Weight wise...

[Antw23uk]

This is my 12 (I think, god lord, bad dad!!) year old gelding who has been roughed off and out 24/7 since December (they live out 24/7 anyway) He is fed a breakfast but I have yet to feed hay/ haylage. Every time I think about opening the haylage i see them and change my mind and there is definitely 'spring' grass coming through but you can see in the pic how little grass there looks to be but they arent getting thinner!!
OP I do think hay gives them a bit of a belly so if thats all he has day in day out and he has been given the all clear by vet then thats likely your answer to the 'belly'!

To me? Hmmm tricky, maybe a bit too light but its fast approaching end of February so we arent far off spring and I would rather a leaner looking horse than an over weight one and your other pics show he does spring back nicely.

 

[ihatework]

I agree with everyone else, it’s the overall shape rather than lack of condition that would have me concerned. He really does look like a horse in his 20’s.

This picture is a 20yo, retired for a good 5 years, with uncontrolled Cushings who was put down shortly after. Now I appreciate horses have different body shapes and some fare worse out of work, but personally I’d have a vet check

 

[indie1282]

I agree with everyone else, it’s the overall shape rather than lack of condition that would have me concerned. He really does look like a horse in his 20’s.

This picture is a 20yo, retired for a good 5 years, with uncontrolled Cushings who was put down shortly after. Now I appreciate horses have different body shapes and some fare worse out of work, but personally I’d have a vet check

When was that pic taken? I would guess spring/summer looking at his coat.
I did say in previous post that the vet has seen him in Feb and wasnt concerned. I will start hard feed and see how he looks once the grass cone through. If I'm still not happy then I will have bloods/cushings test.

 

[SatansLittleHelper]

I would get a Cushings test done sooner rather than later...the results may affect how you manage him as the spring grass comes through.

 

[moodymare_1993]

VET!!

 

[J&S]

I have a 22 yr old who has only been out for quiet walks for a few years now and she looks a lot better than this horse! Even though she has dropped a bit of weight with running out of grass during the last month she still has not got that "saggy" look. I was surprised to read this horse was only 13 years old. How is she/he in themselves?

 

[SpringArising]

TBH I thought he was 30, not 13.

 

[SEL]

It's interesting that a lot of people are worried about the pot belly. One of mine looks almost pregnant when she drops out of work. I'm pretty sure for her it's a combination of the lack of muscle and being on hay.

 

[TheresaW]

This is Dolly, my 26yo, photo taken last week. She has cushings, and lives out 24/7. This winter she has only been on hay and what grass there is. I only really ride in the summer months now, so she hasn’t been ridden since about September.

 

[splashgirl45]

i would be very careful about upping feed as you could be asking for laminitis if he has cushings, which he looks like he may have....you have asked for advice and mine is test for cushings first before anything else....

 

[splashgirl45]

TW dolly is looking fabulous, you must be doing something very right

 

[Fransurrey]

I honestly thought this was a horse in his late 20s or 30s, OP. I would definitely be getting bloods done, for PPID if not EMS too. Hopefully he's ok, but that is quite a loss of condition.