Is it just weight... Or something else?

My 10 y/o OTTB gelding has had weight problems, he was at a ranch and not well taken care of and went through a very bad winter with no blanket or feed just the mud pen and rotten hay bales. I bought him in march, he didn't slick out as quick as others, I actually took a curry comb to him in May. I've had two vets opinions. One said teeth, so I had them floated. Another said bloodworms and I had him treated. He never acts in pain, he's never coliced, one vet even said he thought he looked good for a 10 y/o OTTB... he suggested I take him off all the feed he was on since he was acting hot. He said it's better he's a little skinny than acting how he was. I had him on rice bran, 12% livestock, soaked beet pulp, and Farnam weight builder. He hasn't lost any weight, I just hate seeing his ribs, it seemed he only gained weight to a point and then quit, he's held that weight, and I don't have to feed him all that anymore, I was wondering if there's any other possibilities that might be causing this. I'm going to post a picture so you can see how he looks, he has 24-hour access to pasture, hay, and shelter. He gets fed a coffee can of rice bran and 12% mixed in the morning and evening along with some carrots and/or apples.
I'm doing that to maintain his weight until I figure out where to go from there.. Vets haven't been much help... What they have told me, I've done and it hasn't affected his weight. Anyone have any experience with thoroughbreds and weight problems when it turns out to be something deeper? I don't believe he has ulcers, he never seems like his stomach is in pain in any way... I'm open to all answers.
Also, he has loose stool, like cowpies. It's very green looking. And usually a little liquid comes out afterwards that runs down his rear a little. He also is very gassy, farting all the time, especially when he gets excited... I know it's better they fart than not but this may mean something else... It's been going on for a few months now.
Thank you!
Http://i1126.photobucket.com/albums/l614/rachelsue10/d7fe858d.jpg
His ribs show barely more than the picture shows. Also his backbone? Is it supposed to stick out like it does, or be fat like a QH's back?
Thank you(:
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Loose stool plus hard keeper to me does sound suspiciously like ulcers. I would have that looked at, first. Then general bloodwork.

The vet who said that a skinny horse is better than a crazy horse is an idiot. No, he doesn't need to be jacked up on sweet feed, but he's clearly lacking in the calorie department. I'd go with free choice grass hay and possibly a senior feed with added fat supplement (oil, Cool Calories, Weight Builder, etc.). Your horse lacks both fat and muscle over the topline; the bumping spine is partially due to muscle atrophy and partially due to a hunter's bump, which is a common conformational flaw.

I would question ulcers too. If he were my horse(totally my own opinion) I would go with buckeyes feed eq8(equate) it is made for horses who specifically have ulcers or any intestinal issues. Even if they don't have ulcers it is a good feed it has probiotics in it to help them absorb their feed better. Plus it wont make him hot. I'm about to put my paint on 1/2 eq8 and half gro n win to up his caloric intake some. Cool calories works well too! But I would definetly have him checked for ulcers.. its my understanding that tb's are more often horses with ulcers? Especially ottb's
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Is there any way that can be treated without a vet confirming it ? It's a $40 farm call, plus the actual exam, plus medicine if he needs it... Is there anything I could give him that would not affect him if he didn't have ulcers but cure it if he did...
I don't know much about them.. Are they a recurring thing? Or do you need to give them something daily to prevent it?
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I could google for you....but the best place to do online equine medical research is by joining TheHorse.com and reading the articles there.

Definitely, they are more at risk I know that and a high percentage get them. Close to all ottbs have ulcers at some time... So feeding more makes it worse right? What is the correct way to treat this ? I've never had experience with ulcers before ?
And what does a vet need to do to confirm it? And approximately how much does that normally cost?
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You could call your vet and tell them you suspect ulcers and ask about treating with ranitidine(generic zantac). I have a 14 year old OTTB who I suspected had ulcers and I treated her with the recommended dose for her weight and within a week she was a different horse, I did 4 weeks of ranitidine. My horse had off for winter and when I started working her again she had another flare up so I had to do another 4 weeks of meds, this time I also started her on a supplement called ulc-r-aid, since then she has been doing great(the the exception of the time she went a week without the supplement because a raccoon ate it). Your vet will be able to tell you the proper dose, but I would get it over the counter as it will be much cheaper that way, walmart sells a box of 65tabs for $4.00.

I think you should try more food. What kind of hay are you feeding? Has it been tested? A coffee can isn't much for a horse of that breed and condition.

Are you sure that you did not misunderstand your vet when he said to take him off of the feed? Perhaps he just meant to not feed what you are currently feeding? Starving your horse is not the way to control his behavior, and I'd hate to think your vet actually suggested that. Of course he isn't going to be "as hot" when he is feeling lethargic and unwell from being malnourished!

I'd start by taking out the sweet feed, it has a really high sugar/carbohydrate content that is likely what (in the feed aspect of things) is causing your horse to be hot. I'd swap to a feed with a controlled sugar/carb (starch) content.

The rice bran is good... maybe look into a pelleted feed, such as Nutrena Safe Choice, Triple Crown Low Starch, Triple Crown Senior or Purina Strategy Healthy Edge? Good luck!

Also, have you kept him on a regular worming schedule or had his stool checked?

I just looked up the eq8 and I have to say I'm not thrilled with the ingredients, nor the 23% NSC. Seems rather high to me especially for a feed marketed for ulcer prone horses. I'll stick to the triple crown senior which has 11%NCS and alfalfa as the first ingredient and no corn.

Purina's heathy edge really made my TB's ulcers flare up, and it made her crazy hot! Safe choice also has a pretty high NCS %, although I don't know the actual numbers and have never fed it, I do believe there is quite a bit of corn in it, which is a problem for ulcer horses. I have my TB on TC senior and she does very well with it, the 30% supplement(ration balance) is also very good. I had her on it for a while but it's hard to get because my feed store doesn't always carry it.