Critique Over Past Year - Diet? Exercise?

My gelding is 9 years old...half Thoroughbred, half Paint. My BO frequently comments on how fat (summer) or skinny (winter) he is and she adjusts his feed amounts constantly. I don't really notice it except last winter when he first got REALLY skinny. I think he's just out of shape sometimes (okay, a lot). Here's some chronological photos over the past year.

When did he look his best? Why?

When did he look his worst? Why?

What do you recommend I do to keep him at his best...or improve him?


July 07 (At previous owners home...I just bought him, pasture ornament for past 5 years):


January 08 (At my barn, maybe 2x per week exercise):


June 08 (Exercising 5x per week):


September 08 (Focus on groundwork, maybe riding 1x per week):


My goal is to really focus on his training starting in Late January 09 (I work retail and I have no time between now and the holidays!) I want to get a plan together so that we can be our best and hopefully really get into showing next season! I may even move barns/trainers. If you think he was at his best in the first photo, please say so and it may encourage me to move! Does he look that chubby to you guys in the last photo? It's very recent and everyone says he's fat...I just see beauty!

Honestly I think he looks like he has gotten progressively better. Meaning he looked the worst in the first (haha rhymes!) and the best in the last.

I don't think he looks fat in the last picture? Unless it is deceiving.

The reason I say he doesn't look so good in the first picture is because he obviously is very thin and looks like he has little muscle.

In the last picture you can see how he has gained weight and muscle, keep up the good work!

The only thing I personally think you should work on him with is neck muscle, granted their are no pictures of him "using his neck". With my boy I do lots of flexion and uphill work to try and get him to engage his hind quarters and bend in his neck.

Keep up the good work!

I think he dropped a fair amount of weight that first winter...but definitely do not think he's overweight now...matter of factly, if he were mine, I wouldn't mind him carrying 50+ more pounds or so :)

Cute horse!

Thanks for the critiques guys! You made me feel better about him not being too fat! Now I gotta get to work on him gaining 50 pounds of muscle!!!!

I the last pic I wouldnt say that he is fat...he could just use some work on his belly. Some long troting drills over ground poles could help trim that up. I think her looks great!!

He definitely looks better throughout the pics, from the beginning to end I see a big improvement. I think he's a fine weight, too. :) He's cute!