Overweight horses and laziness?

[DreamingIsBelieving]

Does a horse's weight really have much of an effect on how lazy it is? Surely it's the attitude of the horse that matters, not its weight - or does its weight affect its attitude towards work? I often see adverts online for overweight horses and think 'if it's like that now, how will it be once it's a healthy weight?'. I'd be interested to hear from anyone out there whose had experience of riding a fat horse before and after weight loss, to get an idea of how much of a difference it really makes to the horse's way of going. Of course I know that each horse is an individual and as with everything there will be exceptions to the trend!

 

[Goldenstar]

At his fattest Fatty weighed in a a hefty 760 kilos he now ranges between 630 after the summer and 560 after Christmas .
He is literally like a different horse to the one that arrived he was as lazy as my childhood Shetland was it was like riding a huge lumbering unwilling slug .

 

[ribbons]

I'm really surprised this question is being asked. It's not mental laziness. It's physical inability.
However much they want to, a 20 stone human is not going to be able to run as fast or as far as an 8 stone one. Same with a fat horse or dog.

 

[Megibo]

They are the same as people...
Shift 3 stone you'll feel a whole lot better and energetic..so of course when my horse was at one point quite fat which was my fault she was rather lazy..now she's slim (you can see ribs when she is working) she's much brighter and forward going.

 

[FabioandFreddy]

I'm struggling a bit with Fab's weight at the moment but he's the fittest and most forward he's ever been! Go figure?!

 

[NellRosk]

My horse was a lazy horrible fat lump when I got him and now 7 years later he's a slim Jim and completely different.

 

[CobsGalore]

When I bought my cob just over a year ago he was 560kgs on the weight tape (he's 14.2), he struggled to keep up on hacks and ran out of energy after 10 minutes of schooling.

He is now 430kg on the weight tape and is a different horse. He bounds along out hacking with his ears pricked up and enjoys having a good canter, even up hills now.

He even has a good gallop round the field playing with his friends which I never saw him do when he was overweight.

It 100% makes a difference!

 

[AmyMay]

I'm really surprised this question is being asked. It's not mental laziness. It's physical inability.
However much they want to, a 20 stone human is not going to be able to run as fast or as far as an 8 stone one. Same with a fat horse or dog.

This, exactly.

 

[MadBlackLab]

Owners who deliberately let their horses become overweight should be prosecuted in my eyes like if you neglect a horse. IMHO I also believe showing has a lot to answer for and should start marking down overweight horses but that is MHO

 

[Theocat]

I'm struggling a bit with Fab's weight at the moment but he's the fittest and most forward he's ever been! Go figure?!

I think the combination of fitness and being slightly overweight is a pretty unusual one - a lot of overweight horses just aren't getting enough exercise. He may well be the most forward you've ever ridden him, but you'd need to compare the fitness level with what he's like at the same level of fitness with less weight on him to get a true reflection of how his weight is affecting him.

 

[Fjord]

When I bought my mare she weighed around about 550 on a weigh tape (I glanced at the number and dropped the tape in horror), she's 13.3... She was still forward going, but couldn't go forward far as she got too tired, although she did still try.

She now weigh tapes at around 412 and has ribs! She's still forward going, it's just now she can keep going for a lot longer!

The main difference is that she is just more keen to do stuff, and if she does decide to tank off then she doesn't get tired as quickly so can be a bit more of a handful. Her overall attitude hasn't changed but she has much more energy and is therefore more lively at times. Luckily she has a gentle and calm nature in general, so hasn't become too much for me as she has got fitter, but I know a lot of people were worried what she would become like when she slimmed down. I was a nervous novice when I got her, it could have gone a bit wrong if she'd been sharper natured to start with.

I love her energy now so I try hard to keep the weight down, I hate seeing fat horses and won't let her get as big as she was before.

 

[WetandMuddy]

I read somewhere, earlier this year, that the BHS (I think it was the BHS) did a survey of ponies and their behaviour at pony club camps. Apparently, all the really naughty ponies were overweight!!!

Not sure what that signifies - but it stuck in my mind!!!