Nice to see more professionals taking a stand..

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

against the obesity pandemic in horses, especially those being rewarded at top level.



ETA: Another winner that is returned in the Google results for 'Windsor championship 2022' - looks to be an article by H&H but I haven't paid so can't read it.. It's nice that professionals are standing up and speaking out against it but obviously the judges need their heads wobbling and their eyes opening.

 

[SEL]

Gosh that grey!

I think my Appy is a similar build but if I let her get this size my vet would go ballistic.

 

[shortstuff99]

There have been a few comments on this on various pages and quite a few comments have been in support of the size of these horses saying nothing is wrong. Especially as both of these producers are well known.

 

[RachelFerd]

I think there might be some nice horses there, under the blubber...

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

There have been a few comments on this on various pages and quite a few comments have been in support of the size of these horses saying nothing is wrong. Especially as both of these producers are well known.

Really?! I haven't got the foggiest what producer it might be, but I can't imagine anyone could think those horses look a good weight.

 

[HufflyPuffly]

I think there might be some nice horses there, under the blubber...

^ that imo is the problem.

If the best put together and well behaved horse in the class also happens to be the fattest, then currently with show societies not dictating any penalties for horses that are overweight, they will still win as technically they are the best though just incredibly overweight…

 

[ester]

What mostly bugs me atm is that this has been talked about a lot for a good while, the showing societies can’t be unaware yet nothing seems to actually change.

I loved the suggestion that we should personally contact the societies to explain the problem to them like they don’t already know ?. And if they don’t there’s a much bigger problem to sort.

 

[Jellymoon]

When I saw these pics in horse and hound, I thought, wow, they look fat to me, but I’m no cob expert so perhaps this is what they should look like. Which just says it all doesn’t it. I don’t think they should be that big, but I don’t say anything because I’m not an ‘expert’!!

 

[Tiddlypom]

The maxi cob started as a lightweight cob but 'grew out', according to his producer .

The showing world is a total disgrace. Time and again the subject of obese horses winning and placing at top shows comes up, and precisely feck all happens as too many people are making too much money out of producing tubs of lard for the show ring.

Obese horses should be sent out of the ring.

 

[Shilasdair]

The maxi cob started as a lightweight cob but 'grew out', according to his producer .

That happened to me! I started as a lightweight human, but grew out, too.

 

[hock]

I’ve seen a few post about Windsor on FB I wonder if this is “eye opening” things they were talking about?

 

[Squeak]

I've been a bit shocked recently by the size of some of the riders I've been seeing too.

I know it's a sensitive issue and people can really struggle with weight (I'm certainly not skinny) and I really empathise with them. Some of the riders have been on hacks etc so horses that are not at all designed to weight carry.

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

I've been a bit shocked recently by the size of some of the riders I've been seeing too.

I know it's a sensitive issue and people can really struggle with weight (I'm certainly not skinny) and I really empathise with them. Some of the riders have been on hacks etc so horses that are not at all designed to weight carry.

Completely, and as someone who has stopped riding due to their weight gain following a surgery, I feel as though I can’t be labelled ‘someone who doesn’t get it and finds it easy to be slim’ which is the reply lots of people get when they bring it up.

 

[palo1]

I think showing classes should have some element of vetting prior to entering the ring tbh and obese horses could just not be allowed to participate in their class. I know it would push up the cost of entries but it works for even low level endurance for example so it could be possible. Overweight riders are a different issue but the weighing in for competitive classes is not, perhaps unreasonable and would help to emphasise the importance for all of us of knowing how much we weigh and how to act on that knowledge.

 

[LegOn]

Poor form for Horse and Hound to be promoting the win - considering they have article after article about obese horses and welfare but they are happy to celebrate horses of this size winning massive classes - talk running with the hare and hunting with the hounds!

As much as Dr Marlin is a professional in his field as a scientist, I dont think his attitude wins him any popularity contests. And I honestly dont think anything is going to change showing at this stage - what is it gonna take? A horse to drop dead of a heart attack in the ring?? There was alot of controversy a while back about a young horse being ridden by a producer in gadgets and was very overweight and overbent and nothing happened about that in the end up - all a storm a tea cup!

 

[Velcrobum]

Great Yorkshire show took steps against overweight horses and riders too big for ponies working them in. Their reward was to have qualifiers removed......
They are sticking to their guns however and if I was close enough to go I would specifically to support them.

 

[SilverLinings]

Aside from the fact that the showing producers/owners of obese horses don't appear to care for the horse's welfare (if they did then they wouldn't risk their health by allowing them to get- and stay- so overweight), why do they (or the judges) think it looks attractive/desireable? Fat animals look hideous, and in some cases slightly deformed due to the massive crest/fat pads, and at the very least just look like a walking vet bill . Showing looks very bad as a sport because of the judges who allow these unhealthy horses to place.

 

[COldNag]

That happened to me! I started as a lightweight human, but grew out, too.

Me too!
I am a maxi-me (but currently trying to regain lightweight status. Maybe I need a muzzle!).

 

[Rowreach]

I wish I could post a picture from the weekend of a young (7yo) trad cob which is currently out showing in NI but I'd probably get sued. I've known the horse since it was 3 - I nearly fell over when I saw the photo. It is SO fat it's head looks absolutely tiny and out of proportion to the rest of its body. Poor bloody horse.

 

[Rowreach]

That happened to me! I started as a lightweight human, but grew out, too.

Are you "finished" yet?

 

[Irish-Only]

We watched the ladies side saddle riding horse? class at Windsor, and there was an obese horse in this class with fat pads all over and the girth just about disappearing into the fat too. This one ended up at the bottom, and we were hoping and praying that it was there because the judge had actually taken a stand on its condition.

 

[Fred66]

Maybe it needs an RSPCA inspector to walk into the ring and pull them up on animal welfare grounds !

 

[The Bouncing Bog Trotter]

Maybe it needs an RSPCA inspector to walk into the ring and pull them up on animal welfare grounds !

Or for all of the welfare organisations to work together and put an end to this. It is abuse. I talk to a person who condition scores horses and ponies as part of their job and they tell me that obesity is far far more of an issue for them than underweight horses. We see endless photos from welfare organisations showing underweight and malnourished horses - they need to start publishing photos of horses that are obese.

It is about time the horse world says enough - I totally understand that a show cob will not be as lean and fit as an event horse but we seriously do need to address this as a community.

 

[twobearsarthur]

I’ve always loved showing. The way that any member of the family can have a go, that any horse can find a class, it just always seemed so much more accessible than other disciplines to me. I’m not saying it was perfect none of the equestrian disciplines are but from pony club to hoys there was a place for everyone to have a go, work hard and maybe even win that qualifier. But even I’ve had enough now and to be honest can’t see anything changing anytime soon, the producers, produce horrifically obese animals, the magazines swoon over said animals, the feed companies push conditioning feed (not for underweight horses but for “show condition”) and the amateurs see this and want to emulate that success over feeding their horses and round and round we go!!!
I have a 2 yo Irish Draught that I’m taking out for exposure this season. I know I have little chance despite his impeccable breeding, manners and super conformation because he’ll be up against animals fed like bullocks.
Im not tarring everyone with the same brush (competitor or judge) but it really is an epidemic. Maybe my fit not fat boy will start a revolution I doubt it, but the more people who try and upset the status quo in showing can only be a good thing.

 

[SEL]

I've now got 3 cobs demanding they are let onto the rested field so they can obtain Maxi status - none of them have visible ribs and all would look skinny next to these.

 

[Wishfilly]

The thing is as well, it trickles down to local level- and people look at these photos and think this is how cobs are meant to look- or at least it's okay to let cobs look like this. Because if it was a welfare issue, they wouldn't be winning at top shows, right?

I think either condition scoring needs to be taken into account when judging, or else, as others have said, obese horses sent out of the ring.

Has the grey won a high profile class before, looking just as fat?

 

[ester]

Generally I've had the impression that leisure/low level riders are paying more attention to keeping their good doers slimmer in recent years, overall I think they are doing better than the showing pros. Certainly stewarding locally I've had judges refuse to place natives with fat pads.

I'm quite interested to see the GYS winners.

 

[Goldenstar]

That happened to me! I started as a lightweight human, but grew out, too.

Gosh me as well fancy that .

COB classes are gross .I won’t watch them or buy anything from companies who use some producers to endorse their products

 

[Goldenstar]

Blue my cob was 850 kilos when he came he’s a heavy horse as in Clydesdale / ID hes now 670.

 

[shortstuff99]

Poor form for Horse and Hound to be promoting the win - considering they have article after article about obese horses and welfare but they are happy to celebrate horses of this size winning massive classes - talk running with the hare and hunting with the hounds!

As much as Dr Marlin is a professional in his field as a scientist, I dont think his attitude wins him any popularity contests. And I honestly dont think anything is going to change showing at this stage - what is it gonna take? A horse to drop dead of a heart attack in the ring?? There was alot of controversy a while back about a young horse being ridden by a producer in gadgets and was very overweight and overbent and nothing happened about that in the end up - all a storm a tea cup!

Possibly you mean the producer that is riding the chestnut in the OP. She had a controversial video with side reins etc. Lost some sponsors and then everyone forgot about it....