LankyDoodle
Well-Known Member
OK so lots of you know I lost my mare to EVIL laminitis 2 weeks ago. It was not related to her weight (she had an off fore leg infection, recovered well and then the laminitis), but the goodness of the grass did not help and also the fact she was a heavyweight cob.
Anyway, when she died, of course it was a massive devastating blow and made me hyperprotective of my big boy. The mare was my husband's ride so he is now helping me with George. I overhauled EVERYTHING. He now gets ridden more than he's EVER been ridden, but it's not excessive - he's schooled once a day usually and will be hacked at least once a day, often twice as my husband likes to keep his hand in as well. He was a bit cresty but even though he's a good doer, he never gorged or got as big as our mare.
I was concerned about his weight as I know this can also lead to laminitis, and his crest only became more noticeable when I hogged him just after my mare died. It's not huge and is soft to touch, but it's still there and still concerns me. His belly wasn't too bad - you could just about feel his ribs, but his rump was like a big juicy apple. I knew the riding would help and he doesn't get a hard feed in summer, plus he gets soaked hay in summer anyway, plus his field is cut down so he is on an eaten down paddock in summer. But I also decided to cut his grazing down and muzzle him. This seems to be helping, with the riding, as I can now feel his ribs more easily (although still a little way to go) and the crest has shrunk, although the rump is still a problem (he's a hw cob as well). He's looking much better as he is more muscled up already and with his naturally shiny, dappled bay coat, he looks the picture of health. BUT HE IS STILL FAT AND I WILL NOT STOP DIETING HIM UNTIL I AM HAPPY WITH HIS WEIGHT!
So tell me why people at the yard insist on telling me different! A bit of background on the other owners at the yard:
1) quite experienced, likes showing her coloured cob and is very nice, knowledgeable, keeps her beak out!
2) A nearly retired man and his wife (who doesn't ride but does do stable jobs). He follows racing avidly, has owned a 22 year old ex-racer for 5 years, and keeps him VERY overweight, riding him once a week at the most for abour 45 minutes. Now I never judge him outwardly, because that is up to him, but I just want to make clear that they are not knowledgeable people...
3) A woman who leaves her horse out 24/7, never visits it (we are talking once every 3 or 4 weeks these days, and we are DIY). The YO paid for the horse's feet to be trimmed as they were so bad. Keeps herself to herself when we do see her.
4) A reaasonably knowledgeable woman who keeps 2 horses (usually 3) and competes her unfit horses
She can stick her beak in but hasn't since my husband told her to keep it out, and actually on this she does support us.
5) A late 50s woman who seems to know a bit, but is head honcho of the clique which includes her, the ex-racer's owners and another person. They are not offensive or bullying, but do exclude people a bit. Nearly lost her mare to laminitis a few years ago.
6) Another middle aged woman who leaves her mare out 24/7 and only comes when the farrier does, every 8 weeks. The mare has had laminitis before and also grass sickness, for which she was hospitalised.
7) The sister of number 6 who was introduced to the yard when she had to look after no 6's horse more and more. She now has her own horse and doesn't care for no 6 at all. Quite nice but again, seems to be oblivious to OBESITY!
8) A lovely, lovely lady, in her 60s, bred and broke number 7's horse, but sold it to her as she got older, with 2 horses and couldn't really cope as well. Mother of number 1.
9) Me and my husband - again, quite knowledgeable. Usually do lots of varying things with our horses, including holidays, boxing for different hacking, the odd show/dressage/fun or endurance ride/clinic/lesson and also some hunting.
10) The owner doesn't have a horse but has a big interest in racing and has previously bred racehorses (not successfully).
Now I am peed of. Very peed off. When I first started dieting George, no 7 and no 5 both said 'oh he's alright, don't diet him because you've lost your mare, it's not fair on him, they're all cresty this year, it's the grass'. I said that was fine, yes they are all cresty, but it is possibly to get rid of the crest and get him back to his usual muscled, good-looking self. A whispering campaign started behind my back (I don't think it was maliscious as they aren't very nasty people, just not as knowledgeable), where I'd get through the grapevine that people were concerned I was depriving George because of the death of our other horse, starving him even
He gets ad-lib soaked hay, 5-6 hours turnout in a muzzle and a small feed of formula4 feet. He is not starved
I must add that this is from numbers 2, 5 and 7 (the clique!). They seem to be trying to subtly showing their concern (not realising that I am hearing what they say about me behind my back as well) through numbers 2 and the YO, who several times EVERY TIME I AM THERE (twice a day), come up to George and say things like 'he's looking a bit lean now, isn't he?' and 'you can give him more grazing and remove the muzzle now he's thin, can't you?' and 'he looks fine, I'd stop there' or 'is he STILL going out in a muzzle?' (what, you mean after 2 weeks of dieting?) and other things. He's only been on this diet for 2 weeks and is by no means thin or anywhere close. My farrier came last week and said he is still looking on the podgy side, which is fine because I agree and am doing something about it. I ended up crying to him because I feel that people are saying I am abusing my horse! But as the farrier said, it IS usually people who are only used to seeing an obese horse and think it is healthy, who say these things unless the horse really is thin. The people who say this all have obese horses as far as I am concerned. They all have crests and 2 of them are worse than George's was when I started and the ex-racer has the biggest belly I think I have ever seen! The ex-racer is the worst on the yard, really really fat, but I never say anything to them and probably would not let it cross my mind if they weren't being like this with me. I will upload a picture of my boy later, but just to highlight, you can JUST ABOUT feel his ribs, easier than before but not easy to feel, he STILL has a crest but it is shrinking granted, and he STILL has a mahoosive apple bum.
What is their flippin' problem!? They have surely never seen a thin horse or known what starving a horse is! Just because they fill the feed buckets twice a day, give ad-lib unsoaked hay and turn out from 7am-5pm every day, riding once a week, doesn't mean that's the right way, and actually, with a fat horse it's wrong, but do I say that? NO! I am so hacked off and upset about this. I would never harm my horse and I am just trying to do the best for him
DISGRUNTLED, DISJOINTED RANT OVER!!!!
Anyway, when she died, of course it was a massive devastating blow and made me hyperprotective of my big boy. The mare was my husband's ride so he is now helping me with George. I overhauled EVERYTHING. He now gets ridden more than he's EVER been ridden, but it's not excessive - he's schooled once a day usually and will be hacked at least once a day, often twice as my husband likes to keep his hand in as well. He was a bit cresty but even though he's a good doer, he never gorged or got as big as our mare.
I was concerned about his weight as I know this can also lead to laminitis, and his crest only became more noticeable when I hogged him just after my mare died. It's not huge and is soft to touch, but it's still there and still concerns me. His belly wasn't too bad - you could just about feel his ribs, but his rump was like a big juicy apple. I knew the riding would help and he doesn't get a hard feed in summer, plus he gets soaked hay in summer anyway, plus his field is cut down so he is on an eaten down paddock in summer. But I also decided to cut his grazing down and muzzle him. This seems to be helping, with the riding, as I can now feel his ribs more easily (although still a little way to go) and the crest has shrunk, although the rump is still a problem (he's a hw cob as well). He's looking much better as he is more muscled up already and with his naturally shiny, dappled bay coat, he looks the picture of health. BUT HE IS STILL FAT AND I WILL NOT STOP DIETING HIM UNTIL I AM HAPPY WITH HIS WEIGHT!
So tell me why people at the yard insist on telling me different! A bit of background on the other owners at the yard:
1) quite experienced, likes showing her coloured cob and is very nice, knowledgeable, keeps her beak out!
2) A nearly retired man and his wife (who doesn't ride but does do stable jobs). He follows racing avidly, has owned a 22 year old ex-racer for 5 years, and keeps him VERY overweight, riding him once a week at the most for abour 45 minutes. Now I never judge him outwardly, because that is up to him, but I just want to make clear that they are not knowledgeable people...
3) A woman who leaves her horse out 24/7, never visits it (we are talking once every 3 or 4 weeks these days, and we are DIY). The YO paid for the horse's feet to be trimmed as they were so bad. Keeps herself to herself when we do see her.
4) A reaasonably knowledgeable woman who keeps 2 horses (usually 3) and competes her unfit horses
5) A late 50s woman who seems to know a bit, but is head honcho of the clique which includes her, the ex-racer's owners and another person. They are not offensive or bullying, but do exclude people a bit. Nearly lost her mare to laminitis a few years ago.
6) Another middle aged woman who leaves her mare out 24/7 and only comes when the farrier does, every 8 weeks. The mare has had laminitis before and also grass sickness, for which she was hospitalised.
7) The sister of number 6 who was introduced to the yard when she had to look after no 6's horse more and more. She now has her own horse and doesn't care for no 6 at all. Quite nice but again, seems to be oblivious to OBESITY!
8) A lovely, lovely lady, in her 60s, bred and broke number 7's horse, but sold it to her as she got older, with 2 horses and couldn't really cope as well. Mother of number 1.
9) Me and my husband - again, quite knowledgeable. Usually do lots of varying things with our horses, including holidays, boxing for different hacking, the odd show/dressage/fun or endurance ride/clinic/lesson and also some hunting.
10) The owner doesn't have a horse but has a big interest in racing and has previously bred racehorses (not successfully).
Now I am peed of. Very peed off. When I first started dieting George, no 7 and no 5 both said 'oh he's alright, don't diet him because you've lost your mare, it's not fair on him, they're all cresty this year, it's the grass'. I said that was fine, yes they are all cresty, but it is possibly to get rid of the crest and get him back to his usual muscled, good-looking self. A whispering campaign started behind my back (I don't think it was maliscious as they aren't very nasty people, just not as knowledgeable), where I'd get through the grapevine that people were concerned I was depriving George because of the death of our other horse, starving him even
What is their flippin' problem!? They have surely never seen a thin horse or known what starving a horse is! Just because they fill the feed buckets twice a day, give ad-lib unsoaked hay and turn out from 7am-5pm every day, riding once a week, doesn't mean that's the right way, and actually, with a fat horse it's wrong, but do I say that? NO! I am so hacked off and upset about this. I would never harm my horse and I am just trying to do the best for him
DISGRUNTLED, DISJOINTED RANT OVER!!!!
