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Is he too skinny?

5K views 14 replies 12 participants last post by  loosie 
#1 ·
I was just wondering if my boy is still too skinny? He's gained quite a bit of weight but just wondering if he needs to gain more, and if so how much?



 
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#2 ·
He could do with a touch more, but not too much. Just enough to cover his ribs a bit better, but bear in mind that the two shots where you can see his ribs, he is moving and that can cause them to pop out a little bit.

What he needs now is work to increase his top line, and shift the weight from fat around his lower body to muscle all over.
 
#3 ·
He's still too thin, yes. What feed do you have him on? I'm not completely sure how much he needs to gain, but I'd say another fifty, possibly a bit more- wouldn't hurt him a bit, especially as winter is approaching. Muscling him up might help his appearance a lot, also. He's got a very scrawny neck and super large head, throwing his porportions off. If you can get some muscle and fat on him, I think it would do him a world of good.
 
#6 ·
he is still skinny yes needs more weight yes. tips- add some canola oil to his feed it rally helps. i have a 17 year old arab and he was SKINNY maybe through him an extra flake or 2 or try to get out to graze him often. maybe add a little more of the grain. double check with you vet before changing quantity of food. the oil though is not necessary for a vet but it never hurts to let him know what your doing. also flax seed. its conditions the mane, tail and coat and also strengthens the horses hooves. we give that to my OTTB. ask around for specific measurements and stuff. you can give the flax to the horse whole but they get more nutrients out of it if you grind them u in a blender or i use a magic bullet.
 
#7 ·
Skinny?? I'd hate to see what you lot think is a fat horse!! I agree with Chiilaa & Supermane that he's a tad light, but not by much at all. He's looking pretty good & if he came to you poorly gothic, you've obviously done a great job by him. If he's been putting on weight consistently on whatever you're giving him, you certainly don't need to push more into him - might be nearly time to cut down, to maintain what he's got. Looking at it from a health perspective, not just aesthetics, 'cushiony' is certainly not preferrable to a tad light. Horses are not designed to be mud fat all year & this is what commonly causes IR.

He hasn't got much in the way of muscle tho. I think the angular looking croup/sacro area may make him appear thinner than he is, as his spine's sticking out, but I would get a good bodyworker to check him out, as this may be due to previous injury or such & he *can't* muscle up around that area. Is his conformation a bit 'camped out' or is that just the angle of that first pic?
 
#8 ·
I can see ribs & I don't like it. But I don't think he's too skinny, the flesh is hanging down from his back & hips. Just my opinion, but I would have a recommended horse chiropractor look at him, to me, looks like something is out of alignment.
 
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#12 ·
Thanks everyone for the replies. When I got him he was pretty skinny (hip bones, ribs, and back ridge stuck out). I just want to make sure he has enough weight on for the winter as it gets pretty cold here. He's on sweet feed right now as that's what the BO feeds. I'm not sure how much hay he gets a day (sometimes he has unlimited, sometimes not). He is in a paddock, so no grazing, but I am thinking about moving him to another barn which does have a large pasture.
I'm not too worried about his ribs as his dam and grandsire were very slabsided and always had ribs showing no matter how much you fed them, and he seems to have inherited that.
Its nice to know that he's almost back to where he should be though.
I have been working a bit on the muscle gain, but don't want to push him too much until spring due to an old tendon injury he had before I got him.
Should I start cutting the feed back, or leave it as it is for now? Its starting to get cold at night, and he's out 24/7. I'm thinking he may need the feed to keep the weight on as its only going to get colder.
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#15 ·
I'd personally avoid feeding sweet feed or other 'junk food'. If you are going to continue feeding this or other starchy, grainy feed, it's even more important to feed it little & often, rather than only a meal or 2 daily. You might want to up his hay closer to winter &/or if you cut the sweets. I imagine you will rug him, so keep in mind this, to a large degree, negates the extra energy they may expend keeping warm in winter. If he's living out & naked in a cold climate he will likely need a bit more.
 
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