Too fat or just right?

[blackcob]

Inspired by fatty-pony-muzzle post below, lol! This is the first spring that I've not muzzled the beastie and I could do with an unbiased opinion of how she's looking. She came out of winter very fit and lean, having been hacking four times a week and doing the odd day's hunting, and since going out 24/7 a month or so ago she immediately gained a bit of weight but this has levelled off and she hasn't gained any more for a couple of weeks now.

She's still hacking out four times a week, good varied hacks of up to two and a half hours, and the odd half hour of schooling in between. No hard feed, out on the fairly bare paddock that you see there, with an armful of hay on cold or wet nights.

 

[AmyMay]

I love her!!!!!!!

 

[sueandtoto]

She's looking lovely

 

[blackcob]

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I love her!!!!!!!

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Beauty says thank you and hello.

 

[angiebaby]

I put just right, but thats a big paddock!

.

 

[QuobAsti]

<font color="purple"> She is lovely

I think she looks nice, personally i would like her a little leaner but only a smidge, i certainly wouldn't want her to put any more on though.

Can you feel her ribs easily?

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[blackcob]

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I think she looks nice, personally i would like her a little leaner but only a smidge, i certainly wouldn't want her to put any more on though.

Can you feel her ribs easily?

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By easily, do you mean 'prod really hard and just about feel something vaguely'?

In all seriousness, yes you can feel them, and they are just about visible to the eye when she's got her head up and moving around. When she first went out to grass you could feel them easily and see the outline of them most of the time. I think given another month on the same regime she will de-bloat back to her former self!

 

[QuobAsti]

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I think she looks nice, personally i would like her a little leaner but only a smidge, i certainly wouldn't want her to put any more on though.

Can you feel her ribs easily?

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By easily, do you mean 'prod really hard and just about feel something vaguely'?

In all seriousness, yes you can feel them, and they are just about visible to the eye when she's got her head up and moving around. When she first went out to grass you could feel them easily and see the outline of them most of the time. I think given another month on the same regime she will de-bloat back to her former self!

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<font color="purple"> I mean buy smoothly running you hand across her side, no prodding involved

Well in answer to that question i would say she is spot on weight wise, though in the picture i assume she may have a little bit of bloating from the grass.

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[blackcob]

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Well in answer to that question i would say she is spot on weight wise, though in the picture i assume she may have a little bit of bloating from the grass.

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Might have to start force-feeding her Activia yoghurts, apparently that's what all the bloated windy ladies are using these days.

She does visibly deflate when brought in, and indeed when out riding I have to keep checking my girth and it can go up two holes each side by the end of a long hack. She can fart for England.

 

[jvoyce]

She looks really fit and well - just perfect on the weight as she is, but certainly no more.

Made me well up to see her picture though because she looks so similar to my boy who I had to have PTS in February.

 

[devilinajar]

She looks perfect to me!!

 

[Silverspring]

The fact 80% have voted that he is 'just right' seriosuly concerns me, no wonder there has been such a steep increase in obese horse's when people look at picture like that and think just right.

He is by no means a cruelty case for being over weight but I would personally muzzle him.

 

[angiebaby]

To be fair, the photos are taken from a slight angle, so could be that she looks a little chunkier; but as op says you can feel ribs without prodding so a fairly good indication thats she's not overweight.

 

[blackcob]

[ QUOTE ]
The fact 80% have voted that he is 'just right' seriosuly concerns me, no wonder there has been such a steep increase in obese horse's when people look at picture like that and think just right.

He is by no means a cruelty case for being over weight but I would personally muzzle him.

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You can see what grass there is, though - she wouldn't reach anything through a muzzle.

I'd like to add that it's 'just right but not an ounce more' indicating that, like me, the vast majority of people think she's ok given the time of year but wouldn't want to see her any bigger.

I can post pictures of her from four weeks ago at hunting weight, if you'd prefer.

Sorry, not trying to argue, I did ask for opinions, I just don't agree that 'obese' is the operant word here.

 

[Silverspring]

And ribs are all you look for in condition scoring? It looks to me like the horse has an appled shaped ass, also over the shoulder there looks to be a fat pad and she also has quite a substantial neck but I can't see if it's crest or not.

My sister horse has constantly showing ribs yet can be ridiculously over weight, it's just how she's built. Vet told her not to judge just on one thing, look at crest, shoulder, back, ribs and ass.

 

[blackcob]

I see neither fat pads or a crest - I see a Welsh Cob with a cob's arse!

I won't argue further - leaving for the yard shortly to ride, and think I'll be taking more pictures this evening.

 

[AmyMay]

Princesssparkle, this little horse is a cob, and therefore is always going to look as if it carries a bit of excess. If you have ever read Patches threads, and looked at the most recent photos of her little mare - you will see that despite actually being very, very fit - this little cob mare, too, has a nice apple bum. It simply comes with the territory of owning this sort of breed of horse.

I think weight wise she looks more or less just right - but certainly wouldn't want to see any more weight on her.

As a very experienced friend of mine used to say to me when I used to be constantly worried about Amy's weight (section D) - it ain't a fecking thoroughbred........

 

[Hippona]

I think she looks fine....but as you say, wouldnt want her any bigger. I see no gutter in the pics...

....BTW - OHs cob mare (Irish cob...thats about as 'breed specific' as we can get!) always has an apple-ish bum with a slight gutter- even at her most leanest....vet says she is fine...

 

[Silverspring]

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I'd like to add that it's 'just right but not an ounce more' indicating that, like me, the vast majority of people think she's ok given the time of year but wouldn't want to see her any bigger.


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Given the time of year? You mean before the grass really start to come through and everyone starts to struggle with weight? Surely given this time of year you'd want to see her as lean as was healthily possible? Which IMO she is not, she is bordering on being overweight if not already overweight. Obviously you can only judge so much from a photo but she's by no means lean.

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Sorry, not trying to argue, I did ask for opinions, I just don't agree that 'obese' is the operant word here.

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I'm not trying to argue either, I was just giving my opinion, I don't think she's obese and I should have worded my post better. What I meant was that if people think a horse that (IMO) is bordering on being over weight/is over weight is 'Just right' then it doesn't take much for them to let the nearly over weight/over weight horse gain a few pounds and the next thing you know it's obese.

 

[pinktiger]

i think for her she looks okish for what she is breed wise and job wise, but borderling and worth keeping a very very close eye on! Have you used a weigh tape on her/him?

 

[kibob]

I'm afraid I agree that she is carrying a little fat particularly over her shoulder and crest. She is by no means fat but I would be popping the muzzle on for a few hours a day now. It's easier to stop it going on in the first place than to get it off (perhaps I should chant this to myself before pouring that extra glass of wine in the evenings

).

 

[tabithakat64]

She looks ok at the moment are you monitoring her weight carefully? When she puts any on it's would be muzzle time if she were mine

 

[golddustsara]

Aw I adore her - love seeing piccies. I'd say she looks fine but I wouldn't want to see anymore weight on.

 

[JoBo]

I think she looks fab, just about right! Some people just don’t get cobs!!!!!

 

[MrsMozartletoe]

I like her. Maybe weight tape and condition score every week. Hard to tell from the piccies if muscle or fat roll starting.

As the granny of a coblet, and a little native cross that can stuff for Engand, I get paranoid

I also have a walking coat rack, but we're working on it lol.

 

[Zippydoodles]

I think she looks ok (beautiful mare by the way) but you don't want her to get any rounder. She is after all a cob and cobs are built to be rounded (note to all - I said rounded not FAT). If you can keep her at this weight but no more all summer you will be doing well. You sound like a very sensible cautious owner to me and she sounds like she gets enough exercise so I don't think you will have any problems. Perhaps strip graze to keep her in check if you are concerned.