That's one fat horse........

Doesn't the ad say that Clarissa is a Belgian Ardennes? Dare I say, I like her...a lot. Okay, she is a bit overweight, but I like her. I think she is overpriced, but, again, I like her.
 
AdorableAlice said:
It is called business.

The cold bloods are useful in riding schools and would also have a place in private homes as easily kept hardy types.

Buyer beware of course, just because they are sold as safe plods does not mean they are as described. I would not be wanting to stand in the way of a rude one.
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Oh I know, I come from a business family hence why I was admiring her astuteness. I appreciate good business sense, and frankly I think that so long as they are as described then good on her, I only wish that I'd had the idea (and the connections needed) first ;)
 
Frankie doodle dandy said:
How judgemental you all are. Do any of you know about this bred, or the dealer or the history of the horses?
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Er, yes, I know a bit about the breed, and I've seen the dealer's idea of schooling before and been reasonably horrified then. I don't honestly care about the history of the horse - I care about its management in the present. And at those weights, those horses are not being managed correctly.

teamsarazara said:
That ^^ I bet not all of your horses' weights are perfect. And I can imagine if a horse was going for meat it would look nothing like that!!
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Er, a good meat horse would look very like the Belgian coldblood :rolleyes:

And actually I condition score mine daily at this time of year and they're all in the healthy 2-3 band. That's what responsible owners do :cool:
 
touchstone said:
It looks remarkably like an Ardennes:- "Today, the breed is used mainly for meat, due to its extensive musculature."

I don't think that is being judgemental, simply an observation.
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I don't have a problem with constructive observations and fully understand certain breeds are favoured for the meat trade. However some of the posts were poking fun at the way the animal looked (and I'm not referring to the weight comments). Also i think to make comments on a open forum about someone's business if you don't even know them or have any knowledge of the horses they are selling is being judgemental.
This is just my opinion of some of the earlier posts.
 
Frankie doodle dandy said:
Also i think to make comments on a open forum about someone's business if you don't even know them or have any knowledge of the horses they are selling is being judgemental.
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The seller posts many videos on youtube which show some truly hideous riding and training activities - that is the knowledge people on here have of their horses and business. If they post things like this on the internet, people will judge them and their business accordingly - they really ought to be more business aware and be more selective over what they post online.

Potential buyers and other members of the equine community only have their public domain persona to assess the horses (and their training), it is in the best interests of the seller to portray them as well as possible. This seller really doesn't succeed.
 
These are bred for meat over here and certainly not for riding. Just like British farms raising cattle for meat and milk there are farms over here breeding horses for meat and milk. Part of the culture. They're not ill treated just not treated as a 'normal' horse.
The ones bred for riding are very well bred and very expensive. I know quite a few people with them and they are gentle giants but if they get spooked there's not much that can stop them!
Wonder where she managed to get this one from?
 
JFTD said:
Er, yes, I know a bit about the breed, and I've seen the dealer's idea of schooling before and been reasonably horrified then. I don't honestly care about the history of the horse - I care about its management in the present. And at those weights, those horses are not being managed correctly.

When I was referring to knowing about the horses history, what I was getting at was: do you know what the weight of the horse was when it was bought? may be the dealer is trying to get the weight down and may be the dealer is trying to get a better life for this horse than it had before..... I don't know this dealer, I'm just being open minded.
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Frankie doodle dandy said:
When I was referring to knowing about the horses history, what I was getting at was: do you know what the weight of the horse was when it was bought? may be the dealer is trying to get the weight down and may be the dealer is trying to get a better life for this horse than it had before..... I don't know this dealer, I'm just being open minded.
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Nope, I don't know, and I don't care - at that weight, if she is making efforts to slim it down, it is not fit or ready for sale. Anyone who cares about the welfare of the animal for sale would make sure it was at an appropriate condition score first. You wouldn't think it were ok if it were a ribby "condition score 0/1" horse for sale, would you?

Personally I suspect she encourages their excessive weight to keep them quiet and calm (unfit) and appear safer rides. But that is, of course, just my opinion.
 
touchstone said:
I like her too :)
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If I weren't going through a serious bad patch with my back right now, and if my husband were visually challenged, I have her in a heartbeat! I've always been attracted to the Ardennes because everything I've ever read about them states they have the most quiet, biddable temperament.
 
JFTD said:
Nope, I don't know, and I don't care - at that weight, if she is making efforts to slim it down, it is not fit or ready for sale. Anyone who cares about the welfare of the animal for sale would make sure it was at an appropriate condition score first. You wouldn't think it were ok if it were a ribby "condition score 0/1" horse for sale, would you?


You're right neither is ideal but I'd look at 'why' it is being sold in this condition.



Personally I suspect she encourages their excessive weight to keep them quiet and calm (unfit) and appear safer rides. But that is, of course, just my opinion.
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I'm obviously naive to the dealers business methods as I don't know her.
 
*You're right neither is ideal but I'd look at 'why' it is being sold in this condition*

Why? Because she's a dealer and the longer she has it, the more it costs her - so sell it fast, market it to an unsuspecting novice and hang the fact it's obese and therefore unhealthy, unfit and unlikely to behave in a manner representative of its temperament when fit / slim...

I don't need to know her to think what she's doing is wrong.
 
JFTD said:
Nope, I don't know, and I don't care - at that weight, if she is making efforts to slim it down, it is not fit or ready for sale. Anyone who cares about the welfare of the animal for sale would make sure it was at an appropriate condition score first. You wouldn't think it were ok if it were a ribby "condition score 0/1" horse for sale, would you?

Personally I suspect she encourages their excessive weight to keep them quiet and calm (unfit) and appear safer rides. But that is, of course, just my opinion.
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Very valid point.
 
I'm not convinced that this dealer is a woman;)

Incidentally, those who saw the Martin Clunes heavy horses TV programme might remember the 'Sea-horses'. This type of horse is supposed to weigh about 800kg.
 
Ardennes are bigger horses both in stature and girth, but bigger shouldn't mean fat... Just using jFTD and her neds as an example... Highlands aren't silf like, but her horses never look fat, neither do they look emaciated, they are always fit, well muscled and healthy...

Sadly these are fat horses, just because they are of a certain breed is no excuse.
 
Pearlsasinger said:
I'm not convinced that this dealer is a woman;)

Incidentally, those who saw the Martin Clunes heavy horses TV programme might remember the 'Sea-horses'. This type of horse is supposed to weigh about 800kg.
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In muscle not fat, as we know fat weighs less than muscle, an 800kg muscled horse looks much different than an 800kg fat horse, I know two working Ardennes, totally different.
 
Queenbee said:
Ardennes are bigger horses both in stature and girth, but bigger shouldn't mean fat... Just using jFTD and her neds as an example... Highlands aren't silf like, but her horses never look fat, neither do they look emaciated, they are always fit, well muscled and healthy...

Sadly these are fat horses, just because they are of a certain breed is no excuse.
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Thanks - and that's exactly the point - conformation affects condition scoring, but it doesn't mean a heavy should carry more weight.

TB, highland, warmblood, cob or Kaltblud - they should never be carrying unnecessary fat.


eta - unless it's bred for meat, in which case, the owner can knock themselves out flinging pies at it!
 
I am not impressed by the fat horses at all but I want the big fluffy mule eared horse. I don't care if it turns out mental I'll just sedate it and use it as a sofa...snuggly :-)
 
JFTD said:
277978_all_rounder_horse_11_yrs_16_1_hh_chestnut_roan_south_yorkshi_photo_1_img.jpg
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You do need to consider the breed type - This is a Belgian Ardennes horse - a heavy draft horse - they are heavily muscled, short and compact with heavy bone - they tend to always look fat.

Many of the heavier breeds look fat if you are used to a lighter type, their rib cages are often far more rounded and their legs shorter in comparison to the depth of the girth
 
mandwhy said:
I am not impressed by the fat horses at all but I want the big fluffy mule eared horse. I don't care if it turns out mental I'll just sedate it and use it as a sofa...snuggly :-)
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Actually, she's not mule-eared. The photo of her moving shows her ear in line with the apex of a house in the background. If you put your fingernail over that part of the house, her ears look quite normal.
 
Tnavas said:
You do need to consider the breed type - This is a Belgian Ardennes horse - a heavy draft horse - they are heavily muscled, short and compact with heavy bone - they tend to always look fat.

Many of the heavier breeds look fat if you are used to a lighter type, their rib cages are often far more rounded and their legs shorter in comparison to the depth of the girth
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Gosh you don't say? I'd never thought of that... I mean, I've only ever owned TBs myself...

Read.The.Thread.

:cool:
 
mandwhy said:
I am not impressed by the fat horses at all but I want the big fluffy mule eared horse. I don't care if it turns out mental I'll just sedate it and use it as a sofa...snuggly :-)
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I looked twice at the picture and thought - It's a mule....... then had a look at the other pictures and it's not. She looks rather sweet and god can you imagine how hairy you would become when she starts moulting.
 
JFTD said:
Thanks - and that's exactly the point - conformation affects condition scoring, but it doesn't mean a heavy should carry more weight.

TB, highland, warmblood, cob or Kaltblud - they should never be carrying unnecessary fat.


eta - unless it's bred for meat, in which case, the owner can knock themselves out flinging pies at it!
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Tnavas said:
You do need to consider the breed type - This is a Belgian Ardennes horse - a heavy draft horse - they are heavily muscled, short and compact with heavy bone - they tend to always look fat.

Many of the heavier breeds look fat if you are used to a lighter type, their rib cages are often far more rounded and their legs shorter in comparison to the depth of the girth
Click to expand...


I agree that they always look on the 'larger' side, but visibly, if you know what you are looking at you can differentiate between the look of fat and muscle on an Ardennes, the hind and shoulder on that Ardennes look to be carrying excessive fat, they are not muscled, they may be large and they may be fluffy they may naturally be a stockier breed, but that horse is overweight in comparison to any Ardennes I've been up close and personal with.
 
JFTD said:
The seller posts many videos on youtube which show some truly hideous riding and training activities - that is the knowledge people on here have of their horses and business. If they post things like this on the internet, people will judge them and their business accordingly - they really ought to be more business aware and be more selective over what they post online.

Potential buyers and other members of the equine community only have their public domain persona to assess the horses (and their training), it is in the best interests of the seller to portray them as well as possible. This seller really doesn't succeed.
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This is true. You obviously feel strongly about this in particular dealer and her training methods and lack of morals and well being for the horses sold. Have you ever passed on your knowledge on training/weight control to her directly or commented on her YouTube post?
 
FinalFurlong said:
A 'big teddy bear' apparently
She's a belgian coldblood, her other heavy horses are in a similar state :(

http://kellyshorses.co.uk/m/store/view/Tessa-16-2h-4-year-old-Coldblood-3000ono
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tessa is advertised as both a 16hh 7yr old and a 16.2hh 4yr old, that they cannot get to canter, have to kick continously to keep her walking but they discribe as forward going, does not stand still to be dismounted or remounted and is as green as grass. i am not going to slate the dealer for the weight of the horses as they are draught/meat horses and i would imagine come to her unbacked and are difficult to get into muscled condition and i understand that dealers want to maximise profit so sell on as quick as poss.

but they describe as safe and forward going and a little green in the school, she is a s green as the grass that is finally growing and thats nearly luminous:eek:
 
IMO nobody saying anything on here is going to help the situation, and I'd imagine the girl would be pretty upset to read this and hear you were all criticising her riding too, not everyone rides like Charlotte Dujardin.
 
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