horsepeople: is she overfat?

[Ginevive]

I took this shot of Cuesta today and it has me thinking; she looks a bit chubby. What do you think? It is hard to tell with her QH type build.

[GirDance]

Hey, I'm not a horse 'expert' but I did work with them a bit when I worked at the vet clinic... It's really hard to determine if a horse is 'fat' from looking at a photo.. It's kind of the same determination as with dogs, if you can run your hands over their side gently and are able to feel their ribs without having to push down really hard then they aren't over weight.

I found a website for you that goes into much greater depth:

http://www.horses-and-horse-informat...0197trim.shtml

Hopefully that helps

[ADEE]

i dont think so.. i think QH breed horses, even crosses (like apendix, exc) are typically more round. i think she looks nice. but then again im parshal to "hefty" horses.
is she out to pasture?
does she ever get excersize?
how much grain and hay are you feeding her?
does she get wormed on a regular basis?

with our stalled horses (in florida which makes a difference) they get one scoop of grain, two pads of t&a hay, worked daily and wormed monthly (or daily depending on brand)

talk to your vet.. but every horse is different and every situation is different. if shes getting a reasonable ammount of grain and hay without over feeding i wouldnt worry, shoot i had a thoroughbred who i couldnt put weight on no matter what i did.. i would LOVE to have an "over weight" horse lol. good luck, hope that helps

[ADEE]

I found a website for you that goes into much greater depth:

http://www.horses-and-horse-informat...0197trim.shtml

Hopefully that helps

great link!

[GirDance]

Thanks

Horses can be so difficult when it comes to weight, some look stockier than others, some are hardier, others put on weight like crazy while some just won't gain any...

I didn't have to deal much with the horses at the vet clinic, but occasionally I'd get taken along if they thought they'd need an extra hand... But I like that link because it does accurately explain a lot about the seriousness of different causes of weight gain.

I love the internet, if you look hard enough you can find just about anything!

[sweety314]

Gin, (especially) if she's building a crest on her neck, you can afford to cut her back a bit. Is there fat padding at the tailhead?


From the pic, it's hard to tell, but unless you're working her really hard, or she's just a VERY easy keeper, I'd suggest thinning her down. I had to keep Happy a little overweight, b/c of his age and tooth loss, but Cuesta is still a relatively young horse. You want her a little on the lighter side. If you can't feel each rib individually, there's too much padding there.

When was she last wormed??? Have you been rotating types of wormer so the creepies doen't develop a tolerance to one particular kind? Do U feed her any hay right now, or is she strictly pasture? From the angle, she looks like the typical grass belly.

If U wanted to thin her down a bit, too bad we couldn't take Cuesta's 50# (or so) and give 'em to my Duchess!!! With her hot TB/running QH blood, she's always running light.

[Ginevive]

They are up-to-date on their dewormer. I use the Zimectrin Gold. I think that they both have that hay-belly.. they are out on nice pasture most of the time. I bring them in during bad weather and once in awhile if the day is so hot that the flies are unbearable. I have tried literally every flyspray on the market; the last one I have found that I like is Pyrranha (sp?)
I feed alf/tim/grass hay generally; by the gate in the morning they get some, then they graze and if I bring them in they get hay, and I also keep some in the run-in outside if they are staying out during a warmer day. Our winter regime involves stalling them at night and in the worse weather. I am liking how they look now as winter is not too far away and I like them to go into it at a good weight, but Cuesta is at the limit.
Emma: I strongly see more t-bred or something in her as opppsed to
I also grain 2x a day; mainly as a treat and to have them have something extra to munch. Not alot, just a quarter scoop each time.. like a treat. I use Blue Seal Trotter for that; made for maintenance/nonworking/light work horses.
The only real work they do is occasional walks and lunging. Next year after these wedding expenditures are done, we are definately building a pen/arena to ride. I am a decent rider but not confident in them enough to ride unfenced; and out pasture is just t-posts with electro-braid rope; posts that could impale a thrown rider!
Emma

[sweety314]

Gin,

IMO, if they're grazing all day, you don't need to supplement with the hay. Emma's flanks and rump needing work for toning and building up, but from the pic, she's got plenty of fat cover over her ribs. If you're concerned about the winter weather approaching, then yes, continue w/the light graining.

From your feeding regime, though, and after looking at Cuesta's pics, I'd cut her back a bit. You've got a little time and since you say you bring them into the barn during inclement weather, it's not like they need a lot of extra padding to burn the extra calories to stay warm----not like a horse w/no protecting cover or shelter would need to burn for body heat in bad weather.

A lot of horses do nothing but graze if given the opportunity but b/c they're bored. If they're given free choice grass, you should wait on the hay or cut back one of the feedings, and the grain. If you were riding regularly, then your feeding regime would probably be dead-on, but for just lunging and walks, (at least Cuesta) is getting a little too many calories.

[Ginevive]

I am not going to hay now unless they are being stalled all day for thunderstorms. For one thing: why overdo it on calories and waste money at the same time? I guess that when they are stalled, I tend to give Cuesta more hay since she eats faster and therefore it lasts longer.. Emma will eat sporadically in her stall and spends more of her time looking outside "watching for danger"I guess.
I do think that they are bored. We are designing a riding paddock since the pasture we have now is no good for riding; T-posts and electrobraid.. and I am not conficent to ride unconfined right away.

[sweety314]

If you think they're bored and they're cribbing and/or chewing...get them some stall toys. Don't have to go to a lot of expense for 'em but get them something to play with.




RuLyn