# Ribs showing, but not thin?



## Allison Finch

Extremely fit horses will often look a little "ribby". The whole picture is necessary to decide if the horse is underweight or not.


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## lilruffian

It could just be his age. My Arab mare sounds to be the same way (really fat gut but tops of ribs showing) She's on a very regular worming schedule and extra feed, but the only time it really improves is if she's on grass 24/7 for a couple months and then she really is chubby lol.

As Allison mentioned, super fit horses do look ribby also, just look at racehorses when they're in running form.


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## Dresden

I've been wondering this myself lately. My quarter horse is pretty well muscled, he gets worked fairly hard 5-6 days a week. He seems quite fit and is on 24/7 pasture but I've noticed in the past couple weeks I can see the faintest outline of ribs. I've been feeding him a bit extra in the evenings to keep him from losing too much weight. Not to hijack but now I'm wondering if he needs the extra food? Or if he's just in good shape...something to ponder. Thank you all for the education 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## The Copper Kid

I think it is true. My horse's ribs are showing and the vet told me last thursday he looks really healthy (he was almost 200 pds overweight when I bought him), just needs a little muscle to be built up. I added beet pulp to his diet and it noticable has bulked up his ribs and flanks without adding weight to his belly (which is what I'm trying to avoid since he has a beer belly lol) Once he is sound again and riding everyday he should be back to his massive self. 

There is a girl at my barn who has a QH/TB and she said that it is nearly impossible to keep weight on Roxy once it starts getting cold because of her TB lines. Is it cold outside at the barn you were visiting?


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## The Copper Kid

Not to sound like the beet pulp police but do you have that in your diet? Copper is the same way, top ribs showing and flanks look a little thin and in less than a month the beet pulp has really started to fill him out nicely.


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## MIEventer

You should never see ribs. You should beable to feel them, but not see them. 

There are many upper level eventing mounts, who wont show ribs. They are physically fit, healthy and very athletic - and you wont see ribs on them. I can go to Rolex and watch the trot sets, and I will rarely see a horse showing ribs. 

*Extremely fit horses, should not show ribs. *





































You shouldn't see ribs.


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## candandy49

^^^^^ How so very much I am in agreement with MIEventer!!! Having been to the 2004 Rolex all the TB's were in excellent flesh and condition. The ribs should not be seen, but can be felt on palpation.


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## Allison Finch

MI, sadly you are incorrect in this. I've ridden too many upper level event horses to be far wrong here.

If you look closely at some of these horses at Rolex, especially the close-ups due to video quality, you will see some ribs.






Definite ribs showing



















Greys are really hard to see, but they are evident here










Seen in lower ribcage










In no way did I say they would all be ribby, but many will have some visible rib evident. These horses are not malnourished in any way. If they were, they would never make it around an XC course.


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## Allison Finch

Those were, mostly Burghley. I forgot Badminton




























These are just like our ultra marathon athletes. They have almost no subcutaneous fat. You can see every muscle and vein on these people/horses.


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## Corporal

Personally, a tiny bit of ribbing doesn't bother ME. You look for the overall showing of any bone structure and apply the following scale as a general guide.
HORSE BODY CONDITION CRITERIA
SCORE, DESCRIPTION
1 POOR
Horse is extremely emaciated. The spine, ribs, hip bones, tailhead and pelvic bones project prominently. Bone structure of the withers, shoulders and neck easily noticeable. No fatty tissues can be felt. 
2 VERY THIN
Horse is emaciated. Slight fat covering over vertebrae. Backbone, ribs, tailhead and hip bones are prominent. Withers, shoulders and neck structures are discernible.
3 THIN
Fat built up about halfway on vertebrae. Slight fat layer can be felt over ribs, but ribs easily discernible. The tailhead is evident, but individual vertebrae cannot be seen. The hipbones cannot be seen, but withers, shoulder and neck are emphasized.
4 MODERATELY THIN
Slight ridge along back. Faint outline of ribs can be seen. Fat can be felt along tailhead. Hip bones cannot be seen. Withers, neck and shoulders not obviously thin.
5 MODERATE
Back is level with no crease or ridge. Ribs can be felt but not easily seen. Fat around tailhead beginning to feel spongy. Withers are rounded and shoulders and neck blend smoothly into the body. 
6 MODERATELY FLESHY
May have a slight crease down the back. Fat on the tailhead feels soft. Fat over the ribs feels spongy. Fat beginning to be deposited along the sides of the withers, behind the shoulders and along the sides of the neck.
7 FLESHY
A crease is often seen down the back. Individual ribs can be felt, but noticeable filling between ribs with fat. Fat around tailhead is soft. Noticeable fat deposited along the withers, behind the shoulders and along the neck.
8 FAT
Crease down back is prominent. Ribs difficult to feel due to fat in between. Fat around tailhead very soft. Area along withers filled with fat. Area behind shoulders filled in flush with the barrel of the body. Noticeable thickening of neck. Fat deposited along the inner thighs.
9 EXTREMELY FAT
Obvious crease down back. Fat is in patches over rib area, with bulging fat over tailhead, withers, neck and behind shoulders. Fat along inner thighs may rub together. Flank is filled in flush with the barrel of the body. 
© 2006 Cherry Hill © Copyright Information
Horse Health Care: Correct Horse Weight by Cherry Hill
Overweight is serious in a horse, as it is in people.


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## MyBoyPuck

My TB is extremely fit and muscled, and has enough weight on him to even have a slight crease over his spine. Can still see his ribs. Like Allison said, you have to look at the whole picture.


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## trailhorserider

My 17 yr old Foxtrotter mare drives me crazy because even though she has good muscle and a nice topline, you can still, just barely, see her ribs, mainly at the back of her ribcage. If I feed her more, she just gets a hay belly. :evil:

I asked the vet about it and he just said that everything starts to sag at her age (also, she's had 10 foals) and not to worry about it. But I still hate seeing and even feeling ribs! 

Other people have actually told me she is fat (because she has a saggy belly), but I point out her perfect topline and that her ribs are easily felt and they have to agree with me that she isn't too fat. She also gets dewormed regularly. 

I wonder if it is common for older broodmares to "sag" even if they have plenty of muscle on their topline? Or do you just feed to cover the ribs and ignore the saggy belly? That's what I have been trying to do.


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