Building topline in a horse who gets overweight easily

[mydaddysjag]

Im looking for ways to build topline in a 10 year old horse who has the tendency to get overweight pretty easily. Due to his nature to get overweight easily, he's currently getting .35lb gro n win, .1lb oats, .5lb alfalfa pellets (due to not being able to get alfalfa mix hay) So, .5lb total grain, along with daily dewormer and a coat supplement. he gets this twice a day, along with a flake of grass hay. He's supposed to be getting less hay, however its an ongoing battle where he's boarded, and we dont have things ready to bring him home yet.

Overall, he's a little chunky, but we're working with conditioning him.

His topline is lacking a little, and Im looking to put weight on there, while he loses weight elsewhere. It's not super thin, but it's thin enough that I dont feel it's going to build muscle and fill in, but needs something extra to put a little weight there. It's hard to describe, but I will get some pictures tomorrow.

I was thinking beetpulp would do the trick, when I was showing young horses I fed it soaked to fill in the hips and topline. My worry about beetpulp is that where I board wont soak it, and im afraid to feed it dry. Since it's now hay season, I should be able to find alfalfa hay instead of grass, to up his protein a little more.

Any ideas?

Again, I'll try to have pictures tomorrow.

 

[chandab]

Building topline requires protein. The nutritionist I've been working with says: thin topline = more protein, thin ribs = more calories.

Are you feeding the recommended amount of the GroNWin? This would be a good protein source with minimal extra calories. If you are trying to get him to lose weight; drop at least the oats, and maybe the alfalfa too.

And, you may have to get more forceful (for lack of better word) with the boarding facility and insist on them only feeding the amount of hay he needs, his health depends on it. [Perhaps you could get him one of those slow feeders, so his hay lasts longer.] Once he's at an appropriate weight/condition, then you can reevaluate his diet.

I feed a ration balancer to everyone with grass hay for most, a couple get mixed hay (I have one that can't have any alfalfa); they look pretty darn good. I did have to buy a hay stretcher this spring, as I'm running short on hay, and still a few weeks out from new crop; a couple are getting a little chunky with the hay stretcher, but not bad.

 

[Ellen]

I agree, protien. My favorite supplement to help with building muscle and toplines is BodyBuilder by Equaide. A bit pricey but well worth it. You don't have to use it very long and they get the weight right were they need it.

 

[mydaddysjag]

He is getting the recommended amount of gro n win for his size and work load, maybe even slightly over. If I drop the oats, he gets thin all over, right now just his topline is a little thin.

I've tried body builder on him in the past, but when I gave it to him he got fat fats on his shoulders, neck, and tail head.

 

[Matt73]

He is getting the recommended amount of gro n win for his size and work load, maybe even slightly over. If I drop the oats, he gets thin all over, right now just his topline is a little thin.

I've tried body builder on him in the past, but when I gave it to him he got fat fats on his shoulders, neck, and tail head.

Have you tried top dressing the gro 'n win with Ultimate Finish?

 

[txminipinto]

Pictures would help. I have to wonder, based on the feed amounts you've posted, if he's not chunky but pot bellied. Horses need protein for muscle development and if he's not getting enough, he can't build that topline.

That said, some horses just don't have good toplines and are "hollow backed".