Top line on old horse

[puss]

My cob is twenty one he worked every day but his back has lost top line i know this is normal for the older horse. Is there anything that i can do excise wise to lift it a bit he does long and low we do trot pole work. I dont want to change his food as he a very good doer hes just sagged a bit.

 

[MrsNorris]

Does he look a bit pot-bellied with a sagging back? And does he have any other symptoms eg prone to laminitis, unusual fat pads, slow to shed his coat etc? If so, it could be PPID (cushings), might be worth getting him blood-tested just in case.

 

[puss]

Hi no he has no pot belly this is first year he dosent look fat to be honest hes never been laminitic and he dosent drink anymore than normal and loves his work. Theres something not right though tonight he wouldnt eat his tea or his hay which is not normal think there will be a call to the vet tomorrow I have just added speedy Beet and for the first time ever i found something he wont eat do horses get fussier as they get older

 

[rockysmum]

Hi no he has no pot belly this is first year he dosent look fat to be honest hes never been laminitic and he dosent drink anymore than normal and loves his work. Theres something not right though tonight he wouldnt eat his tea or his hay which is not normal think there will be a call to the vet tomorrow I have just added speedy Beet and for the first time ever i found something he wont eat do horses get fussier as they get older

I would be checking him again later. There isn't much in the grass at the moment so I would expect any horse to eat.

Not trying to worry you, but often thats the first signs of colic.

As for the top line, this is my 36 year old. He lost his top line a long time ago but doesn't have any other health issues. I think its mainly reduced work.

 

[puss]

I must say i am a bit worried in seventeen years iv never know him to turn his nose up at anything ever including bute. I have just stopped his haylage because his poos were like cow pats and give him hay only and the speedy beet he dosent seem to like it either. I do have my yard owner looking at him tonight and can be there in ten min if i have to just hope hes okay

 

[rockysmum]

Does your yard supply the hay and haylage. If so I would try mixing them. I put our warmblood on hay to get some weight off, but she doesn't like it much. She will eat it if I mix it half and half.

Hope your boy is OK

My oldie is very fussy over what he eats too. Luckily he isn't prone to lami or cushings so I just add raw molasses to his feeds. It covers the taste of everything.