Beefing up Young Hunters - genetics/feed/supplements/training

[raisethebar]

Okay - there are many different ways this can be taken. Simply curious to see what people say

The title says it all - how are these people making these youngsters look so mature?!?!

I know correct training & proper nutrition is the best way to develop a young horse but I have seen some of these young hunters for sale online and they are hugeeeee! (body mass wise)Some of these videos I have seen must have been taken at an awesome angle or at the perfect time because they look years older and more developed then I would “think” they wouldd at their age.

I also know genetics has a large part of it, but are people supplementing with anything else? A quick Google search shows SmartPak’s SmartMuscle Mass and Body Builder supplement.

Personally my horse is a slow grower (turning 6) and isn’t lacking in the “grocery” department but as he grows, he gets leaner and taller, and then he gets fatter while in between a growth spurt. I would love to see him become more consistent body-mass wise in the taller/leaner stages but I know I would rather have him like that then overweight with unnecessary stress on his joints.

Note: I am simply trying to educate myself and see how other barns do things.

[Covergirl15]

No advice, but I will say that sometimes pictures can be deceiving as well. When I bought my baby (as an almost 3 year old) he looked like a 5-6 year old in his pictures and videos based on size and development even though he wasn’t started under saddle (I imported him off videos with the help of my trainer from one of her trusted contacts). But, when we went to get him from quarantine, one of the ladies with Dutta kept talking about this cute little chestnut yearling they had, and asked if that was who we were picking up. No, the gelding we’re getting is 3. But then they led out this little chestnut–oh there’s the little yearling she pointed out. Turned out he was mine. :lol: So definitely looked more mature in pics and vids than in real life (;

But he’s bulked up nicely, and doing lots of stretching work (asking him to stretch out and down through his top line) has really built up his back and neck, though it’s definitely still a work in progress. He gets free choice hay and 2.5 pounds of grain 2x a day (half scoop), but like you said, you don’t want to much stress on their joints too early. That being said, my other horse was 7 before he started looking like the Oldenburg he was (putting on weight, widening through his chest, developing his top line, etc), and not a TB.

[IPEsq]

I think some of them are just too fat

[raisethebar]

Covergirl15 - that would be my luck. Glad to hear that he is bulking up nicely! I posted a thread on here about how much your horse has grown, that would be a perfect story for me.

IPEsq - I agree, some are too fat and make their overall appearance to be bigger.

When my guy did the Hunter Breeding classes, I heard talk of some trainers giving their young horses Vitamins of all sorts. Never found out what they were but man, these horses always looked amazing. Not sure how I would feel if my yearling-3 year old be pumped full of that type of stuff, but since my horse is 5, I am now interested if there is anything else that I am missing. I guess its just time.

Anyone ever use any of those supplements? How did they work?

[vxf111]

Mostly they’re just…

1. Started early
2. Allowed to be a bit bat
3. Not taken out during particularly ugly growth spurts

[BroncoMo]

I will preface this by stating that I breed QH hunters, not warmbloods. I started feeding Cal Density a couple years ago, not to get rapid growth but for the balance of vitamins/minerals and to get as much growth as they have in their genetics; I didn’t want someone not growing to their potential if we had say a bad year for hay or something.

The oldest one is only a yearling and I will say I’m disappointed with her height so far, but it may totally be genetics; she’s only the 2nd baby I’ve had out of that mare so the cross is relatively unknown. The kiddos this year are on it and have been for as long as they’ve been able to eat (mares were on it for last two months of gestation) and I have one who is the biggest I think I’ve ever had. At 9 months he is 14.3 at the wither and 15 1/2 behind. Again, no idea if it’s the supplement or just genetics. So the growth aspect of it is still unknown. But I love how they look on it. If it weren’t so flippin expensive, id feed it to everyone. I’ve had two and three year olds on it and they keep weight easier, hair coat blooms, their feet look healthier, overall they look great.

So I’ll keep feeding it, to ensure I get as much growth as their genetics will allow. And they look so good on it. Not sure if my mutant baby is a result of it or not. And that may not be what you’re looking for, but it’s certainly a different supplement than the muscle mass/body builder products out there.

[snaffle635]

Quite a few years ago, when mine was young-ish (maybe 6?), he was with a vet for a couple of months trying to resolve some soundness issues. The vet was concerned with his lack of muscling - my gelding was a bit on the lanky side. The vet implanted some hormone pellets in his ear. I don’t recall the name of the meds, but do remember they were the same as used on cows. I didn’t really notice an appreciable difference in my horse’s muscling, but he did have a bump on the tip of his ear.

[Dutchmare433]

I think some of them are just fed up and allowed to be fat.

Some of it’s genetics though. My guy (dressage horse, not hunter) is 3.5 y/o but looks like a bulky adult at the moment. A month ago he looked 3, he was growing, downhill, lanky and sort of weedy looking, then uphill and sort of weedy looking. At the moment he’s uphill, has filled out (despite his diet), widened through the chest, and has his ever-present huge muscly hind-end. So he’s a horse who, if taken out at the right time, would look amazing, and if taken out in a growthy stage would look terrible.

[vxf111]

fat, not bat. Sorry

[triplethreat]

I was told once that you can fatten them up pretty rapidly just before an event and it won’t hurt them as long as you only do it on occasion. I’m still not sure what you do to fatten them. Just feed the crap out of them I guess!

[findeight]

Genetics too. Professional handlers pick the quicker maturing ones to take out and show. Those that mature at a slower rate or, as noted above, going through a gawky stage stay home. Plus that, a good professional handle can pose a colt for a sales ad picture that bears no resemblance to its real self

There is a very interesting and ongoing conversation regarding success on the line/in Halter classes as a very young horse and success as a mature horse under saddle. Some breeders select for early maturing babies, look at the TB industry getting those stunning sale babies or breed show types that only show in hand.

There are exceptions, as always, but it’s a mistake to over feed and over supplement trying to bulk a young horse up to be something it’s not. JMO anyway.

[Tiger_Paws]

When I look back at all of the horses I have owned over the years I would have to say that genetics plays the largest part.

Obviously pumping in more calories into them than they expend will fatten them up. However, I’ve had horses that no matter how much you feed, supplement, ect they are hard keepers. On the other hand I’ve had others that quite literally get fat on air.