Is this what you call an obese horse?

[rideremz]

she is definatly not obese .. id say she isnt anywhere near as big as alot of D's weight wise yet but if shes only 5 your doin really well not stuffing her and letting her mature in her own time she does need more back end but it will all come x

[amanda]

i suppose we are not really comparing her to the sometimes gross riden/inhand specimens
as i said well back in the post fine as she was but watch out !! as us humans it soon catches up

[Twiggy]

she's not fat, and she's a beautiful model of a D, a credit to you I'm sure!

[quince]

She is not obese she is in good show condition, she doesn't have creases in her crest, she is a COB and as such should look like one, she is produced for the showring and not for long distance competition, you wouldnt expect to see miss world skinny and fit enough to run a marathon, you would expect to see curves in the right places, the secret is to balance weight with the amount of bone a heavier boned D can carry more weight than a lighter boned one and still give a pleasing impression, this is not to say they shouldnt be healthy, good muscle tone and development improve shape better than fat, lots of people who show in hand keep horses in and have to pile weight on to give a topline etc which is unsightly.

[Welshcob92]

here she is 3 weeks ago, since I originally posted this thread, all judges we have been under have said she is immature & not carrying enough weight for a 5 year old! just cannot win! lol

but thank you for all the lovely and constructive comments!

[Karen, garrettponies]

She's super, nothing wrong with her, I would rather see her looking covered and fit than wobbling and unable to move.

X

[parsnip]

She's positively skinny compared to what I've seen out and about lately! I've seen two lead-rein Welshies in the last month that were OBESE! Seriously, disgustingly fat and everyone 'round me thought they were 'cute!' One had cellulite and heaved when it trotted! It was reserve champion!

A very nicely put together pony - a little slight behind in the second photo but nicely proportioned. Shoulder is nice and she has the depth of girth and length of back I personally like in a mare. For a show animal she is in very nice condition. To me she just looks a little immature! Her neck is looking a little bit too muscled underneath for me but that's personal choice - does she eat from a haynet or on the ground?
She's a lovely colour!
I wouldn't say no to her!

[kmc]

nope obviously poor judging! take it with a pinch of salt and follow ur welsh panel judges instead :-)

[fanfarefan]

stunning mare !!! from the photos that you posted i think she looks in show condition for a five year old , you cant expect absolute tone and muscle condition in a young horse , work will only acheive this and maybe you were being judged against more mature horses who have had done alot more ridden work etc but by no means is she obese,good luck sx

[penonboat]

your sentence of - "trying to get weight on her top line" is the key to your way of thinking. How do you mean weight ? There is only fat or muscle. . To gain muscle your work it on by exercise and with fat you feed it on. This is the main problem with peoples thinking . I despise the word word condition . This give the impression that you can buy ie conditioning cubes and feed on condition !! you can only feed and gain fat. You have to work muscle on. People must realise that you cant change fat into muscle fibers, it is a totally different structure. Fat must first be stripped off then the muscle must be worked on.......I hope this helps

[sarahp]

One small addition to the penonboat's post, which I totally agree with, is that they do need good quality protein in their diet from which to build muscle, they won't muscle up without it.

[watchbank]

May 18, 2011 19:45:45 GMT @hursty100 said:

May 16, 2011 18:15:33 GMT diane said:

Sorry but that is utter rubbish

I second that!

agree

i think shes in lovely condition, nice top on her ;D

[Deleted]

I like her -she has a lovely neck setting, so many come out too low.

[perfect]

could come and live in my yard.. lovely model. "specsavers" needed lol....

[snowflake]

LOL Perfect, indeed

[Sam]

The first huntsman i had the pleasure of hunting with always used to tell me he liked to just see the ribs on his hunt horses so have always gone on that for my hunters, i dont show but think that it is down to the individual judge what they want. However she does look lovely to me.

[pimms'o'clock (Jess)]

i think for a 5 year old shes looking around the right size, just needs to start deepening down but that will come with age and being worked. she's in a lovely condition and her coat is to die for! we had a sec D just like her and shes just coming into her own now at 7 with her new owner
perhaps if gtr121 explained where she thought the pony was fat we would be more understanding of her opinion???

[LEC]

if anyone tells you your mare is fat tell them where to go, she isnt at all! its a bloody welsh for gods sake its supposed to be chunky! i dont agree with horses carrying to much weight either but this is NOT fat!

[mlooky]

Much like a mans opinion of what a woman's shape should be this is all a matter of opinion. Some men like train rails(Race track TB'S) while others like a short curvacious woman(Welshes and Belgians ). Beauty is in the eye of the beholder whether human or horse. In MY opinion she has a beautiful face shape and neckline and the start to a good muscular stocky frame which it appears (breed wise) she SHOULD have. I have always liked draft/working horse and warm-bloods over TB'S they just look better to me

[bomerang]

she looks just right to me! no more though and def needs a bit more muscle on backend, i think she looks a really good example for showing, def not obese, and certainly see no creases either! good for you for asking for opinions though

[delfachhighwayman]

A beautiful pony! You should be very proud x

[sophiea]

fat? really, i think shes just right

[hollycane]

At the risk of being shot down, and bearing in mind we are just giving an opinion on static photos;
I would say that from the first 2 pics i agree with GTR and that is because from those two pictures alone she appears to lack bone and have long, low sloping front pasterns and long toed, low heeled flat front feet which would not be up to carrying the weight she seems to be displaying in those two photos. She is cresty and carrying a lot over the barrel of her ribs, winding up to not much strength in her hindquarters.
However in pic 3 she is standing a lot better and gives a much better overall picture. Her pasterns still look a little long and I'm afraid to me she still lacks a little bone but her feet look a little better and the overall picture is far more in proportion.
The way a horse is presented does make a massive difference and being able to walk around and actually view the depth of bone is imperative. Mares often "run up light" in the groin are and have short, sloping croups compared to boys. Coupled with a fat crest and lack of bone and you have a horse with a frame that is unsuitable for the amount of weight it's carrying.
I would not have used the term "obese" but I would have said "lacking in bone".
That said, she does not need to carry any more weight as she is, in the 3rd picture, more in proportion.
i hope that makes sense and no-one is offended by what is, just my opinion as a judge.

[Welshcob92]

updated photos of tinkerbell, first taken in october time, second is 2 weeks ago.

[gingerninga]

noway this mare is fat iv schooled this mare and shown her undersaddle and in no way shape or form is she fat .................