Please read. RE: Andy's Weight and Management

Kokopelli

Kokopelli

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Thank you to everyone for the nice and helpful comments and for all the recommendations of food to try him on.

As for the people who have not been to nice:

I've had Andy for 6 weeks and he has been in work for about 3 months, before this he has been turned away.

He is fed on Calm and Condition and has been on this for 2 weeks and is gradually being built up to maximum amount. He also fed Alfa-oil and has extra oil added to his feed. Once he is settled on C&C I will either put him on Blue Chip or Top Spec feed balancer. His food is spread throughout the day and he has access to haylage 24/7.

Before weight: 320kgs (roughly)
Weight now: 350kgs (roughly)

Do the math, he has put on this much weight in 6 weeks so in no way is it because of me that he is underweight I am helping him put it on. He is alos swayed back which makes him look skinnier then he is. Yes, he is underweight but this is enhanced due to lack of muscle and being swayed back.

Those who are telling me to stop riding all together, Andy has seen:
2 vets
1 vet nurse
1 farrier
3 insturctors (well known)
1 dentist
1 saddle fitter
and many experienced horse people

Each person has said he is underweight and lacking muscle BUT they said there is no reason why he should not be worked, and after some of the nastier comments yesterday I rung my instructor up who said as long as I don't go out every weekend there is not a problem.

So I should hope everyone on here is happy now, you have reduced me to tears and doubting myself. I am also going to cancel my dressage comp next weekend and today I was to embarassed to ride him because of some of you. I enjoy coming on here for advice and banter but I do not like arguments.

Those who have sent nasty PMs- grow some and post what you said publicly, you know who you are!

Now if you would like to comment on how I am a 'cruel' owner and should be 'emabarased' of my pride and joy do it here, or if you would like to offer some helpful advice also post here

Thank you
 
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Koko please try to ignore these insensitive cruel individuals, don't let them spoil the beginning of your journey with the wonderful Andy.
Those of us who have followed your story, know what a knowledgeable and loving owner you are. Andy is so lucky to have found you.
 
Ok,I can understand how upset you are, and I understand how you are working hard at getting his weight on, and that you understand that he needs muscle as well as weight. I would say that posting pictures of you competing on him was a mistake. I would also say that if he was mine I would be holding off of the competitions for a while and concentrate on building the muscle up by working at home, so that when you do take him out he is looking his best, that way you can be justifiably proud of him :) (and post as many pictures of him as you want :D)
 
i think its awful people feel the need to put others down, they dont have to be so rude!

Its not like you dont know he is underweight and he is your horse and you know whats best for him.

Just ignore them, the people who really need shouted at are the ones who have underweight horses who cant see that and continually jump and jump and who are completely oblivious that there is a problem,

you seem to be getting on great with andy and i think he is lovely, he is so genuine

just ignore them, you will be jumping and winning in no time:D x
 
** Big Hugs**

Seen your phots and it looks like your doing a great job with him- theres always some who like to put people down. Just ignore :D

Cheer up and go and ride your lovely boy :)
 
YorksG said:
Ok,I can understand how upset you are, and I understand how you are working hard at getting his weight on, and that you understand that he needs muscle as well as weight. I would say that posting pictures of you competing on him was a mistake. I would also say that if he was mine I would be holding off of the competitions for a while and concentrate on building the muscle up by working at home, so that when you do take him out he is looking his best, that way you can be justifiably proud of him :) (and post as many pictures of him as you want :D)
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Agree with this totally.
 
I didnt want to read and run but I still stand by my comments on the previous thread. I think sometimes its hard to say what you want on a forum without coming across as blunt. I hope I wasn't one of the nasty posters but just say it as I see it I'm afraid.

I had a skinny TB and I was embarrased to take his rugs off as he looked so poor. He put on weight very slowly over about 4/5 months with a light exercise programme of gentle hacking and some schooling (maybe once every 2 weeks) and started jumping the odd log and introducing faster work after about 3/4 months. If I had ridden him 4+ times a week he would never have gained the condition and he would have suffered as a result. I took him to a camp 3.5 months after I bought him (looking considerably better than when I bought him) and was humiliated in front of a group of people by the instructor. I had already said he was under condition but she made me feel horrendous so I know how you feel. However, if I'm honest, Legend looked far better then than Andy does. Just to illustrate my point I'll add some pics...
Viewing:
HPIM0369.jpg

4 weeks in:
a.jpg

3/4 months:
Comp008.jpg

5 months:
July06009.jpg


This is us at camp:
b2.jpg


Gaining weight should not be a super fast process but I do think you need to re-think his exercise programme. Just my opinion though.
 
I am so sorry to hear that some peoples comments have upset you in such a way to make you question yourself and your love and commitment to your horse. Unfortunately, even though this forum has loads of great, caring people who want to offer good advice and help there will always be a percentage of sad nasty people, who quite frankly you need to ignore. People can only judge on part of the picture we give, and this can sometimes set people of on a tirade of abuse and ill feeling comments. Please carry on the great work you have been doing with your beautiful horse and don't loose faith in yourself, these people don't know you so don't take it on board!!
 
Am sorry to hear people have upset you so much on this forum. I read your comp report. Andy seems like a very honest horse and i'm sure you both will do well. Personally I think concentrating on the weight and muscle gain would be beneficial for him and put competitions to one side. Its only January. Come spring and most certainly summer, i'm sure he'll look much better. If he's looking better, he'll be feeling better too! Keep up the schooling and hacking though as that will help with muscle gain.
 
Kokopelli said:
Thanks everyone :)
yorksg- I'm am not going to compete him, but I will continue to ride him he won't ever build the muscle up unless he is ridden :)
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I think he is fine to ride quietly at home, but I wouldn't be taking him out and about until he has improved a bit. Firstly, because competing and travelling tends to take more out of them, and also the travelling and hanging around time could be time that he could be utilising munching haylage and grass at home. And secondly because you will probably encounter similar comments in real life as you have on here.
 
Oh how awful you would have nasty pms etc - no need at all - you seem like a really genuine caring owner who is trying to do the best by her horse.

When I opened the post I was taken aback by his lack of condition to be out competing as I suppose a few people were but he is hardly emaciated just lacking condition and weight which will certainly come with all the effort you are obviously putting in - best of luck - ignore the snipes!
 
The TB that I mentioned on your other thread was fed C & C, did him the world of good.

Look forward to seeing pictures when he is looking better.

If you are embarrassed to ride him, pop an exercise sheet on him for the moment, then nobody can see his condition to comment on it :).

Good luck with him :).
 
I think you like the attention!

Don't post pictures of your horse who is obviously underweight on a public forum asking how you think he looks. Did you expect everybody to be supportive and say he loved fine?!
 
So sad that you have had some nasty PM's from some users :(

I am sorry you have had some abuse on here, I have followed your progress with Andy and from what I have read you are obviously a caring owner who seeks help when you require it. I must admit I was quite taken aback by his condition when I saw the photos, I would not have taken him to a show looking like that, he looks underweight but also very weak...not only will it take it's toll on him as many have said...but as someone has said you could also face some of the horrible things people have said on here...in real life at the show ground!

If you are unsure about what feed would be good for him could you ring up feed companies for nutritional advice? Could you also split 1 or 2 large feeds into 3 or 4 smaller ones throughout the day (unless you are already doing it :) ).

Please don't be upset by some of the hurtful comments, you are trying to do best by your horse, seeking help when you need it and are progressing with his weight, you haven't had him that long after all...and if he was a skinny poor doing tb when you got him this winter then I should think you had a right challenge in getting him to put weight on.

Ride him quietly at home to help build up muscle, and come spring with the lush grass hope to see some photos of him looking amazing :)
 
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Thank everyone, yeah I have a little school I can lunge in and will start lunging him in the draw reins like Kerelli posted a video of. It really encourages them to work long and low :)


Sally-FF said:
I think you like the attention!

Don't post pictures of your horse who is obviously underweight on a public forum asking how you think he looks. Did you expect everybody to be supportive and say he loved fine?!
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No, I expected people to be honest. BUT there was no need for people to say I'm cruel and should be embrassed that is uncalled for, as is your comment.
 
Kokopelli said:
Thank everyone, yeah I have a little school I can lunge in and will start lunging him in the draw reins like Kerelli posted a video of. It really encourages them to work long and low :)




No, I expected people to be honest. BUT there was no need for people to say I'm cruel and should be embrassed that is uncalled for, as is your comment.
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That is peoples honest opinion!! If i was riding a horse that underweight at a jumping competition i would be embarrassed
 
My lad was in a much worse state when he arrived. What you are feeding him sounds great, and he WILL build up of course under your care. here is a photo of how my lad looked when I got him, and it took a while to build up condition on him so I completely feel your pain!

I appreciate people say he "can' be worked, but in all honesty there is a different between being 'worked' and bringing him out to comps and shows. It's not as simple as just jumping a course of jumps, you obviously have to practise at home jumping and I think it will lead to serious joint, muscle and back problems jumping a horse in that condition. Plus as another poster said, it would be kinder for the horse to be spending that time building up at home instead of facing the mental and physical challenges of going to shows, even local ones.

When my lad was in his condition I was doing really light work, and even though he is built up now I still think doing a course of jumps is too much for him, and he is in a lot better condition that your boy.

I think its just too much for him, and I can't imagine why you would rush him into dressage comps when he looks so stiff and hollow. You only have him a month, what's the rush?

Noone is critising your feeding regime and obvious love for the horse, just the poor judgement to be rushing him to shows, when a few extra months would make all the difference to him. He's lovely horse though and I look forward to seeing how he develops.



rambo.jpg
 
Sally-FF said:
That is peoples honest opinion!! If i was riding a horse that underweight at a jumping competition i would be embarrassed
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There is still no need to say it though. And to call me an attention seeker is just as bad when I started this thread for people to see the whole story.

paddi22 said:
My lad was in a much worse state when he arrived. What you are feeding him sounds great, and he WILL build up of course under your care. here is a photo of how my lad looked when I got him, and it took a while to build up condition on him so I completely feel your pain!

I appreciate people say he "can' be worked, but in all honesty there is a different between being 'worked' and bringing him out to comps and shows. It's not as simple as just jumping a course of jumps, you obviously have to practise at home jumping and I think it will lead to serious joint, muscle and back problems jumping a horse in that condition. Plus as another poster said, it would be kinder for the horse to be spending that time building up at home instead of facing the mental and physical challenges of going to shows, even local ones.

When my lad was in his condition I was doing really light work, and even though he is built up now I still think doing a course of jumps is too much for him, and he is in a lot better condition that your boy.

I think its just too much for him, and I can't imagine why you would rush him into dressage comps when he looks so stiff and hollow. You only have him a month, what's the rush?

Noone is critising your feeding regime and obvious love for the horse, just the poor judgement to be rushing him to shows, when a few extra months would make all the difference to him. He's lovely horse though and I look forward to seeing how he develops.
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Thank you for this. Like I said before I won't be competing him but I will be riding him still :)

mainpower0- I haven't got any which show a good side on picture, will have a look though. But I think the fact he has put on that much in my care shows that I'm obviously doing somethign right :)
 
Sally-FF said:
I think you like the attention!

Don't post pictures of your horse who is obviously underweight on a public forum asking how you think he looks. Did you expect everybody to be supportive and say he loved fine?!
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Oh **** off - the OP is one of the most geniune on here and she knows her horses. Perhaps she shouldnt have taken him out but as a one off to see how he went its not going to kill him is it. As she is getting over losing a much loved horse andy is her new project and she was asking how he looked and generally gauging opinions. Shes not blind and has taken on the advice.

As I said yesterday keep feeding him up, get him on nice long hacks to build up his back end muscles, trot/walk not loads of canter work and come summer you will have a lovely looking horse. :D
 
Hi Koko,

I feel sorry that you felt the need to post this - we don't come onto this forum to be judged.

I found it very difficult to read the other thread due to some of the comments and how blunt they were, however, I think some contributors were genuinely offering constructive comments.

good luck with Andy anyway and keep us posted.
 
Koko- You obviously adore this horse and are clearly doing the best for him and he's lucky to have found such a loving home.

If you ever want to pop up to Yorkley to do some schooling let me know and maybe we could share a session and have 30 mins each? Keep it in mind x
 
legaldancer said:
Completely unnecessary & mean.
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I am not trying to be mean! I am just explaining to the OP that in forums like this if you post pictures of underweight horses you will get negative comments from people. I was simply trying to say that the OP was naive for thinking everybody would be lovely!
 
The general gist, as far as I read, was not that the horse is underweight and that you 'weren't doing anything about it' - it was that he was being jumped at a show whilst in that condition.

I went through it with Dizzy, I had to build her up from looking like a rescue case, but had to keep working her to get some muscle to try and help hold her together; it was a fine balancing act that took some time to get right, but there's no way I could have put more strain on her than the pretty leisurely hacks that we did.

As to putting on weight, I highly recommend Equijewel. Very, very, very good. Has put on weight nice and steady on two ex-racers and one DWB.
 
I am not going to comment on the condition of the horse in question, what it should be fed or what work it should be doing. I have my opinion but will keep that to myself as it would appear that only well dones and pats on the back are acceptable opinions

However I do find it rather ironic that when a new forum member posts pictures of her horse in a a very similar condition, 99% of people berated her for hacking her horse - the jadeyandlacey saga for those with short memories - but when a forum member who is known (I will steer clear of the phrase "part of the clique") its perfectly acceptable to be out competing
 
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