Any arab owners?!

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littlen

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Just a question about how your horse looks!

My arab has always been an okay weight except for having a large grass belly.
I have tried everything, dieting, out 24/7 unrugged even now, he is worked regulally etc etc and nothing has even touched his belly.
To desrcribe him, he looks an average weight except he looks in foal! He has no topline. He has no apple bum, no crest and no other signs of being very overweight (although I would like him toned up and too lose the belly!)

Anyway I was speaking to a lovely lady in my local tack shop who suggested that this is common problem with the arab breed and that many of them are prone to large grass bellies (maybe its a digestive thing rather than a weight thing?)

I was wondering if there is any truth in this at all, and whether I am fighting a loosing battle? Do you know of any other arabs that are shaped this way?

If anyone has any pics of similar sounding arabs that I can use to compare him with please feel free to post them
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Mine is a little overweight but being older she loses weight in winter and can look quite ribby. When she does put weight on it tends to be on her belly, but she does have some topline (as much as a 20yr old can). Sorry that's not much help. She's the only arab I've ever had mind so I've got nothing to compare her to I'm afraid.
 
if you're talking about the underside of his belly, no fat is stored there so if it looks low thats just the way your particular horse has been made, but if you are talking about the side and the outward appearence of belly then they most definatly do sotre fat there! I have an arab x welsh and she carries alot of weight on her belly and chest I dont know if this has anything to do with her being arab or not
 
I have two Arabs. The older, now retired, boy has a socking great grass belly which developed after he stopped doing endurance in 2004. He has no crest and no apple-shaped rump - just this belly.

The younger horse, who's in medium to hard work, will start putting on a belly if he's off for a week. They're such good doers and the belly fat is very hard to shift.
 
It is very low down in comparison to other horses bellies. He is also shaped outwards and when you face him head on you can see round either side of him.

It is only on his belly though this weight which is what i cant quite understand. With excersise he has lost fat from other areas of his body but his belly has stayed exactly the same. Even with restricted grazing and muzzling it is huge!

I want to do endurance and local fun rides next year as well as local level showing, but I am slightly embarrassed to take him if his belly does not shift as he does get alot of comments re his weight and "is he having a foal!"
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I think it depends on the individual horse - my arab doesn't particularly grow a 'belly':
This is him in summer:
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Will try and find one of him stood side on.

Its definately harder to build a topline on him than on my WB mare, and even OH's 3yr old ISHxWB has more 'natural' topline than J, but correct work helps a lot!

My friends arab however does look more 'pot bellied', but then I have another friend who's welsh D is shaped like that....
 
Emma, your horse is stunning! Unfortunatley mine is significantly larger in the belly(and is alot scruffier!!)

I have tried everything and I dont know what to try next really. I cant ride every day due to work commitments so he is out 24/7. I have a feeling its digestive related as i cant see how he can be such a weight on his belly without being fat elsewhere. How on earth would I get rid of it if it is digestion related though?!
If not, then it could be his shape I suppose which will be hard to fix!
 
Mine gets a belly, he is a very good doer and we don't do enough work. However, we are both coming back into work now, and I am working hard on getting him to get some correct work done. He needs to lift up through his shoulders, get his weight on to his hind end, and then he will start to use his back properly. When he does that (and we're not there yet LOL!) he will start to lift his stomach muscles and I live in hope that his belly will turn to muscle. Think of David Beckham of the Golden Arab world. He will be Golden Abs.
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People think that Arabs have a tendency to trundle along with their heads in the air, which makes them hollow and doesn't help to tone the tummy. They don't need to work that way though, and personally I think that might be something to do with this arabs having bellies theory.
In the past all the instructors I had concentrated on what I was doing with the reins to get my horse working "correctly". I'm learning now (with Tom and Sarah Widdicombe to name two of my teachers) that you need to "lift" the front end, but not hang on to it trying to force the right shape.
So my conclusion at the end of all that rambling is that maybe finding some quality work might eventually help his figure. Just a thought.
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My friend's arab who is in his late teens is also this shape. We have to heep an eye on him as he has had lami, so he's on 'low cal' feed, sparse grazing and not much hay.
He definitely looks a bit upside down, despite the fact that he works every day, of which 4-5 times a week is flat work!
As long as yours hasn't got too much crest or bum, I'm sure he's fine, you just learn to love them this way.
 
Thanks greywelshie, he scrubs up quite well - we turned up at that show (the in hand one) with him just being a nanny to OH's 3 year old (the one following him) but then my friend offered to take him in ring (I'm still not really running to trot him up after breaking leg in may!). So we brushed him down, popped shome chalk on the white bits and sent him in! Thank god for long manes! If you are really bored, he's also at
http://www.catchitquick.co.uk/viewyourphotos.html, go to patchetts indoor showing, pm showing classes, bottom of page 7 and top of page 8
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He does get marked down for being too 'lean' though in showing.

The best things I've found have been his Pessoa, to get him working long and low, blue chip pro seems to get him nice and shiny, and quite a lot of work!
 
I think sometimes especially in older arabs who's backs have dropped they can look like they have bigger bellies.

I'm also not sure if that extra rib seems to make them look more barrel like. Both my arab share horses look more 'round' even though they have dropped a bit of weight and you can see their ribs a bit. Especially the mare, but that's probably because she was a brood mare for a long time, but she looks pretty round even though she's got no fat on her. I think some of them may be built like that. You should be able to tell if your horse is generally fit and a good weight by other measures than the belly, so if everything else looks ok then it might just be how he's built.

btw their feeds have been upped now to stop them losing any more weight, they're not exactly neglect cases
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i am glad i am not alone my arab mare looks like she about to drop a foal anyday exactly the same not apple bum etc but she also fit i dont ride her regularly but when i do and when i lunge her never get a sweat
she is on shavings to stop her eating her bed and goes out with a muzzle on is on hay not haylage all to no avail with her tum, even tried naf slimline which was no use belly stayed the same
it drives me mad but doing everything and all to no avail the belly stays
 
My lad sometimes looks as though he has a belly....but he;s getting on a bit and his back has dropped slightly- although he is very fit....

...in summer he does get egg shaped...you can see his belly swinging from side to side over the top of twiggy legs, not a good look
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My physio showed me some good excercises for oldies to help with dipped backs....

Stand behind your horses bum, and with a stiff pointed finger or a pen...run your fingers down accross his buttocks towards you...quite firmly...you will see the belly and back lift up.....keep your fingers there for a few seconds whilst they stretch upwards, it really lifts the back up.

My lad a couple of years ago when he was on restricted turnout in the 'poorly paddock'


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And this year in the veteran class.....

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PS..he's not full arab....arabx TB with all the faults of each breed
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