Slim horses?

I've noticed a lot of pictures of horses, not just here but all around the internet, that seem a lot thinner than they should be. I know that some horses are hard to keep weight on, but wow, it sure seems like an awful lot of horses shouldn't be that hard to feed.

They have all sorts of products out there from weight gain to corn oil that can aid in weight gaining. And it seems that too many people don't understand that the more you work your horse, the more energy (feed) they need. So you've got people riding several days a week that just aren't feeding these horses enough.

Is there some sort of Paris Hilton/Kate Moss thing going on with horses?

The Kate Moss comment about made me spit my Kool-Aid all over!

I have noticed it too... almost to the point where I am questioning myself and wheter or not my horses are getting fat?!?!

I wonder if it has to do with the market in the dumpster so many people that who could never before be able to afford a horse or 10 :roll: are getting into horses only to find the cost of feed and hay have gone through the roof...thusly they still can't afford horses and are advertising them up for sale so we are seeing them more.

I may be way off base here...I don't know. Its just a theory.

That might be it. I know hay has been bad for some areas so maybe they are cutting back on the feed a little too much.

It's just not good to see so many horses that need the extra feed. Times are definitely hard, but you gotta do what you gotta do.

I was seriously thinking it was some phase in the horse world because I'm seeing it so much! I'm not telling my chubby boy though!

I think the economy probably has a lot to do with it, and I would blame the other part on lack of knowledge...if you have jimbob who has a horse just to hop on 3-5 times a year...the likelihood of him taking the time to ensure proper nutrition is low...not to mention that those that have horses as ornaments probably aren't going to fork up the $10+ dollars for even a halfway good bag of grain...I know many people around here who feed all-stock/cattle grain to their horses....

Even feeding more hay I think would help!

I've notice that too, a lot of people are cutting back... if you can't aford the feed you can't aford the horse...... we pay some thing like 9.25 per 50 pound bag (mare and foal feed x 15 amonth) for 2 horses....and a hay contract that delivers once a month.....(round bales small hay room) ... I find star (my avator) skinny, but my vet has stated that because he is only 3 he hasn't "filled out" and loosing he's "baby teeth" hasn't done him wonders.....but I have seen more pic's on here that have made me go....."should you of posted that!!" where the horse is just skin and bones and the person doesn't know any better.....

I don't like "skinny" horses... but I also don't like horses that are very round. If it's muscle... I'm OK with it. But... well... I don't know. I like slender horses. Not SKINNY... but slender...

I have noticed that too but then when people deny the fact that they are skinny, its like 'i can see all your horses bones, that's not healthy ' :roll:

Moo was skinny when we got her, and even thought we got her at the start of winter and she is arab-y which I would imagine hard to put weight on, she ended up fat as butter by christmas

That's just it moo moo...when we got our horses in Oct. They were on the skinny side. You could just start seeing the ribs. A couple months of groceries and a bit of exercise will fatten a horse up in a couple months. Ours were looking great by christmas too!

I bought a 'thin' horse and am trying very hard to fatten him up w/out harming him.
I had the vet out and he said he needed 50-70#, would need his teeth floated before winter,I got his shots,shoes, wormed him and I feed him beetpulp,ricebran,reg. Horse grain and vitamins.He gets a little alfalfa,some orchard grass and lots of local hay.Im seeing some results but I've only had him since 7/12.
I trail ride him a few times a week, more if weather and time permits.
I sure hope Im doing the right things, I've asked so many horse folks for advice.I may be new at this horse thing again but Im not ignorant to the many needs of these big animals and certainly encourage all kinds of advice.