Pictures Porky connemara

[Michen]

Have never owned a lami risk pork pie before. Just how porky is he and how much do I need to worry, and what can I do? I can soak his hay (has about 6 hours turnout a day)and he’s on no hard feed bar a handful of pony nuts as a token.

He’s only just four so can’t exactly work him hard.. he is hacking in walk mostly now on long reins from 45 min- 1 hour 30 including lots of hill work.

I could do some lunging in the round pen (but it’s a little deep at the moment and he’s only young) and faster work in the school under saddle but am trying to keep it all fairly low key re corona/riding risk.

Maybe I’m just used to lean fit Boggle and he’s not that fat..!??
He does have a big rib cage

 

[AmyMay]

He looks fine to me. Perfect actually

 

[ihatework]

If he were like that at the end of summer I’d be pleased. Coming into spring I’d be on alert. But you are right he is likely to be one of life’s porkers, even if he isn’t there yet.

 

[DiNozzo]

Slightly over, but looks like he has an inch or so to grow, so I wouldn't worry too badly.

 

[Wheels]

Mine is naturally like this, he is very slightly lighter at the moment but not by much. I turn out on bare(ish) paddock over night then a few hours on poor grazing during the day - 2 paddocks linked by a lane way so he has to keep moving.

Sometimes when hes stood up he looks chubby but when hes working he really uses his abs and looks perfect

Bear is looking well I'd say but not too bad, wouldn't want any more weight on him than that

What makes you say he is a lami risk?

 

[Trouper]

As above. A fine balancing act between monitoring grazing and making an allowance for still growing. However, I would be keeping the weigh tape handy!

 

[Leo Walker]

Start soaking the hay now and you should hopefully notice a difference.

 

[ownedbyaconnie]

I don’t think yours looks too bad Michen. For reference this is my mare who hasn’t seen a rug all winter and is on token feed (and very light work due to weather/rider laziness). This is the happiest I’ve been with her weight going into summer (hoping she is slimmer still under all that fluff).

I think once you start soaking hay you will notice a difference and the safety risk of doing more of the faster work probably isn’t worth it at his current weight.

 

[Aoife 2020]

I think he is the perfect weight

 

[ycbm]

Stop comparing him with Bog!

Bog runs up very light. He looks perfect.

Can you feel his ribs?

.

 

[milliepops]

Stop comparing him with Bog!



.

^^ this!

Why not just condition score him ( though many use 1-5 I found the 9 point scale easier to track changes against. some guides give you plenty of detail) then you can keep tabs yourself. Photos can be so deceptive.

 

[RHM]

How dare you call him portly! He looks fine. I own a fat bugger and it is a nightmare managing the naturally chubby, I think with him when the grass starts coming through I would soak half his hay personally with the aim to keep him around his current weight.

 

[TPO]

If you look online you'll find lots of good guides how to condition score your horses.

It can be hard to tell from photographs when a horse isn't very obviously one way or another. Hands on is best to feel for ribs and tone.

Next time the vet is out for routine jags etc (post virus) perhaps ask them to show/guide you too. It might help put your mind at ease and stop you fretting about Bog so much too.

 

[Michen]

Mine is naturally like this, he is very slightly lighter at the moment but not by much. I turn out on bare(ish) paddock over night then a few hours on poor grazing during the day - 2 paddocks linked by a lane way so he has to keep moving.

Sometimes when hes stood up he looks chubby but when hes working he really uses his abs and looks perfect

Bear is looking well I'd say but not too bad, wouldn't want any more weight on him than that

What makes you say he is a lami risk?

Because in my mind anything with the tendency to be porky especially in spring is a lami risk. Plus our grazing is ex dairy.

 

[PurBee]

He looks so perfect to my eyes.
Does he have a heart shaped a*se yet?! ?

 

[Michen]

Never condition scored before I’ll have to look it up!

I’ll have a feel for his ribs tomorrow. From some angles he looks obese and others seems ok. This photo made me wonder if he was even a pony ? we will call it a bad angle though...

 

[Michen]

If you look online you'll find lots of good guides how to condition score your horses.

It can be hard to tell from photographs when a horse isn't very obviously one way or another. Hands on is best to feel for ribs and tone.

Next time the vet is out for routine jags etc (post virus) perhaps ask them to show/guide you too. It might help put your mind at ease and stop you fretting about Bog so much too.

Tell ya what.. Bog is looking bloody amazing now since I last worried about him! He’s about as perfect as can be weight wise (and about a month ahead of when he normally starts to look like this weight wise) and for a horse that’s been confined to a box for 6 weeks.. you’d never know it.

 

[CanteringCarrot]

I think he looks just fine. I have a good doer and he eats soaked hay from a slow feed hay net. He can usually tolerate grass as long as he is in regular work. We've had dry summers, so that has been a plus, but the grass looks more lush this year. I've aleady begun hand grazing him to get him used to grass again as the fields open within the next month. I think this is important too.

I'm always on the verge of sticking a muzzle on, but haven't had to yet, so that is an option as well.

I'd soak (and probaby net) the hay and go from there.

 

[sherry90]

I think he looks fine but just like others, coming into Spring you should keep an eye.
My 5yo has lami last year as I was totally oblivious to how big he was (bigger than Bear!) and he got a mild bout of lami. I was conscious of working him (he’d had the winter off following being broken at 4 so I didn’t work him hard to protect his legs).
I’m now obsessive with his weight and weigh tape him weekly to keep a check.
I can feel his ribs and can see his hips. No crest. But I’m ready with the hose to soak his hay if needed as the grass comes through.
I’d perhaps soak his hay and just see if in a few weeks that drops him a little. If it does great, if not you can then try upping the work a bit when hopefully things are a bit stable in the world (fingers crossed!)

 

[KEK]

He looks similar weight wise to Malachy, who I am beginning to be mildly concerned about. We were giving haynets (slow feeder) with oaten hay but have switched to meadow , with just a biscuit twice daily of oaten. They don’t really like the meadow hay, so am hoping that will help ..

 

[SEL]

I wish my mare was as non-porky as Bear. Muzzled and weighed out soaked hay - looks like she's expecting twins. Her sire was a French meat breed and you could definitely get a lot of sausages from her ?

 

[TheSpottyCobby]

And I was pleased with how my portly chap was looking until I looked at this thread soaking hay is a definite though. Depending on the bale, you almost get molasses looking water. Just remember to rinse well after you soak or it kind of defeats the object. I despair when I see others at the yard chucking their soaking water back over their haynet!

 

[fetlock]

He looks fine to me, though wouldn't want much more weight on him than that.
He looks a lovely sort too. I realy like him.

 

[SpringArising]

I think he looks a little bit heavy, but only the tiniest amount. I can't see a crest.

Mine is the same in pics - sometimes he looks like a lean bean and other times he looks too fat.

I can't wait to get back down to the yard to start exercising him again!

 

[Michen]

I think he looks a little bit heavy, but only the tiniest amount. I can't see a crest.

Mine is the same in pics - sometimes he looks like a lean bean and other times he looks too fat.

I can't wait to get back down to the yard to start exercising him again!

Hehe that's probably the nicest thing you've said about the poor sods appearance, I'll have to tell him!!

I bet, fingers crossed- is your yard on lockdown for the forseeable? That is going to be a massive worry for anyone with porky ones.

 

[SpringArising]

Hehe that's probably the nicest thing you've said about the poor sods appearance, I'll have to tell him!!

I bet, fingers crossed- is your yard on lockdown for the forseeable? That is going to be a massive worry for anyone with porky ones.

In spite of what I said about their confo, I think both of your boys are bloody lovely.

Yes, yard's in lockdown so he's been off 'work' for a couple of weeks. Was a bit of a kicker as he was due to have some X rays right before it happened (started being a bit of a princess under saddle) so had been keeping him ticking over with long lining/lunging/walker/groundwork. Christ knows when he'll be back in proper business. He's being moved onto a private yard this weekend so I can see him, at which point I'll be glueing a photo of Boggle onto his stable door as body inspo.