# protruding spine in horse?



## horsecrazygirl13 (Jul 16, 2012)

Hi my almost three year old gelding is a bit underweight(working on fixing it) and his spine is pretty easy to feel and you can see it a bit. should i be worried?


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## littlebird (Jan 22, 2014)

It sounds like his spine is protruding because he is thin (and highly likely also under-muscled) and consequently has no 'topline.'


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

Agree with what littlebird posted. It's because your horse is thin and has no muscle on the top of his back, called a topline. Get him to where he is not thin, then start riding him effectively, using his muscles, rounding his back and he will look much better.


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## BarrelracingArabian (Mar 31, 2010)

as an almost three year old he might not be broke wares. Id suggest some lunge work first to build him up as he is underweight, undermuscled and young he will need to be brought into it slowly. I doagree with the others , more groceries then more work on his toplines/general muscle.


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## Cherrij (Jan 30, 2013)

If his spine is protruding then I would not call that just a little underweight. Start feeding more, lunging to help build muscle topline, depends what work he is used to, build it up. But do not ride a horse with a protruding backbone, that can cause many injuries..


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## Elana (Jan 28, 2011)

A photo would help...............


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## Cat (Jul 26, 2008)

I agree - a photo would be helpful. But it does sound like a weight issue. Might want to make sure the horse has a good worming too.


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## horsecrazygirl13 (Jul 16, 2012)

yeah he's on grass during the day but doesnt have anything to eat at night. I'll try to get a pic tomorrow.


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## LyraFreedom (Jan 13, 2013)

Can you post photo's?
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## BarrelracingArabian (Mar 31, 2010)

What do you mean by on grass during the day? Is he in a field? Do you have a picture of it? He probably needs more then just being in a field and you need to up him free feed at all times.


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## horsecrazygirl13 (Jul 16, 2012)

yeah he's grazing during the day and he get's 1/2 lb of oats.


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## horsecrazygirl13 (Jul 16, 2012)

Here are a few pics I took of him this morning. Sorry he's such a mess, he's still shedding.


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## verona1016 (Jul 3, 2011)

horsecrazygirl13 said:


> yeah he's on grass during the day but doesnt have anything to eat at night. I'll try to get a pic tomorrow.


Can you start giving him hay at night? Going long periods without food isn't good for horses and can cause ulcers, which makes weight gain even harder. Putting hay into a small hole hay net will make it last longer and minimize waste, so it can last all night.


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## amigoboy (Feb 14, 2014)

½lb of oats is not much, thou he does not look all that under weight.
Has he been wormed?


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## horsecrazygirl13 (Jul 16, 2012)

He hasnt been wormed yet this year but i'm going to soon.


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## BarrelracingArabian (Mar 31, 2010)

I'd get him wormed and start providing good quality hay at night


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## AQHSam (Nov 23, 2011)

OP - If you can't afford a good quality hay, you may want to consider a forage pellet. Standlee is the brand I use. I feed the Timothy Hay Grass pellet. You want to soak them until they are puffed and mushy - some horses can choke on the pellets. It's not worth the risk.

I feed a 32oz cup twice a day to my QH. I am trying to add weight slowly to my horse and can't up the hay where I am at. I prefer the forage pellets over grain or other feeds that contain sugar and are like giving candy bars to a hungry child. Empty and false calories.

And, I like that the forage pellet quality is sometimes better than the grass hay I can buy and it doesn't take a lot of space. I believe they are sold in 40 or 50 lb bags for about $13 from Tractor Supply. 

A bag will last me almost 2 weeks at 2 feedings a day. I was going almost a month at one feeding. Something to consider if you can't provide much hay at night. The soaked pellets won't last all night (like hay in a slow feeder might) but he will get some good nutrition before bedding down.


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## horsecrazygirl13 (Jul 16, 2012)

We only buy hay for the winter. There are alfalfa cubes for sale at the local country store though, would they help him gain weight? And should i lunge him now while we are working on gaining weight on him?


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## IndiesaurusRex (Feb 23, 2011)

horsecrazygirl13 said:


> We only buy hay for the winter. There are alfalfa cubes for sale at the local country store though, would they help him gain weight? And should i lunge him now while we are working on gaining weight on him?


Lunging whilst wanting weight gain is counter-productive. All the calories you want to be putting weight on him will end up being used during the exercise - which ruins any progress with the weight. You'll be putting the horse in a negative energy balance, where he's using more energy to survive than he's getting from his diet.


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