Prince’s weight

[Keira 8888]

Hi all,

Happy Saturday!

Hope you are all well. Just wanted to get some opinions on Prince's weight please.

Obvs he was very underweight when he arrived so I have been trying to get him
to the optimum for him.

I overshot the mark at the end of the summer and he got a little plump (ciudad have been the typical cushings pot belly)

This is what he currently looks like. Some people on my yard are saying to fat and done too thin. Personally I think he looks just right.

What do you guys honestly think? It’s imperative he doesn’t get overweight.

Thank you ?

 

[Keira 8888]

This was he a few months ago for comparison

 

[ycbm]

He looks spot on to me Keira, but I go by feel. I want the triangle of ribs behind the saddle to be VERY easy to feel, and the rest easy to feel without pushing hard.

He is also a very nice horse!

 

[PapaverFollis]

Prince is beautiful ?

I'd say just about right. Wouldn't want him much fatter. Could lose a little before spring but I wouldn't worry too much if he didn't. Can you feel ribs easily?

 

[Winters100]

He is beautiful

For me he is at the higher end of ok, I think if he could gradually lose a few kg it would be better for him, but no drastic change needed. Nothing to panic about, he is there or thereabouts, and certainly not obese.

Well done Kiera, and well done Prince, luckiest horse in the world

 

[mossycup]

He looks fine to me for this time of year - he'll likely lose a little when we get a dump of cold weather, which is what you need ahead of Spring

 

[Keira 8888]

I can feel his ribs easily which is great.

I have cut his pink mash down and upped his hay as the grass isn’t fantastic at the moment.

Thanks so much for your comments. I really want to keep him on a very natural basic diet - I only give him the pink mash as I want to support his hind gut.

He is having a blanket clip tomorrow as I am hacking him out more frequently and he likes a good fast trot that nausea him sweaty around the neck and armpits.

Am also a little confused about stable rugs. I find it tricky to gauge what to put him in..

Many in my yard have their clipped horses in 200g stable rugs but I usually have P just in his waffle or a 50g if it drops below 3 degrees. How do you all decide what stable rug to use? Especially with a partial
Clip?

Xxx

 

[doodle]

I would be happy with that weight. A good idea is get a weigh tape and measure him every week. It dosnt give a overly correct weight but it is good for monitoring.

As for rugging stick your hand under the rug at his shoulder, under the back of the rug at the tail and between his back legs high up. If he feels warm then rug is fine. If cold put a thicker one on. It’s really hard to say what rug weight he will need and dosnt really mean anything with what anyone else has on. For example one person had 500grm plus a duvet on her horse while Robin had a fleece on.

 

[JackFrost]

Just right. And very handsome.
Usually they lose weight easier in the winter. There are theories that it is actually beneficial for them to drop weight and be a little 'starved' in the winter months, to reset the metabolism. Seems to have some protective effect even if they then get a bit fat in spring. It would after all be normal in the wild to lose in winter and pile it on in the summer. Anecdotally I've heard people say that laminitis seems to be a newer thing related to feeding too well all year round, and that you didn't see it so much 'in the olden days' when horses were more exposed to the natural pattern of the seasons.

 

[doodle]

Ps if feeling for warmth and he is clipped, few the clipped bits on his skin rather than the fluff.

 

[Winters100]

Deciding what rug to use is a difficult one, unfortunately more of an art than a science! Mine all wear different weights, currently it is hovering between 0 and -2 at night and they are not clipped. My older mare is in 200g (she feels the cold), good-doer is in 50g and other is in 100g. You need to consider layout of the stables, is it a barn arrangement or open to the outside. Then I just feel under rugs from time to time during the day, if they are fine and it is not getting much colder at night then I leave as is, if the temperature is set to drop drastically then I put a heavier stable rug oin. You will find it gets easier as you get to know him better Good luck!

 

[mossycup]

I can feel his ribs easily which is great.

I have cut his pink mash down and upped his hay as the grass isn’t fantastic at the moment.

Thanks so much for your comments. I really want to keep him on a very natural basic diet - I only give him the pink mash as I want to support his hind gut.

He is having a blanket clip tomorrow as I am hacking him out more frequently and he likes a good fast trot that nausea him sweaty around the neck and armpits.

Am also a little confused about stable rugs. I find it tricky to gauge what to put him in..

Many in my yard have their clipped horses in 200g stable rugs but I usually have P just in his waffle or a 50g if it drops below 3 degrees. How do you all decide what stable rug to use? Especially with a partial
Clip?

Xxx

What does he wear in the field? Some yards dont change from outdoor to indoor rugs because it can actually make them colder for a while

 

[rextherobber]

I think he looks about right weight wise, and utterly gorgeous otherwise!

 

[Winters100]

What does he wear in the field? Some yards dont change from outdoor to indoor rugs because it can actually make them colder for a while

Wow I am amazed that this is given as a reason for yards to not change rugs! Surely even if they are sleeping in their turnouts they need to be taken off at least once a day to check the horse? Where I am is much colder than the UK and I can say that mine do not suffer in the slightest by having their rugs changes morning and night. Mine use stable rugs, but if they did not I would insist that the rug be removed to check them.

 

[ihatework]

Well he has a nice coat, looks bright and alert, weight is upper end of good and much improved from the summer pic.

So all in all keep doing what you are currently doing. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!

 

[splashgirl45]

he looks fabulous to me, so handsome as well. if we were in spring i think he would be too fat but he is just right for this time of year,,glad you are still having fun with him

 

[mossycup]

Wow I am amazed that this is given as a reason for yards to not change rugs! Surely even if they are sleeping in their turnouts they need to be taken off at least once a day to check the horse? Where I am is much colder than the UK and I can say that mine do not suffer in the slightest by having their rugs changes morning and night. Mine use stable rugs, but if they did not I would insist that the rug be removed to check them.

I'm not sure where you think I've written that rugs aren't removed to check the horse?

 

[Winters100]

I'm not sure where you think I've written that rugs aren't removed to check the horse?

Well I assumed that the 'logic' in this could only be that removing the rug would cause the horse to be momentarily colder. I mean surely placing a stable rug on after removing an outside rug would make hardly any difference if the outside rug was to be removed in any case.

 

[mossycup]

Well I assumed that the 'logic' in this could only be that removing the rug would cause the horse to be momentarily colder. I mean surely placing a stable rug on after removing an outside rug would make hardly any difference if the outside rug was to be removed in any case.

I suppose the thinking is that a stable rug kept in a cold yard, when placed on a horse that is cosy and snug under their turnout, will feel cold and the horse will have to work to 'snug' up again? I know I feel bad putting cold saddlepads on ?

 

[splashgirl45]

i used to keep turnout rug on instead of stable rug... i groomed mine am ,then rode and turned out and groomed again pm when she came in but didnt take the whole rug off if it was really cold, undid all straps, folded front of rug back, groomed, put it back and then folded back part of rug, groomed then folded back and did up everything.... i didnt have anywhere to dry rugs off and hated putting turnout rug on in morning as it would still be damp and cold...that was why i stopped changing to stable rugs. i used to be in a posh yard where we had a drying room so always used stable rugs then...

 

[Aperchristmas]

I agree with the others - he looks great, but the upper end of great. Given the time of year, that's no issue as he's likely to lose some in the coming months. I wouldn't put him on any drastic diets, and I wouldn't try and fatten him up either. Lovely shiny coat too!

 

[windand rain]

Perfect for now but doesnt need anymore, I would like a bit more off before Spring but it is hard just looking you need to feel. A thin sheet covering of fat over the ribs is good, a blanket thickness of fat over the ribs is fine in winter and a 10 tog duvet thickness of fat is too much and needs dealt with. Able to fit a finger between ribs is too little and underweight

 

[Keira 8888]

Just right. And very handsome.
Usually they lose weight easier in the winter. There are theories that it is actually beneficial for them to drop weight and be a little 'starved' in the winter months, to reset the metabolism. Seems to have some protective effect even if they then get a bit fat in spring. It would after all be normal in the wild to lose in winter and pile it on in the summer. Anecdotally I've heard people say that laminitis seems to be a newer thing related to feeding too well all year round, and that you didn't see it so much 'in the olden days' when horses were more exposed to the natural pattern of the seasons.

Hmmm that’s very interesting indeed. It makes sense really. Thanks so much for your reply xx

 

[Keira 8888]

he looks fabulous to me, so handsome as well. if we were in spring i think he would be too fat but he is just right for this time of year,,glad you are still having fun with him

Thank you ? Ohhh how I long for spring... got my toe caught in a rock today and landed face first in the mud! X

 

[Keira 8888]

I think he looks about right weight wise, and utterly gorgeous otherwise!

Ahhhh thank you so much. I’m obviously completely biased but he is the apple of my eye ?

 

[Keira 8888]

What does he wear in the field? Some yards dont change from outdoor to indoor rugs because it can actually make them colder for a while

He normally wears a 50g 1200 denier with detachable hood and when it’s wet AND windy I put him in a 100g 1200 denier. That’s quite rare though. Interestingly when I touch his clipped parts he’s still been feeling warm (as opposed to the winter coat hairy parts that always feel cold) So I decided to get a more extensive clip done today - a blanket clip. When I brought him in tonight he felt just right and had only been wearing a 50g. I’m very pleased with this new clip as I can feel his true temperature rather than assuming he’s cold because the fluffy wet winter coat is cold. He seemed very pleased with himself too so perhaps he’s more comfortable. I wrestled with the idea of the bigger clip as it seemed crazy to me at first to take away his “natural” protection to the elements. But now I can feel his true temperature I’m very pleased I did it ?

 

[Keira 8888]

Perfect for now but doesnt need anymore, I would like a bit more off before Spring but it is hard just looking you need to feel. A thin sheet covering of fat over the ribs is good, a blanket thickness of fat over the ribs is fine in winter and a 10 tog duvet thickness of fat is too much and needs dealt with. Able to fit a finger between ribs is too little and underweight

This is great - very useful. Thank you x

 

[Keira 8888]

I agree with the others - he looks great, but the upper end of great. Given the time of year, that's no issue as he's likely to lose some in the coming months. I wouldn't put him on any drastic diets, and I wouldn't try and fatten him up either. Lovely shiny coat too!

Good stuff, thank you. Will plod on with my current approach then. X