nootka
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- Dec 1, 2002
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At a recent show, I was in the ring listening to some chit chat waiting for my class, and I overheard something somewhat disturbing:
What the gist of it was that this horse, who was with a trainer, was growing too much as a yearling, and so the trainer was withholding feed to keep them smaller and in their size class.
Number 1: I thought this did not work, and a person could see that this horse was underweight, though it did place fairly high over horses with better condition.
Number 2: Is it really worth a few local ribbons (or any, for that matter) to keep your horse on the skinny side and risk their development?
Number 3: I thought it would not stop them from ultimately reaching the height they would, anyway.
Number 4: What trainer would really DO this?
*sigh*
I had heard of this practice before I even got into Miniatures, and I figured it was done by the ignorant to try and dupe someone unsuspecting, but this has me puzzled.
The trainer is a fairly well known one and has National titles. For the most part, their horses look good, but there was a fair number of them at this show that looked rather slack to me, and might have been up against the height limitations for their age, now that I gave it some thought.
Liz M.
What the gist of it was that this horse, who was with a trainer, was growing too much as a yearling, and so the trainer was withholding feed to keep them smaller and in their size class.
Number 1: I thought this did not work, and a person could see that this horse was underweight, though it did place fairly high over horses with better condition.
Number 2: Is it really worth a few local ribbons (or any, for that matter) to keep your horse on the skinny side and risk their development?
Number 3: I thought it would not stop them from ultimately reaching the height they would, anyway.
Number 4: What trainer would really DO this?
*sigh*
I had heard of this practice before I even got into Miniatures, and I figured it was done by the ignorant to try and dupe someone unsuspecting, but this has me puzzled.
The trainer is a fairly well known one and has National titles. For the most part, their horses look good, but there was a fair number of them at this show that looked rather slack to me, and might have been up against the height limitations for their age, now that I gave it some thought.
Liz M.