People over feeding? what do you guys thin?k

Laura-Maybe-IV

Laura-Maybe-IV

Well-Known Member
Joined
18 September 2012
Messages
259
Location
Canterbury
Visit site
Hi all,

I don't know how people have got into 'that horses need to be fed up thing'? I have seen alot of fat horses recently, and people think it's normal and they are just right? The recent response I have had is oh it's winter he needs the feed, he feels cold! :confused:
We have so much education on feeding readily available, why does this still happen it's beyond me! :rolleyes:
With the spring coming it is a big concern that horses and ponies will be subject to possible laminitis which with the right care is easily avoided! :mad:

This is my horse she is 15.0hh, 21 nearly 22 oh and she's a Thoroughbred :rolleyes:
I'm fed up of people telling me my horse looks too thin :mad:, they don't seem to remember thoroughbred's aren't meant to be fat, someone once said to me she should look like a small hunter! :confused:

So what do you guys think? Attach photo's etc if you like, it will be interesting to see everyone's responses :)

Maybe in the summer time :)
album.php



Maybe, most recent photo she has lost some topline as she's had a quiet winter
album.php
 
Last edited:
I know plenty who don't need feed or need significantly less than they are given. Most of these would benefit from ad lib hay too rather than restricted hay and large buckets feeds. But unfortunately it seems cheaper to do the latter. I do know a horse who was lazy and horrid to ride before he was started on a vitamin and mineral supplement though - mixed into a sprinkle of chaff and he's now a pleasure to ride. Vet says it has probably just helped him use the ad lib hay he gets more effectively
 
Laura-Maybe-IV said:
Haha oh dear I think my iPad is being temperamental I thought I'd worked out how to attach pics! Obviously not :o :p

I'll try once more, if this works this was my girl in the summer time, if not then ill try again another day! :p
album.php
Click to expand...

Are you uploading through photobucket??

Personally I get cross at people not feeding enough hay/haylage. Was reading earlier about someone only feeding 1 1/2 sections to last a 16hh all night!!! I have a good doer and am trying to get weight off, but would never leave her with as little as that!
 
There is a discrepancy between condition scores reported by owners compared to those assessed by veterinary professionals, so yes I do agree that people are used to seeing fat horses and many are not educated enough to recognise a well conditioned animal. I see many fat horses out and about, some owned by very experienced people who are in positions to advise novice owners - and that worries me greatly. I was frequently told my cob was underweight when he condition scored around 2.5 (5 point scale) which is frankly absurd.

In fact, at the weekend someone asked if my highland was part eriskay as he's so "lightweight" (not by someone who thought he should be fatter, fwiw - very sensible person who was just surprised to see a slim highland as so many are grossly obese!). I actually think he could stand to lose a few pounds :D

odd photo as he went for a wander / roll mid rug change (I honestly don't turn him out in just an anti-rub vest on purpose, really!) but this was this morning - you can see most of the relevant areas to judge his condition (all other pics he's rugged or tacked up)

554965_550202041327_1730186432_n.jpg
 
Last edited:
zoon said:
I'd say he was a little overweight. Don't mean to sound rude - I have 2 very similar myself!
Click to expand...

Not rude, but you're not right either ;) OKed by my very fussy vet recently and condition scores at a sound 3. Photos can be deceptive as his dorsal stripe creates an optical illusion whereby he appears to have a gutter down his spine (he doesn't) amongst other things. I'd rather he was at 2.5 really, hence I think he could lose a few pounds, but not "overweight" ;)
 
justabob said:
Feeding is an art, you need a good eye and be able to adapt as your horse changes as the seasons do.
Click to expand...

Agree with this. Mine went through most of last winter on just haylage with only a few pony nuts to keep them quiet when others fed. They had some Calm & Condition from early Feb as they'd dropped off a bit and in readiness for team chasing at the end of the month

However, this year they have had a lot more hard feed as I've found the hay/haylage has not been of such good quality and they've needed extra to keep weight on. Calm & Condition didn't keep the weight on so have had them on Dodson and Horrell Build Up (fantastic stuff!) with Speedibeet and have recently switched the conditioning cubes for Pasture Mix now I'm happy they're maintaining condition. They have ad lib haylage. Mine are both pretty lean and fit and in medium work - hacked out for at least hour and a half per day, lots of hill work, mainly trot with canter work as well or loose schooled over jumps, pessoa/schooled under saddle. Fit for hunting/team chasing basically


To me, if they're getting everything they need from forage only - fine, if not you need to supplement with feed, particularly for horses in regular work through the winter. I don't want skinny horses! When I turn them out 24/7 for the spring/summer, I generally don't feed at all
 
I completely agree, when my lad came to be he was obese! It has taken lots of hard work and the winter to get some of the weight to come off him, although he still needs to lose a lot more. Now he has lost weight I get lots of people saying to me 'he's supposed to be like that, he's a cob!' And it really annoys me! Cobs should not be fat!

Here is a picture I took of his body last weekend, sorry rubbish picture and he looks really bum high because he's standing on a slope! Sorry if its massive.

image_zpsadfd93a8.jpg
 
Last edited:
It may have been me you were reading about with the 16h horse and 1 and a half sections per night. For you info he also used to nibble away at his straw bed and in the morning have hay left in his net. If I'd put more in the net is would have been wasted as he would leave it and not eat it. He was more than happy and and never looking for food as though he was starving. I have since moved him to a livery yard where he is on wood pellets to give him two haynets per night from 6pm till 7.30 am still I have a small amount of wastage. So don't consider that I'm starving my horse. His feeds consists of chaff and his balancer so he dosent really get the hard feed either.
 
Forever_broke said:
It may have been me you were reading about with the 16h horse and 1 and a half sections per night. For you info he also used to nibble away at his straw bed and in the morning have hay left in his net. If I'd put more in the net is would have been wasted as he would leave it and not eat it. He was more than happy and and never looking for food as though he was starving. I have since moved him to a livery yard where he is on wood pellets to give him two haynets per night from 6pm till 7.30 am still I have a small amount of wastage. So don't consider that I'm starving my horse. His feeds consists of chaff and his balancer so he dosent really get the hard feed either.
Click to expand...

This just shows how different horses can be with food.

All of my horses would finish 1 and half sections of good quality hay in 40 minutes.

I feed adlib haylage to them all bar the cob who has adlib hay. I use round bales and go through one haylage every 4 days feeding a 15 hand broodmare in foal, a 16 hand older mare in very light work, a 17.2 on box rest and two big yearlings. The cob goes through one round bale of hay every 8 days. With the weather we have had since last autumn my forage bill is off the scale. I really don't think it is a good idea to leave horses without forage for hours on end, their gut is not designed for fasting.
 
CobsGalore said:
I completely agree, when my lad came to be he was obese! It has taken lots of hard work and the winter to get some of the weight to come off him, although he still needs to lose a lot more. Now he has lost weight I get lots of people saying to me 'he's supposed to be like that, he's a cob!' And it really annoys me! Cobs should not be fat!

Here is a picture I took of his body last weekend, sorry rubbish picture and he looks really bum high because he's standing on a slope! Sorry if its massive.

image_zpsadfd93a8.jpg
Click to expand...

What a lovely cob! He's definitely on the right track! When I had my coloured he was overweight when he came to me, so he went straight on a diet!
Took about 4 months but he looked really good when he lost the weight! I completely agree cobs should not be fat! Well done you :D
 
JFTD said:
There is a discrepancy between condition scores reported by owners compared to those assessed by veterinary professionals, so yes I do agree that people are used to seeing fat horses and many are not educated enough to recognise a well conditioned animal. I see many fat horses out and about, some owned by very experienced people who are in positions to advise novice owners - and that worries me greatly. I was frequently told my cob was underweight when he condition scored around 2.5 (5 point scale) which is frankly absurd.

In fact, at the weekend someone asked if my highland was part eriskay as he's so "lightweight" (not by someone who thought he should be fatter, fwiw - very sensible person who was just surprised to see a slim highland as so many are grossly obese!). I actually think he could stand to lose a few pounds :D

odd photo as he went for a wander / roll mid rug change (I honestly don't turn him out in just an anti-rub vest on purpose, really!) but this was this morning - you can see most of the relevant areas to judge his condition (all other pics he's rugged or tacked up)

554965_550202041327_1730186432_n.jpg
Click to expand...

I'm pleased to see people agreeing with me, although I agree there needs to be a standardised body condition scoring thing, so that people do not get confused between the 5 point system and the 9 point system favoured by Americans.
Your highland looks really well though its lovely to see ponies and natives that aren't fat and are the correct weight and healthy! :D
 
Totally agree that some people have a warped view of what is a good weight because they're used to seeing fat horses.

JFTD your highland looks great, a lot if highlands you see are soo overweight. Same sort of thing as haflingers, I like to keep mine as slim as possible (although she has crept up in weight again the past few weeks) but people get so used to them being 'chunky' and not realise the apple bum, barrel shape and not being able to feel their spine let alone ribs are just because they are breeds prone to keeping excess weight on. Mine has withers that never existed when I got her! The apple bum did go when it snowed but alas it was short lived, will aspire to that again when I can do more with her.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top