People who think there fat horse is skinny

[Ish2020]

I saw a Facebook competition to win a bag of conditioning and shine chaff . You had to share a picture of your horse in the comments to be entered into the the competition. Some of the horses and ponies were obese and some of them even said they needed more condition. The people who said that had obese horses. Do people not understand the dangers of overweight horses. I don’t like to complain about people horses but it a miracle that they don’t have laminitis.

 

[paddi22]

I'd guess the competition attracted a lot of showing people maybe? the obesity of some show horses is a disgrace.

 

[Kat]

Oh yes, but then they get told all the time at shows that they need more condition, and the feed companies say that you can add this with feed.

Judges need to say "needs more muscle" and penalise horses that are fat more heavily than those that are too lean.

I am not really into showing, but every time I try it I am told my horse is too thin. She is normally at her fattest at summer competitions and no where near the way she looks in February when hunting fit.

Apple shaped bottoms and wobbly crests should not be the norm.

 

[Beachbabe]

My daughter and I entered our ponies into a showing class and mine was put down below hers because hers was in better showing condition. Neither were remotely fat, as had recently done a PC ODE and we weren't serious showing peeps obviously, I wasn't fussed about the result, but what sort of competition rewards the fatties?

 

[oldie48]

I took Rose to a well known showing person for an assessment. I was told she needed buckets of feed and about 8 inches taken off her tail. I've already posted a pic of her at her first show which was a couple of weeks later so won't bore you all again but I'd say her weight was pretty spot on and I took a couple of inches off her tail. No way did she need more feed or condition!

 

[PSD]

It’s scary. What annoys me more is those with enormous hippo animals that never seem to get sick, yet people (like me) have fit and slimmer horses that get very poorly with laminitis. Drives me insane!

 

[Horses_Rule]

It is a massive issue. When I used to run big livery yard at well known comp centre we had liveries who’s horses were dangerously over weight to the point of cruelty. None of the owners ever listened to the staff, vets, farriers, even the feed specialist who came and bought the weighbridge several times a year. A few of them refused to use the weighbridge as they didn’t like what they were being told! One was so bad that we had the rspca turn up as she has been reported at a competition for her horse being so obese ( it was dressage).
I agree with Kat that people are told their horse needs more muscle but think that ‘topline’ feeds automatically gives you muscle but no you actually need to work your horse correctly for that!
Sadly I think obese horses are a much bigger issue now than the opposite.