Weight Issue Again

[emmajaynerushton]

just got H & H this week looking at the bshcrha finals have you seen the size of the 2 champion cobs in there, i think its disgusting, so much for fit not fat, if i can get my section a looking good without her being gross (and i cant ride her) there is no excuse for riding horses to be that fat, they would splatter in a heap if jumped in that condition, what about the strain on legs and hearts, its wrong VERY WRONG BAD ON YOU PROFESSIONALS !!!!!!!!

page 40 & 41 the ametuer cob looks as bad as the fat blob that won look at all that fat around its chest, even has a sorry look in its eye the way its looking at you, the bloke looks like hes sat on a bouncy castle !

the ametuer cob is again fat around the chest and look at it fat lumpy stomach GROSSSSSS

SHAME ON YOU

 

[epsilon]

I absolutely agree. I was horrified.
M

 

[Florence :o)]

When I saw it I just turned the page... IT GETS ME SOOOOOOOOO MAD!!! /images/HHThreads/frown.gif

 

[spaniel]

Not a pretty sight!

 

[Florence :o)]

While the rest of us work hard to keep our horses darn weight off, these people win classes!!! GGRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

 

[lilym]

DON'T DON'T DON'T!! start me on this! in my other post i suggested judges who place horses like this and the producers who feed them to obesity should be force fed mac donalds and as someone else suggested some pizza for extra condition, and see how they like it..... hhhhhhhmmmmmm! when i see some judges i do wonder if it has already been done!

 

[clipclop]

I would love to ask a judge what they actually see when they put these poor horses at the top of the line, thus subjecting them to a shortened lifespan.
If it is so obvious to us everydayers then why can't the specialists see what is happening?
I guess if the choice was a difficult one with a choice of overweight or bad confirmation, what do you go for? I would want to go for bad comformation and health over good confirmation with serious weight/health issues but I wouldn't want to be the judge that makes that choice!
I wonder if any cob judges come on here and if so perhaps they could enlighten us?

 

[burtie]

DOn't get me started. Glad I'm not the only one who noticed, that amateur cob champion was GROSS. It also looks not that well put together, but then maybe that's just the legs buckling under the weight. To me that horse did not look like a good cab at all, in fact looking at the legs me-thinks if it was the correct weight and had a mane, you would have something that looked nothign like a cob. Bah, it makes me so mad.

 

[Doris'Dad]

....in the flesh? OBVIOUSLY NOT! I was at the championships and have seen these animals move.
I have made my views on Fit Not Fat very clear many times on this forum, and have been criticised by people in the showring that my boy is too lean, but neither Tom Firr nor Ellistown Duchess are grossly overweight - they are cobs! They are carrying a little more weight than I would prefer but you are being extreme and unreasonable.
Just for your information, Tom Firr did his championship show in GALLOP - not bad for what you describe as a bouncy castle.

 

[BundleBrandy]

If you could see mine now...

Some cobs (funnily, all from the same place...) have been overweight, but most are just cobs!

If zak was stood next to most show cobs, people would scream that he's fat. No, he just had (he lost it out hunting!) a very low belly - possibly from the fact he was very wormy when we picked him up! Dorey is getting wider and wider, but watch her muscles move as she's ridden, and you realise it's all muscle!!!

 

[heatherw]

Here Here!

I have competed against Robert Walker all season albeit in Hunter Classes. I have also stewarded many many classes over a number of years in which he has competed both his cobs and riding horses.

I have to say that none of his horses whether Hunter, Cob or Riding Horse are fat. Some may carry a bit extra weight than others but as with people not all horses can be stick insects thats just the way it is. All his horses that I have seen this season (and others) including Tom Firr are fit and capable of doing their job without adverse impact on their health and that is what is important. They are all well muscled and solid to the touch and not in the least wobbly. All his horses go well and all of them can gallop and I dont mean amble along rolling all over the place. With some of the hot weather that we have had this year and others his horses would not be able to complete a class still looking as fresh and well as when they entered if they were too fat.

It has also been said that the horses pictured wouldn't be able to jump in the state that they are in. Nearly all Roberts horses are hunted by him and I'm sure that he is MFH of his local pack. That being the case why are they not all in crumpled heaps with broken legs behind a hedge in the middle of Cheshire somewhere or died of a heart attack?

Photgraphs can quite often be very deceptive and certainly its a well known saying that the camera adds pounds .... that can apply to animals as well as humans.

I am a great believer in the fact that horses should be fit and there is nothing worse than seeing horses that are too fat to do the work. To the same end though the weight of a horse is not always an indicator of its fitness levels. It is just as possible that a thin horse can be unfit as a fat horse. The presumption is that fat=unfit and that is not the case. I would rather see a fit horse with a few more pounds on it than an unfit thin horse.

Hxx

 

[rachtee]

i havent seen
but i have seen alot of overweight horses esp cobs in the showring. so i can imagine.
its cruel

 

[Caz]

I do agree with you actually but I remember seeing what I'd think would be the picture in question last week and thinking the horse looked rather on the porky side! But as you guys have said, unless you see them in the flesh it's difficult to tell. In general I think the top producers are pretty good about their horses not being too fat because they're probably well aware of the criticism they'll get and I think that's good because they're setting an example for all us 'amateurs!'But I do see a lot of other incredibly fat horses and ponies on the circuit that are quite disgusting!

 

[heatherw]

I agree. Doing the circuit this season has been quite a stark contrast to previous years and I think that whilst a lot of people have taken on board the reference to overweight animals and done something about it there have been a number of others which have still put excessive weight on. I'm glad to say that the ones I have seen though have stood out like a sore thumb in the classes and only a couple have got decent placings and that was more on the basis that it was the best of a bad lot.

Lets hope things keep going in the right direction.

Hxx

 

[doriscob]

Absolutely, this year for the first time most of the show cobs were fit not fat. There were a few notable exceptions but funnily enough they have slimmed down as the season has progressed and as a result they have been enjoying better places.
So here here for the not fat cobs! Come on Tom Firr and Ellie! I thought my all time fave was going to be Boy George but I'm not so sure now!!
DC

 

[heatherw]

Not only the cobs have shown a vast improvement but also hunters and riding horses have got a lot slimmer all over even the ponies are looking better.

Hxx

 

[doriscob]

Heather, I think we are right, and as people who have seen these horses in the flesh then even better!!!!
Ooh BTW, good luck next season!

 

[emmajaynerushton]

maybe you should tell the photographers to picture them galloping rather than standing there looking like blob, it aint good advertising when they are just sttod there looking incredibly fat, we cant see them when moving what do you expect, i feel sorry for both cobs on that page they have so much fat around the heart and lungs and would be happier galloping with a little less tub i am sure !!!!! think of the strain on the limbs ! not justifable, a animal with that much weight is as worthy as being reported as something that was totally neglected ! having lost one from laminitis (which in my case was non food related) anything that could possibly induce this horrendous disease, be it excess feeding ar galloping a horse thats obviously to heavy for its own legs isnt worth it for a few rossettes and an insignificant sum of prize money, its really quite cruel ! I recently sold my cob, he was fit when sold but a big lad anyhow, he had defintion, could jump and gallop brill, now sold they have let him get fat and gross and he can barely breath let alone jump or gallop and pisses around constantly when ridden as he must be incredibly uncomfy, i regret to say im fat also and asking me to gallop round a show ring in my condition would distress me, though i do manage an amble with a (slim) lead rein pony. Honestly do we care more about the glory of winning than the long term health of our equine freinds, I regularly get beaten by a non to nice section a as it has stunning movement but is like a barrel and shame on the judges who place it higher than a fit one, i have beaten it before but i know mine will have many happy long years ahead, wait till it gets lami or concussion or has a heart attack, then i will say told you so !!!!!!!!!!

 

[heatherw]

Hmmm if I survive that long. The Cob being under height is being forced to have a vocation in dressage... much to his dimay (would much rather eat and sleep). The mare is also being forced to have a winter occupation in dressage and she is not too keen either. Hey Ho.. If I arent to frazzled by next March we will be out there trying our best again. Its so hectic having two doing different things though especially as the mare will only travel on her own so you cant even do one show with both.

Hxx

 

[jacks73]

Thank you for your comments about Robert Walker's cobs Heatherw!! I can confirm what you say to be correct about the horses at rob's yard.....yes he is MFH, & yes the cobs & hunters are hunted through the winter....& none come back as crumpled heaps!!!
Having worked for Rob for a while now I can honestly say the horses are worked,schooled & fed in accordance to what their job is....there is absolutly no way anyone can say the horses are over fed when even at the end of a long season showing most of the yard are on a diet to keep them from becoming too fat!!
Yes I do agree that some people do confuse condition & muscle on cobs & large horses with being fat/obese but surely professional producers wouldn't have the business if there clients horses ended up with laminitus,leg/heart/lung strain etc!!!