# Weight check please



## maddiemaisie (Jul 31, 2009)

Would like some opinions on my mares weight please, she's 14hh 7 year old, she came back from loan a couple of years ago dangerously obese so was dieting for quite some time, she's in light work at the moment and will of course balloon as soon as she smells the spring grass so want her at a good weight going into summer, i know it's hard to tell sometimes with your own when you see them everyday whether they are too fat/too thin etc so would like to hear some honest opinions from other people (i won't be offended


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

Well... She's definitely NOT skinny.  Very lovely horse.


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## DunOverIt (Dec 14, 2010)

She doesn't appear to have ever missed a meal in her life!


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## MaggiStar (Mar 19, 2010)

for my fat ponies i like to just see the ribs going into spring as at least i am starting intentionally well!!
I strip graze all my ponies in a lower quality paddock then the horses as they are getting fat on air and laminitis in 6 ponies............not happening


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## Sahara (Jul 23, 2010)

She is a pretty robust mare, isn't she?  I have a hard time looking at my own horses, too. I bought a weight tape and check them every two weeks to see where they are at and adjust accordingly. They look decent right now, but come June, my mares will look like tubs o lard! The pasture is divided so I can keep them off one side at a time so the grass can grow in before it's mowed down. This year, though, I am making a 50 x 75 sacrifice area to keep them completely off grass when needed.


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## Elana (Jan 28, 2011)

Is she a Haflinger/ they are draft horses and while you do not want them to be obese, they have a very well sprung rib cage (in general) and this contributes to them appearing fat when they are not. 

She is also in winter coat so to judge is a bit difficult. 

When you run your hand over her side, can you feel ribs? If not she can go down a bit more in weight. If you can, then she is just right.


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## maddiemaisie (Jul 31, 2009)

Thankyou for all the replies!! Yes she is a Haflinger, and i can just feel her ribs, i think because she's been SOOO fat i now look at her and worry if she's underweight, it's such a HUGE difference to how she did look so i think thats why i'm finding it hard to know now with her (if that makes sense :?)


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

You've gotta love the Haflingers, and she is a pretty girl, and nice job with the tail braid!!

She looks in pretty nice condition to me, as always hard to tell with a fuzzy haffie, but I'm seeing a nice round rump, no prominent tail head, but there isn't a gutter there either. 

I'm betting that is you hold her around that weight she will slick out just fine when her coat goes. 

My mare is right about the same stage I think, when I took her for her first lesson my trainer remarked that she was fat, well no she isn't I can actually feel ribs underneath the fuzz, which is a first for her.


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## maddiemaisie (Jul 31, 2009)

Thats great, thankyou Golden horse!! She is a lovely girl, i do love the haffys  i know they're not everybodies cup of tea but she has the nicest nature and i could just look at her all day :lol: I will maintain her weight where she's at right now then, she looks very slim to how she was but thats certainly a good thing!!


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## Xela (Jan 26, 2011)

Gorgeous mare!! She doesn't seem that horribly obese. But i''m sure she'll look better when she's in a bit more work =)


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## maddiemaisie (Jul 31, 2009)

No she certainly isn't obese, i was worried that she may of lost a bit too much weight, her girth has gone from the bottom hole each side to the top hole each side!! Her ribs can be felt (but not seen) i know she'll put weight back on again as soon as the grass comes through so wanted her to be more on the slim side just worried if she was getting too slim


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## New_image (Oct 27, 2007)

She looks great to me. Certainly not "fat" for a Haflinger. I like the little bit of hip definition and from the looks of her you cannot at all see her ribs but I am sure if you press you can just feel them. That is perfect for her breed. (Assuming she is a Haflinger?)


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## maddiemaisie (Jul 31, 2009)

Yes she is a haflinger and yes you can feel her ribs but can't quite see them, i don't want her to get into the state she was in before when she was massively overweight but want to make sure i keep enough weight on her of course!! She's now in regular work and will remain in work through the summer months doing pleasure rides!!


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

LOL Maddie, don't worry about keeping enough weight on her, just show her a pail of oats and she will put on several pounds:lol:

Just keep doing what ever you are doing with her, but remember she will pack it on in style when the spring grass comes through if she is grazing the whole time.

If she is out 24/7 I would seriously think about having a muzzle on hand, just in case, so you can limit her grazing if needed.

Remember to if you start riding her a lot more she will burn calories, the trick is to remember to feed after the event, not in anticipation of it...especially with Haflingers. 

I would be very interested to see pics of her when she sheds out, he body condition looks so like Fancy's I just want to see if they are the same when you can actually see them. I just so excited that I can feel her ribs this year, it is a rare event around here.


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## maddiemaisie (Jul 31, 2009)

Will add more pics as she's sheading out, sure couldn't feel her ribs before ha ha she weighed in at 650kg (came back from loan like that :shock took so long to get her in good shape again, she will be out 24/7 all summer but will strip graze her if need be (as she gets very ratty in a muzzle) but will be out doing up to 20 mile pleasure rides so will hopefully keep in good shape!! She certainly never has any hard feed, only hay through the winter (she'd climb the tree's if she had hard feed!!)


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## jdw (Mar 17, 2011)

What breed is she? Do you know her current weight?


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## jdw (Mar 17, 2011)

So sorry; now able to see other posts and realize she is a halflinger and the weight when she returned. I still wonder what she weighs now; she does not look obese now, though I realize you would like her to lose a bit more. Beautiful girl...


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

OK, I see that you HAVE read the thread....ignore the rest of this then, but I'm leaving it up because this one does bug me, but now it is NOT pointed at you jdw, just the world in general





Elana said:


> Is she a Haflinger/





maddiemaisie said:


> Thankyou for all the replies!! Yes she is a Haflinger,





Golden Horse said:


> You've gotta love the Haflingers, and she is a pretty girl, and nice job with the tail braid!!





New_image said:


> . (Assuming she is a Haflinger?)





maddiemaisie said:


> Yes she is a haflinger a





Golden Horse said:


> Remember to if you start riding her a lot more she will burn calories, the trick is to remember to feed after the event, not in anticipation of it...especially with Haflingers.


Forgive me, I have a severe does of PMS fighting with guilt for breaking my diet due to said PMS :twisted: But have you actually read the thread at all?


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## New_image (Oct 27, 2007)

Advil and a snickers..... 

Speaking for myself I RARELY read thread replies before I reply. I read what the OP has said, and the OP did not state breed so I added a "Assuming she is Haflinger"


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## FGRanch (Feb 9, 2008)

If she were mine and she were a really easy keeper I would want her to lose a bit more before spring.


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## maddiemaisie (Jul 31, 2009)

Just thought i'd update with a recent pic of my little girly now she's shedding out and much fitter....


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## Cat (Jul 26, 2008)

Oh my - look at those dapples! What a beautiful girl and her weight looks good. Puts my golden blimp to shame.


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## maddiemaisie (Jul 31, 2009)

Well a year later and things are not so well right now, we got to a perfect weight and very fit, completed a few endurance rides (first 2 pics are at a couple of rides) and then.....summer bought the best grass we've had in a while along with 5 weeks off work and the last pic is where we're at now :shock: The grass has lost its goodness now though and at the moment she's having last years hay and starting back into work so hopefully will start looking better soon, i hadn't realised she was getting so fat she just seemed to double in size over night :shock: so strict diet and execise regime now!!


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