rubbish photos - I hope you can get some idea, if not I'l try and take some more

oz001.jpg

oz004.jpg

oz006.jpg
 
From the photos, I would not for a minute think he was underweight, I would say for a light weight type of cob, for this time of year and presuming he's in regular work/fit and on a diet for his work load, he's just right.

Well done for getting the flab off :)
 
Personaly I would say he could do with a little bit more muscle on his topline and quarters but is NOT underfat. Porky ponies is one of my biggest bugbears and sometimes I think that so many ponies are fat that people expect the to be and see a fit one as underweight. Unless you can SEE his ribs he is not underweight.

Kudos for getting the weight off him though if he was fat before.
 
Definitely NOT underweight. In fact it would not concern me if he was my horse and he lost a bit more weight. The spring grass is just around the corner so the chance of weight going back on is very high.

Well done on getting his weight under control.

When I look at photos of my ponies when I was a kid many years ago they were all a lot slimmer than most of the horses we see now. I think we have got used to seeing slightly overweight horses as normal which has skewed our judgement.
 
eggs said:
Definitely NOT underweight. In fact it would not concern me if he was my horse and he lost a bit more weight. The spring grass is just around the corner so the chance of weight going back on is very high.

Well done on getting his weight under control.

When I look at photos of my ponies when I was a kid many years ago they were all a lot slimmer than most of the horses we see now. I think we have got used to seeing slightly overweight horses as normal which has skewed our judgement.
Click to expand...
Baaaa :p
We have got used to them being fatter and as a bit fat became the norm,slim and fit started to look underweight :(
Given that he will more then likely put some on in the next few months as the spring grass comes through,I would be keeping up the diet so it all evens out and he stays a good weight.
If was was you OP,I would be feeling very proud of getting his weight under controll :D
 
Ditto them :)

Not underweight. You've done well :). If he were mine, I'd keep up the diet a bit longer, due to the Spring grass coming in. Generally just keep an eye on him.

Wonderful shine to his coat! :D
 
He looks great:) - definitely not underweight - as the others have said the grass is about to grow so better to be lean than fat. :)

Agree with the others - we are too used to seeing fat horse/ponies these days. Well done in getting the weight off and hope you can keep it off over the spring summer as it will be far better for him in the long run.:)
 
Your friend is joking, right? No way is he borderline underweight.:cool:
 
Thanks all, I personally don't think he is underweight but just wanted a few more opinions. He is being ridden about 4 times a week - school work, jumping and hacking - and only gets a small hard feed whenever I ride him (handful of each: barley, sugar beet, grass nuts, chaff, and a glug of oil) - other than that he is just on hay / haylage in the field. Should I cut down the hard feed when the grass comes through???? I am assuming his muscle will come with more work as he pretty much had the whole winter off with the bad weather? Thanks :-D
 
I would be tempted to cut out the barley and glug of oil - both are fattening.

Lovely pics of your boy.
 
he's lovely. I'd say he's still got a little bit of podge to lose if anything, and defo defo defo cut his hard feed when the grass comes through, which is now! Well done on your hard work so far :)
 
He looks perfect weightwise to me - he could do with some more muscle tone and once he gets that he'll look bigger anyway - well done for getting the weight off and tell your friend to go to specsavers!!
 
He looks smashing, it's so tricky getting weight off (have a pretty much permanent battle with my chubby girls!). I like mine to go into spring with less on them though as the spring grass really piles it in. As others have said, I would loose the oil and barley. I don't think he needs it now, and he certainly won't soon if the grass here is anything to go by!
 
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