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Veteran
Posts: 126
 
| I have a 2yo that is going to be big. Everyday when I go to feed I get fussed at that I am feeding too much. But she's so young. I want her to continue to grow and to have enough feed and nutrients so that she reaches her full potential. She is on alfalfa/grass mix and no grain. Yes, she is fat, but is that a bad thing?
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 Namesless in BHW
Posts: 10368
Location: At the race track with Ah Dee Ohs | Fat's the prettiest color there is! |
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Miracle in the Making
Posts: 4013
| blubber fat would be stressful on bones but i have not seen a really obese horse yet but
fat is a good color |
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 Expert
Posts: 1432
Location: Never in one place long | At first I was wondering if you were talking babies or horses! :) |
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Expert
Posts: 2531
Location: WI | There are many medical implications associated with overweight horses. I would think they apply to young ones as well. i.e. promoting insulin resistance and laminitis. I do not think fat is pretty... gross. Check out the horse in my ad - now that is a good color!!
Edited by linds 2015-08-04 2:50 PM
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Veteran
Posts: 126
| I added a picture for reference. |
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Red Bull Agressive
Posts: 5981
Location: North Dakota | Ehhhh she's not like obese but a little chubby. I've ALWAYS read that it is not good for growing horses to be overweight and can cause a myriad of issues and put stress on their joints. IMO fat horses of any age are just as unhealthy as too thin ones. I try to keep just enough so their ribs don't show but can be felt. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1857
| Most youngsters finish growing by 2-2 1/2, and then will finish filling out for the next year or two. I would consider cutting yours back a little, you don't want to add more strain or stress to bones and joints.
Edited by FlyingJT 2015-08-04 3:17 PM
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 Expert
Posts: 4121
Location: SE Louisiana | FlyingJT - 2015-08-04 3:16 PM
Most youngsters finish growing by 2-2 1/2, and then will finish filling out for the next year or two. I would consider cutting yours back a little, you don't want to add more strain or stress to bones and joints.
This^... While she's too fat to fit into the water tub like she's trying to do.... She's not obese yet. |
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Veteran
Posts: 126
| Well I guess I can thank the Lord for an easy keeper. She only gets 2 flakes of hay twice a day. Poor girl is gonna starve! |
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  Whack and Roll
Posts: 6342
Location: NE Texas | My 2 YO is also fat. She goes out on pasture at night and gets a flake of alfalfa in the morning when I bring her up. She's still pretty tubby. I'm not complaining....i'll take an easy keeper any day of the week! I wouldn't be too worried if all your colt is getting is hay and grass. If that bloom was from grain, then i'd say yes, you should probably back off. |
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Veteran
Posts: 126
| Yep, I live in the hi desert. Nothing grows here but rocks. That tubbiness is strictly from her hay lol |
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 Undercover Amish Mafia Member
Posts: 9991
Location: Kansas | that is a fat baby lol |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 669
Location: Central Texas | ShortnRound - 2015-08-04 3:43 PM
Well I guess I can thank the Lord for an easy keeper. She only gets 2 flakes of hay twice a day. Poor girl is gonna starve!
Did I miss reading something....She is on a dry lot and ONLY gets 2 flakes of hay twice a day? I want your feed/hay bill! lol |
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Veteran
Posts: 126
| ampratt - 2015-08-04 2:56 PM
ShortnRound - 2015-08-04 3:43 PM
Well I guess I can thank the Lord for an easy keeper. She only gets 2 flakes of hay twice a day. Poor girl is gonna starve!
Did I miss reading something....She is on a dry lot and ONLY gets 2 flakes of hay twice a day? I want your feed/hay bill! lol
My others more than make up for it lol |
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 Strong Willed Woman
Posts: 6577
Location: Prosser, WA | You are not over feeding. She is a little heavy but I bet she is not done growing yet. I'd rather have a little extra weight on them before a growth spurt rather than them being thin going into one. |
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 Buttered Noodles Snacker
Posts: 4377
Location: NC | Send her to NC and you wont have to worry about it anymore!!!
SHE IS GORGEOUS!!!!!!
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Veteran
Posts: 126
| HorsesNHarleys - 2015-08-05 6:01 AM
Send her to NC and you wont have to worry about it anymore!!!
SHE IS GORGEOUS!!!!!!
Thanks! Went to look at a 3yo gelding and came home with a 2yo mare! I love her though! |
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Expert
Posts: 4121
Location: SE Louisiana | ShortnRound - 2015-08-05 5:21 PM
HorsesNHarleys - 2015-08-05 6:01 AM
Send her to NC and you wont have to worry about it anymore!!!
SHE IS GORGEOUS!!!!!!
Thanks! Went to look at a 3yo gelding and came home with a 2yo mare! I love her though!
I expect her to be a handful. You can almost SEE the gears turning as she thinks. People say they love smart horses and I do too.... but..... sometimes.......
Edited by komet. 2015-08-05 7:04 PM
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Veteran
Posts: 126
| komet. - 2015-08-05 5:28 PM
ShortnRound - 2015-08-05 5:21 PM
HorsesNHarleys - 2015-08-05 6:01 AM
Send her to NC and you wont have to worry about it anymore!!!
SHE IS GORGEOUS!!!!!!
Thanks! Went to look at a 3yo gelding and came home with a 2yo mare! I love her though!
I expect her to be a handful. You can almost SEE the gears turning as she thinks. People say they love smart horses and I do too.... but..... sometimes.......
Ha! She is opinionated but very smart. Just jumped right on this one without any ground work. 3rd ride I had her out at a barrel race riding her around. She learns FAST but is sure to remind you that she is baby and has a mind of her own! |
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 Night Watchman
Posts: 5516
Location: Central Montana | FlyingJT - 2015-08-04 2:16 PM Most youngsters finish growing by 2-2 1/2, and then will finish filling out for the next year or two. I would consider cutting yours back a little, you don't want to add more strain or stress to bones and joints.
Sorry, but, I think that is totally false. Most horses don't stop growing until 5-6, sometimes older. I'm going to ask my vet for some references on it though.
We've had discussions already on pushing young horses too fast too soon and the wear and tear it is causing. |
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Veteran
Posts: 126
| I don't believe they stop growing til later as well. My guardians were small animal vets and I was always taught that a puppy can never be too fat as they are still growing. Just kind of curious with horses. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 851
Location: West Texas | Your horse is absolutely not too fat and you are not feeding too much. I have never heard of a horse that was nearly done growing at 2 1/2. No way he is going to get health problems from being overweight. Hate to go against the grain so much in this post, but its the truth. Give it as much hay as it wants. |
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Expert
Posts: 1857
| GoinJettin - 2015-08-06 12:04 AM
FlyingJT - 2015-08-04 2:16 PM Most youngsters finish growing by 2-2 1/2, and then will finish filling out for the next year or two. I would consider cutting yours back a little, you don't want to add more strain or stress to bones and joints.
Sorry, but, I think that is totally false. Most horses don't stop growing until 5-6, sometimes older. I'm going to ask my vet for some references on it though.
We've had discussions already on pushing young horses too fast too soon and the wear and tear it is causing.
they have reached at least 90% of their adult height by 2-2 1/2. But you are correct, they will continue to grow until 3-5 but not at a significant rate, growth plates will finish fusing up to 5 years old and some horses longer.
Please share your vets references on this subject, I would love to read! |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 851
Location: West Texas | Very true, but it is misleading. Looking at it your way, it seems that the horse only has 10% left to grow and has grown 90% already. However, that is not the case. The reason is that they are born at 60-65% of their adult height. So lets take an average 15 hand horse that was born at 38 inches. It is 9.2 hands tall. That means from birth to maturity it will grow 5.2 hands.
If at 2 years of age, it is 90% grown to adult height, it will be 13.2 hands. Although it has grown to 90% of its adult height, it has only grown 4 hands since birth or 73% of its total growth to adult hood.
This means that at 2 years of age it still has 27% growth left (almost 4x the 10% perceived amount), PLUS maturity and filling out, which to me counts as growth as well.
Edited by Tdove 2015-08-06 1:51 PM
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Expert
Posts: 1599
| Get a feed rep to do some ration balancing calculations for ya....the main thing is protein. I do believe that babies feed too much protein can develop OCD's...there is some research to indicate this. She is gorgeous tho! I come from reiners and they all look like that:)
Edited by lopnaround 2015-08-06 4:13 PM
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 You get what you give
Posts: 13030
Location: Texas | I wouldn't want them at a BCS over 7. They should have fat cover but they shouldn't be fat.
i would pull a little weight off by cutting back feed. OR if you don't want to do that, maybe lunge her or pony her so she can burn some of the calories |
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