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Red Bull Agressive
Posts: 5981
   
Location: North Dakota | I have a horse lives out on grass 24/7 and the only additional thing he gets is his hoof supplement pellets. He does NOT need anything for weight. He's tubby as all get out. But he needs all the help he can get building and maintaining a strong topline. He's on a spring conditioning program but are there any supplements or ration balancer type feeds that can help feed that new muscle development? |
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 Born not Made
Posts: 2937
Location: North Dakota | Personally, I would give your spring conditioning program some time to work before you add anything extra supplement-wise. Chances are, you don't really need anything extra if he's already on good forage.
While a body builder often will use supplements, it comes down to time in the gym to get results. Same with the horse!
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 Miss Laundry Misshap
Posts: 5271
| Just because he has a hay/grass belly doesn't mean he's "fat."
One thing to remember with topline is that it has to be conditioned. Working your horse to make sure they are carrying their bodies correctly is important. If the horse is older (mine was 20ish), then they may need assistance with fat and supplements. I feed THE Muscle Mass.
If he's actually rolly-polly fat, then you need to reduce his intake if you can - section off the pasture so he can't eat all the time. Then the correct conditioning will reduce his body fat and his muscles will start to show better. |
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| I have always had good success with adding Uckele Tri-Aminos |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 595
Location: North Dakota | 9 out of the 10 horses at our boarding barn are in pretty much zero work. They are just here to eat and look pretty.. They all have full and fantastic top lines. Top lines come from nutrition #1. Just my personal experience.
Quality hay first then would add a loose free choice mineral. |
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Red Bull Agressive
Posts: 5981
Location: North Dakota | Nateracer - 2018-02-23 2:54 PM Just because he has a hay/grass belly doesn't mean he's "fat."
One thing to remember with topline is that it has to be conditioned. Working your horse to make sure they are carrying their bodies correctly is important. If the horse is older (mine was 20ish), then they may need assistance with fat and supplements. I feed THE Muscle Mass.
If he's actually rolly-polly fat, then you need to reduce his intake if you can - section off the pasture so he can't eat all the time. Then the correct conditioning will reduce his body fat and his muscles will start to show better.
He turns 10 this year. I can't section the pasture or stall/dry lot him (I board) but I am considering a grazing muzzle to slow him down once the grass starts growing in. He's not obese by any means, but definitely could stand to lose some weight. His program is a minimum of 3 months groundwork and lunging, specifically working on stretching, lifting his back, and engaging his core/hind end. I know that will be the biggest factor. None of this comes naturally to him and it's an uphill battle overcoming his physical issues. |
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Red Bull Agressive
Posts: 5981
Location: North Dakota | MidWest1452 - 2018-02-23 3:28 PM 9 out of the 10 horses at our boarding barn are in pretty much zero work. They are just here to eat and look pretty.. They all have full and fantastic top lines. Top lines come from nutrition #1. Just my personal experience. Quality hay first then would add a loose free choice mineral.
Unfortunately in a 40 acre pasture with 20ish other horses that don't belong to me (I board) I can only supplement with things I give him when I get him out of the pasture myself. Winters suck because they don't have the greatest hay, but when the grass is growing, it is really good pasture. |
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 Saint Stacey
| I’d PowerPac him. I don’t care how good of a worming program you have, you can still get an infestation. No top line means something isn’t right nutritionally. Whether it be bad teeth, feeding program or worms. The horse doesn’t sound like he’s absorbing nutrients correctly or efficiently. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 595
Location: North Dakota | To me if a horse is actually overweight they would have a good topline... almost too much and would have a "back crack" as I would call it. I just am having a hard time with the fact that he is overweight but doesn't have a good top line. Is it just a big hay belly he has? If that is the case then I would be looking at gut imbalances or needing a deworming.
Maybe Forco would be a choice in this case? Help reduce the hay belly if that is what he has and let his body utilize the nutrition better to put it where he needs it? |
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Red Bull Agressive
Posts: 5981
Location: North Dakota | His topline isn't terrible by any means, it's not sunken in or atrophied (although there is a slight dip behind his shoulders), but it's definitely not as strong as it needs to be. His teeth are UTD, just done a few months ago. I'll check out the Forco though.
Edited by cavyrunsbarrels 2018-02-23 4:36 PM
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 452
Location: Texas | What loose Mineral do y'all feed |
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  Neat Freak
Posts: 11216
Location: Wonderful Wyoming | THE Muscle Mass is a great option. I use it on my super old pony. He carries plenty of weight but he is definitly loosing definition in his muscles. It keeps him looking good and since he is on a mush diet, I know he is getting the vitamins and minerals too. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 883
Location: Southern Indiana | I once read an article about the type of horse your describing....fat kind of hay belly but still lacking a top line. Maybe even a little ribby. It said that they were lacking protein. This make sense. Top line is mostly muscle...protein builds muscle. I would try adding alfalfa to his diet. |
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Expert
Posts: 2122
Location: The Great Northwest | cavyrunsbarrels - 2018-02-23 2:35 PM His topline isn't terrible by any means, it's not sunken in or atrophied (although there is a slight dip behind his shoulders), but it's definitely not as strong as it needs to be. His teeth are UTD, just done a few months ago. I'll check out the Forco though.
If the teeth were done by a vet, I wonder how correct and balanced they are. I have learned to use a certified Equine Dental Practitioner. |
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Expert
Posts: 2122
Location: The Great Northwest | I suggest to feed whole food nutrients to support optimal equine health like Hemp meal and oil.
When whole Hemp seeds are ground, they become a nutritious whole food that offers high quality protein in a highly palatable form This is very important to your horse because they require enough essential amino acids (building blocks) to synthesize body protein, including muscle, hooves, blood proteins, antibodies, skin, vital organs, hormones, and more. An important aspect of Hemp protein is that it is a quality source of the amino acids. If only one source of protein is fed (as with grass hay), your horse will not get sufficient amino acids to stay healthy and peripheral tissues such as skin, hooves and joints will show signs of malnutrition. Hemp seeds offer all 10 essential amino acids (those that must be in the diet) in proper proportion to be best utilized by the body. The quality of protein found in Hemp seeds is so high in fact that it rivals soybeans. Horses lick up all the granules.
Hemp oil is another palatable optimal nutrient too. It provides added value in your horses & dogs as well as humans diet providing unique forms of omegas 3-6-9 in the most efficient form to metabolise of any plant oil. Hemp oil delivers the correct ratio of omega 3-6-9 without causing imbalance. Hemp oil is a balanced source of natural occuring Gamma-Linolenic Acid (GLA) and Stearidonic Acid (SDA). GMO Free - wheat free - PETRO-Chemical free - molasses free.
For more information go to FB (North American Hemp Products).
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | skye - 2018-02-25 9:50 PM I suggest to feed whole food nutrients to support optimal equine health like Hemp meal and oil.
When whole Hemp seeds are ground, they become a nutritious whole food that offers high quality protein in a highly palatable form This is very important to your horse because they require enough essential amino acids (building blocks) to synthesize body protein, including muscle, hooves, blood proteins, antibodies, skin, vital organs, hormones, and more. An important aspect of Hemp protein is that it is a quality source of the amino acids. If only one source of protein is fed (as with grass hay), your horse will not get sufficient amino acids to stay healthy and peripheral tissues such as skin, hooves and joints will show signs of malnutrition. Hemp seeds offer all 10 essential amino acids (those that must be in the diet) in proper proportion to be best utilized by the body. The quality of protein found in Hemp seeds is so high in fact that it rivals soybeans. Horses lick up all the granules.
Hemp oil is another palatable optimal nutrient too. It provides added value in your horses & dogs as well as humans diet providing unique forms of omegas 3-6-9 in the most efficient form to metabolise of any plant oil. Hemp oil delivers the correct ratio of omega 3-6-9 without causing imbalance. Hemp oil is a balanced source of natural occuring Gamma-Linolenic Acid (GLA) and Stearidonic Acid (SDA). GMO Free - wheat free - PETRO-Chemical free - molasses free.
For more information go to FB (North American Hemp Products).
Do you sell this product? |
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Expert
Posts: 2122
Location: The Great Northwest | I sell Hemp products for horses, dogs, all animals even humans.
Go to FB and North American Hemp Products |
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Red Bull Agressive
Posts: 5981
Location: North Dakota | lzysranch - 2018-02-25 2:06 PM What loose Mineral do y'all feed
None. I board him at a facility and he's turned out 24/7 with about 20 horses, so I can't leave a loose mineral in his pasture. |
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Red Bull Agressive
Posts: 5981
Location: North Dakota | skye - 2018-02-25 9:07 PM cavyrunsbarrels - 2018-02-23 2:35 PM His topline isn't terrible by any means, it's not sunken in or atrophied (although there is a slight dip behind his shoulders), but it's definitely not as strong as it needs to be. His teeth are UTD, just done a few months ago. I'll check out the Forco though. If the teeth were done by a vet, I wonder how correct and balanced they are. I have learned to use a certified Equine Dental Practitioner.
I have him done by an actual dentist :) |
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Building Muscle-Feed/Supplements that actually help?