# Help with top line on new horse



## bekahragsdale (Oct 14, 2015)

Oldest.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

honestly, he's a bit under muscled all around and that will change in general when you get to ridiung him . I can see that he's arleady put on weight., careful you don't have him gain weight so fast that he's all fat and no muscle.

I would look at the grain/feed and maybe ease up on that. there's a hint of a a fat pad near his tail already

just proceed to training him to ride and later worry about topline


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## sarahfromsc (Sep 22, 2013)

The first pic is from today? If that is the case I think the second picture where he is muddy he looks better. Maybe the mud is hiding issues?


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

i thought the muddy was the newer. the first pic looks much thinner


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## ShirtHotTeez (Sep 23, 2014)

sarahfromsc said:


> The first pic is from today? If that is the case I think the second picture where he is muddy he looks better. Maybe the mud is hiding issues?


:iagree: I would suggest he may be due for worming. He has lost weight and looks 'bellyish'. Nice looking horse I wish you well with him.


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## Boo Walker (Jul 25, 2012)

what kind of exercise is he getting now? Hand-walking or ponying him on the trails if you have that available will help him develop muscle and the top line will improve. You can also lunge him under saddle and work on those all-important ground work skills so when you're ready to begin riding him the basics will be solid.


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## bekahragsdale (Oct 14, 2015)

Well here's a little about him, Yes the one where he is muddy is the oldest before the old owner fell on hard times(and yes he defiantly looks A LOT better) when he was getting feed once or twice daily then she lost everything and had to provide for her family and put her horses on back burner, that's why the horses were all being Re-homed so they didn't completely malnourished. so when that time came he was then decreased to getting grain only once a week if that!! So yes I know he needs weight and a lot of muscle and I am very aware on how to slowly increase his weight since I would rehabilitate horses before I got married but it's the muscle I'm going to have an issue with.

I'm letting him settle in a bit and graze on some hay since it's more of a dry lot that he's on before the real work starts so any ideas on muscle?? Just mainly lunging(until he's broke for saddle but I'm getting his weight up) and ground driving... Any other ideas would be greatly appriciated. I've looked into stretching as well.

He's 4/5 year old AQHA 15.2-15.3 hand gelding, I paid $150 for him and his delivery from SC to GA, that has very minimal work done other than a few lunging sessions and ground work(respecting space, standing tied, trailing, etc) but is very tame and responsive to training from what I've seen so far. Nice straight clean legs no previous injuries and quite the mover!! 

Also he was sent out on a lease sometime after that muddy picture was taken (4-6 months ago) and came back extremely under weight so he's in the process of gaining all that back as well, the woman wasn't aware of how he was being treated until the leasie said it wasn't working out because she didn't have the time to train him.

I am just trying to give a horse a better life... Plus he's quite the looker when he's got weight and muscle so I'm going to keep you guys updated on his progress!! Fingers crossed all goes well.


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## bekahragsdale (Oct 14, 2015)

Boo Walker said:


> what kind of exercise is he getting now? Hand-walking or ponying him on the trails if you have that available will help him develop muscle and the top line will improve. You can also lunge him under saddle and work on those all-important ground work skills so when you're ready to begin riding him the basics will be solid.



honestly, i don't think hes had any work done with in the last year or so... his old owner would do ground work (parelli stuff mainly) so he never really got lunged or anything along those lines so thats the first step... hes had the saddle on numerous times according to her but never ridden because she likes to wait until to at least 6 years of age to put all body weight and saddle time into him. so once he gets nice a relaxed around here training is starting and we are doing ground driving and lunging as well as hand walking through the trails behind our house.


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## Elana (Jan 28, 2011)

This is a very very nice horse. 

Just start working him and feeding him to keep up with the work. He will do nothing but get better. 

I would work him 5X a week and get him under saddle and started. If he is worked regularly and fed to keep up with the work, he will fill out and be fine. He is just slack muscled from doing nothing. We get the same way! LOL


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## bekahragsdale (Oct 14, 2015)

Yeah he's calmed down a lot so training starts today after a medicated bath!!


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## Elana (Jan 28, 2011)

In that last photo he is thin. An extra 100-150 pounds would help a lot.


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## bekahragsdale (Oct 14, 2015)

Yeah we're working on weight and muscle!! I can understand why he lost weight though, getting feed 2x a day then all of a sudden 1x a week... So he's back on schedule and is doing good and now he's on training as well... I'm hoping with feed hell bulk up some since then photo of him all muddy was when we was getting feed 2x a day and no exercise or anything


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## bekahragsdale (Oct 14, 2015)

That's suppose to say 

"Yeah we're working on weight and muscle!! I can understand why he lost weight though, getting feed 2x a day then all of a sudden 1x a week... So he's back on schedule and is doing good and now he's on a training schedule as well... I'm hoping with feed hell bulk up some since then photo of him all muddy was when we was getting feed 2x a day and no exercise or anything... But then after that he went on an off site lease where he wasn't getting feed or hay note the dramatic weight lose. Here's today after his workout and bath."

Here's a photo from today


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## LoveTheSaddlebreds (Jul 9, 2009)

Am I correct in saying he's got the dun gene as well? Very nice looking horse, glad he found you


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## bekahragsdale (Oct 14, 2015)

Oh yes defiantly the dun gene!! Previous owner swears he's a red dun with flaxen mane and tail but either way I think he's going to end up being a great horse for me


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## falling (Apr 13, 2014)

He looks like he's gained some weight already


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## bekahragsdale (Oct 14, 2015)

Yeah I'm hoping it does. He defiantly isn't as pointing in the hip. And it whether he has gained weight/muscle varies by the photo I can take one and it looks like he's gained then another he looks the same.

Here's one from after yesterday's work out. I see more muscle then weight gain unlike the photo after his bath. But he was also pretty far under himself in the bath photo.


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## bekahragsdale (Oct 14, 2015)

Henry after our lunging ground work session.


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## greentree (Feb 27, 2013)

Make sure your feed has " lysine" listed on the nutritional analysis. If it doesn't, add some calf manna or soybean meal. 

I think his coat looks a little scruffy, and that may be worms. 

He is very pretty, and when you get him into shape, he will glow!

I would start breaking him now, while he is a little underweight.....he is not skinny. That way he does not have a ton of built up energy. 

Good luck!


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## bekahragsdale (Oct 14, 2015)

Yeah he has rain rot and that's why I'm assuming his coat isn't so nice also he already has his winter coat Ughhhh. I'm going to ground drive him today for the first time and going to try to get on him in the next couple of days.


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## bekahragsdale (Oct 14, 2015)

A little updated picture of Henry. He's doing great under saddle but it's been put on hold until I get his teeth done next week. Luckily his muscle is filling in nicely but he is still ribby, which I'm fine with because the picture makes him look skinnier than he really is and with him still growing I'd expect that a little. I find it so bizarre how photos can do that!! Who says the camera ads pounds??

How do you guys think he is looking?? Again were working on the rain rot all the scabs are drying out now but I don't want to pull them because they pull out all the hair!! So daily brushing and scrubbing to lossen the scabs and dirt but no more baths it's colder here than I'd like it to be in order for him to get a bath.


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## bekahragsdale (Oct 14, 2015)

We enjoyed a nice day outside yesterday the only warm sunny day of the last week and a half.


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## bekahragsdale (Oct 14, 2015)

Enjoying his breakfast.


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## Boo Walker (Jul 25, 2012)

I agree with adding some Calf Manna, that stuff rocks!


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## bekahragsdale (Oct 14, 2015)

Have any one had any experience with maxi glow?? Like I said I have the dentist coming out next week because I really feel his teeth are a big problem contributing to his weight.


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## BekahBear (Jan 16, 2008)

getting his teeth floated is a really good idea. if they are bad in the back that could be a huge contributing factor to his weight. 
something must still be contributing to his body condition. i would have expected to see more improvement by now with the feeding schedule you have him on at your place.

just a suggestion but i usually add some corn oil to my horses feed. its great for their skin/coat plus it can add extra calories if a horse needs them. i use just a small splash (about a table spoon) for the chunkier horses and my vet said i could use up to a cup a day for my older horses that have become difficult to keep weight on. 

im also wondering if your boy may have ulcers. you should ask your vet if he/she thinks that could be a possibility. his body condition really reminds me of what my gelding started to look like when he got bad ulcers about a year ago. 
also, ulcers can be brought on by stress and/or feed changes (my gelding was moved to another property with a different feeding schedule while we were out of town for a few weeks and thats what caused it for him). the fact that your guy went from being fed regularly to only about once a week for a while could definitely cause ulcers to show up. 
after treating my gelding for a month for the ulcers it was amazing how quickly he put the weight back on and his muscling improved a lot too. 
my vet gave me a website to buy the ulcer meds from that is really cheap in comparison to buying name brand UlcerGuard. i should have it written down somewhere. ill see if i can find it for you just incase.


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## bekahragsdale (Oct 14, 2015)

Well thanks for all the insight Bekah  by the way love how you spell your name mines spelt like that as well. When the vet comes out Thursday I will for sure ask him but honestly looking at the pictures you don't see a difference but in person there is so much that is different... He's feet, he's muscle ton, his coat(minus rain rot) is shinny and soft rather than full and dry and he's not as ribby as he was before. Fingers crossed nothing is wrong and it is simple the change and his teeth that is keeping him skinny.


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## Fantelle (Oct 26, 2015)

He's improved a ton! ^^


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

I'm a great fan of Senior feed as it contains extra oils and beet pulp for wait gain. Best of all horses like it. As with any pelleted feed put it over the largest area you can so it's nibbled rather than scarfed down. The faster in the faster out. An old table with low sides added is perfect for scattering pellets on. Also, put his hay in a small mesh (1.75") hay net. No more big mouthfuls. Two nets hung opposite will encourage him to walk back and forth which aids digestion.


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## bekahragsdale (Oct 14, 2015)

Fantelle said:


> He's improved a ton! ^^



Thanks I feel like he's a different horse since he's been here!! He's attitude has changed as well... Much more expressive and playful but in a respectful keep his space kind of way!!


And saddlebag were building a slow feeder hay box to put in his paddock that has chain link on top but we're thinking about making a different top because that doesn't seem to work... Maybe some lattice doubled up and strong since the holes are just a little bit bigger... He seems to get frustrated but maybe it'll work we shall find out!! It should be finished tomorrow.


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## bekahragsdale (Oct 14, 2015)

Well calf manna is started this morning since he's at a stand still and even though getting exercised(ridden walk/trot) 4-6 times a week and no change, if anything increase, in hay. He hasn't gained anymore muscle and is still a little ribby which I don't mind, I just want more muscle to him because you can tell he's still got a lot of bulking up to do. Also maybe it'll help with his rain rot that's still lingering around because of his winter coat.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## bekahragsdale (Oct 14, 2015)

Please ignore the rain rot...


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