Is my welshie too fat?

[Ranyhyn]

My first winter with a welsh pony (well two, but one isn't a concern really)

Bronwen is a yearling filly, they have just come off restricted grazing for winter, they are fed a token of chaff and mix, mainly to get balancer in. Otherwise obviously they have no exercise apart from the hills in the field you can see.

Bron is on the left, I'd love to know what you think of her weight going into winter. She will stay unrugged. I'd say she's a condition score 4, maybe 3.75 at best but its so hard to get my eye in with welshies.

 

[nikCscott]

I think she looks fine this side of winter - she has a wide neck (or at least in this picture) so hard to tell, but she looks well to me. Lush colour my sec a was this colour when i got him but he's faded to light dapple now.

 

[Ranyhyn]

She does have a very chunky neck, I'll see if I can find another photo.. yes they are a lovely colour aren't they? About what age did your welshie change colour?

 

[nikCscott]

He's 5 now it's just happened gradually i'm guessing he'll be white in a couple moor years

 

[Wobblywibble]

How is her crest? Difficult to tell from pic but at least you have a lookalikey for comparison

 

[Ranyhyn]

It's quite formidable, I'll have to take some better pics later for you guys to see. She's definitely a more thick-set, stout type than Prim (right) but I'm trying to make sure that doesn't mean I let her get fat without realising! We have lots of options for restricting their grazing but just need to check if I need to first!

 

[JFTDWS]

It's difficult to judge condition from a photo as you can't feel for conformational markers etc - can you feel her ribs? Also, is her neck spongy or hard?

If I'm honest, she looks fat, and I would be concerned about her neck. BUT, if it's soft rather than hard and you can feel her ribs, then it is just a deceptive photo...

My highland yearling looks a little fat at the moment as he has a thick fluffy coat, but underneath his coat I can feel his ribs and he isn't cresty / doesn't have fat pads, so I know he's ok. At this time of year, a fluffy coat can also be very deceptive.

Lovely ponies though - fab colouring and very pretty

 

[JFTDWS]

As for colour fading, I'm in a constant debate with my highland's breeder about my 5 year old - he keeps telling me he's greying out but I really don't think there's been much change since I bought him (at 3)... He's still holding on to his black legs and is definitely grey not white-grey on his body still I live in hope

 

[monkeybum13]

If you feed a balancer in pellet form (top spec, lo cal, blue chip etc) you can feed it on its own, no need to add chaff or a mix, this is how we fed our welshies

 

[Ranyhyn]

They get PP (as thats what Clo gets, but it it literally a fistfull of chaff and a sprinkle of nuts and they are fed outside, so Clover inevitably bullies them off the last mouthfuls (evil I know! but they dont need the food)
Could think about changing them though!
Thanks for the opinions, gives me something to think on and will take better pics in the morning for you all