Feeding a 16.2hh Thoroughbred

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rfoxy1

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I currently have a 16.2hh Thoroughbred who is an ex racer. He's on 2 feeds a day which include Top Spec feed balancer and Top Spec conditioning cubes, hes also has a 20lbs haynet at night and a 3lbs in the morning before he gets turned out. I'd say hes currently in light work, being ridden most days, I try to hack 3 times a week and school twice and one jumping lesson but he just doesn't seem to be building any top line.. is there anything that i'm missing out/not doinf right? I really want to take him to some dressage but feel he doesn't look quite upto it just yet.. help!!
 
Dressage would help to give him a topline. He doesn't need a topline before he does it. If you were in Australia, I would recommend one of the feeds marketed at the showing fraternity. Have used one of them and it worked. Am not familiar with what is available in the UK. Sorry about that. I feel like I have wasted your time.
 
My 16.2 tb is on Baileys no17 conditioning mix, Alfa oil and sugar beet split over two feeds, he also has ad lib hay - he has two of the big shires nets each evening and always has a little bit left in a morning!

He's keeping his weight on quite nicely, his topline isn't amazing but to be honest that's mainly due to work - at the moment with the weather and working I'm lucky if I get to ride twice a week!

As another poster has said, the dressage will help with topline.

I can really reccomend the baileys though - we tried everything this winter to keep weight on, he's been on the baileys since just before Christmas and he's holding his weight nicely and looks lovely to be honest!
 
I have a 16'1 tb, he has 2 feeds per day, hifi original, saracens livery pencils, 365 complete vitamin/feed balancer, speedy beet, 14lb hay net at night, turned out at 8am - 4, lots of grass. Ridden 6 days per week, top line coming along lovely, 2 dressage lessons per week. You have to start first with allowing your horse to relax & work long & low.
 
I've found that one Haynet is not enough for a TB, they need two so that it's ad lib.

The Australian feed that was mentioned may have been Coolstance Copra, which is available here and is derived from coconuts. Sounds strange, but is good for adding condition. That's if they'll eat it. Both mine do.
 
legaldancer said:
I've found that one Haynet is not enough for a TB, they need two so that it's ad lib.

The Australian feed that was mentioned may have been Coolstance Copra, which is available here and is derived from coconuts. Sounds strange, but is good for adding condition. That's if they'll eat it. Both mine do.
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It was Weight Lifter Calm. I used it as a weight gain feed. He loved it and would eat it regardless of what you put in it in the way of medication. If I were to buy it again, it would be to hide medication. The copra he loved for two weeks and then suddenly refused to eat another bite. Frustrating. I had to give the rest of the bag away.
 
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Sounds like more of a work issue than a feeding issue. You don't feed to build topline - you feed to support the building of topline. I suspect he's doing what I'd call a maintenance level of work - he's doing enough to keep the muscle he has, but to build more (ie; topline) you are going to need to work him harder. What outline does he work in - on the flat and out hacking? If you have him working over his back, and up to the bit consistently whatever you are doing with him, he will build muscle correctly. Do you do hillwork,fast work, lunge/long rein him? How hard does he work when you are schooling him?

It's hard to know what to suggest without an idea of what you are doing with him. If you could answer these questions - I'm sure people will be delighted to help.
 
Auslander said:
Sounds like more of a work issue than a feeding issue. You don't feed to build topline - you feed to support the building of topline. I suspect he's doing what I'd call a maintenance level of work - he's doing enough to keep the muscle he has, but to build more (ie; topline) you are going to need to work him harder. What outline does he work in - on the flat and out hacking? If you have him working over his back, and up to the bit consistently whatever you are doing with him, he will build muscle correctly. Do you do hillwork,fast work, lunge/long rein him? How hard does he work when you are schooling him?

It's hard to know what to suggest without an idea of what you are doing with him. If you could answer these questions - I'm sure people will be delighted to help.
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Totally agree with this.
My 17.1hh TB has Baileys Topline no.4/Alfa A Oil and speedy beet twice daily and ad lib hay/grass. He has held his weight very well for winter, but he has not been ridden at all. Subsequently his topline has gone.
I am not worried though as now I am bringing him back into work I can focus on building that back up.
You need to work them long and low - encourage them to stretch down and engage the hind quarters so he is working properly through his back.
I do not have a school so I do this out hacking. Lots of hill work.
I do hill work at a walk atm as he is is being brought back into work slowly. My horse tries to jog up a hill at first as it is hard work for him when he is building topline and muscle.
When our fields dry out a bit more - I will do lots of lunge work with him.
 
I'd recommend putting in a lunge session a week or even 2 to help with building his muscle. I lunge our ex racer with a bungee on and seems to help. He's fed Calm and Condition and show shine chaff along with haylage. :)
 
I would also recommend lunging twenty minutes two or three times a week to see if this improves the top line it goes without saying it only helps if the horse lunges correctly if they ares silly lunging will do no good at all.
It might be worth scoping for ulcers as they can have ulcers without spectacular symptoms and they can stop them thriving.
 
roisinfox said:
I currently have a 16.2hh Thoroughbred who is an ex racer. He's on 2 feeds a day which include Top Spec feed balancer and Top Spec conditioning cubes, hes also has a 20lbs haynet at night and a 3lbs in the morning before he gets turned out. I'd say hes currently in light work, being ridden most days, I try to hack 3 times a week and school twice and one jumping lesson but he just doesn't seem to be building any top line.. is there anything that i'm missing out/not doinf right? I really want to take him to some dressage but feel he doesn't look quite upto it just yet.. help!!
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There is a product called Equiliser that is a complete multi vitamin and mineral balance which is designed to enable horses to utilise the proteins found in natural forage such as grass, hay and haulage, it is organic and says it puts on muscle tone and condition, worth a try
 
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