The Unbearable Roundness of Bellies

It is fair to say that Max is a "good doer".

He gets through winter with just some hay, the paddock and maybe 400 grams of barley a day. The rest of the year he just gets a skerrick of chaff and sugarbeet to disguise his minerals and toxin binder.

This year I was behind the balland missed the boat and he managed to pile on at least 30 kilos in a week. His paddock mate moved out, and I hadn't realised how much the grass was growing so was still hard feeding him. And when I took his cover off in front of my coach - it was a bit like seeing the Thelwell pony, but with longer legs!

 

Image from www.thelwell.org.uk with thanks

Not quite what I have in mind when I think of my all rounder!

So that was the end of the hard feed, he got moved into another paddock with two mates and I contemplated a muzzle. I haven't inflicted the muzzle on him yet as he has dropped quite a lot of weight already. But it is there and waiting...