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Post by hunzaschoice on Aug 7, 2007 15:43:49 GMT
I for one have got muddle with what is meant by weight and substance so it must be remembered not to mix up weight with substance. One judge kindly explained to me recently what she meant when using the term substance she said
"By substance I mean the 'build' of a pony the width and depth that are naturally there in the frame of the pony".
A pony can be fat without having much substance to it.
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Post by NativeGirl on Aug 7, 2007 22:36:29 GMT
It's so hard when the vet tells me my pony is fat and the judge at the show told me he needed to gain weight  It was my first show and will probably be my last. |
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Post by Curious on Aug 24, 2007 22:23:28 GMT
NativeGirl,do you have a photograph of your pony,would be nice to try and understand who is correct?
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Post by lancs on Aug 27, 2007 19:08:42 GMT
I have gone from one show being told "it's nice to see a pony looking so fit and not too fat", to the following weekend being told "he is carrying to much condition".
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Post by thecremellosociety on Aug 27, 2007 19:44:21 GMT
 well my fit not fat ( well opnions can be said but he is alot slimmer than he ever has been) managed to beat 5 fillies today and win a 2/3 y o class. Its taken work and perceverance to get him slim and will intend on keeping him that was seen to many ponies over last few days with all belly !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! |
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Post by hunzaschoice on Aug 28, 2007 18:37:25 GMT
Personally l like to see more beefy type section A's, but that doesn't mean to say fat Section A's to me the picture below is what l would class as an ideal weight.  |
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Post by eleybee on Aug 31, 2007 20:07:27 GMT
I have had this little fellow for 3/4 years and have tried everything i can think of to get weight of him. when i first had him at 7 he had a ridge down is bum. yet he moves that fast i have trouble keeping up with him. hes still not at a size i would like him to be but i think we have got as far as we can. as the more work he gets the less he loses.  |
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Post by dun4u on Aug 31, 2007 22:08:06 GMT
ELEYBEE - If you can, clip him right out and only rug him lightly, through the winter. Only feed minimum hay and turn-out as much as poss. I know it sounds cruel but it does work.
Come Spring-time as soon as the grass starts growing, if not sooner, put him on a strict diet and work on keeping his wieght down right from the start of the season.
Good Luck!!!
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Post by eleybee on Sept 1, 2007 8:33:19 GMT
thanks dun4u but i cant get the clippers near him, he as blind stops in both eyes which makes him very nervous to ride him we use blinkers but have to be carefulget on and off. i am going to try leaving him out all winter this year to see if that helps
thanks for your inbut i had not thought of that
jo
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Post by Hunzaschoice on Sept 2, 2007 10:18:24 GMT
ELEYBEE
How you doin lol, you know l have the same problem with my Friars filly, she is out on nothing with two geldings. The paddock has been strip grazed all summer and she is still fat.
l didn't want to lose the substance but lose some of the fat. So l bring her in at night and give her a small feed, with a small haynet rather than leave her out on the grass 24hrs a day. She then goes out during the day on the limited grass with the gelding, who get all the nicer strips of grass at night. This has worked wonders for her figure unfortunately too late for this show season but l have learnt a lesson and will now be prepared for next season.
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Post by eleybee on Sept 2, 2007 11:12:24 GMT
HC I tried that last year and he just got bigger the less he has the more he bigs hes out with 4 others and rest more from eating than he did before think I will have to do less hours at work sell some of the ponies and ride him more { but which do I sell}  |
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Post by paris23 on Sept 16, 2007 18:26:32 GMT
well i was in a class a few weeks ago and a judge put my pony about 6th and there were other ponies in the class that made mistakes and my pony went foot perfect and i asked why she had put me so low her excuse was he needed MORE WEIGHT on i was like what i thought he is well covered he had qualified HOYS only a few weeks earlier so he cant be poor! so i thought to myself 1 minute i am geeting told my ponies are to fat the next there 2 poor u cant win!
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Post by FF on Sept 22, 2007 8:48:14 GMT
well i was in a class a few weeks ago and a judge put my pony about 6th and there were other ponies in the class that made mistakes and my pony went foot perfect and i asked why she had put me so low her excuse was he needed MORE WEIGHT on i was like what i thought he is well covered he had qualified HOYS only a few weeks earlier so he cant be poor! so i thought to myself 1 minute i am geeting told my ponies are to fat the next there 2 poor u cant win! The absolute same thing happened to me at the begining of the year. It was only a local show but I was beaten by a nice cob who went on the wrong leg twice ???and had his head out like a giraffe in a double bridle  . I was placed 4th behind some other rubbish shows but nice ponies but my mare did a perfect show and a superb Gallop. I asked judge on the way out (she avoided looking at me when given rosettes) what I had done wrong and she said my mare was too Lean. Ok yeah maybe I said but that cob went on the wrong leg twice!!!! She said she judged the class on conformation and type  Well f*ck me I said, though I was in a ridden class not an in-hand breed class. The week after we were placed 2nd which I was pleased about and other competitors were told there ponies were TOO FAT. Just depends on the judge. |
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sej
Junior Member
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Post by sej on Sept 22, 2007 10:38:07 GMT
Sometimes too much attention is put on weight though, I have some ponies who are naturally good doers, they thrive on no hard feed and rough grass, Ive been told to put them into mud paddocks to more or less starve the weight off them, how is that right? I refuse to do it, I dont feed them and dont put them on lush grass but I wont starve my ponies, I think some times people just presume that ponies are fed up on hard feed to get them to bulk out but it isnt always the case.
I know some people to throw bucket after bucket of hard feed into already over weight ponies but thats not everyone.
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Post by Giddie on Sept 23, 2007 11:39:51 GMT
Sej, I know the feeling as l have the below filly who is on no hard feed whatsoever in a paddock what l would consider to be nearly bare of grass but she still hold her weight well. I was adviced to bring her in at night and give her a small feed with a small haynet, this l have done and to my surpise it seems to have worked, but as l have said in a earlier post, l like my ponies with a bit of weight on as opposed to them being slimmed off. If they have a lot of substance then that frame needs to be filled. This was her earlier in the year  |
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Post by eleybee on Sept 23, 2007 17:51:53 GMT
my fat boy slim as I call him doesn't get a lot as Ive said before and I am trying HC way but I think it is going to take some time  to help Ive started riding him as well |
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Post by eleybee on Oct 4, 2007 18:02:34 GMT
well i've been taking thorn (or fat boy slim as i call him) for short rides every day the last 2 weeks and with HC way his girth as gone up one more hole so i'm geting there at last
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Post by merlod on Jul 17, 2008 19:25:17 GMT
Spent 2 yrs trying to get a good top line on our half tb pony at last she has matured into a well proportioned, well covered and FIT animal. On the other hand our SHP only has to look at a net of hay and put on weight! What needs to be considered is the well being of the animal. I was told by one judge that our substantial SHP was a SP!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ooops. in that case a FAT one.
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Post by pepperpot on Jul 17, 2008 22:26:49 GMT
can i just say, i have a little section b who is a bit tubby he doesnt get a lot to eat and goes in the startvation paddock its just the way he is and he will never be any different, isnt it the same as if they were people, some are fatter than others!
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Post by pepperpot on Jul 17, 2008 22:28:27 GMT
can i just say, i have a little section b who is a bit tubby he doesnt get a lot to eat and goes in the startvation paddock its just the way he is and he will never be any different, isnt it the same as if they were people, some are fatter than others!
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Post by bowditchblobs on Jul 17, 2008 22:56:17 GMT
Iv got a 13hh shp, shes always been a fattie, the vet and back lady always say about her weight, shes not fed and iv no grazing at all, shes only on hay, and ridden alot. Just is fat, shes in foal now so she will be even fatter.......oddly though i have never had a judge say shes over weight!
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Post by chorley1 on Jul 26, 2008 13:57:54 GMT
I was told at the royal my pony was dropped a few places because it was fat But as the Bsps judge so rightly said it is very difficult if the pony is living on fresh air anyway ! Which this pony is ,Its not ridden but lunged most days and lives on a postage stamp !She's also getting order which is another issue.
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Post by batman on Jul 28, 2008 8:51:58 GMT
Shasha. Judges have there opinion and we should respect that maybe she just did not like your stamp of pony. Lamanitis can be avoided by good feed management good luck for the rest of the season lets hope you find a judge that likes him
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Post by why on Jul 28, 2008 13:38:01 GMT
Shasha, why are you so defensive of batmans comment, I don't see how it was rude or bringing your pony down? The judge has a type of pony she prefers and the 5 above yours must have been more her type. In a novice class ponies are not usually penalised quite as much as opens for a wrong leg if it is corrected. Some judges do like them too fat (imo) but also as you say your boy is young and in his first season, maybe he just needs a little more condition and muscle in the right places, which will come with time, correct work and management. Even then you have to find the judges that prefer your type, you can't win 'em all!
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Post by why on Jul 28, 2008 15:02:24 GMT
Then maybe you should take up your grievance with them directly, This topic is about overweight ponies, i have tried to keep on topic at the same time as offering a possible explanation as to why your pony stood down the line, and i read "batmans" reply in the same way, not in any way rude.
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Post by why on Jul 29, 2008 15:05:12 GMT
Shasha you invite others to comment when you post on a public forum. Noone is challenging your post, just offering advice as i would to anyone in the same situation, of course you don't have to listen and probably won't but i was merely being friendly not challenging. There's no need to be so defensive of everyone. Good luck in the rest of the season and i hope your boy matures well.
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Post by dominarius on Jul 30, 2008 13:00:08 GMT
Its a very fine balance between immature/lean & over weight/muscled up
However the underlying is Not letting them get lammie. Ie plenty of work will help them to muscle up, together with the appropriate amount of food, which will help corrrect body mass. Leaving them out on lush grass will add body fat, NOT muscle
In other words, you have to work to get the right look on your pony & it dosn't come overnight BUT with maturity!!
I always think it is a shame, In the pony worls they improve with age, deepen & thicken out WHILST we humans do the same but feel less attractive LOL
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It was my first show and will probably be my last. 
. I was placed 4th behind some other rubbish shows but nice ponies but my mare did a perfect show and a superb Gallop. I asked judge on the way out (she avoided looking at me when given rosettes) what I had done wrong and she said my mare was too Lean. Ok yeah maybe I said but that cob went on the wrong leg twice!!!! She said she judged the class on conformation and type 
Well f*ck me I said, though I was in a ridden class not an in-hand breed class. The week after we were placed 2nd which I was pleased about and other competitors were told there ponies were TOO FAT. Just depends on the judge. 
