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 Expert
Posts: 2128
  
| I've noticed on social media people flaming trainers and colt starters for their horses coming back having lost some weight. While I DO NOT believe in starving a horse or mis-treating them in any way I think about how hot it is in the south during summer months. People expect their horses to be ridden and "lots of wet saddle blankets". They want their moneys worth, and I totally get it but often times that usually translates to some weight loss. Not to mention if a horse has never been away from home and is in a new environment they tend to stress ..also contributing to weight loss. Let me say that it is TOTALLY unacceptable to send a horse home genuinly poor. How do you guys feel on this topic? What are your experiences/expectations? |
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 Expert
Posts: 5290
| SO up to interpretation. lol My horses tend to be chunky, but they look amazing and are slick and healthy. I have seen horses pretty starved down in my eyes and the owner says they like a " Racey" build. LOL |
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Expert
Posts: 2128
| FLITASTIC - 2018-06-04 4:00 PM SO up to interpretation. lol My horses tend to be chunky, but they look amazing and are slick and healthy. I have seen horses pretty starved down in my eyes and the owner says they like a " Racey" build. LOL
I agree, it is def something that depends on a case to case basis. I'm that girl who thinks my horse looks good and I go to a race and everyone is like "man he is fat!" HA! |
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I just read the headlines
Posts: 4483
| When I sent a colt to the trainers, I expected them to lose some weight but I never got one back that was so thin their ribs and hip bones showed. They went looking like a fat pasture baby and came back a fitter, leaner horse, with a good coat. |
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| You should definitely expect a them to lose that baby fat and come home leaner than when they left; if they’ve had plenty of wet saddle blankets (what we pay a trainer for, right?), but by no means should they look poor, undernourished or unhealthy....lean and fit and more mature, is what they should be upon return. |
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Expert
Posts: 1314
Location: North Central Iowa Land of white frozen grass | My daughter wished hers would have lost weight instead of gaining 75 lbs.
Edited by BS Hauler 2018-06-04 6:40 PM
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Defense Attorney for The Horse
Location: Claremore, OK | I don’t mind one toning up, but a large amount of weight loss is definitely not ok. You can bet if I have one not holding weight I’m going to call the owner, let them know and come up with a plan to fix the problem.
You’d be surprised at how many horses come here underweight. The majority of the time, despite being in training they gain weight while they’re here (on my dime).
Feed and hay are my largest expenses, by far. It’s tough keeping young ones in a positive nutrition plane with them being in training. They’re prone to dental problems since they’re shedding caps and a lot of them come here with ulcers.
I also have owners that are concerned about keeping their horse’s weight good yet send the horse with feet that haven’t been trimmed/shod in months . Very frustrating to me. I don’t get it :-( |
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Expert
Posts: 1694
Location: Willows, CA | We have a different feed program for young growing horses in training compared to those that are not in training. I scale the diet to the number of jobs that the horse is doing. Living is a job, growing is a job, being ridden is a job, weight gain can be a job, etc. There is no reason for a young horse to lose an unhealthy amount of weight in training if the diet is properly adjusted for the work load. |
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 Reaching for the stars....
Posts: 12704
| Lean and mean is fine while at the trainers. But losing 300 lbs is not, unless the horse was truly obese before hand. My one colt was starved at one trainer down at least 300 lbs, second trainer he'd lost about 120 or so, was looking bad but not starved yet. Third trainer, same feed instructions but obviously actually fed the horse, the colt was rolly polly with phat muscle. And he was being ridden 5 or 6 days a week and it showed. Now at his 4th trainer he has reached an equilibrium since he's done growing and is perfectly muscled and has some fat reserves, tons of energy, and a great attitude. |
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 A Barrel Of Monkeys
Posts: 12972
Location: Texas | If they've been doing nothing but grazing, then they get ridden everyday, they're going to lose weight. I don't mind taking extra feed to the trainer so they can give a little extra. |
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  Neat Freak
Posts: 11216
Location: Wonderful Wyoming | So I didn't read all the comments but we send ours out as 3's and if I get what I am paying for, they are tucked up and hard. I don't want to see flab. I want a horse that is ridden consistantly and more than just a 15 minute touch up. I want a horse that when I get it home is tired and won't try any BS. I started colts for a long long time and know what I like...and know after having 2 kids and getting over that 35 mark that I don't want to hit the ground anymore. So when I get them home I try and stay on them and they end up getting time off during the winter. Now hard and starved are two differnt things and some don't feed them well to make them look like they are getting ridden, or just because they are idiots and don't care. That is another matter entirely |
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 Serious Snap Trapper
Posts: 4275
Location: In The Snow, AZ | We sent a four year old out when he decided he was a really good bronc. He was amazing and easy until he realized a buck could get me off. I suck at riding bucks. It became an every ride thing. Full blown, dramatic, “ima kill you” bucks. I came out bloody all the time. I can ride some easy bucks, but he was rodeo quality.
Sent him out for one month to a well reputable place. He came back 30 days later a sack of bones, and sore as all get out. I couldn’t touch his back without him dang near falling down. They said he didn’t buck once, I didn’t give him enough time, my saddle didn’t fit, I’m a bad rider, I fed him up, I’m too harsh, etc. The good Christian man(I’m a believer, so no judgement) cussed me out and told me to shuttup because I didn’t know how to ride.
I let this gelding heal for a week or so before I got on him and he continued to try and buck. Tried multiple saddle and pad combinations. All sweat marks showed they fit. Had other people come ride him, he did the same.
There’s too many nice horses to worry about these kind. So I sold him with full discrepancy.
That ended up longer than I planned on. I apologize. But he came back super thin, and when it was mentioned, I was told he was “in shape”. All ribs poking out, hips protruding, and sore. |
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 Shelter Dog Lover
Posts: 10277
| GLP - 2018-06-04 4:16 PM When I sent a colt to the trainers, I expected them to lose some weight but I never got one back that was so thin their ribs and hip bones showed. They went looking like a fat pasture baby and came back a fitter, leaner horse, with a good coat.
This^. Only once did mine ever get where he did not look good. I stopped to check on them and one horse looked great, the other looked terrible, hair loss and thin. I put them both in the tailer and took them home. He had ulcers and after treating he immediately gained all his weight back. |
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Married to a Louie Lover
Posts: 3303
| This is why I would struggle to send a colt so far away I couldn’t pop in and follow up...
I do think one man’s trim and fit is another man’s “starved” - but sunken between ribs and visable hips is inexcusable. Butterball fat can be just as unhealthy as ribby - especially in a young growing horse who’s joints are still growing and closing.
We aren’t going to feed a colt who wants to be naughty up like he’s a racehorse. It doesn’t bother me if he drops a little, but I don’t want to be ashamed to take him out in public either.
When my main horse is fit you can see rib if he turns away from you just right, but he isn’t sunken in between them, he just doesn’t carry extra weight. I’m ok with that.
Colts are also hard while they are growing. Had one in high school we were pouring the feed to and about the same time you thought he was looking good, you’d go to chore the next morning and he’d look like crap again - but if you got out the measuring stick he’d gone up again too. Played that game for over a year while he went from 15.1 to 16.2.
It’s a balancing act, and that’s not excusing the crappy trainers out there who want to save a buck on the feed bill either.
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 Texas Taco
Posts: 7499
Location: Bandera, TX | When I sent my filly off she was round and soft.... came back looking like a race horse. Fit and in shape. I was very envious as I was still round and soft.... she looked amazing. I did check on her every couple of weeks while at the trainer. I think no matter where you send one to, that is crucial. To see their physical well-being as well as progress under saddle. |
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 Take a Picture
Posts: 12838
| I have three at a trainer. I don't go over there very often but I know that they are well taken care of and I don't have to check on them. Thankfully I have a trainer who knows that they cannot perform their best unless they feel their best. |
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Shelter Dog Lover
Posts: 10277
| streakysox - 2018-06-05 7:17 AM I have three at a trainer. I don't go over there very often but I know that they are well taken care of and I don't have to check on them. Thankfully I have a trainer who knows that they cannot perform their best unless they feel their best.
This was a trainer I had used for years and 100% trusted, everyone always came back looking way better then I sent them, fit, shiny and working great. I was shocked and so disappointed that she did not contact about his condition. He was not rail thin, but just looked worn down and miserable. I had told myself I would never leave them again but after a year I needed too andthey came back looking great. Not sure what was going on with her before to let him get like that, so out of character for her. |
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Queen Bean of Ponyland
Posts: 24953
Location: WYOMING | I just sent one home that went thru a month of hard riding in the FL heat. She fitted up, lost a little weight but didnt loose a lot of weight. I was in constant contact with the owner about her weight and adjusted feed/hay to accomodate. She went home because she was tired and needed a break. Sometimes sending them home a month is the best training they can get; they recoup, renew and come back even better then when they went on break. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 851
Location: West Texas | We have never had a horse come through here that didn't leave in better condition than it came. We take great pride in having the best feed program there is and our clients appreciate that. I don't like trainers not feeding well, as nutrition is an important component in developing a performance horse.
There is no need for a horse to lose weight at a trainer, regardless of how much they are ridden. (an exception would be a horse that comes butterball fat, but that really isn't what we are talking about).
My goal is to have them leaving, looking like a million bucks, as well as riding the best possible.
Edited by Tdove 2018-06-05 8:25 AM
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | I would think if a horse/young or older that is in training and the trainer see's it loseing some weight they would up their feeding program for this one horse. Why wont some trainers do this? I have sent off a few in my lifetime and never had one come back looking bad. If I see one of my horses falling behind on weight I up their feed. |
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Queen Bean of Ponyland
Posts: 24953
Location: WYOMING | If feed/hay is included in training then it cuts their bottom line. My owners pay feed/hay extra. Works perfectly. |
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 Expert
Posts: 3815
Location: The best kept secret in TX | Southtxponygirl - 2018-06-05 9:19 AM I would think if a horse/young or older that is in training and the trainer see's it loseing some weight they would up their feeding program for this one horse. Why wont some trainers do this? I have sent off a few in my lifetime and never had one come back looking bad. If I see one of my horses falling behind on weight I up their feed.
Couldn't agree more...  |
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Reaching for the stars....
Posts: 12704
| geronabean - 2018-06-05 10:33 AM If feed/hay is included in training then it cuts their bottom line. My owners pay feed/hay extra. Works perfectly.
Hey Bean - you know the worst thing about round #2 with my colt is that I'd taken the extra Montana alfalfa for him. Another owner in that barn decided it looked better on their horse. And that owner was staying at that barn for a month so the alfalfa disappeared quickly into the other horse. |
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 Vodka for Lunch
Location: Lala Land | I sent my 2 yr old off for 90 days last spring. I was told exactly how many lbs of pellets she would get and free choice coastal. She had many days with wet saddle blankets because she was sooo naughty. I can honestly say she came home looking like a million bucks!! |
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Expert
Posts: 2128
| I think the best thing for trainers/owners/horses is communication. If owner wanted the horse ridden several days a week and the horse is not holding up well physically the trainer should communicate that. This way both parties can agree on either a less strenuous training routine/ more feed/vet visit/a break etc.
Edited by scwebster 2018-06-05 12:00 PM
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 495
Location: Washington | I am proud to say most here GAIN while here. Agree with other posts the stress gets to one, especially one getting started that has little life experiences.
We keep alfalfa in front of them almost 24/7 and a coffee can of whole oats twice a day. We do require owners to bring in anything special the horse requires or they want. My biggest fear is for an owner to pick a horse up and comment on the poor condition they are in. Condition is just as important as their satisfaction of the training done. |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 433
Location: The Lone Star State | My colt was gone 3 months and came back in better condition than when I sent him and he was a handful. You have to do research on your trainer and make sure you get a good one. |
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 Off the Wall Wacky
Posts: 2981
Location: Louisiana | My husband rides outside colts. When they start getting worked, they will lose a few pounds. Typically, they just work their belly off. We pay attention to their topline, and if they start dropping any there, we up their feed/hay. Sometimes they just need a break, and he isn't above sending them home to rest and pick back up.
He is able to be more lenient with his ride times and schedule because he picks and chooses the horses he takes, and who he takes them from...
EDIT: That last sentence isn't to say he doesn't put the time in...it's to say he is able to give the colt time off instead of forcing "30 days" on them. Some we have for 60-90 days and they handle it fine, so need turnout time after a little while, and usually come back better.
Edited by dashnlotti 2018-06-11 10:35 AM
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A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | dashnlotti - 2018-06-11 10:32 AM My husband rides outside colts. When they start getting worked, they will lose a few pounds. Typically, they just work their belly off. We pay attention to their topline, and if they start dropping any there, we up their feed/hay. Sometimes they just need a break, and he isn't above sending them home to rest and pick back up. He is able to be more lenient with his ride times and schedule because he picks and chooses the horses he takes, and who he takes them from... EDIT: That last sentence isn't to say he doesn't put the time in...it's to say he is able to give the colt time off instead of forcing "30 days" on them. Some we have for 60-90 days and they handle it fine, so need turnout time after a little while, and usually come back better.
I like this way of thinking, the few that I have sent off to trainers or starters I will watch how the animal is doing if they get to losing to much weight then I ask them to up the feed and I will cover for the extra cost for feed and hay if needed. But all the trainers that I do know wont let a horse drop to much weight and they will make sure the horse is getting more to eat if need it. And I like that some trainers will send a horse home for a few weeks to rest if being worked harder then what the horse is use too.  |
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Colts loosing weight at trainer..