# Is this a heave line?



## Hoofprints in the Sand (Nov 23, 2008)

Here's a shot from the other side, different day...









And here is a good one of her action, it's video of me lounging her...keep in mind that this was earlier in the year so she was still shedding her winter coat and had a trace clip going on. So the line coming from her withers across her ribs and down over her back legs is just the shave line...


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## Strange (Jan 11, 2009)

I've always been told that it's a sign of good body condition and fitness when you can see that line on their barrel. :3 I doubt it's from getting "stretched out" with pregnancies because I've seen plenty of geldings that have it and none of them are heavers, coughers, or roarers. In fact they're all super fit eventers. *shrug* I don't know exactly what it is, but those are my observations.


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## Hoofprints in the Sand (Nov 23, 2008)

Strange said:


> I've always been told that it's a sign of good body condition and fitness when you can see that line on their barrel. :3 I doubt it's from getting "stretched out" with pregnancies because I've seen plenty of geldings that have it and none of them are heavers, coughers, or roarers. In fact they're all super fit eventers. *shrug* I don't know exactly what it is, but those are my observations.


Awesome, thanks for the feedback...I hope you're right!


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## Hoofprints in the Sand (Nov 23, 2008)

Anyone else??
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## Sahara (Jul 23, 2010)

No, a heave line would be going the other direction, as if it were "under" the horse's lung, running from the elbow to the flank.


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## Hoofprints in the Sand (Nov 23, 2008)

Ok this is good so far, thanks!!
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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

This is a picture of a heave line. Nothing like your horse. If your horse were heavey, she wouldn't be performing for you like she is. I suspect she is fine.










Source


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## Hoofprints in the Sand (Nov 23, 2008)

So what do you guys think the line across her ribs is?
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## Hoofprints in the Sand (Nov 23, 2008)

By the way here's a link to the other thread that initially sparked my interest in the question...it has lots more pics too.

http://www.horseforum.com/horse-health/feeding-horse-allergies-136082/page2/
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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

I keep looking at your horse. She does have a line.
A heave line is generally caused by a horse having to work so hard to breathe that she develops the muscle. I have a hard time seeing the horse that you show performing having difficult breathing. It is not something that you can really diagnose from pictures. Heavey horses that I have seen were really sick. They couldn't perform. They were too thin. They coughed all the time.
What does your vet say?


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## Coyote (Oct 23, 2010)

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_FHRoEcpMRVw/TO10M9izEBI/AAAAAAAAABU/0IrnMIfb3ck/s1600/Horse+Muscles.jpg

Here's an illustration showing the major muscles on a horse's body, looks a bit similar. My guess is that the line shows border between a toned muscled area and muscle attachments/less muscular tissue.


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## maura (Nov 21, 2009)

I agree, I do not think that's a heave line. 

I had a heavey horse in the barn once and she did not develop the heave line until the condition was quite chronic and really interfered with being able to work. That was after she stopped responded to oral steriods to manage the acute outbreaks. 

The "heave line" is caused by the horse using their auxilary muscles to assist respiration. The corollary in humans is that people with emphysema or other COPDs are usually skinny but barrel chested. 

If that was a heave line, you'd see her muscles contract and relax along that line as she breathed. because she's be using the intercostal muscles (the ones between her ribs) to help breathe. 

If she has allergies, you know what you need to do - maximize turnout and graving, minimize stall time and time in dusty environments, feed the cleanest hay you can find (timothy is the usual choice in my area) dampened if necessary, use steriods sparingly to manage acute episodes.


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## Hoofprints in the Sand (Nov 23, 2008)

Thanks everyone, I'm feeling much better about this now  Since she never has issues performing, never coughs, and seems to be in pretty good shape, I won't worry about it anymore! Her allergies to alfalfa pollen and mold are pretty minimal, she never seems to have trouble breathing or anything. I have heard that another sign of allergies is a discharge from the nose, and she does always seem to have a little bit of stuff there, but nothing really noticeable and I thought that was pretty normal for all horses? You can't even really see it at all in photos...here she is wrinkling up her pretty nose because she loves to play with the bit ;-)


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

I really think that she is fine. She is a lovely horse.


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## Hoofprints in the Sand (Nov 23, 2008)

Celeste said:


> I really think that she is fine. She is a lovely horse.


Thank you!!


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## Army wife (Apr 29, 2012)

If your mare was a human, she'd have a killer 6 pack!!  lol!!! My mare had a nice toned barrel like that when she was in shape too!! I think there's a pic in her barn (Missy.) It's the one of us in drill, and you can see it pretty darn good!!


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## Hoofprints in the Sand (Nov 23, 2008)

Lol awesome! 
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