He has had about 12 rides
That is not counting the rides he had 1 1/2 years ago.
He needs time, steady consist and, properly organized work , whether arena or trail. Otherwise no matter what you feed him, he will not develop proper muscling.
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It’s a fairly long journey, and the answer depends on what your final goal is. I’d plan on 6-9-12 months to re muscle him.
I use Tri-amino when I have a horse, in regular, correct work, who isn’t putting on muscle like they should. Pay attention to saddle fit too—too tight and they don’t have anywhere to lift their back.
I put my mare on it after she was about 6 months back in work after a long hiatus. It helped her over the hump and she has gone up about 1 1/2 tree sizes. Her hind end also looks totally different.
I put my gelding on it briefly last summer when we got a crappy batch of hay that had really low protein.
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Muscles require amino acids to create protein and fats In order to build. This takes calories and macros. It is good that your horse has good forage, but most young tbs (not all) require a significant amount of grain supplementation to get the correct amount of calories and macros.
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My current ride - (16 yr old TB, pasture ornament for about 10 yrs) took 4 months to start seeing top line definition. Now 1 yr later seeing great progress with hind end muscle, abs and neck crest. First month back, workouts were really light since he was so long out of training. He’s built uphill and easy to work round which helps us immensely. It took about 6 months to get a decently balanced canter (walk & trot balance came much quicker). In addition to top line, it’s good to focus on building balance & strength in each gait. It’s a fun journey and keeps goals reasonable early in your partnership. Good luck & many happy trails!
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Thanks for your post. I took another good look at him again. We are definitely making progress.
Assuming protein needs are met, and no ulcers, I would expect to see some noticeable (but not drastic) changes every 30 rides. Not “30 days,” but 30 training rides (not hacks) of learning balance, straightness, engagement. It doesn’t have to be long; 20 minutes including a 5min loose rein walk is enough work to begin to develop muscle.
Every horse progresses at his own pace of course; thus some horses will show more dramatic improvement rapidly, others more slowly. They will hit peaks and plateaus. But take photos every 8 weeks and you should see some visual changes throughout the next 18 months.
4yo mare the day I bought her at the track: https://photos.app.goo.gl/nWG4fgm6udaEUbLY8
60 days later, Dec 2017, after ulcer treatment. with about 10 rides: https://photos.app.goo.gl/FhiLPUsbaL5tNAi16
Jan 2018, about 30 rides:
”‹https://photos.app.goo.gl/4PWuaeEKSoQb1813A
”‹”‹”‹”‹”‹”‹June 2018, about 5 months of regular work 4 days a week. https://photos.app.goo.gl/1xfaoPM1zbMRQEPn6
Dec 2018, a year after her training began. https://photos.app.goo.gl/WRfJwdLXAVDoqDvt6
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Whoa! Looks great. What a difference. Actually according to that, we are right on schedule. Thank you.
She was a long, slow case to develop. Struggled with her weight for 6 months; treated for hind gut ulcers and that helped get her over the hump. She had free choice alfalfa hay, and started on 9lbs of 16% mare/foal pellets. Plus DAC oil and beet pulp. After a year, she was down to 6lbs grain, beet pulp and 20lbs alfalfa. Now part of the broodmare herd, she’s staying fat on hay, beet pulp, and about 1lb of hard feed.
Don’t be afraid to feed them in the beginning. Stay away from sugar (no molasses sweet feed), find something pelleted and add 1lb (dry weight) beet pulp that helps hind gut efficiency. A little fat/oil is fine, but to build muscle you need protein. In my experience, TBs have higher protein needs than most other breeds. Giving 20lbs of alfalfa can really help meet those demands (20lbs of 18%cp alfalfa is much more meaningful than a few pounds of 12%, 14% grain). Don’t get caught up on “percentage” but rather total mass of protein fed…20lbs of alfalfa gives up to 3.6lbs of protein. 20lbs of grass (8%) is only 1.6lbs protein. 6lbs of 12% grain is 0.72lbs protein. Thus alfalfa is my go-to when building top line. Digesting high quality hay is better for their gut, too. Excess protein is secreted in urine; may make stalls smell if not cleaned well, and not advisable if hirse has history of kidney disease (not common).
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This is much appreciated. Thank you.
Update: This guy is really coming along. His back is filling out and he is starting to really use it now.
It takes 7 weeks of no work to lose the muscle!
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That is good to know
