How quickly will a horse lose muscle definition without exercise?

[Sarah1]

Hi all

Had the rug off my lad last night to give him a good brush and noticed how much muscle definition he's lost already without any exercise. Also how huge his tummy is looking!
For the best part of a month he's done nothing with this awful weather we've had and I can already really see a huge difference.
Should it be possible to tell so quickly?

Thanks

 

[Divasmum]

Some of it depends on the breed and build but a month is certainly long enough for the muscles to lose definition.

 

[Chestnutmare]

well after 6mths rest my lil mare has lost nearly every last bit of it and shes arab x welsh...

 

[Chico Mio]

My two have been off for nearly two months and they look like a pair of sway backed old nags! Ari is only five - roll on some decent weather

 

[Sarah1]

Thank god it's not just mine! I was actually worried when I saw how flabby he's gone!
During summer he was ridden 5-6 times per week for the most part, usually only hacking with a bit of schooling chucked in but our hacks are always quite fast and/or have prolonged periods of trotting etc and I do expect him to work not jsut amble along like a giraffe! He then went to just being ridden weekends and as the hacks were still relatively fast/strenuous it did seem to just help keep his fitness up. Now he's doing nothing & I hate it!!!!!!!
ETS - he's 8 yr old, 16.2hh ID x (WB apparently!)

 

[Hippona]

Its scary how quickly it happens....mine hasnt been able to be ridden for a few weeks but has had daily turn-out....was a bit worried about him as he's getting on a bit but then I realised it was lack of muscle and not him fading away

Roll on spring and we can start sorting em out.......

 

[Sarah1]

Here, here!!!!!!

 

[brucea]

My guys are out 24 / 7 in all weathers wiht hay at one end of 25 acres and water at the other....they do lose condition when not ridden for a while - but because they are moving all the time they don;t lose very much

Stabling has a lot to answer for

 

[Sarah1]

It really does!
I think he's been kept in for 1 day thro all the bad weather we've had, even the bit we had back end of last year, but that's only cos it was too dangerous to walk his across the yard.
Thankfully he's been out approx 12 hours per day - I dread to think what he'd be like if he'd been kept in - for one he'd be climbing the walls but I'm sure his fitness would have suffered too!

 

[tangoharvey]

looking at my mares bum......overnight!!

 

[lucy1984]

It takes 3 weeks out of work for a horse to start to lose muscle tone.

 

[Angelbones]

I THINK that my physio told me once that for a horse on box rest it takes only 72 hours for the muscles to start wasting, but that of course is total rest, not even mooching about.

 

[Chex]

I'm quite shocked how much muscle mine has lost from doing nothing for the past month, esp as he wasn't doing that much work before. I think the snow means he's not moving much in the field so making it disappear faster

. He's also dropping weight which isn't helping

*crosses fingers for snow to melt soon*

 

[Loubiepoo]

Mine too - its mortifying to see

All my hard work through the summer is wasted, I'm gutted cause he's starting to look like a barrel with a scrawny neck and hindquarters poking out. Please snow - just go away now!!

 

[Sarah1]

Thanks for your replies guys - made me feel a bit better that he's not a freak of nature anyway!!!!!!

******does little rain dance to wash snow away******

 

[Chunkie]

This happened to my horse in August. My vet said one week is more than enough!