Pictures Would you scope?

Chippers1

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I posted a similar thread about my connie yesterday :) except he's definitely not as muscley as yours! My yard owner says he's the sports model because he's finer built and I am obsessive about weight and making sure he's not too fat. Mine seems to drop weight and muscle easily though as his topline is rubbish after not riding so much over winter but it'll come back.
Yours looks great! Much more preferable than fat.
 

splashgirl45

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another who thinks he looks fine especially as spring is just around the corner, i hope!!!!! he looks really well just a bit lean but he is working hard so understandable. have his teeth been checked by a proper dentist recently, if not i would get that done before doing anything else or maybe get them checked anyway just in case he has some sharp bits which stop him chewing properly...
 

ihatework

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Thanks guys. I feel better now! Lost my horse two years ago today to colic and so probably extra paranoid at the moment about everything gut related. I did think he was really lacking in muscle though and still looking weedy in that respect for his agec(rising 7) but that said he does no school work so what can I expect really...

You say he is lacking muscle and top line but I’m not seeing it to the extent you obviously are.

His neck looks spot on. He is weaker behind the saddle but that’s only really down to his conformation, he will probably always look a bit weak there.

Do not confuse a fit, blood stamp of a horse with the fat lumps we see out dressage & showing
 

gunnergundog

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He's a fit young horse that is actually doing some work.....you don't want him to be carrying any more weight to add strain to his joints/tendons etc.

As Ihatework said, my focus with him would be to strengthen his back and build him behind the saddle. This is something you will probably need to work on throughout his life due to his length in this area.
 

ElleSkywalker

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He’s on it! You’ve always supported the boggle bugger even when he was thoroughly unpleasant 😝 guess you have a good eye!!!

Just love the handsome little shirt-bag 😍 His quirkiness (haha sorry being polite) has always added to his appeal for me but look at how well all your hard work has paid off 💕💕💕
 

JanetGeorge

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Thanks for that :) he’s acrually already on the max dose of the Protexin gut balancer. Not sure what the difference is? Have you had different results with Both?

No - my horses don't dare get ulcers so only had recent experience with one who came back to me to be 'fixed and sold' - after 2 years. Wondering - what age is he. He looks young and I wonder if it might be low degree growth pains (have seen them in up to 7yo.) He does look a touch bum high - although that may be ground slope/angle. Some go slightly lame with it, usually behind - but others just have weak pecs and are a bit of a dither re balance, particularly working on a circle.
 

Michen

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No - my horses don't dare get ulcers so only had recent experience with one who came back to me to be 'fixed and sold' - after 2 years. Wondering - what age is he. He looks young and I wonder if it might be low degree growth pains (have seen them in up to 7yo.) He does look a touch bum high - although that may be ground slope/angle. Some go slightly lame with it, usually behind - but others just have weak pecs and are a bit of a dither re balance, particularly working on a circle.

He’s rising 7 and I’m fairly sure has actually grown in the last year though I haven’t sticked him!

Not actually bum high as the pic makes him look :)
 

Equi

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As said, he looks fab. I don't think he really needs weight on persay but muscle will help him look a bit rounder. He won't get that with the work he is doing currently, but that doesn't mean he looks bad!
 

Leo Walker

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With his background he is a prime candidate for ulcers. The journey over is hard on them and hes clearly had a lack of food prior to that. But not sure I would scope him now if he has no symptoms. When Leo came thin and angry and very sore to touch round his flanks etc I treated hindgut and then when he was looking a bit better I gave him a course of ulcer meds to see. If it had helped I'd have scoped then, but there was no difference so I left it there.

What is your gut instinct with him? Something to genuinely worry about or not?
 

Lyle

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Gosh he is gorgeous!! I had a 16.3 Irish Sport horse who, the moment we started doing any fast work, turned from round to greyhound. It was just his metabolism. I think if they can put on condition when out of work and on good feed, then it's more of a metabolism response to work.
 

Michen

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You say he is lacking muscle and top line but I’m not seeing it to the extent you obviously are.

His neck looks spot on. He is weaker behind the saddle but that’s only really down to his conformation, he will probably always look a bit weak there.

Do not confuse a fit, blood stamp of a horse with the fat lumps we see out dressage & showing

I think this is probably half the problem as my vision is skewed by him carrying half of the average horse I see 😂
With his background he is a prime candidate for ulcers. The journey over is hard on them and hes clearly had a lack of food prior to that. But not sure I would scope him now if he has no symptoms. When Leo came thin and angry and very sore to touch round his flanks etc I treated hindgut and then when he was looking a bit better I gave him a course of ulcer meds to see. If it had helped I'd have scoped then, but there was no difference so I left it there.

What is your gut instinct with him? Something to genuinely worry about or not?

My gut instinct is that I’m a paranoid nut job owner expecting my horse to drop dead any minute!

Ha, in all seriousness, I wouldn’t be surprised if he had a level of ulcers BUT if he does- his management (other than his busy lifestyle) couldn’t be more ulcer friendly in terms of turnout, feed, forage etc. So if he does, I can’t see what I would do other than keep him on very expensive ulcer treatment. I do think probably most competition horses have ulcers to a degree?

That said, I get the feeling he’s genuinely very happy- he does not strike me as a horse that’s not enjoying life to the max... so... not sure.

I’m going to hold off doing anything for now, spring feels around the corner and if he stays this lean on summer grass then I’ll re think things.
 
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