Too fit?

[FanyDuChamp]

Following on from another thread, has anyone else experienced a horse being too fit?

Captain is an ex-pro comp horse and also a carriage horse, he was incredibly fit when we got him, poor condition but physically extremely fit. Thing was he had so much energy he did not know what to do with it. He still gets very fit, very quickly.

So my question is can a horse be too fit? What do / did you do if yours was too fit?

FDC

 

[rhino]

I suppose at times my horse has been 'too fit' for the level he was competing at (don't want to put excess strain on joints etc) but to be honest I find fully fit horses calmer to ride than 1/2 fit ones; they always seem to go through a stage of being 'too big for their boots' during fittening.

I always use a forage only diet and maximum turnout so don't have the issues regarding high cereal diets and stabling.

 

[chestnut cob]

I suppose at times my horse has been 'too fit' for the level he was competing at (don't want to put excess strain on joints etc) but to be honest I find fully fit horses calmer to ride than 1/2 fit ones; they always seem to go through a stage of being 'too big for their boots' during fittening.

I think this is where I am with mine ATM... having had a break of a couple of years, I'm hunting him again this season (he''ll do 9 days in total, all being well). Been out a couple of times so far and am currently trying to get him fitter. Assuming he does what you say above, hopefully he will come out the other side soon... ATM all I have is a pretty (but not fully) fit horse who is INCREDIBLY sharp and is losing the plot a bit!

I always use a forage only diet and maximum turnout so don't have the issues regarding high cereal diets and stabling.

Same, mine has minimal hard feed (enough for supplements), adlib forage and around 16 hours turnout a day.

 

[Mlini]

When I got mine he was really fit (ex-racer), looked underweight but had bags of energy and was pure muscle! I just chucked him in the field and fed him masses of haylage in a desperate attempt to make him fat It worked! He's now not as fit and, to be honest, quite lazy! I think he gets the lazyness from me though...

 

[skydancer]

When I got mine he was really fit (ex-racer), him fat It worked! He's now not as fit and, to be honest, quite lazy! I think he gets the lazyness from me though...

LMAO

 

[FanyDuChamp]

When I got mine he was really fit (ex-racer), looked underweight but had bags of energy and was pure muscle! I just chucked him in the field and fed him masses of haylage in a desperate attempt to make him fat It worked! He's now not as fit and, to be honest, quite lazy! I think he gets the lazyness from me though...

This was like Captain, under weight but so fit, muscled and so much energy! I have always been careful to keep him on a very low cereal/ high fibre diet.Caps is much less fit now, and a happier horse for it. He used to be like a kid with ADD, never knew what to do with himself, he never tired or asked to stop. Now he is less fit but much calmer and settled. Still never asks to stop though!
FDC

 

[Cop-Pop]

When I first moved to my current yard my mare was too fit to cope with the lack of turnout and exercise and she was very explosive! Now I drop off exercising her coming into winter and she copes much better.

 

[spotty_pony]

Mine can get a bit like this the fitter he gets throughout the hunt season! I just make sure he has as much turnout as possible and that he gets plenty of exercise.