Feeding advice needed please- Baileys topline or something else?

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littlen

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I am very confused right now.

I have a 15hh gelding. 11 years old.
Ridden almost every day, mainly hacking in walk and trot with the odd canter.
Living out over summer.
No hard feed at all.
Good doer, he has a huge belly. Puts on weight easily.

Yet heres the problem, he has a huge stomach but no muscle tone, no topline etc. He looks like a wormy foal if I am honest. I have spoken to 2 different vets and he has no health problems (tested for ulcers,cushings,worms. etc)
If you looked at his topline he looks thin and in poor condition, despite the stomach.

He also does not look fantastic, dull coat, dosent look as well as I would like. I would like to show so I need him in tip top condition.

At the moment he gets no feed so I am looking for something that will.
- Improve his topline/muscle tone without causing massive weight gain.
- Give him enough nutrients etc while at grass.
- Be cost effective.
- Give him a nice coat/feet/shine etc.
- That wont fizz him up.

I am also going to be feeding this alongside a fitness programme to improve topline, but I would like the feed to give him everything he needs to work properly and gain this muscle.


Feeds that have been suggested include Baileys Topline. Will this cause weight gain in the areas I dont want as well as the ones I do? Does it improve coat etc?

Any other feed suggestions would be great.
 
I would recommend a balancer. That way you get full vits/mins and protein for top line and barely any calories which will help his waistline.

Something like Top Spec retails at about £35. I used Top Spec on my 14hh pony and a bag lasts me about 70 days.
 
My horse came out of winter last year looking like this - and it was primarily down to the lack of any constructive exercise.

I expect you'll find that once he's out and not eating any haylage that a lot of his 'tummy' will dissapear.

However, the key to your success is constructive exercise mixed with the correct feeding regime. I don't think I'd go with any conditioning feeds, rather start with the basics and increase the level of work he's doing.
 
I would start with just a Balancer, I use Baileys Lo Cal then add as the work increases. As said correct work and feeding go together.

Also lunging correctly will build up the correct muscles.

By the way Baileys only cost about £22.50p cheaper than Top Spec
 
Hi,
My ID was the same when i bought him, all belly but still ribby and no topline at all!
I am feeding him with spillers conditioning fibre and spillers conditioning cubes. It has done wonders and he looks fab but it has not spiced him up to ride either.
The results were obvious in a short time too!

I rang spillers and they advised me on quantity. I found spillers cubes worked better than baileys with my boy as i tried Baileys first.

Hope he is in tip top form soon.
 
ditto others re a balancer rather than a hard feed/conditioning cubes etc

i'm not a great fan of balancers for a healthy looking horse with a good shine etc as i feel they are a bit of a waste of money!(for them i recommend a vit and mins suppliment ;)) but i do think they are good for situations such as these and def sounds like he's lacking in something....

IF he looses too much weight with the balancer and new exersise programme then i'd look to add another feed
 
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