Your opinions please!

WelshMisfit

WelshMisfit

Well-Known Member
Joined
7 September 2009
Messages
549
Visit site
I'd love to hear your opinions on two photos of my boy. One was taken last winter when I was really struggling to put some weight on him. He had laminitis two years ago so it's not been easy trying to get the weight back on him when you're limited to what feeds you can safely feed him.

This is him last winter when I was really despairing over the way he was looking. :(

100_2440.jpg


I have tried everything in the last 10 months or so to improve the way he looks and I think I am nearly there. I have changed his feeding regime so many times because nothing I seemed to feed him worked. He's had ab lib forage in hay nets whilst turned out on a really bare field over the summer. I was feeding him 3 feeds a day all over the summer and slowly the weight has gone on. I gave up weigh taping him months ago because I would look at him and think "Yes, I think he's gained a bit" only to weigh him and find that he hadn't! I used to get so depressed about it that I've shoved it in the back of a drawer somewhere and have gone on the way he feels and looks instead.
I had the dentist out to do his teeth as well just in case he had problems in that area (which he didn't.)

I took his photo today and I've been comparing the two photographs and I think you can now see the difference in him. I'm hoping it's just not wishful thinking on my part! :confused: I've used two photos in which the way he is standing is quite similar so you can make a proper comparison.

He hasn't had work for a while (mainly because I've been so disheartened about all this) so I know he needs to build muscle etc.

This is him today

100_3435.jpg


Any comments and advice very welcome! :D
 
In the first pic he looks a bit of an odd shape!! No offence intended. His belly is fairly deep, yet he isnt holding any weight anywhere else!

In the second pic though he looks almost a perfect shape!! Yeah ok maybe could gain a bit of muscle definition with some work. But he looks healthy and happy to me!! Well done!! :)
 
I dont think there is much wrong with the first picture - he looks trim and healthy - dont put too much on him. Muscle will improve thru work - only really gains fat by feeding x
 
Thank you all so much for your lovely comments. It's been a hard slog these last few months. I've worried so much about him. I know he didn't look really bad in the first pic but I wasn't happy with him and no matter how much I told myself not to worry about him, I couldn't help it. :confused:
He is a lovely boy and I absolutely adore him. :) I couldn't ask for a better horse. He always wants to please and I can take him anywhere and do anything with him. He never asks any questions, he just goes ahead and does as I ask of him. It's a relief to have other people look at him and tell me that he's looking good again. :D Thank you!
 
Yeah....I hated his pointy bum before....he was all angular :(....now I think he's nicely rounded. This is one of his bum now.......

100_3434.jpg


Excuse the minging tail! :rolleyes:
 
traceyf said:
I dont think there is much wrong with the first picture - he looks trim and healthy - dont put too much on him. Muscle will improve thru work - only really gains fat by feeding x
Click to expand...

I agree with this. To me he looked fine in the first picture - if he is a laminitis sufferer then you don't want him to be carrying any excess fat.

In the second picture he looks much more rounded and carrying a lot of fat which is probably because he hasn't had any work.

Don't let him put any more weight on now but going into winter as we are, I suspect he won't anyway.

He's a lovely looking horse by the way :D
 
brighteyes said:
Eh? He was fine in the first pic and in the second he looks like laminitis waiting to happen again? Unless the pics are deceiving... Be careful.
Click to expand...

He was seriously underweight in the first pic....he's 15'3 and was weighing 418kgs in that pic......now he's weighing about 460kgs.
 
Yes - I do agree that he does look light on that third photo.

Its amazing how photos are so deceptive as he didn't look light in the first photo.

But just imagine if he was clipped and in full work, then his topline/muscle would have hugely improved his outlook. In that third photo he just looks like a horse who has been turned out :( Are you not able to exercise him?
 
I agree that he doesn't look seriously underweight in the first photo, just a little lean and lacking muscle, but still in healthy condition (probably a 2.5 condition score and vets usually advise between 2.5 and 3 as healthy condition). He does look a little thinner in the very last photo, but again not seriously underweight. He does look a little fat in the second photo though. I would aim to keep his weight somewhere between the first and second photos.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top