Obese horses in showing

[Tiddlypom]

The showing fraternity seem to make all the right noises about tackling the problem of obese horses in the show ring.

This is the HOYS 2017 maxicob champion.

Way to go.

 

[only_me]

Wow. He’s also owned by Baileys Horse feeds.

Nice horse though, even under the flab!

 

[JFTDWS]

Terrifying, isn't it?

 

[Rowreach]

Wow. He’s also owned by Baileys Horse feeds.

Nice horse though, even under the flab!

Not enough bone for a maxi cob I wouldn't have thought? Put him on a diet and he would be more hunter type.

Or he perhaps has plenty of bone but is SO huge it's making his legs look skinny.

Poor horse looks like he is going to burst

 

[cobgoblin]

Jeez!...it's like a Mortadella on legs!

 

[ElliePippa]

Same horse at same show

 

[ihatework]

Terrifying, isn't it?

But but but .... they are just muscled right? Us non showing peeps have no idea just how to fitten and condition a show horse right?

I agree. Terrifying.

 

[Tiddlypom]

Not enough bone for a maxi cob I wouldn't have thought? Put him on a diet and he would be more hunter type.

That was my take on it, too. A very nice horse, but not a maxicob. You'd expect a HOYS judge to see straight through that attempt at deception by blubber, though, wouldn't you.

Poor horse looks like he is going to burst

Doesn't he just.

He's not a very good advert for Bailey Horse Feeds either, their nutritionists must be mortified.

 

[ester]

I've seen another pic of him stood up in the car park and thought he looked better than under the lights too. I'm still not sure it is really a cob though.

 

[Rowreach]

I've seen another pic of him stood up in the car park and thought he looked better than under the lights too. I'm still not sure it is really a cob though.

Was that the one doing the rounds on Facebook last night? I thought he looked pretty gross in that too if it was the same one

 

[ester]

I don't know, I did say looked better, not great , it's gone from where I saw it. Though it was also being compared to a picture of him clearly taking a step back so super scrunched up.

 

[iknowmyvalue]

My Henry was originally bred and bought/sold as a maxi cob by a well known, high level show producer. Most of you will have seen photos of him, and he is definitely not a maxi cob when he's a healthy weight! This chap would probably be a similar build if he were to lose the chub...

 

[Dancing_Diva]

I commented on this photo when it was posted on facebook by a magazine. It’s disgusting, and a welfare issues! I’ve known owners prosecuted due to obese horses and this is no different but nothing will ever change because it’s owned by the people it is and is in “show condition” not fat!!

The photo I commented on which had lynn Russel tagged in recieved so mush bad comments it was removed in the end.

It’s not right, I worked for a lady who’s show hunter was like this! I left, only to find out a year later after seven severe attacks of lami he was PTS

 

[Doris68]

The horse is obscenely over-weight and not pleasing on the eye!! This is so hypocritical - how can an obese horse be placed, let alone win!?? It's quite shocking.

 

[Equi]

Said that as soon as I saw him too. Doesn't look like enough bone to me either.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

Oh but now come on you lot! You should all know better than that! It's not the horse that did the winning it was the face on top!

ETA - it got marks of 47/50 and 47/50. There were 2 others with the same ride but lower conf and 2 others with the same conf but lower ride.

 

[cobgoblin]

Oh but now come on you lot! You should all know better than that! It's not the horse that did the winning it was the face on top!

It's true, but as that's the case why did they have to half kill the horse with food...oh, hang on! They wouldn't have had a cob.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

It's true, but as that's the case why did they have to half kill the horse with food...oh, hang on! They wouldn't have had a cob.

Exactly! It would have been a bad hunter!

 

[jnb]

I took that photo - the first one
Just saying

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

This is Hallmark - 6 times HOYS Cob winner in either heavy or maxi over the years. Fed on Bailey's but with a different producer.

Some difference!

Starry Night - another 6x HOYS winner including the Maxi Cobs

 

[Crugeran Celt]

Poor horse is very overweight but not unusual even in small shows you see very fat horses in the ridden cob classes. Sad and gives a very poor message to people who want to show. The effort it would take to get a horse like that fit and muscular is obviously to much so piling it with food to get the bulk would be quicker and less work it would seem. Also worryingly is how many obe, two and three year olds are extremely mature in the show ring.

 

[Tiddlypom]

I took that photo - the first one
Just saying

Hope you didn't mind me lifting it from FB ? It's too late for me to edit the OP to give you the tog's credit.

 

[rowan666]

Not enough bone for a maxi cob I wouldn't have thought? Put him on a diet and he would be more hunter type.

Or he perhaps has plenty of bone but is SO huge it's making his legs look skinny.

Poor horse looks like he is going to burst

^^ couldn't agree more!

 

[lozloz1]

My Henry was originally bred and bought/sold as a maxi cob by a well known, high level show producer. Most of you will have seen photos of him, and he is definitely not a maxi cob when he's a healthy weight! This chap would probably be a similar build if he were to lose the chub...

Have you got any comparison pics please? It would be interesting to see the difference

 

[ester]

There are some much lovelier actual cobs about EKW, but I do wonder, I could understand your argument at qualifiers but surely at HOYS it is all names on top?

Who were the other 4 horses out of interest, would be nice to have a look at them.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

There are some much lovelier actual cobs about EKW, but I do wonder, I could understand your argument at qualifiers but surely at HOYS it is all names on top?

Who were the other 4 horses out of interest, would be nice to have a look at them.

It's majority names at HOYS but not 100%. A truly lovely wee black cob went Supreme at the Caledonian Championships the other week. She was a nice weight but fit as a fiddle underneath, moved for absolute fun! The pics I put on of previous champions were more for weight comparison - neither as as heavy as this years champion.

 

[ester]

Ah no sorry I meant who were the the four that had same confo/less ride and vice versa against this.

I am just interested to see if this genuinely was the best of the bunch, because it didn't need to be put up just because they felt they had to pick a name, as there would have been a few names to pick from.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

47/47 - Jovian - Lynn Russell
47/45 - Miramax - Ian Smeeth
45/47 - The Ringmaster - Hayley Sankey
48/43 - Brookdale Limited Edition - Danielle Heath
46/43 - Lord Alexander - Elizabeth Bury
42/45 - Cantarra Shadow Play - Avril Bartolemy - this horse has a TB sire and a Percheon Dam.

So 1 other on equal conf scores. A few on ride, not a lot between them and I was looking at last years scores first time around! #Muppet! What is interesting is the class is split in 2. The first half do ride while the others strip then they swop. One section got consistantly lower scores but a good few marks so I am guessing that was amatuer hour lol!

 

[ester]

thanks *tottles off to nosey.

 

[only_me]

Not enough bone for a maxi cob I wouldn't have thought? Put him on a diet and he would be more hunter type.

Or he perhaps has plenty of bone but is SO huge it's making his legs look skinny.

Poor horse looks like he is going to burst

I think without the flab he would probably be a maxi still, I think the sheer size of his body is making his legs look teeny weeny. Hard to guess bone, and not helped by the rotundnuss.

I can’t believe he’s owned by a feed company, not a great advertisement.