Do you think she looks better and advice on topline please!

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Megibo

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This was taken of my mare Kali 20/1/14 (some may remember her pics on the thread!)
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Since I took that she's been on a small straw bed which she doesn't really eat much of, 12kg of hay split over 2/3 times a day depending on if she's in or out, 1/2 stubbs scoop of fast fibre which is then soaked and split over 2 feeds. She also gets hi fi molasses free and 1 cup of spillers lite balancer in each feed.
Work wise she's been doing something pretty much every day, free schooling involving lots of canter, schooling about 40 mins mostly trot and canter also hacking for at least 45 mins mostly in trot and we are lucky to have a few steep hills to trot up! Lunged her more also, once or so a week sometimes in an equi ami sometimes not as just getting her used to working harder.
What can I do to build her muscle up better as don't think her topline has improved really despite the hill work.
Pic taken yesterday:
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And today (she is standing bum toward the camera in the first one hence looking really bum high!):
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ETA she's 5 this year.
 
Wow she looks loads better! Well done :)

If she's only 4 then I think topline and muscle will come with time and maturity.

She's lovely :) I love the punk hairstyle, my cob had that for soooo long, and then one day, it finally flopped over!!
 
She is looking better but to improve her topline I would stop doing free schooling as she will not be using herself properly or really doing any more than using up some energy, do more hacking instead slow trotting walking up hills will build up her muscles and it will far better for her overall fitness and education, the benefits from walking are often forgotten they really have to use themselves to walk actively especially uphills.
 
CobsGalore said:
Wow she looks loads better! Well done :)

If she's only 4 then I think topline and muscle will come with time and maturity.

She's lovely :) I love the punk hairstyle, my cob had that for soooo long, and then one day, it finally flopped over!!
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Thankyou, I wasn't sure if she had improved or not! Yes her mane is driving me mad at the moment hoping it will pick a side and stay down lol it does a little mexican wave as she trots along!

be positive said:
She is looking better but to improve her topline I would stop doing free schooling as she will not be using herself properly or really doing any more than using up some energy, do more hacking instead slow trotting walking up hills will build up her muscles and it will far better for her overall fitness and education, the benefits from walking are often forgotten they really have to use themselves to walk actively especially uphills.
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Thankyou, I was just looking at another thread and saw comments about lots of hacking when they are babies so think I will do that. I thought trotting up steep hills was good for them fitness wise, will get her to walk actively instead.
 
I too would be doing more walking and trotting making sure she is working in a correct frame getting her to lift her back, free up her shoulders and use her ample bottom :) If she's not working over and through properly then no amount of schooling will build her topline correctly. She's looking very well in herself though, lovely shiny coat!
 
she is looking so much better. as with my rising 4 year old, muscle and topline is starting to build now she has started working, but it will take maturity and work to improve it.
 
Megibo said:
Thankyou, I was just looking at another thread and saw comments about lots of hacking when they are babies so think I will do that. I thought trotting up steep hills was good for them fitness wise, will get her to walk actively instead.
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She is a lovely type.

Trotting does help to build fitness but in order to build topline it has to be slow trotting very much powered from the hind-quarters, rather than, as is probably your horse's natural inclination, on the forehand as fast as possible. You could add polework into your schooling sessions to help to build the muscles but I too would lose the lunging and free schooling. Really make sure that you ride her from your seat and legs so that she is using herself correctly.
 
Thanks all. :)

Pearl- She will trot like that if I left her but I've been making a point (hacking AND in the school) of getting her to trot slowly pushing through but not leaning on me. She finds it hard work and I've had to work hard too but she's getting miles better. Getting lessons soon so obviously will have help in that respect with things to do with her in the school.
 
She's a really lovely little cob, love her cheeky expression and check out the shine on that coat! She looks a lot better in the after photos, if I were you though I'd do more hacking and less schooling as she won't be fully mature yet. :)
 
Funny you say that lurcherlu she's become a bit silly to hack alone but a good long trot takes the edge off. In company and school she is still a star! Will stick with new plan for hacking for muscle then :)

Thanks FL :)
 
Any correct work, be it hacking or schooling, will build muscles in the right places. You cannot "feed for topline"; you just feed and the muscles will grow where they are worked properly. Working your cob on the bit and with a lifted back will improve the topline. And yes, she does look much better, well done.
 
Cortez said:
Any correct work, be it hacking or schooling, will build muscles in the right places. You cannot "feed for topline"; you just feed and the muscles will grow where they are worked properly. Working your cob on the bit and with a lifted back will improve the topline. And yes, she does look much better, well done.
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Thanks Cortez. I thought that was the case, but read something before about feeding to aid in building topline so thought I'd check. Was probably aimed at skinny, lighter built horses which Kali is definitely not! ;)
 
Megibo said:
Thanks Cortez. I thought that was the case, but read something before about feeding to aid in building topline so thought I'd check. Was probably aimed at skinny, lighter built horses which Kali is definitely not! ;)
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TBH I think it was probably aimed at gullible owners, feed companies spend a huge budget on marketing.
 
Pearlsasinger said:
TBH I think it was probably aimed at gullible owners, feed companies spend a huge budget on marketing.
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It was people commenting on this forum actually. A few threads about feeding topline cubes to help build topline, but as I said I'm pretty sure you can't feed for muscle gain only work will do that.


Out of interest, what 'type' would you lot say she is or will be when she's got some topline?
Passport helpfully says Irish Cob. She's 15.3 at the moment. Is she indeed just a cob?
 
Correct feeding gives the building blocks work does the building in my experience so it is good low carb, high protein food and the correct use of muscles is the easiest way
 
She is lovely! So interested to see the advice as will want to do something with my youngster in a year or so... will follow your story! :)
 
tobiano said:
She is lovely! So interested to see the advice as will want to do something with my youngster in a year or so... will follow your story! :)
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Thanks Tobiano :)
Have changed her diet back to more hay, minimal hard feed but same amount of balancer to go with the new active walking/correctly working slow trotting mostly hacking. Hopefully she'll look even better this time next month!
 
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