# critique my mare :) lots of pictures.



## bellatink89 (Apr 26, 2010)

were tough we can handle it 















on the left here. shes being ****y about keeper looking at her ****.
















dont critique me- i know my postures gross in these.









she said she rly wanted to be an arabiannn


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## bellatink89 (Apr 26, 2010)

**** really? no one wants to say anything?


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## riccil0ve (Mar 28, 2009)

Is she, um, pregnant? Because if not, holy fat horse! She's huge, her neck is cresty, and she REALLY needs to be put on a good diet and exercise routine.


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## mom2pride (May 5, 2009)

Agreed...she is carrying a bit more weight than I'd like to see. She needs muscle tone added to that 'weight', and some 'tummy tucks' done, and then she'd look much better. 

She appears to be a fairly decent looking girl though...nice clean legs, kind gentle expression, decent shoulder, short backed...she just needs some of that extra 'fluff' taken off.


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## myhorsesonador (Jun 21, 2009)

I'n no good at this but she REALLY needs a diet. I'm not being rude there are alot of helt isues with being over weight. You have a thread about fat people but what about your fat HORSE! Other than that I think shes cute.


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## bellatink89 (Apr 26, 2010)

**** she is ridden at least 5 hours a day 6 days a week and gets a 1/4 pound of patriot pellets a day. we joke all the time that she looks like shes in foal. she loses some of it in the summer but for the most part she keeps most of that belly. thanks though ) the vet said he wouldnt want her to lose very much weight because its just "her"


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## bellatink89 (Apr 26, 2010)

where do you think she could use some muscle?


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## riccil0ve (Mar 28, 2009)

Your vet told you she doesn't need to lose weight? Are you kidding? She's HUGE. Her neck is REALLY cresty, you know that's a sign of founder? Her legs are pretty refined, and she is bearing a lot of extra weight. How long do you expect her to go before she runs into all sorts of lameness issues because she's so **** fat? You made the thread about fat riders and putting too much strain on a horse. What makes you think a fat horse isn't putting too much strain on itself? The fat rider at least gets off. The fat horse carries around its fat 24/7.


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## myhorsesonador (Jun 21, 2009)

riccil0ve said:


> Your vet told you she doesn't need to lose weight? Are you kidding? She's HUGE. Her neck is REALLY cresty, you know that's a sign of founder? Her legs are pretty refined, and she is bearing a lot of extra weight. How long do you expect her to go before she runs into all sorts of lameness issues because she's so **** fat? You made the thread about fat riders and putting too much strain on a horse. What makes you think a fat horse isn't putting too much strain on itself? The fat rider at least gets off. The fat horse carries around its fat 24/7.


Exactly! I'd get a new vet if I were you. if she gets any bigger she might pop!


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## bellatink89 (Apr 26, 2010)

**** a cresty neck is not always a sign of founder or IR. ive seen plenty of skinny horses that have cresty necks too. shes not that fat. most peoples horses are a little overweight - i consider her a little overweight. and the vet said he wouldnt want her losing TOO much weight. im having him do an IR test in about a month when he comes to do her teeth just to be sure. shes never had any sort of founder or laminitis problems.


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## bellatink89 (Apr 26, 2010)

ive seen top dressage horses and jumpers that have cresty necks.


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## myhorsesonador (Jun 21, 2009)

no there necks are muscle your mare's neck is fat. there is a BIG diffrence.


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## bellatink89 (Apr 26, 2010)

shes a morgan/welsh cob cross btw.


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## paintsrule (Aug 20, 2009)

bellatink89 said:


> **** a cresty neck is not always a sign of founder or IR. ive seen plenty of skinny horses that have cresty necks too. shes not that fat. most peoples horses are a little overweight - i consider her a little overweight..


Yes, you are right, thin stallions can have cresty necks.:lol: 
And youre horse is not pleasantly plump like "other peoples" (which by the way you shouldnt care about other people, do what is right for your horse, which is get her much thinner) she is obese! Huge! Way over the safety limit you set for people. You need to set for these for your horse too btw, cause carrying that around is much more uncomfortable than lugging a fat man around a couple times for an hour. Dont be a hypocrite.


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## Cinnys Whinny (Apr 10, 2010)

I'm sorry but I used to own a morgan and one of my good friends is a morgan breeder and um....I know morgans do not have necks that look like THAT or have a belly like THAT. I also have never seen a welsh like that.

I don't mean to be mean because you are obviously a very sweet person but I think you are in denial. The last person I knew in denial about her horses weight was my cousin...and her horse died at age 10. I would really get the vet to run those tests and/or get a second opinion.

And, not to be rude, but um....what do you do that you have 6 hours a day 5 days a week to ride, I wish I had that much time


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## myhorsesonador (Jun 21, 2009)

paintsrule said:


> Yes, you are right, thin stallions can have cresty necks.:lol:
> And youre horse is not pleasantly plump like "other peoples" (which by the way you shouldnt care about other people, do what is right for your horse, which is get her much thinner) she is obese! Huge! Way over the safety limit you set for people. You need to set for these for your horse too btw, cause carrying that around is much more uncomfortable than lugging a fat man around a couple times for an hour. Dont be a hypocrite.


 
Very well said. 

OP you are very quick to judge people but you just cant take what you dish out. Please do your mare a favor and dont make exscuses for her and get that fat off of her.


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## bellatink89 (Apr 26, 2010)

lmfao. you guys crack me up. BYE!


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## bellatink89 (Apr 26, 2010)

oh btw cinnys winny - im a trailguide.


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## MN Tigerstripes (Feb 20, 2009)

I would also get a Cushings test. Check out the Body Condition Score chart, go out and feel your horse. You want her at about a 4-5 for optimum health. Morgans are prone to issues like Cushings/IR and ponies are known for it too, so you need to be extra careful with her. 

How to Condition Score Horses - by Susan Evans Garlinghouse
Henneke Body Scoring - Habitat for Horses - Equine Protection Organization - Horse Rescue, Rehabilitation, Horse Education and Adoptions

Otherwise she looks really cute, nothing majorly wrong. She has a sweet expression (when she isn't glaring at the other horse ).

Guys this is a critique thread. If you want to bash her for her opinions on overweight people why don't you go to that thread and flame her. There's no need to bring that into this thread and you aren't helping the horse any by making her get defensive.


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## myhorsesonador (Jun 21, 2009)

bellatink89 said:


> lmfao. you guys crack me up. BYE!


Dont ask for a critique if all you want to here is "wow your mare is perfect" because there is not perfect horse sorry news flash! Now get your head out of your sky and come back and at least pretend like you care about your horse.


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## paintsrule (Aug 20, 2009)

bellatink89 said:


> lmfao. you guys crack me up. BYE!


Bye, sorry to see you go.



bellatink89 said:


> oh btw cinnys winny - im a trailguide.


Oh hello again!! Going to take our advice now? Or are we just far too laughable when we care about your horses health? Shuckeys darn.


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## mom2pride (May 5, 2009)

bellatink89 said:


> **** she is ridden at least 5 hours a day 6 days a week and gets a 1/4 pound of patriot pellets a day. we joke all the time that she looks like shes in foal. she loses some of it in the summer but for the most part she keeps most of that belly. thanks though ) the vet said he wouldnt want her to lose very much weight because its just "her"


 
Really? I don't want to be a downer, but she has zero actual muscle tone anywhere...it's ALL 'chub'...a good way to tell is if the horse lacks any real 'figure'...

Comparison

My mum's QH gelding (the sorrel here) is overweight and undermuscled: note how you can't really tell where his shoulder/elbow ties in with his girth, or where the end of his barrel ties into his flank and hind end...it all just kind of 'oozes together'...that's a HUGE sign that a horse is overweight. A horse with a cresty neck that isn't a breed known for it, is overweight...such breeds are Morgans, Lippizanners, and other spanish bred horses, as well as some drafts. Stallions are also usually the ones who will have a crest, not mares. 





My mare, who is in decent weight, and has a good muscle tone, even though she wasn't really in work at this point...Note how easily you can see all three 'divisions'...shoulder, barrel, hind quarter. 





and again...undermuscled, but definitely not overweight...


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## MissH (Apr 10, 2010)

riccil0ve said:


> Your vet told you she doesn't need to lose weight? Are you kidding? She's HUGE. Her neck is REALLY cresty, you know that's a sign of founder? Her legs are pretty refined, and she is bearing a lot of extra weight. How long do you expect her to go before she runs into all sorts of lameness issues because she's so **** fat? You made the thread about fat riders and putting too much strain on a horse. What makes you think a fat horse isn't putting too much strain on itself? The fat rider at least gets off. The fat horse carries around its fat 24/7.



This is by far the best post I've seen all day.


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## ShutUpJoe (Nov 10, 2009)

Is she on turn out? Have you thought about one of these? I think she is very cute, btw.


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## riccil0ve (Mar 28, 2009)

Honestly, your mare is very cute, but she would look much better if she lost some weight and gained some muscle. No good vet would actually RECOMMEND that you keep your horse fat, just like no good vet would recommend you keep a horse thin. Neither is healthy. Just because most people keep their horses a little plump doesn't mean it's right. I, for one, keep my mare in shape. Very good shape. She shouldn't jiggle when she walks. I shouldn't see her sides jutting out when looking at her from the front or the back. Her belly should not drop down lower than the girth, and should rise up to "point" at the base of her tail. She's fed very well, and she's worked regularly. Good work that's actually beneficial. Another comparison for you.

In her prime, this last summer.










Due to a lameness issue, she's been off for the last two-ish months, but she is by no means fat. This is from a few days ago.


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## mom2pride (May 5, 2009)

Ricci, I never realized till I read one of your other posts today, that your mare is in her 20's? She looks fabulous...I think her spring pic is better than her 'fit and trim' pic though...I don't like quite so much angularity to the hind quarter...just tighten up her muscle a bit, and she will look fantastic this summer


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## Squeak (Apr 8, 2010)

This is my girl a week after having a baby. But notice how she's not fat anywhere else? 








Your mare has a scary resemblance. Having worked at a vet clinic, and as a vet tech, i cannot tell you how important it is to monitor an animals weight. There is a study we would quote to clients about black labs. The black labs kept at a trim/decent weight lived literally 2 years longer on average than the ones that were allowed to become over weight. 2 years in dog years is a lot. Please, think about that seriously.


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## Mickey4793 (Sep 24, 2009)

Your mare is adorable, absolutely darling. 
But agreed with others, shes got a bit too much extra baggage. If extra baggage on horses didn't cause any problems I wouldn't even say anything, but I agree with SUJ, maybe a good muzzle is in order :]
She's cute nontheless!


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## NittanyEquestrian (Mar 3, 2009)

I'm going to get flamed for this...but I don't think she's obese. A little overweight...yes. I agree that getting a blood titre on her is a good idea and a great baseline to have for any horse. That being said...I have a QH gelding that perpetually looks like a broodmare. He gets fat off of air and has never lost the "belly" despite at one point him dropping weight due to poor hay quality and he became sunken in over his topline, hips and shoulder and yet still looked pregnant. He has more muscle tone than your mare but I have had many people tell me he is obese as well and yet my vet who knows him will tell me that they think he shouldn't drop anymore weight and everyone around them goes REALLY? He's HUGE!! That being said I also recently worked with a Morgan/QH cross and she did not muscle like a horse normally would. She was underweight and ribby with a bit of a crest to her neck and sunken hips and a tucked underline when she came to me. After a summer of grass, straight oats and A LOT of under saddle work she looked like a little porker. She muscled up A LOT all over her hindquarters and her shoulder, her back became a nice couch and the crest on her neck kept getting bigger as we added muscle to her topline and started doing long trail rides and a lot of hill and trot work. We were concerned about her new "build" and the vet assured us that her breeding and her work level was fine and she was within normal ranges for HER. She was a 14.2 Morgan/QH pony that was at least 1100 pounds and stood on good strong legs. 

So...if your vet thinks that your mare is an acceptable weight and her blood results come back in the normal ranges I would carry on as you were. I wouldn't let her get any heavier but I know that horses with the "bulldog" body style can be misleading and as long as a qualified vet thinks your horse is healthy then just smile and nod to those that think otherwise.


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## kmacdougall (Feb 12, 2010)

OP!! I used to have a horse that looked just like that (same body type)!!!!

I got him for free!!!!!! Wanna know why?? 

Cause he had been allowed to gain that much weight that he foundered, and the people were leaving him outside in a big field, and they figured if he died he might rot into their watertable before they could find his dead carcass!! Pretty, isn't it? He's a registered Morgan from very nice bloodlines. 
So guess what? Your horse might be fine now, but she ain't gonna be much longer. It cost me over $2000 to save the life of my horse, eleven years ago, and he's still unrideable. I feed him expensive feed, spend tons of money making life acceptable, and have fun with a pasture puff. 

You can hate us all you want but for God's sake don't punish your horse for it.


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## riccil0ve (Mar 28, 2009)

mom2pride said:


> Ricci, I never realized till I read one of your other posts today, that your mare is in her 20's? She looks fabulous...I think her spring pic is better than her 'fit and trim' pic though...I don't like quite so much angularity to the hind quarter...just tighten up her muscle a bit, and she will look fantastic this summer


Well, she's 18. My other horse is 20 months, maybe that's where the 20 came from, lol. I see what you're seeing. We've been working on getting more butt muscle since the first picture and are actually beginning to USE our butt when we ride, and so far it's been coming along GREAT. Hence the slightly better butt in the second picture. I love her butt. =P And thanks so much for saying that, it means a lot. All the vets and farriers that have seen her ask how old she is and when I tell them, they all take a step back, eyeball her, and say, "Really?" Haha. =D


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## DunAsYouWish (Apr 21, 2010)

Clearly this is a situation where a young, immature girl owns a horse she loves and sees as perfect and nothing less. She should know better than to post in this section...and say "we can take it" when she cant. 

Yes, the horse is obese...however it could be partially due to her being half welsh cob. However, she does look very unhealthy and I would heed some of this advice if I were her instead of "lmfao" at it...


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## TheCowgirlRanda (Mar 31, 2010)

^^^ Agreed.


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## MissH (Apr 10, 2010)

Absolutely agree. ^^^


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## mom2pride (May 5, 2009)

Ricci...oh somewhere I saw that she was 15 when before you got her, and she'd been sitting around for 5 years...something like that...Lol...


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## riccil0ve (Mar 28, 2009)

mom2pride said:


> Ricci...oh somewhere I saw that she was 15 when before you got her, and she'd been sitting around for 5 years...something like that...Lol...


Oh. I bought her at 15, and she had been sitting around 5 years prior to that. Whoops! =]


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