Improving topline on an older pony

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dorsetladette

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Wasn't sure where to put this as its a combination of different things I think.

I have a 17 Yr old welsh cob gelding. He's had the winter off work. He's wintered out with shelter, a lightweight turnout, adlib hay and fed x2 a day. This is the same way he has wintered for the last few years. He's upto date with teeth (last week) and worming.

He's coming out of winter about right weight wise. I keep mine quite naturally (going into winter a bit heavy and coming out of winter a little lean).

But, I'm not happy about his topline. He's currently fed Dengie alpha A oil (swapped from hifi lite about 2 weeks ago), topline conditioning cubes, sugar beet, micronised linseed, Brewers yeast and veg oil.

I've started lunging him everyday for 10 mins on each rein and over raised poles. Is there anything else I can do to help develop his topline??
 
Time for a vet appointment and an MOT. After a quick Google there's a few symptoms that you could say he is potentially showing. Could be me over thinking though.
Lethargy - lunging him is painfully slow but never was. But he's unfit.
Drinking / weeing more. But I have put salt in his feed restly.
Holds his coat - but always has (owned 8 years)


He's never had laminitis, but got pretty close a couple of years ago.
 
It is at least worth a check, make sure you mention it to the vet as they usually have to go back to the practice straight after to send the blood asap for the ACTH test.

CP, yes but I think speed of losing it can make a difference my own welsh never lost topline even after 6 months off in his late teens. He's only lost it now as a late 20s and full retirement.
 
Cowpony said:
Doesn't topline come from working correctly over the back? If he hasn't been worked over winter isn't that the answer?
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It depends, one here has not been worked since mid Nov, he spent most of the time lame but turned out in a restricted paddock, he still has topline although is not as well muscled as normal if he had the coat clipped off I suspect he would look as if he was far fitter than he really is because he carries himself so well naturally, it does come from work but should not disappear with a few months off wandering about all the time so worth getting him checked.
 
Cowpony said:
Doesn't topline come from working correctly over the back? If he hasn't been worked over winter isn't that the answer?
Click to expand...

This is part of the key, the diet looks okayish though I'm moving away from TS and others in terms of what I like to recommend (I like the barefoot type iron free vitamin and mineral supplements with straights), but make sure the level of amino acids is high, not protein in general. Poor quality protein is excreted as ammonia but if you're feeding enough amino acids the horse can then utilise even the poorer quality protein.

Then I would look to in hand work, it's the bodybuilding and Pilates combined of the horse world. Manolo Mendez, straightnesstraining.com, Art2Ride, Karen Rolf, Science in Motion, they all have their merits and there will be more. Lunging can be part of the programme but even raised poles can actually be harmful if the horse isn't going in the right posture, the in hand work will ensure the building blocks for posture are there. Every horse benefits from regular in hand work but those that have been out of work for a while benefit much more and most other work can only be seen as fittening, not actually preparing the horse to be ridden again.
 
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