Geez. As a species, we sure do have a lot to answer for.
I found it interesting, but not surprising, as my old horse Lulu had a metabolic disorder, and it was always a battle with myself to not want to stuff her full of feed. A fat apple rump on a horse was a sign of being in top form.
Not so though, if one looks at wild horses they are lean.
Even birds are lean if one picks up a wild bird.
I have caused leg issues in my young horses over feeding them, which is why I now run them lean (when I raised horses), and even my young chicks I am not so worried about them being plump and having a full crop at night.
As long as they are frisky running around and getting into trouble I don’t worry about them.
Same as kids, I never worry if they don’t eat everything, generally speaking most kids won’t starve themselves. My nephew when he was 3yrs old spent lots of time with me. One day I asked him what he wanted for lunch ‘peanut butter and honey’ he replied.
So I made his sandwich, ate my leftovers. He picked at his sandwich, ‘I don’t want this’ he said.
ok I said and ate his sandwich. Then I said ok let’s go back to the barn we have more work to do.
‘But I haven’t had lunch’ he said.
Sure you did, but you told me you didn’t want it anymore.
I dragged him outside and we finished chores and he ‘helped’ me work one of the horses. Then we fed them and came in for supper.
My BIL and sister had arrived so we all headed up to eat. My Nephew ate every single thing on his plate and asked for seconds!!! My BIL was so pleased, until Dear Nephew told him ‘aunt Kelly ate my lunch’.
Hahahahaha - good kid! clarified and then had to put up with the OMG you didn’t give him something else?!
Sheesh - he’s fine stop fussing!
Of course Dear Nephew had moved on to another topic and how he ‘helped’ me work Celest and fed the horses and filled up the water buckets
I never worry about youngsters (of any species) not eating enough
Now once they get to be adults…. Well that’s where we came in this topic now wasnt it?!
