# Weight/Body Critique



## Jillyann (Mar 31, 2009)

mm, idk. personally i think she needs about 100+ pounds. the rear end picture of her does not look healthy to me at all?


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## Joshie (Aug 26, 2008)

I think she needs some considerable plumping up. She looks awfully thin and, as previously mentioned, her back end looks very under-muscled.


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## pepperduck (Feb 14, 2008)

She needs a lot more weight. 15 is not that old for a horse, and that's no excuse for a thin horse. Two of my horses are 20 and 19, and they are still maintaining a healthy weight. She needs to be fed more, and if she is a horse that has problem gaining weight then you need to give her special care, and that would probably mean feeding her during the summer to give her something more than just grass.


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## Britt (Apr 15, 2008)

I'm not using her age as an excuse... I know that 15 isn't that old, but to me, at fifteen a horse is beginning to get a bit older... 

I am looking into some sort of senior feed... Usually, she fattens up into a huge fat wad around the end of May... If I can find a good FRM feed that doesn't cost about twenty dollars a bag, then I will start buying it... but I don't have the money to go all out and buy a 20 dollar bag of feed every two weeks.

Next time I buy feed, it will be something better than regular sweet feed.

Any suggestions on something that isn't too expensive and will help her gain some weight?


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## Jillyann (Mar 31, 2009)

im NOT trying to be rude, but if you cant even afford to feed your horse properly, dont you think its in the horses best interest to be owned by someone who can?


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## NorthernMama (Mar 12, 2008)

There is nothing wrong with keeping a horse on a budget. I understand wanting to $ave when there is plenty of pasture grass out there. However, where you DO spend your money then becomes very important. 

I would advise not to be buying sweet feed at all actually. I don't know what feed is available or how much it costs in your area, but there are many options to look at. Search the forum for "weight" and you'll find LOTS of suggestions from people more knowledgeable than I. I personally have used a 12% supplement, a mare/foal supplement, beet pulp, vegetable oil and natural meds for various horses that have had various weight problems. Sometimes even throwing a bale of hay in amongst all that grass is a help too. I too maintain my horses on a budget, so I am careful with what I buy and I watch carefully to see if it is effective or not.


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## Britt (Apr 15, 2008)

Does the veg. oil help much? 'Cause that's pretty much the one thing I could probably get really easily and at a lower price.

I need to look at the FRM feeds that the feed store has and find one that is about equal in fat and protein...


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## Deanne (May 7, 2009)

Hmmm, well after reading your posts and seeing the pictures.... well you say she is super thin right after winter, then that says your hay isn't of good quality or you are not feeding as much as you should. If this is how she appears when on pasture, then your pasture is inadequate. (too many weeds, over grazed, dried out perhaps? Remember bleached hay or grass has lost it's nutrients, if yellow. I am sorry but your horse is very underweight, and needs a serious feeding program. I have done quite a few rescues that look like your horse, and it does cost money to get them where they should be at in weight. I have to agree with the other posts, you can see every rib on her, her backend and tailhead scream poverty lines. I really think you should consider your horses welfare. She is not old at 15, but, she will age rapidly if kept in that condition. I had a rescue horse come to me at 25yrs old with no teeth, he could not eat hay, and within the year my vet scolded me that he was kinda fat. He lived to be 33yrs old. I am sorry, that sometimes the truth hurts.


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## Phalanx (Jan 8, 2009)

There is a very big problem. That horse is starving.


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## Deanne (May 7, 2009)

*Thank you for being blunt*



Phalanx said:


> There is a very big problem. That horse is starving.


 I say this because those pictures are haunting...... to be honest they have kinda ruined my night. In the pictures she also appears to have signs of a saddle that does not fit. This horse should be put in the hands of someone who knows what they are doing. Sometimes you have to ask yourself the question of how much do you love this horse and is it a selfish love? Keeping a horse that you may "love" but do not know how to care for and don't have the money to feed, yet hold on to it to even though it is suffering is called selfish. They say that just "one" picture is worth a thousand words...well you should go back and look at your pictures


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## huntseatgirl (Mar 16, 2009)

I you can't afford a twenty dollar bag of supplement/feed, you can't afford to own a horse. If you feel that you CAN afford to own a horse, then you can fork out for the feed. If it means cutting back a little each month on other expenses, so be it. Your horse relies on you to keep her happy and healthy, and right now it seems like you are letting her down.

Right, now that I've gotten that off my chest: There are many ways to keep a horse's weight up without buying commercially produced sweet feed. Ask around this forum, talk to horse owners in your area, discuss it with your vet or the people working at your local tack and feed store, heck, even google it! If you love this mare, you will find a way to bring her back up to what she should be


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## NorthernMama (Mar 12, 2008)

Britt said:


> Does the veg. oil help much? 'Cause that's pretty much the one thing I could probably get really easily and at a lower price.
> 
> I need to look at the FRM feeds that the feed store has and find one that is about equal in fat and protein...


Veg. oil is actually a more expensive way to go -- at least up where I am. Do some product pricing / compare ingredients and remember to take into consideration how much you will need at each feeding. Also, multiple feedings of a small amount of the supplement will do much more good than one large feeding a day.

Good luck.


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## xkatex (Oct 7, 2007)

Your horse looks near emaciation. We have had a couple of hard keepers, all of which are full time race horses, and still are able to keep weight decently. Like now, we own a 3yrs who keeps growing up and now out. He is a picky eater and even when he does like something, hes very slow about eating it.

If you cannot afford a $20 bag of feed, you cannot afford to keep this horse. Just because your on a budget, doesnt mean your horse has to suffer. You have a hard keeper, therefore, you should have the budget to keep a hard keeper, which you have stated you dont.

Even for just coming out of winter your horse is ridiculously thin! Your choices are A) Buy feed that specifically target weight issues and get in the habit of spending those extra pennies on good quality hay. B) Call you vet and ask him/her for advice on what they think would help her keep weight. Or C) Sell her to someone who has the means and budget to properly care for a hard keeper.

I dont mean to attack you. I have seen many "naturally thin" horses in my life at the track but none of which are on the scary side of underweight.


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## Britt (Apr 15, 2008)

Thanks guys.

I'm looking for another feed I can buy that will help her to gain weight, and while I don't have enough yet, I'm saving up moey so I can get the vet out sometime this summer. Her teeth may need to be floated before my vet thought. Next time I can, I'm going to buy some Veg. oil, because it's not expensive here... and I may, if I have the money, buy a mare and foal supplement to see if that will help her to gain some weight.

Ever since her colt was born in '06, we've had trouble with her weight fluctuating...


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## NorthernMama (Mar 12, 2008)

Britt, I don't know that a mare and foal supplement will be the best choice. Why not ask at your feed store and see what choices they have for weight gain? 

To everyone that is repeatedly after Britt about her financial situation: while I do agree that we must not take on more than we can handle financially, I think we also need to respect that Britt *is* going to go and buy some feed now, so let's give her some leeway. After all if those are her horses in her avatar they look well kept.

I have a friend who has one horse that she constantly battles with weight issues and she also is careful with her money. That doesn't mean she can't or won't care for her horses, just that she is aware of her limitations.

OK -- none of that really came out right, but the impression I'm getting is that Britt can afford the feed, but was hoping to keep the horse only on pasture and made a big mistake. She appears to be now correcting it. So, *if* she can afford to look after the horse, great. If not, well, then I agree she needs to place the horse in another home.


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## Britt (Apr 15, 2008)

I am going to make a trip to the feed store this week sometime, possibly Firday, as I'm going to be in town anyway... so maybe I can convince my boyfriend (who is very non-horsey, lol) to make a trip to the tack and feed store... if not to actually buy any feed or any supplements, then to just talk to the owners and see what they say, then compare prices somewhere else, like a Tractor Supply before buying anything.

I honestly do not have that much money. As it is, it's hard for me to pay vet bills and dewormer costs, but I will manage. I know that the tack store will wait patiently for me to count out twenty dollars in change (I've done it before) but I'm unsure if the feed store owners will be that patient. I'm friends with the owners of the tack store, so hopefully they have some type of supplement that I can get... I sometimes get discounts there, but not often...

I am definately going to put her on a constant feed... but like I said before, I'm going to really have to look and try to find something that I know I can afford every month.

It doesn't help that I only have access to FRM feeds, either...


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## EternalSun (Mar 29, 2009)

If you only have change to pay, then take the change to a CoinStar and turn it into dollar bills. But this is serious: there is a difference between making adjustments to your daily life to afford your horse (such as myself, until recently I was unemployed and had to make personal sacrifices to keep my horse), and flat out not being able to afford horses. No matter what, I always have enough money for board, farrier, vet bills, a deworming program, and other equine needs such as fly spray and supplements. I can't afford to take lessons right now or get my horse that massage that I've been dying to get him, but he lives quite comfortably. If that means I can't buy new clothes this season or I haven't seen a movie in theaters since last year, thats okay with me. But if you can't afford the above basics, _especially_ quality feed and deworming, then you need to find other homes for them. Yes it sucks but your horses welfare should be the most important thing right now. She is very skinny and needs some help.


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## Joshie (Aug 26, 2008)

Britt said:


> I honestly do not have that much money. As it is, it's hard for me to pay vet bills and dewormer costs, but I will manage.


If you have difficulty affording these things then you really cannot afford a horse at this time. Can you lease your horse so that someone else can care for her until you can afford her? Wormers cost between $3 and $10 and should be given regularly. What about shots?

It's horrid when you can't afford an animal you love. But it's not fair to our loved ones when you don't have the money for emergencies. What happens if she gets ill? Our dog just developed a chronic illness. I've spent $1200 on her in the last two weeks. That stinks but it saved her life. What would you do if something little happened? If you have trouble with wormers what would happen if she had a leg cut? Would you have to put her down?

I am sorry that you're in this terrible spot but I think it's important for us to think about our loved ones more than we think about ourselves.


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## saraequestrian (Dec 4, 2007)

I completely agree with eternalsun.

I'm sorry but I have to bring it up.
What would you do if she colics, or gets cut up really bad, or tears/breaks something? It could happen tomorrow. 
Vet bills are expensive and for those sorts of things, vets are mandatory. If you can't afford grain, let alone a huge vet bill, then I think it would be best to hand your horse off to somebody who can. 

You seem like a sweet girl who really cares for her horse but... let's try to be a little realistic.


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## PaintHorseMares (Apr 19, 2008)

It is often hard to tell from pictures, and weight itself is not the best indicator. Try looking at a body scoring system to evaluate the condition of your horse. An example is at Body Condition Scoring of Horses


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## myboydoc (May 12, 2008)

That horse needs more weight, and horse don't just gain lots of weight one month then go to skin and bones the next. she is a very pretty horse, but very very underweight.


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## Deanne (May 7, 2009)

Ok so I posted here before, but, now realize you have 2 horses? is that right? If it is... then honey you have to sell one, then you will be able to take the very best care of the one left you will have!!! The cost of just one horse is very expensive, well double that having 2. If you had 1 you and your 1 horse would lead very happy long lived lives.


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## MN Tigerstripes (Feb 20, 2009)

I've used stabilized rice bran in the past to help a hard keeper gain/keep weight on. It is fairly expensive for a bag, but you may not need to feed that much. Beet pulp is another super fiber you can use. Also, if she is just on pasture or hay right now a ration balancer could help meet her requirements. Again a little more expensive, but you only feed about 2 pounds a day. Veg oil can work, but some horses hate it and you can only feed so much. If you have a nicer lawn then pasture try a little hand grazing too. 

A skinny horse can be caused by poor quality diet too so it may not be that she isn't getting enough food to eat it may just be that your pasture is poor quality. This is where the ration balancer may help. Just make sure you make any changes gradually otherwise you're just wasting your money because her body won't absorb all of the nutrients anyways. 

My old Walker gelding would get very thin sometimes in the spring as he got older (late 20s), so I called my vet on the phone and got some recommendations to help with the weight. He lived happily for about 4 years after that and it wasn't until the very end that we couldn't keep any weight on him. Good luck. I'll let you know if I can think of anything else.


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## ahearn (Jul 10, 2007)

I use Stabilized Rice Bran for my 18 yo QH. She is a VERY hard keeper, but this stuff works very well!! It is only $20 for a huge bag that has lasted me about a month! MaxEGlow is the name ....


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## Deanne (May 7, 2009)

The horse I rescued, Prince, had really "no teeth" at 25, he had never had any vet care and never had his teeth floated. The result was I had a very emacicated gelding, that 100%balled up any hay given to him. I realize that he is an extreme case, not likethe walker mare at 15, BUT, you bet it cost $! He did get a few handfuls of hay a day to "play with" and feel like a horse, I had to create a "seperate feeding area for him", so the other horses wouldn't get his feed, and EVERYDAY, TWICE a day, I had a massive bucket I could barely pack that I had to soak beet pulp in, * this is my own concoction, however it worked for him, He got in one serving, beet pulp, alfalfa pellets, senior feed, COB, Oil, cool cal, and a herbal vitamin. Trust me this cost $$$$ and time. I had 3 other horses at the time BUT you DO what you HAVE to do! You take on the horse,you take their well being in yor hands. YOU are ALL they have!!!


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## charliBum (Jan 7, 2009)

my horse looks like this atually probs better atm ,however its after I lost my grazing and he was in a dirt paddock for months and I still fed him as much as I could, im 16 and atm im paying about $140 every few weeks for food, if you have a horse you have to feed it, my horse is more undermuscled because I couldnt ride him. I think so but he is extremly shiney and happy and is gaining, this horse doesnt looks shiny or healthy, sorry thats my opinion


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## twogeldings (Aug 11, 2008)

Britt said:


> I'm not using her age as an excuse... I know that 15 isn't that old, but to me, at fifteen a horse is beginning to get a bit older...
> 
> I am looking into some sort of senior feed... Usually, she fattens up into a huge fat wad around the end of May... If I can find a good FRM feed that doesn't cost about twenty dollars a bag, then I will start buying it... but I don't have the money to go all out and buy a 20 dollar bag of feed every two weeks.
> 
> ...



Corn oil, or vegetable oil is a good way to add weight and shine. Canola oil and oil for livestock such as cattle should be avoided.

Corn oil is rather inexpensive, a gallon at the store here costs about $5.

Beat pulp and rice brain is (as far as I know) also a good way to put on and keep weight on a skinny horse. 

---

Everyone, please, lets try not to be rude. I myself keep THREE horses on a VERY tight budget. Granted, I can get the needed funds if something such as a bought of colic comes up. But still, lets try HELP rather than making her feel like a horrible owner.

Some horses turn up skinny after the winter. It's natural. It happens. Winter ='s less food (grass) ='s weight loss. Just like out in the wild. 
Like she said, she plumps right back up after a month. Such things may be prevented with cheap additives such as corn oil, rice brain, or beet pulp. Not everyone can treat there horse like it's made of gold.

I do apologize for being defensive but the fact is that I am. I keep three horse myself and I give them every penny that I have. I give them more than enough feed. I go through three bags of Strategy a week. They get fresh grass turnout daily, plus grain, plus two bales of quality hay (and water of course). 
But still, my three year old is thin. When I got him, he was even thinner because his BREEDERS were I kept him boarded at couldn't seperate him from Loki during feeding time even though they have plenty of pasture. 
Now he's a growing boy and I'm constantly at war to keep the weight on him. He looks starved, even though he's perfectly healthy. 

If I asked for help, would I to be seen as a irresponsible owner? EVEN THOUGH my other horse is fat and cresty, and my RESCUE whom I got in an emancipated condition continues to gain weight? 
Would I be seen as a irresponsible owner because I have to wait two weeks more than everyone else to give vaccinations because I have to buy hay for the month?
Would I be seen as an irresponsible owner and be asked to GIVE UP the horses that I love and care for JUST BECAUSE I have to be picky about feed, and go with something cheaper?

Would YOU be seen as an irresponsible owner?


Obviously this ONE HORSE is having some difficulty with weight. So PLEASE. Lets try not to climb onto a pedestal and preach preach preach. Put yourself in the position of the person to speak against BEFORE you speak against them.


Yes. That mare is underweight. But obviously she's trying. It's better than those who do nothing at all. If you want to see haunting pictures, check out a few rescue sites. THOSE are haunting pictures. Think of the horses that go through the sale barns. Imagine a pony mare, cutest little thing, who's toes are curled up like genie feet and her belly nearly touches the ground. She can barely walk, let alone stand. And yet her owner puts her through a sale. 
Think of a little bay colt, scrawny little thing with no papers. Completely unwanted. Imagine the auctioneer asking someone, anyone in the crowd to buy him. Just to keep him from going to the slaughter barn.

Think of those horses. Then think of this girl who tries and tries.


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## Rissa (Feb 10, 2009)

According to that linked chart, that mare would rank a 2?


I wanted to say thanks everyone. I've got an older horse and he's not hard to keep weight on yet but I'm always reading and learning about weight gain and build up and stuff.


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## Deanne (May 7, 2009)

Ok, I see your point, however let's see her post pics of her TWH mare in one month of pasture then? That should tell a lot yes?


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## MN Tigerstripes (Feb 20, 2009)

She has other pics of the mare and she looks good in those ones. So, I would say that this particular horse just has a problem during the winter months.


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## leviijeans (May 17, 2009)

pepperduck said:


> She needs a lot more weight. 15 is not that old for a horse, and that's no excuse for a thin horse. Two of my horses are 20 and 19, and they are still maintaining a healthy weight. She needs to be fed more, and if she is a horse that has problem gaining weight then you need to give her special care, and that would probably mean feeding her during the summer to give her something more than just grass.


COULDNT AGREE MORE;; not to sound like a ***** and all but the horse doesnt look healthy at all. Grass can keep them fed and all but horses need more then just grass, even more if she gets that thin durning the winter. If where the pics are taken is where she is kept then that isnt right at all if she isnt getting anything els to eat other then the grass. It isnt green and or anything like Deanne said. You also say that you dont have the money to feed her all year round but sorry YOU SHOULDNT OWN A HORSE!!!!! Yes all horses do lose weight during the winter but THAT much weight then there is a problem. and AGE isnt a problem.


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## MN Tigerstripes (Feb 20, 2009)

BCS is VERY difficult to tell from a picture. It involves feeling the horse and the fat pads, not just looking. Also, different breeds lose/hold weight differently (spanish breeds anyone?). The mare has lost weight in areas all typical for a TWH (at least every skinny one that I've seen) in fact she looks very similar to my gelding when he started having trouble keeping weight on and he was not a 2, but was in between a 3 & 4. Which isn't ideal, but the horse can come back from it. As for her getting rid of the horse, there isn't any garuntee that the mare(or the gelding) would go to a better home. She seems to be committed to fixing the problem and maybe we shouldn't be attacking her? I've found that generally when you attack people you don't get anywhere... and you definitely don't help improve anyone's situation, including the horse.


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## Curly_Horse_CMT (Jun 8, 2008)

MN Tigerstripes said:


> BCS is VERY difficult to tell from a picture. It involves feeling the horse and the fat pads, not just looking. Also, different breeds lose/hold weight differently (spanish breeds anyone?). The mare has lost weight in areas all typical for a TWH (at least every skinny one that I've seen) in fact she looks very similar to my gelding when he started having trouble keeping weight on and he was not a 2, but was in between a 3 & 4. Which isn't ideal, but the horse can come back from it. As for her getting rid of the horse, there isn't any garuntee that the mare(or the gelding) would go to a better home. She seems to be committed to fixing the problem and maybe we shouldn't be attacking her? I've found that generally when you attack people you don't get anywhere... and you definitely don't help improve anyone's situation, including the horse.


Well put, MN Tigerstripes. People shouldnt go around bashing her when she is trying to find out ways to fix the problem. She knows that the mare looses weight, she is aware of the problem and is trying to get ideas on how to put more weight on her.

We have a gelding in his late twenties that is VERY HARD to keep weight on. He is almost always "lean and mean" and requires hay and soaked beet pellets. If his feed schedule is off for just a few days, he begins to loose weight drastically. He looks REALLY bad right now, like a Raggi muffin lol because of his shedding winter coat and his ribs. However, we know that he will put on weight as soon as he gets out on green grass. Just because He is a little skinny we have not been told that we are "bad horse owners that shouldnt own a horse." Good horse owners are ones that try to fix the problems even after they create them.


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## NorthernMama (Mar 12, 2008)

I agree with MN Tiger. Anyone notice that the OP has stopped responding? Gee... I wonder why (sarcasm there folks). 

And everyone's definition of "not having a lot of money" is different. She may just have to be careful with the money she has as she has indicated she is going to get additional feed. 

I've noticed I have to be careful how I word things here too. The wonders of text communications... what we post doesn't always get interpreted the way we intended.

I wish the OP luck and support in her goals for this horse.


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## Britt (Apr 15, 2008)

Thanks for all the info, guys. 

I'm looking for a job at the moment, and hopefully I'll be hired somewhere soon... so I don't have to rely on other people for stuff. I am planning on getting the vet out to float my horses teeth as soon as I get the money, as I think part of it is that her teeth need done again.


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