# Critique: OTTB developement



## Knaagdier (May 3, 2010)

Hallo guys!

This is my young horse named Baltic. He will be 4 in September (the 20th) and i've had him for 2 months. I know he's lost some weight, but i'm very glad he hasn't detiorated like some Ottb's do.

I was hoping that everyone could please help tell me if they could see any muscle developement on him. I look at him every day, so I think its probably why is difficult for me to see change *g*. 

Additionally, its winter here! He's grown his winter coat! :shock:

The first lot pictures are 'before' from the first time i rode him. The tack (gag bit and martingale) is not mine! >< They were unfortunately the sellers.


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## Knaagdier (May 3, 2010)

*After*

AFTER

I'm sorry, he just rolled on some of them!! Taking the pictures from the other side would have meant getting them in the shade and a lot less visibility. I will take more too the next time i'm there.


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## Knaagdier (May 3, 2010)

another one


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## Jessabel (Mar 19, 2009)

I don't want to sound mean, but I think he looked better in the Before pictures. It looks like he has more muscle tone in his hindquarters now, but I don't see much improvement otherwise. He looks a little wormy in the paddock shots as well. Sorry, I'm just being honest.


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## CharliGirl (Nov 16, 2009)

His coat looks beautiful in the after pictures!

It is hard for me to tell how much muscle he has gained since he has lost quite a bit of weight. Did you have to switch his feed? Keeping up with deworming, like Jessabel asked? I've found that a bit of soybean oil (1/8-1/4 of a cup) added into the feed helps keep weight on and add a extra luster to the coat.


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## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

He has a better coat, but as said above, he definitely needs a lot more weight. How long has he been off the track? I like to put my off the trackers out in the paddock for a few months after racing to get all the racing out of their system. Otherwise it's common for them to get stressed/overworked and drop condition, plus you can fry their brain. 

Feed him ad lib meadow hay until he starts to gain weight, he's too light on at the moment.


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## MyBoyPuck (Mar 27, 2009)

I don't have any input other to say that the saddle in the first pics is too far forward. A few inches back will free up his shoulders and let him move better.


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## pepperduck (Feb 14, 2008)

I agree with the others, he lost a lot of weight and condition and looked better in the before pictures. What is the time period between the two pictures?


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## starlinestables (Nov 24, 2008)

He's cute! he definitely needs some groceries and I would take it easy on the re-training. It will take some time to change his "metabolism" and gear things down a bit.


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## mom2pride (May 5, 2009)

I agree with the other posters who have mentioned that he looks better in the "before" pics...he definitely needs alot more groceries; maybe he's being chased out of the hay? Unless you have drastically changed his feed regimine, he shouldn't have lost that much weight, given he was already up to a good weight. You may want to get a fecal done, and see about adding a weight building supplement to his feed.


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## Knaagdier (May 3, 2010)

*ef*

Hallo!

The before pics are from 2 months ago when I bought him. He was 2 weeks off of the racetrack. He didn't do well on the track due to being a rather calm, quiet horse, and he was bloodtested for drugs and he was clear of them. He was only raced six times and they were trial races! ^^

When I bought him he was fully dewormed by the vet, checked, and had all his shots. He is getting dewormed again this month  

I've been told OTTBS tend to lose ALOT of weight - one of the places i went to look at horses had a poor ottb that was just skin and bones - Quite literally!!

Baltic - when he came to the stables he was started on a new regiment of food to get use to the new diet as opposed to the tracks insane high protien. Over here - i don't know how it is in america or overseas, they tend to stuff up the track horses with extremely high calory and high protein diets and leave them in the stables for 22 hours a day -- literally. When I got him he was afraid of having his hind legs touched or his right ear. He's now quite fine with it

My trainer is quite familiar with ottbs and young horses. - Luckily!Currently he is getting... I actually have to find out how much it is in ounces/grams, but its still less than most other horses to work him into it and get him use to it. Its 1 ,1, 2 scoops in the morning, midday and at the evening, then a steady regiment of hay inbetween. The feed is a more expensive feed that has all manner of oils, sunflower seeds and other goodies in it.

He was on 1 1 1 scoops for the first week, then when it went up to 1 1 2 he was filled with so much energy, lol. Now he is doing quite well, i believe his feed regiment will be increased as he's settled in and is not having sponatenous energy bursts anymore. ! *hehe* (until eventually its 2 2 2)

Yes, he looks very thin in the pics :/ but i Have to say in person he looks very nice! You can hardly see his ribs protrude like that in the picture, its somewhat disheartening looking at it now. He truely looks very healthy when you're with him and he's got a lot of spunk when he wants to *g*. Two weeks ago he threw me off twice within five minutes! 

I do not work him very hard, around 20-30 minutes of trot work 5 times a week. He has one lesson session once a week that is 35 minutes of persistant work, but nothing hard! 

I think more pictures will help as well. Its really wonderful to be able to show people and get opinions back! 

I'm going to be buying soybean oil to add to the feed.

Any advice is really appretiated


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## pepperduck (Feb 14, 2008)

I work with tbs on and off the race track. They do not lose a ton of weight because they are OTTB. Tb's in general can be hard to keep weight on, but if you take care of them properly they do just fine. 

The other poster I think brought up a good idea, maybe he is being chased off the hay. It sounds as if the food he is getting now is fine, you could ask your vet when they come back out about him but you said that he looks better now....


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## riccil0ve (Mar 28, 2009)

*RicciL0ve's friend Cassandra here chiming in*

I've specialized in retraining and rehabilitating OTTBs for years. I still have my first mare, a 17 year old OTTB who was not even green broke when I bought her when she was 12. 

First recommendations for diet: Thoroughbreds have very, very sensitive digestive systems so any changes need to be gradual. Any type of sugar or excess protein is going to wire the heck out of them. Stick to as much forage as possible - a grass-type hay (OTTBs do wonderfully on timothy - more carbs and more minerals), not a legume such as alfalfa. For a grain, I would keep it simple. One to two pounds alfalfa pellets a day will provide him with necessary protein for building muscle and gaining weight, but not overload him with sugars. Corn oil is the best I've found as a topper for extra fat. Although I never recommend feeding corn because of the undigestable starches, the oil does not have the same starches and has the most soluble fat content of any other oil (vegetable, canola, soy, etc.). Rice bran is a wonderful source of fat, but buy one bag and stop feeding it after it's gone - it can pack in their digestive system after feeding continually and may cause colic. Beet pulp offers highly digestible fibers essentially for healthy digestion. Crimped oats are another wonderful source of basic, simple calories needed for adding weight and muscle. Any disruption in the digestive system for a TB will cause a weight loss. How does his manure look? Healthy balls or loose? Ulcers are a common problem with OTTBs as well and will cause drastic weight loss, especially after a major change like a new career and new home. 

Now to his conformation: I'm pleased with his overal conformation and build. My biggest concern is his croup - I can't see the point. It almost looks like a bit of a roach, but I think it's a correctable one. OTTBs can always benefit from regular chiropractic adjustments. I'm wondering if the main muscle running through his back (the propulsion muscles that actually act to push him forward, not carry a person) is quite tense... it could cause the hidden croup point. His trot rhythm is irregular. Notice the difference in the angles of the diagonal legs - they should be identical. This tells me he is tense in his back and his neck and is not fully carrying through - very typical for an OTTB and something that can only be corrected with proper training. The neck stretcher you are using is unfortunately much too tight. It is very visible in the last photograph. He is breaking at the third vertabrae instead of the poll and is very much behind the bit. One of my favorite training aids (when properly used, of course) is the German martingale. It actually teaches the horse to reach for the contact, and when they do, they meet your steady, welcoming hands. My favorite photograph is the second to last. Though he is slightly breaking at the third vertabrae and is trot is slightly irregular, he is moving forward. With the neck stretcher slightly loosened he would be able to reach further forward into the bit, as he is trying to do, and you will see an absolutely beautiful trot from this neat little horse.

Sorry, that was long! Any questions, please ask! I'd love to watch your progress, I'm infatuated with this loving little gelding.


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## flamingauburnmustang (Dec 25, 2008)

I have to say if I just saw the after pictures without seeing the before pictures, I'd say he looks pretty good. I don't think he looks way thin for an OTTB in the after pics, but when you compare such a drastic change between the two times with only two months difference, I don't think that is too good.

As meantioned by the other posters, maybe the change in his diet may have caused it, so try what riccil0ve suggested since she knows alot about the dietry needs for an OTTB.

He's a very handsome boy I have to admit, and I can't wait to see how things go with him. :smile:


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## MyBoyPuck (Mar 27, 2009)

I just took another look at these pics. I keep looking at that second to last pic where he has that big beautiful trot going with that nice leg action. Horses who are underweight and feel like crap just don't move like that. I think particularly with TB's, ribs can be very deceiving. After 3 years of trying everything under the sun with my own OTTB, I'm starting to think the only thing that truly makes them vanish is a thick winter coat. Dispite his ribs, he's got plenty of energy, moves like a freakin monster truck lately, and is happy and calm. There's people like that too. No matter what they eat, they're sticks. As long as you feel good, I'm not sure it matters. Your horse has a shiny coat, decent muscle in his butt and shoulder area, and again, look at that trot! If the ribs are bothering you, maybe try adding some rice bran or beet pulp to his grain. Otherwise, just monitor him more by feel that sight, to make sure what fat layer is on him stays there.


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## Eliz (Jun 16, 2010)

I think his condition is actually pretty good.
The pictures of him in the paddock eating hay look bad, but I think they are decieving with the shadows and whatnot, because like Puck said, he looks VERY healthy and gorgeous in the trotting photo 

Good luck with your boy, he is gorgeous!


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## Knaagdier (May 3, 2010)

Hi guys! Thank you for all the feedback!  Yes, the paddock picks are bad as the sun was very harsh, he was just worked and clammy then rolled down and everything is still glued onto him! Not too smart on my part  lol

I'll take more pictures tommorow!


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## Knaagdier (May 3, 2010)

p.s you can't really see it on those pics but he's actually 16.3 (we measured him yesterday) almost 17hh


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## RioPony (Jul 12, 2010)

I think he's looking great. Just keep the TLC & food coming 
Good Luck!

- Brie.


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## Knaagdier (May 3, 2010)

*Progress*

I hope these are better pics. please keep in mind its winter here! 

The sun was shining in the second one, cloudy on first.
Both taken this weekend


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## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

Lovely sloping shoulder on him. Not real convinced about the way he's standing though, if it's just a bad angle or if he toes out both behind and in front. Also a little camped under with a straight hip and stifle so watch for injury and locking there, and be very aware that he will need a hell of a lot of gymnastic work to build muscle of his hindquarters to support those joints before you start worrying about putting him on the bit. 
And yes, is is very thin. I wouldn't be working him just yet, I'd be more inclined to throw him into a paddock with a round bale of meadow to himself to try and build up a little more coverage over his spine and ribs. He's not hideous thin, but you definitely don't want him to drop off any more.


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## Knaagdier (May 3, 2010)

Oh yes, he was stepping over sidewards in the pic! I only saw it now , too. I just can't get good pics, lol!


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## sarahver (Apr 9, 2010)

He is just gorgeous! What a big boy and he has such a lovely look to him, I bet he is a huge sweetheart. I agree with whoever mentioned earlier that he would benefit from several months turnout, I always do it for OTTB's. I know it is frustrating when you get a new horse because all you want to do is ride them, it is well worth it later on when you begin their re-education. As for muscle development, two months isn't that long to see visible changes in muscle tone unless you are riding pretty hard 4-5 days a week, just keep working he'll get there! The changes in muscle tone in the photo's I think are mainly from him losing a bit of weight so now the muscles are more visible.

Also, in response to some others who have mentioned his conformation, I actually think he has a lot of development left to go. He is not even four yet and has at least two years of filling out and growing to do. Although he may not necesssarily get much bigger (although I wouldn't be surprised if he gets to 17 hands judging by how immature he looks) his body will definately change in shape, those hindquarters and shoulders will look more balanced when he is 5.

What a cutie, congratulations!


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## Knaagdier (May 3, 2010)

Thank you very much!  Measured him the other day, he is 16.3 hands, 1 centimeter away from 17hh! I have to say though he has ALOT of energy and is always very lively when being ridden. He is on a special diet at the moment, and is gradually (although slowly) being worked up to more!


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## Knaagdier (May 3, 2010)

Hello guys! This is taken one month later now 

My father who is standing besides him is 6'4 and a very big person! So please keep that in mind when looking at the pics of baltic. 

OLD


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## Knaagdier (May 3, 2010)

New pics a month later


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