He is not fat, but plushy!

The first half of the yearis soon over - high time to check the good intentions. At the top of the popularity scale is probably 'losing weight' - that we confidently throw this intent on a week later, is nothing new - summer is still so long, because we still have enough time for the bikini body training.

We are more or less aware of the health problems, but our animals are not aware at all and so they eat everything we give them. But that does not bother that they are fat. We either buy new trousers or go on a diet, at most we buy our horses a new girth. At the weekend, I have only seen a beagle again, whose stomach has walked the stairs unbelieving the stairs. 'They always look so cute' is actually the most common statement. Especially horses and ponies can look so cute that we almost believe they are dying of starvation - even if they are more likely to walk rather than walk.

In every stable there are some horses and ponies, of which we can justifiably say that they are fat. The fact that this is not healthy for a horse, probably also the majority of all horse owners know and still we stuff them full of treats and additional food. Woe to him, who appeals to the owner now on his clearly too fat pony, who gets promptly, your horse is also fat 'back smashed. Almost as argumentative as the debates in primary school between the children:

Random child 1: 'You're stupid!'                                       

Random child 2: 'You are a lot stupid!'

Even if I do not think the other kid is really stupid and the other's horse is not really fat, we always get such counter-replies. In some cases, however, it is also insisted that the supposedly fat pony should not be considered thick , but rather overly plushy.

The assumption that every horse needs muesli or concentrated feed and several preparations that make the coat more beautiful, the muscles bigger or the condition better, is simply wrong or not generalized. An average, healthy, warm-blooded animal, who is actually lying around in the meadow most of the time, needs just as little supplementary food as a Shetty who just stands around. Conversely, a Shetty that runs five times a week in school lessons, proportional but probably more food than the above-mentioned warm-blooded.

We must finally get away from the eternal drawer thinking, 'Ponies are all fat', 'Haflingers are weight carriers', 'Tinkers can not gallop' and 'Thoroughbred are all crazy'. Every horse is different and that's what every horse owner should be prepared for. There are no Facebook groups that can help you verklickern that your 130cm pony can easily carry a 100 kg of people. 

In an emergency, the horse scale must be ordered at regular intervals in order to keep an eye on the weight of the pony or the horse. Malnutrition is just as fatal as overweight - horses are running animals and therefore dependent on their musculoskeletal system. In the future, the pony rather caress and cuddle, when it looks so cute again and adapt the feeding of the actual movement and the need. And if additional food is needed, always remember: Muscle-building supplements only help if the horse is moved accordingly.