Y Sioe 2013 - obese horses wibble and wobble round the ring.

Meowy Catkin

Meowy Catkin

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I decided to watch a bit of the Royal Welsh Show while I had my coffee break and saw part of a ridden class. Oh my the gutters down the horses backs, the huge fat pats... just awful.
 
It does still upset me though. The Stud down the road from me keeps their broodmares out on a hill and they (plus the youngsters) look so fit and healthy rather than a dining table (super wide with skinny legs).

OMG - just seen an OK one weight wise... at the bottom of the line up.
 
Frank is definitely not one of the more 'sports' types of cob more traditional and stocky, short backed (to nicely emphasise the belly!). The pics I have of him when he was bought he looks quite like some in the ring ;). He isn't easy to keep at a sensible weight but we do try (JFTD's seen pics from the weekend and might now tell me he is huge ;) :D )

I did go to the royal welsh a few years ago now though and the champ mare then ridden was just lovely!
 
We were at Kent county last weekend (kids doing mounted games). They were open mouthed at the obesity on display and getting rossettes!!. Wonder what the showing lot thought of our skinny critters racing up and down. They must think we are cruel for letting them get thin (in their eyes) ?
 
Press red on s4c and you can get English commentary. Ridden cobs just starting. The commentator just said 'we associate these horses with the elderly, or those of a nervous disposition.' Mega lol.

There's some serious fatties in the ring! I think if any of these actually went hunting, they'd keel over after 5 mins.
 
Showing is all about how close you can get your pony to the laminitis threshold. Whosoever looks the closest wins :cool:

It's the old fashioned extreme sport! If it can hardly walk - automatic Supreme Champion!
 
ester said:
I feel a bit sorry for the unshorn sheep, hope they have a ice pool out the back ;) :D
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Yes I always think that, but then I remember that in comparison to the Merino sheep that swelter in the Australian outback with three times the fleece on them, our British sheep have a very easy time of it.

The cobs don't really even look fit for a novice plod about.
 
Why are they all so cresty? I don't understand the logic of showing fat unhealthy horses that will probably end up with lami in the next 2 years. Ugh.
 
To be honest, after being out showing with my boy last week, I just need to say .......aaaaarrrgh!!!! Showing!!! No probs with my (low) placing, but the pony in second place attempted to kick the judge (literally and purposefully) and was left in second in the final lineup. This was a veteran class and the VHS says that 'manners' are part of their judging scores.

Can you get the English commentary online?
 
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The few times i've been to watch showing classes i've seen lame horses pulled in over actual nicely ridden shows, and a horse that bucked all the way round the arena pulled in FIRST place because the rider was crying.

That put me off so much. It seems like its who you know in the showing world.
 
jojo5 said:
To be honest, after being out showing with my boy last week, I just need to say .......aaaaarrrgh!!!! Showing!!! No probs with my (low) placing, but the pony in second place attempted to kick the judge (literally and purposefully) and was left in second in the final lineup. This was a veteran class and the VHS says that 'manners' are part of their judging scores.

Can you get the English commentary online?
Click to expand...

Yes - on the left hand side it should say live c4s or something in the menu - if you click on that it should go over to english commentary or have an option underneath the video to do so.
 
It's come in over here over the last few years too, although not to those levels. I remember reading a report on the Dublin Horse show in H&H last year or the year before and the reporter said something along the lines of 'You don't get fat obese hunters cobs etc. over here'. Eh yes you do? We can't have been watching the same classes! I can only imagine the obesity over there from the pics in the mag. I was shocked at her comments though, as some showing were positively obese to me, wobbling and rippling around. I can only presume she has a distorted view of what is fit! There are some fit ones in there too but I hate seeing the fatties lumbering along in a long class like beetles.
 
Some of the horses being shown are disgusting.
You can see ripples of fat when they're running and have huge gutters down their backs especially the Section As.
If this is showing i'd rather stay out of it thanks!
 
The Royal Welsh is COMPLETELY different to every other show.

Yes there are fatties, but a welsh cob, fit and muscled and showing itself is a sight to behold, and one that makes me emotional truth be told. The atmosphere around that ring (and in it!) is phenomenal.

There is an art to furnishing a show horse, which differs between one shown under saddle, inhand or in harness also. Muscle also ripples.
It takes a true showman to produce a horse properly instead of stuffing it full of corn and shutting it in the dark for 23 hours a day, and this is one of the few big shows where you can still find them. Studs showing off the quality of their produce, instead of producers with the right face or enough money to throw at the situation. I've seen them come off cattle wagons, caked up and washed on the showground where they transform.

It is magic, if you get the opportunity to go, do it!
 
Don't be silly... they're in show condition.... grrr!

Doesn't help other less knowledgeable owners with views of their horse's weights either-I try to keep mine trim and so you can just see ribs, apparently that makes me cruel. She's a little over that at the moment but it is summer! That's why I love winter, great for pony diets.
 
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