What's his condition like please

Z

zoeshiloh

Well-Known Member
Joined
23 January 2006
Messages
2,771
Location
Suffolk
www.stowmarketanddistrictridingclub.com
I finally managed to ride at the weekend for the first time since Christmas!! I thought I was sitting on a time bomb but he was very good and managed to keep a lid on. He's now living in pretty much 24hrs (no choice) but he does get turned out at weekends for a good 8 hours and during the week he has a run in the school AM and PM for at least half an hour each time.

Anyway last year I really struggled to keep weight on him - this year think he looks ok, although lacking muscle (can't be ridden much ATM) but I'd like a second opinion!

He is 16yo DWBxTB gelding, currently he has 12kg haylage per day and half a net of carrots and pasnips, two hard feeds consisting of stud nuts, conditioning mix, sugar beet, soya meal and lindseed meal.

DSCF2098.jpg

DSCF2101.jpg

DSCF2102.jpg

DSCF2105.jpg
 
I think he looks poor. Lacking in muscle and general 'bloom'. Much of that I expect will be from lack of exercise and turnout.

I'd certainly be looking for him to be out daily, and ridden daily - and look at a much more high fibre diet.
 
Definately agree with lack of muscle - he hasn't been ridden much at all recently (total lack of time, and even when advertising for a sharer get no responses!)

With regards to lack of T/O he actually gets more stressed turned out, stands by the gate all day chewing the fence and stamping so I don't think he is happy to be out.

I also forgot to mention he suffers from a very por digestive tract, so must have lots of high protein food (nutritionist's words not mine).
 
In terms of fibre what would you add? He is on haylage, he has 12kg - do you think this should be upped? We had an independant nutritonist out just before christmas who recommended this amount. He also gets appro 15kg of carrots and parsnips a day. He has unmolassed sugar beet in his feed (two scoops in each feed). We were told not to feed him any chaff. Where would you add the fibre? Would you up the haylage amount or look at something like readigrass?
 
What's the thought behind the carrots etc.?

Does he have hay in front of him constantly?

Speak to TGM about diet - she's fantastic!
 
I think he looks poor and lacking muscle. If you have access to a school, it would be better for him to be ridden once or twice a day rather than just let him do his own thing for two 30 minute sessions. If you say he does not like being out, why make him stand there for 8 hours at the weekend ? I don't see how that is a benefit for him. If you put him out for a couple of hours, he can then come back in and eat, which is clearly what he needs to do.

My own TB will get 12kg of haylage at night. But during the snow, when she was indoors without access to grass, she was eating nearly a whole 20kg pack per day.

You should try making sure his haylage is seed haylage which is higher in feed value than regular meadow haylage. Give him as much as he will eat.
 
He always has haylage and often leaves some so I can't really up it any more I guess. I've just ordered a pot of colligone - that looks good! I've been trying to find someone to ride him in the week, but no one seems to want a free horse to ride! An dietry help appreciated.
 
Can't ride during the week - we don't have floodlights and therefore I cannot ride in the school. Also he is turned out in the school while I muck out etc so can't be in two places at once.

When he is in the fields at the weekend he also has ad-lib haylage out there. The reason I leave him out for so long is when he stands in all day every day his vitamin D levels drop signficantly - my vet was the one who said he should have as much TO in daylight hours as possible at the weekend. Personally I don't like leaving him out there as he is not happy.

With regards to haylage - I weigh out 12kg as that is what has been advised. He always has some left.
 
Blimey, I don't think he looks poor, just lacking in a bit of topline but he is 16 after all!
My new horse looked similar to yours when he came to me before xmas, he coat was dull and he was lacking top line.
I have changed his feed and given him a GP supplement. He has ad lib hay and I keep him well rugged up and he looks 100 times better.
I work him every day but vary between hacking, lunging and schooling and he has started to develop much more muscle.
My horse is also 16 this year.
 
[ QUOTE ]
just lacking in a bit of topline but he is 16 after all!

[/ QUOTE ]

What does 16 have to do with lacking top line??
confused.gif
 
Just found this for comparrison;

This picture was him in full work, ridden every day, competing once, sometimes twice a week (dressage) a couple of years ago (taken in Summer)

100_1153.jpg


I think perhaps the biggest factor is the lack of ridden work, hence lack of muscle. Would lungeing in a pessoa help? I could lunge him week nights using a light my OH rigged up (wouldn't feel safe riding in it though).
 
As horses get older they naturally start to loose some muscle tone, esp, as the original poster has put, he doesn't get ridden everyday.
Younger horses tend to keep their muscle condition without so much work.
 
I think it's a bit sad that he's in all that time but if you have no choice then fair enough, he would definately benefit from going out more and being exercised properly around 5 days a week. Lungeing would be great for him maybe in side reins too, he would develop muscle a lot quicker. I think to be fair for his breeding his weight is good just lacking muscle, but you've done well to get him looking like that considering his turnout regime etc... oh and his face is soooooo adorable I just want to kiss him! X
 
Definately lunge him, I wouldnt want to be riding a horse which was lacking in muscle. You will see a nice difference and then you'll be ready to ride in the spring
smile.gif
plus it will give him a chance to use his brain!
 
It's funny, in the winter he hates being out, but in the summer he is out 24/7 and loves it (unless it's raining and then he stands by the gate shouting and pawing). Anyone who has met him will tell you what a diva he is! Very demanding!

Sadly I changed jobs last year, which means I do not have as much time as I did. I am cutting right down on the number of horses that I have, mainly so I can just have him and perhaps one other - this will mean a lot more time. We are also hoping YO will put in floodlights so that we wont have this problem (not being able to ride Monday-Friday) next winter!
 
can you not ride/lunge in the school in the dark??

I ride/lunge in our field in the dark (no school or lights!) and would do even more so if I had an arena!
 
fair enough, can I ask why?, particulary when you have an arena with a given surface that you know you can trust? not getting at you just genuinely interested why people dont/wont!
smile.gif
 
Lol if you saw the surface you might change your mind! It is woodchip, and never harrowed or rolled so incredibly uneven - down to the membrane in parts, and rucked up a foot deep in others. It's hard enough to balance a horse on in the light!! If I have a nice, harrowed, rolled arena then I might consider riding in the dark. Years ago when I lived in Sussex we stabled the horses on a yard that had a bridleway running past, and I often used to hack out in the dark in the morning. Also Ben is incredibly spooky, and the slightest noise sets him off in the dark.
 
grin.gif
maybe my nice squishy field is better then!

Its funny Frank is spooky welsh but often much better in the dark, no idea why!
 
I think his current lack of topline simply reflects the lack of regular work and loss of muscle, this is going to take a while to come back. A broader spectrum of work will help in this respect, instead of just riding (and as an aside until his back comes up again I would be using a rear riser or extra padding under that saddle) lunging and long reining are very much the way forward.

Weight wise he doesn't look too bad considering the challenges he sets you to get condition on him. Coligone may well make a substantial difference to him.
 
Personally I don't think he is poor, I do think he is lacking muscle, I agree try to vary his workload. At least the nights are becoming shorter and you will soon be able to pessoa him in the evenings, this will really help bring his back up.

One thing I would say is are you adding Selenium and VitE to this diet? With it (the diet) being high oil that will help with muscle development.
 
If he's not ridden and gone from a horse that was competing to not much at all now then he's not going to look the same horse, so you can't really do a fair comparison to past photos when he was.

Ideally you need him to be carrying out the same amount of work ..or none at all but the same life style, then compairing each winter etc

He's 16 and not doing any work, so really he looks how you'd pretty much expect muscle and weight wise, I do agree he lacks a healthy bloom but thats down to food/good health and grooming.

Perhaps making sure he's teeth are always ok so he's chewing and digesting his food well, making sure he's fed in line with his age/type and work load, few supplements for a helping hand.

I wouldnt say he looked poor though.
 
[ QUOTE ]
If he's not ridden and gone from a horse that was competing to not much at all now then he's not going to look the same horse, so you can't really do a fair comparison to past photos when he was.


[/ QUOTE ]

I didn't mean the old photo to be a direct comparrison just a "this is what he looks like in full work - this is what he looks like with no work" comparrison, ie, 'this is what I am aiming for'

With regards to teeth, these were done three months ago. He is fed a few supplements already in his feeds, and have just ordered colligone. I think from what everyone is saying, the main issue is his lack of muscle (which I knew about) and I am hoping with with longer days and my new Pessoa I can improve on that! I'll post another picture in a month and we can analyze the difference then.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top