I posted a critique a few weeks ago for my tb gelding and a few people pointed out that he was underweight. Well i've been working on it for about 3 weeks now and was wondering if there was any improvement. Since i see him every couple of days or so i don't notice it as much, however today he seemed to me to look like he has put a bit on, what do you think?
3 weeks ago
today
I noticed it mainly in his neck, but that could just simply be a bit of increase in muscle. i've been riding him in a loose rein to avoid him leaning on the bit and building the under-muscles in his neck. he's quite heavy on the forehand and very weak in his hindend, which is something we're working on ( do you think that's a tb trait or simply due to their racetrack training?)
anyways, he's had a round bale in his paddock for the past 3 weeks and between him and my mare they've eaten the whole 500kg lot. iv got another roundy for them to munch their way through so i'l post another update after they've finished that one.
he also gets hard feed once a day.
he looks alot better, but could stand to gain a little more weight I think.
For muscles, he definately needs it in the neck and hind-quarters. Some in the topline, and possibly just some everywhere.
I'm not sure if the weak hind-quarters is a racing thing or a breed thing cause I don't own a TB, but I'm sure another TB owner will be able to answer that!
The hindquarters have nothing to do with race track training or TB's. Most TB racers have a strong hindquarter bc that is what gives them the speed and not all TB's have non musclesd hindends as a trait. it all depends on the horse, and it's been ridden and how it's learned to carry it self. working on collected halts and trotting will def help build the muscle in that area.
Actually it is the other way around. The driving force for any animal is in the back end. The length of their stride may come from the front but the speed is all from the back so those muscles will be better developed.
100-150 more pounds will do him good - looks like he's heading in the right direction, though
IMO, I wouldn't work him too hard to build muscle until he's put on a bit of weight...hard for those muscles to function properly without the correct nutrition :wink:
No he's not in hard work atm, due to me doing my last year of school, but once i've finnished and he's gained some more weight (he's got another round bale to munch through yet) i hope to ride him more and build up those muscles
As for what i feed him, he has 24 hr access to hay (grass) and can eat as much as he wants and gets hard feed at night, which is 2 scoops of oaten chaff and 2kg of Equibix, plus some sunflower oil mixed in.
Had the dentist come out the other day to do my old girl's teeth and he discovered that she had mites/lice (i am horrified that i didn't pick this up before ) which would contributing a little to both her and Shea's lack of condition. So i'm getting on that straight away and hopefully they will both improve even quicker now (onto their 2nd round bale).
Also with the whole tb debate thing, i would assume that when they are in fit, racing condition they would be well-muscled... um, everywhere, lol, but after they come off the track, b/c they're trained to be heavy on the forehand and lean on the bit, when their workload is reduced to that of a pleasure horse they lose the muscling in their hindquarters as they're leaning on the front as they were trained to do when racing? correct me if im wrong.
He is looking much better, my advise is try to get him working under saddle a bit more. My horse was OT he lost a lot of condition fairly quickly cause they go from being in hard work being fed a lot, to less work & not as much high energy food.
But the thing that I noticed the most is he got injuried(fence accident) about a month after I got him, trying to get his weight up & not working him was a mission now that he is sound I am working him most days not that hard but working him, the weight is starting to pack on.
He difinitely has more meat on him but I wouldn't mind still seeing a little more. As for muscle tone, he will need to be put on a regular schedule. Good work done so far, keep going you're on the right track.
Wow, He was deffinitly underweight and looks a lot better But still needs a few more groceries
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