Overweight Horses!!

Tangled

Tangled

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Hi everyone,

Is anyone else sick of seeing obese horses being described as 'healthy' and 'fit'. I see horses with huge crests (with fat pockets elsewhere) to hearing 'oh that neck is so muscly' noooooo! It's very much overweight and that is not muscle!
I work so hard for my boy to be fit and receive comments that he is too lean and could do with gaining a few pounds (he is a Welsh D) I find that generally people don't know the difference between a fit horse and an overweight one.

Please share pics/stories of your fit horses :)

Here is my boy:

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Agree re the fat horses comments, but I'm afraid, that going on the last pic, I also agree with the people who saying your horse needs a bit more cover. He looks great in the ridden pic, but too light in condition, and lacking muscle in the last pic.
 
Your horse looks great, he's a credit to you!

It drives me mad too! So many obese horses around, and it's the ignorance that astounds me too, but then you only need to look at most people and realise there are a lot of obese people despite the health warnings and implications.

What really gets my goat is, people 'panicking' just as we're coming into Spring because their horse is fat and he needs to lose weight, maybe you should have used winter to help with that?! My horses always come out of Winter a little leaner than i prefer because i know the spring grass will quickly have them back on track (i even muzzle my Anglo)

You set me off there! Ha
 
Auslander said:
Agree re the fat horses comments, but I'm afraid, that going on the last pic, I also agree with the people who saying your horse needs a bit more cover. He looks great in the ridden pic, but too light in condition, and lacking muscle in the last pic.
Click to expand...

Nooooo on the condition (assuming, given clip and coat, coming out of winter).
Agree on the muscling though.
 
ihatework said:
Nooooo on the condition (assuming, given clip and coat, coming out of winter).
Agree on the muscling though.
Click to expand...

Thank you Auslander and ihatework for your comments. Yes that photo of him stood up was taken in March (and after exercise where I find he looks leaner!) Building on muscle is an ongoing task :)
Here is one of him today.
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Tangled said:
Thank you Auslander and ihatework for your comments. Yes that photo of him stood up was taken in March (and after exercise where I find he looks leaner!) Building on muscle is an ongoing task :)
Here is one of him today.
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Click to expand...

I think this demonstrates well how having them come out of winter on the leaner side is better. With the best will in the world when the native types sniff spring grass they expand!
 
I have the opposite going on! My cresty welsh is still cresty even though he's the fittest he's been whilst my lighter weight pony is only really in light-moderate work and would BCS as fit!
 
You might hate people going on about overweight horses but I hate it when people say they "rescue" horses from racing and they are far too thin. No they are fit. They are super fit and muscled for the job.
 
He looks fabulous weight wise (as you have said he could use a little more muscle).

I’d love to post a picture of my fit horse but I am shamefully one of those people who has let their horse get fat this winter. I could make excuses but the truth is simply that I fed him more than I worked him (not hard feed but hay and grass). I’m pretty ashamed about it and now my health is at a point where I can work him more he has twisted a fetlock in the mud and gone lame. Well done on keeping yours looking so good.
 
EKW said:
You might hate people going on about overweight horses but I hate it when people say they "rescue" horses from racing and they are far too thin. No they are fit. They are super fit and muscled for the job.
Click to expand...

People have forgotten what a fit horse looks like. Have a look at photographs of horses from 40 or 50 years ago: that's what a horse should look like, not a blob.
 
Mine is lardy. We are missing some ribs. Now that the weather MIGHT be on the turn & we now have a saddle that fits, someone is going to be working a lot more.

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Cortez said:
People have forgotten what a fit horse looks like. Have a look at photographs of horses from 40 or 50 years ago: that's what a horse should look like, not a blob.
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Fat is the norm these days sadly! Showing doesn't help matters! Show horses and ponies used to be well covered but fit underneath. Now most of them are just obese with wind problems caused by excess lard around the windpipes and larynx. It's easier to get a horse fat than fit.

What's frustrating is people worry so much about their own weight but think nothing of stuffing their animals full of food.
 
World Horse Welfare recently posted a video on youtube of a pony rescued in a very obese state, and showed his weight loss progress (I think it was about 90kg). I was shocked at a few comments from people saying they wouldn't have realised he would need to lose weight, or worse that they thought he is too skinny now and looked better before the weight loss.
 
EKW said:
Fat is the norm these days sadly! Showing doesn't help matters! Show horses and ponies used to be well covered but fit underneath. Now most of them are just obese with wind problems caused by excess lard around the windpipes and larynx. It's easier to get a horse fat than fit.

What's frustrating is people worry so much about their own weight but think nothing of stuffing their animals full of food.
Click to expand...

The fattest horse I have ever owned came from the UK as a rescue. It has taken me years to get him right. And don't me me started on fat riders!
 
I have a fat cob. I don't want him to be fat and I don't think he looks right fat either.

For various reasons he is overweight but I will be doing my damndest to streamline him. Slowly though. Neither of us would benefit from crash diets.
 
Sadly, until obese horses stop winning prizes in the show ring, this body shape will continue to be aspirational for some people.
 
This is my real bug bear. We know that disease and possible death is the result of equines being, fat yet topline and good condition, which is yard speak my horse being so fat that you can not see any muscle definition or ribs, is touted as a good thing. A condition score of 4 seems to have become the norm.
The Blue Cross do and excellent leaflet as a pdf which I think every yard should have pinned up.
https://www.bluecross.org.uk/fat-horse-slim
Feed companies are still pushing unnecessary feed loaded with starch which has could have a detrimental effect.
I sold a four year old who won sports pony classes, I recently bought him back. After years of being stuffed with food he now has Cushings, has hooves half the size they were and even after wintering with no rugs and his forage being cut with straw he is still a pony size 14, I aim for a spring size 12.
I do not think your pony is thin, its fit for work and as he's exercised you will be able see any muscle developing. I suggest you print out the Blue Cross pdf and perhaps pin it up or give some out.
 
I find this really interesting. When i got my boy a year ago he absolutely needed to gain weight but the vet said dont just fatten him up, he isn't terribly underweight and needs to build muscle. Said the worse thing i could do would be just to overfeed and let him develop fat rather than muscle.

I found an old picture of him before he was at the dealers and thought omg he needs to be that size but it was only by showing the pictures to other people, reading up on condition ect that it was really clear that he was in fact obese with a cresty neck.

I am really happy with his weight at the moment, i know he will gain more weight over summer but he is currently muzzled. I know he wouldnt win shows as they like them bigger but im pleased.

Im hoping to keep building his top line? on the lunge pic is it still very weak? i can see he neck muscle developing :)
Today
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A few years ago overwieght
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first week with me, over a year ago
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quiet the journey for this chap now to continue with mission muscle
 
Yeah I hate fat horses as well. Shame I have two of them. Both mare and gelding look in foal due to this spring grass and I only started feeding haylage in February and they spent the whole winter on a scoop of balancer and a handful of chopped grass :(
It's nice to see you proud of your horse and showing off (and rightly so he's gorgeous) but we arent all out to fatten our horses up to call them healthy!

Couple of weeks ago ... now even fatter and in work 4-5 times a week!

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I have a welsh x clydesdale who as soon as she sees any grass in the next town she gains weight.
She has been in full work all winter (ridden 5-6 days a week, dressage (BD medium) and SJ (British novice) and in competition) , on restricted grazing (even with all the mud) all winter and gets only a 1/4 scoop of hifi nuts ( to include her supplement) of hard feed and a slice of hay at night all winter long. She had come out of winter TOO FAT!!! And with spring here it is a nightmare!!!
At my yard there are mainly TBs and it is a constant struggle making sure she doesn't get overfed (we are on part livery) as most people with non- natives don't get the struggle to keep you horse from becoming overweight as most of the the TB have the problem of not being able to get the weight on.
My main point is, just because a horse is overweight doesn't mean the owners aren't doing everything to control it.
But it is unfortunate that some native owners feel their horses are in great shape but they are really not and are putting their horses at risk, however not every fat horse owner feels that way believe me!!
 
his looking very good and I know back end muscle can be the hardest to create, one of my arabs looked angular until he was about 10, he was difficult to keep a good weight i had to feed him loads when he was young but have the opposite problem now he is very much a good doer and has come out of winter looking very well, I found strapping really helped in the lacking areas maybe give it a try its very good for muscling up your own arms too:)
 
The Blue Cross "Fat Horse Slim" guide is really good - I've just printed a copy to keep at the yard.

I already tightly monitor my horse's weight but information in the guide will help me to manage it better.
 
Antw23uk said:
Yeah I hate fat horses as well. Shame I have two of them. Both mare and gelding look in foal due to this spring grass and I only started feeding haylage in February and they spent the whole winter on a scoop of balancer and a handful of chopped grass :(
It's nice to see you proud of your horse and showing off (and rightly so he's gorgeous) but we arent all out to fatten our horses up to call them healthy!

Couple of weeks ago ... now even fatter and in work 4-5 times a week!

39990114830_f2b1159717_b.jpg
Click to expand...

This post wasn’t aimed at owners who know their horse/horses are overweight and doing what they can to reduce the lbs, I’m referring to owners who own fat horses and are very proud of them! I’m seeing it so much on Facebook at the minute and ta very frustrating.
 
Kikke said:
I have a welsh x clydesdale who as soon as she sees any grass in the next town she gains weight.
She has been in full work all winter (ridden 5-6 days a week, dressage (BD medium) and SJ (British novice) and in competition) , on restricted grazing (even with all the mud) all winter and gets only a 1/4 scoop of hifi nuts ( to include her supplement) of hard feed and a slice of hay at night all winter long. She had come out of winter TOO FAT!!! And with spring here it is a nightmare!!!
At my yard there are mainly TBs and it is a constant struggle making sure she doesn't get overfed (we are on part livery) as most people with non- natives don't get the struggle to keep you horse from becoming overweight as most of the the TB have the problem of not being able to get the weight on.
My main point is, just because a horse is overweight doesn't mean the owners aren't doing everything to control it.
But it is unfortunate that some native owners feel their horses are in great shape but they are really not and are putting their horses at risk, however not every fat horse owner feels that way believe me!!
Click to expand...

But this post isn’t aimed at owners who are doing what they can to control their horses weight. It is the oblivious owners who think fat horses are beautiful and mistaking their cresty necks for muscle and think they are in marvellous condition
 
My horse is fatter than he need be after a good winter - he has no feel-able ribs, despite not being massive. I still find it harder to condition score cobs than other horses and constantly keep an eye on his weight. At the moment I am consoling myself with the fact that he has no crest and no "gutter", apart from a bit of a dimple in his hindquarters. He shares his field with an elderly ID who definitely has feel-able ribs etc and I don't really want to change their routine so I guess it's just a case of being vigilant and working him as much as I can.

Mind you, I wanted a good-doer when I bought him and that's what I got so it's my own fault! Cheap as chips to keep anyway :)
 
I am currently in charge of two cobs who I must admit have me stumped as to what is a nice weight one is ancient in years and lifestyle so he needs to be kept at a healthy weight without dropping too much. The other is a ridden cob who was borderline foundering when it arrived it now is very lean but still has a huge apple bum. Have just moved him onto a bit more grass but I really dont know what is right for these funny shaped things. My own natives gain and lose weight all over not in lumps in different places
 
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