Is my horse FAT? *pix*

Jane&Ziggy

Jane&Ziggy

Jane&Sid these days!
Apr 30, 2010
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I know Ziggy is chunky, but when I took him to my friend Catherine's today for the dentist she said, "OMG, he is ENORMOUS!"

I felt really ashamed!:help:

Please would you give me your opinions? I know it's hard from pictures - his crest is floppy and his spine looks normal, his shoulders have little pads I think (not very experienced :wub:) and I can feel his ribs but only if I press hard.

I tried to get pictures of him pointing every which way. How would you condition score him? If you need pictures of any other bits please let me know.

He is gorgeous though isn't he?
 

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Well, I can't help you with condition scoring as it's a mystery to me too, but he's a beauty!

Mind you, I'm biased - he's dead ringer for my mare :D Connemara, by any chance?

And yes, she's a porker too. :eek:
 
He's an unregistered bog-Irish Connie, brought over (I imagine from the sticks of Dublin) at about age 6. I've had him 5 months.

I love him to bits, and with his new winter coat coming through he is so cuddly. Also, as they say, "full of character".

Do you reckon that Connies have a sort of Spanish look to them? If he was a hand taller he would look a bit like an Andalusian!
 
Oh DD I just found a picture of your girl on your diary, you're right, they could be brother and sister! I like her little snip, though. How old is she?
 
She's just turned 11. A Connie X but I don't know what the X is though - probably a good dollop of ID in there somewhere, going on her mule-like ears!

Enjoy his dapples though - I reckon Kels will have lost hers within four years or so - she gets paler every coat change. :(

They have such gorgeous heads though don't they - just like Andies as you say!
 
IMO I think a little bit less would be better but I wouldnt call him ENORMOUS.

Try to get a full side on and from the back pic rather than angles these show better what you would be looking at.

Bit more exercise and less feed/grazing and it think that would trim down the pounds but not looking too worried about it.:wink:

Have to say he looks lovely!!! Cheeky face:wub:

Nikki xxx
 
I'd say he's carying a few extra pounds.... but certainly not enormous!!!! :wink: If he thinks he's enormous he would call out the RSPCA to some of the horses I know!! :mstickle: I wouldnt worry to much, possibly its due to muscle tone.... he does have what Id call a "grass" style belly rather than a six pack but my girls exactly the same... and hissoulder and quaters could look more defined.... but it can take some work to get that "highly worked" look!! :bounce:
 
Yes he's carrying a bit of weight but certainly nowhere near "enormous".Shouldn't worry about it a bit of extra exercise & the winter together will get rid of any excess.He's a beautiful pony by the way :wub:
 
I would agree that he is slightly curvy around the edges but I certainly don't look at him and think he is fat. We are going into winter so he will drop off anyway. He is lovely looking.
 
I can't see a gutter spine and bum, he looks like twiggy compared to my mare going by my signature pic:biggrin::bounce:
 
It depends where you look!

My sec d carries her weight on her bum and behind her shoulders and on the ribs but when averaged out with her smaller bits (crest is the last place it would go) then it's not as bad - not brill still but just right to go through winter rugless and with minimal feed still.

Some people just notice the bits their ponies are more likely to carry an excess on first. I know when I look at Flumps gorgeous highland Arnie, I find myself looking at bum and barrel but he doesn't carry weight on his barrel so much and would do on his crest but I'm not so good at looking there!
 
I'd say curvy. Like he's had a good summer with plenty of grazing. It natural for a horse to put on some weight to get through the winter isn't it? All ours are looking like this (except for those that get ridden hard daily)
 
He is indeed gorgeous! As everybody else has said, he's not ginormous by any means and if you can up your exercise and de-rug over the winter you should be fine. That is what I've had to do with our connie! They can be quite spanishy looking, they will be mixed with the horses that the Spanish Armada left behind (according to my Observer's pony guide circa 1945) that came to the coast of Ireland way back when.
Echo the enjoying the dapples too - I bought Storm with a lovely dappled bum and it has all but gone - ah, so sad, she is going whiter every year............
 
Thank you all for reassuring me about my pony's gorgeous curviness. I shall leave his rug off for as long as possible (and no clip).

He gets worked about 3 times a week for between an hour and 2 hours but we are going to be training for a Le Trec orienteer over September so that should up his miles a bit.

His fieldmate Mattie is an Arab and isn't showing any signs of coat at all, so he will probably need a rug quite soon. It was down to less than 6 degrees last night :cold:!
 
I think he looks ok too ... as others have said he is a bit curvy but coming into winter it isn`t a bad thing, especially if it is going to be a harsh a winter as they seem to think it is ... he`ll need every last gram to keep him warm ;)
 
He doesn't look too bad, my friend's Connie (Pete) has been on a diet all summer because he had a period of box rest in the spring & put on a bit of weight. His worst bit is the wee pads on his shoulders too! Friend didn't struggle to get the weight off of him, just turns him out with a muzzle & brings him in for a few hours each day with a very small amount of soaked hay to reduce grass intake.
Would echo others about his gorgeous dapples, Pete is 13 now and has gone from dappled to pure white & is now becoming flea-bitten. He gets more freckly every year!
 
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