What am I missing..?? Help needed please..

SatansLittleHelper

SatansLittleHelper

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The same thing happened last year as the winter came but I just need help. I feel like I'm missing something with Rex. He seems a bit tucked up/drawn on his belly/flanks.
He's not in work (and won't be til Spring although I'm trying to get him out in hand and hoping to long rein).
He's living out with 3 fatties and he is a reasonable weight. He doesn't have fat pads but isn't scrawny...just could do with a bit of condition. Physio saw him last week and agreed..she also said he is alot less tight than he was 3 months ago and she's pleased with him. She also commented that despite him being 6 in April, he's still quite physically immature..?? The strange hoof growth has completely disappeared and its been fine since trimming slightly more regularly. She suggested chucking a no fill rug on him as the tucking up could be that he's a bit cold, which I've done.
He's not dehydrated, doesn't appear to be in pain, moving free in the field and generally well in himself. I'll be starting to feed hay this week, just awaiting the delivery.
I started giving him a bucket feed about a week ago...a scoop of grass nuts, a scoop of fibre mash and 500g of balancer Spiller Lite and Lean as they are all having it now the grass is a bit rubbish. Im thinking to get a Vit E supplement with lysine for protein.
I will obviously get the vet out if he develops other symptoms or seems unhappy etc but I'd really appreciate some fresh eyes/input...

ETA: He's just been wormed and using an online weight calculator he's approx 615kg (16.1 height)20201113_140004_resize_18.jpg20201113_135954_resize_74.jpg20201113_135942_resize_24.jpg20201113_140040_resize_39.jpg
 
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I'd maybe go for a slightly warmer rug (70/100g) and make sure he gets plenty of hay. Some of them feel the cold, despite being a type that shouldn't on paper. A friend's Welsh x Warmblood wears a lightweight in all but the hottest of weather as getting wet means instantly tucking up and dropping weight. From September, he's in 100g then works his way up to 400g with a rug ready to go on underneath if it gets really cold by January. He then takes until May to work back down to the lightweight. I'm not saying Rex will need that much, it's just an example of a horse you think would manage a bit of cold not doing so!
 
Cortez said:
Jeebus, has everyone forgotten what a normal horse looks like? There is NOTHING wrong with this horse, he is not fat, not thin, is well covered and has a thick winter coat of hair to keep him warm (not that he needs it at the moment as it is unseasonably mild).
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I'm so used to much chunkier breeds, he's not a fine breed by any means but I'm getting paranoid ?
 
Cortez said:
Jeebus, has everyone forgotten what a normal horse looks like? There is NOTHING wrong with this horse, he is not fat, not thin, is well covered and has a thick winter coat of hair to keep him warm (not that he needs it at the moment as it is unseasonably mild).
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I agree with this. He is just a horse lacking muscle, which will come with more movement.

If he was mine I wouldn't rug but might give some hay depending on the grazing available.
 
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SatansLittleHelper said:
I'm so used to much chunkier breeds, he's not a fine breed by any means but I'm getting paranoid ?
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I don’t know if you remember my big event (cart)horse? He was huge and when not in work dropped his topline in a nanosecond. I loved him dearly but he really did resemble a weak yak coming out of a period off, you wouldn’t look twice at him.

These 2 pictures are taken about 3 months apart. Work can make some horses.

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He is certainly not poor or underweight! He looks rough and scruffy because he is living out and is not in work. Feeding hay will stop him looking tucked up and will make sure he doesn't loose weight during the winter. Putting a rug on him may make him look better because the coat will be flatter, cleaner and therefore a bit more shiny, but probably won't make an appreciable difference to his health or condition unless he is very wimpy, has an underlying health condition or your field is in a particularly cold and exposed spot.
 
He doesn't look thin to me either. I know people like to say how great horses are at regulating their temperature, but I certainly have know a handful of horses that while not bothered by the cold per say, they were prone to getting that tucked up look when the temperature changed rapidly. Typically when it has been warm and then rains and they get very wet and it's windy or it suddenly drops cold, or in the cold weather after they have done a decent level of exercise that has got them quite hot. Years ago I used to ride a welsh D who was terrible for it. They didn't need more rugs in general, just judicious use of rugs to smooth over the sudden change in temperature and stop them getting tight.

But basically he'll be fine. Once he is in work he will be a different horse.
 
He looks a good weight to me and personally I would not rug him... he has a good coat and I'd be amazed if he is cold. I'd start him on the hay and give him the balancer since the grazing is poor, then investigate further if he continues to look tucked up or seem off colour further down the line. As a side note, our pony Boston (17) has been tucked up lately too and just a bit mopey and tests have shown a vitamin B deficiency.
 
Look fine to me - undermuscled but perfecly ok weight wise.
I clipped Alf a few days ago, and he looks a bit ribby and saggy now that the fluff has gone. I'm not going to panic about it - I've just swapped him onto haylage, added a bit of barley to his grub, and resolved to work him more, so he's musclier, which will stop his undercarriage dragging everything south!
 
He just looks like a weak, unmuscled youngster to me. I would give him more hay and if you really want to make a difference, give him some hill work to do. I doubt that he needs a rug until the weather is cold, wet and windy, when he might do but a photo doesn't tell us that, you need to use your knowledge of the horse to make a judgement..
 
I will be feeding hay within the next few days when the delivery arrives. Just moved back to the other field where there is a little more grass.
He *is* a bit wimpy with the wet and wind so I guess I could just rug when we get rain.
The horses do have natural shelter and field shelters.
I'm going to have to stop stressing so much and just crack on ??
 
I would put a lightweight rug on him. You are worried about him and it won't do him any harm to wear one. Then you'll know he's warm and dry when you lie on bed listening to the rain hammering down. He might feel happier too - there aren't many horses who enjoy getting wet and cold.
 
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