# topline critique



## SonnyWimps (Feb 22, 2008)

Please note: I could not get a full body picture because I was in the stall...and it was pouring outside so I couldn't bring my camera out there
So, I'm sorry that it's not the best of pictures

First pictre = Before
Second picture = Back (after)
Third picture = neck (after)


----------



## meggymoo (Mar 10, 2007)

It is rather hard to critique, we could do with a picture of the whole of your horse, alot like the first one. I must say he certainly is a handsome fella though. :wink:


----------



## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

Meggymoo is right, it is hard to critique without a full pic of the after, but he is very beautiful. I love a good looking bay horse.


----------



## SonnyWimps (Feb 22, 2008)

yeah sorry about the bad pictures...the day that it wasn't raining I forgot my camera so I couldn't take the pictures.
I wasn't sure if some of you could tell from them. To me, it does look alot better, but that's just me


----------



## jeddah31 (Jun 11, 2008)

Looking a bit better but you still have a very long way to go


----------



## SonnyWimps (Feb 22, 2008)

oh yeah I definately do...but it's alot better then this:


----------



## my2geldings (Feb 18, 2008)

To me it actually looks quite under developped. What do you do with him?


----------



## jeddah31 (Jun 11, 2008)

To be honest, and not to be harsh, but he looks fatter noww, and his coat looks heealthier, he looks a tad muslier on his shoulders, but his top line doesn't look a whole lot different


----------



## SonnyWimps (Feb 22, 2008)

My2Geldings said:


> To me it actually looks quite under developped. What do you do with him?


On which picture? The one with the blue lead and the nylon halter was taken like ages ago at the old stables.
I'll have to get a recent confo shot because I know his neck has built up some...and his back somewhat. He has high withers so that kinda throws off his topline in a bit


Oh, yeah he's fatter now because he's fed better. The last stables hardly fed him (note in the last picture I posted he was on 10 lbs of grain if not more...never weighted it...and he got it every day with beet pulp and rice bran). Now he's on just hay and got a hay belly because I don't ride him as often as I used to due to weather. But hey, winter is coming...last time he lost soooo much weight over the winter so I want to be prepared.


----------



## SonnyWimps (Feb 22, 2008)

here's another picture that is more level and has both part of his back and neck...not sure if it helps


----------



## kickshaw (May 7, 2008)

he definitely looks better than what he did - it would be good to get a shot from the same angle as the "before" so we can compare apples to apples


----------



## SonnyWimps (Feb 22, 2008)

yeah definately. Hopefully he'll square up that nice also!
I'll try to get some Sunday. I'll be at the Equine Affair for the rest of the week (yayness) and won't get to see him  until Sunday


----------



## SonnyWimps (Feb 22, 2008)

okay, definately not the best and he wasn't squared up nor was his head up like the last one....but here is the one I took today.

Please note: Yes I know he's EXTREMELY FAT, no I cannot give him less hay....yes he is getting wormed every 6 weeks, and wormers is switched every time...
So yeah, please don't comment on that :wink:
I am expecting him to loose ALOT of weight this winter since he lost probably 100-200 pounds last winter so I want him to at least stay somewhat fat throughout it.

I uploaded 2 pictures....one from each side


----------



## katieandduke (Apr 13, 2008)

oh wow..lol.. i know you said not to, but do remember horses can founder.. i thought he looked okay weight wise in the second post of pics. but im not there and i cant really judge it. his neck looks REALLY good! i think it could be built up a little more. and your right if you are like me, i ride more in the winter since it is cold and duke tends to loose weight although he never loses an extreme amount(100lbs) maybe 10 or so.. but at least you know you can put weight on sonny.lol..  also his hindquarter could also be built up too but i think you have said before you do collection with him, if so then that will come.. i think he is gorgeous! i absolutely love his quote. take all my advice lightly as i am not the best a critiquing


----------



## jazzyrider (Sep 16, 2007)

his neck looks better but still has a little way to go. as for the rest of his topline it is definitely better than it was but still has a long way to go. 

i also have to say, only out of love , please dont let him get too much fatter lol little chubby bubby  hes very cute though


----------



## SonnyWimps (Feb 22, 2008)

yes I do, and I've been watching his feet and everything...but last year by the end of the winter he was almost skin and bones. He lost SOOO much weight last winter that I want to be prepared.

He doesn't honestly eat that much...all the time I see him he's standing in the field, with his butt to the hay. 

I ride as much as I can through any weather, but he definately is getting fed better here and treated alot better. So I'll just have to wait and see how much weight he'll loose this winter and so on. 

Thanks Katie for your responce!


----------



## SonnyWimps (Feb 22, 2008)

jazzyrider said:


> his neck looks better but still has a little way to go. as for the rest of his topline it is definitely better than it was but still has a long way to go.
> 
> i also have to say, only out of love , please dont let him get too much fatter lol little chubby bubby  hes very cute though


oh trust me I'm not trying to get him any fatter...it's hard to limit hay when the whole field gets unlimited hay :lol:
I'm hoping that Kiwi and Ben (the two herd bosses) will help :wink:

I'm going to see if next summer, if the BO would like to use him for lessons and stuff like that so he can get ridden more often, but there won't be too much riding this year because it looks like it will be a harsh winter


----------



## ohmyitschelle (Aug 23, 2008)

Wow... he's certainly looking quite big... his topline is looking better, but like others have said still has a wee way to go!
Good luck over winter! I know how hard it is to keep weight on some horses, my gelding in particular is still very light (he has a teeth issue, can't get low grass, so no matter what I fed him over winter he stayed incredibly light)... I too like to go into winter with a bit of weight on my horses, but you said you didn't want any opinions on his current weight, so i won't say my opinion about it.
x


----------



## SonnyWimps (Feb 22, 2008)

well I mainly didn't want comments on weight because I already know he's fat....plus his thick winter hair doesn't do much justice to it either.

Yeah I still definately have a ways to go, but at least I"m not the only one thinking his topline has gotten a little better


----------



## SonnyWimps (Feb 22, 2008)

no one else?


----------



## jeddah31 (Jun 11, 2008)

He looks more conditioned now bee of his weight but none of it really looks like muscle. Muscle has a different buldge about it. His back isn't looking to flash, do heaps of stretching down then bringing him back up then down etc.


----------



## Spyder (Jul 27, 2008)

jeddah31 said:


> He looks more conditioned now bee of his weight but none of it really looks like muscle. Muscle has a different buldge about it. His back isn't looking to flash, do heaps of stretching down then bringing him back up then down etc.


Absolutely right. You can put all the weight you want on a horse and it can still have a bad topline. The overall conformation of a horse will also determine just how good the topline will ever be. Without changing fat to solid muscle a topline will never really improve and if the basic conformation has flaws the best you can do are minor improvements.

Higher haunches especially with a steep haunch to wither angle/drop can only be improved upon just so far.


----------



## SonnyWimps (Feb 22, 2008)

jeddah, yes his topline isn't finished building yet....so of course his back doesn't "look to flash" because we still has a way to go on building it back up.

Spyder, please note he was not 100% on equal ground nor was he squared up the best. He wanted nothing to do with the camera and just wanted the left over treats that were in my pocket (too bad for him, I didn't have any...but he thought I did :lol, normally he's uphill when on flat ground.


----------

