Feeding the large, skinny, yearling baby to get to get ready for H.B. spring shows.

[LarkspurCO]

[QUOTE=EqTrainer;6217970]
But the OPs friends motivation for keeping him thin (undernourished) it seems is the old misunderstanding about what causes joint problems. You can have a skinny baby with physitis, mine when he had colitis is a perfect example. He looks more like Juliet now than the pics the OP shows here and no joint issues. Keeping them thin is not the answer to preventing the problem. If I had a foal that looked like that I would be worried, quite frankly I would be concerned that he will have joint problems in the future due to lack of nutrition. I sure wont ever buy one again![/QUOTE]

Yes, and it looks like he already has some physitis. Those fetlocks look puffy.

[Samotis]

I would recommend your friend going on the progressive nutrition website. It has a lot of good articles about nutrition and top line in a young horse.

I feed my 4 year old Bermuda hay, alfalfa pellets, a cup of canola oild and 3 scoops of progressive grass balancer. He has been on progressive nutrition since he was born.

My mare also stays on progressive balancer when she is pregnant.

The progressive website is prognutrition.com

There is great info there, even if you can’t get that brand near you, it will at least show you what you need. They also will send people out to help design the right diet for your horse.

[lolita1]

I do agree that the youngster does need help don’t be to hard I’ve seen vets proclaim dogs that are under weight fine … not. I’ve had it happen to me where people who are horse people say xyz is fine (they show horses) when xyz isn’t and is under vet care. Not sure about the last one were they being nice/minding their own business or did the really not see!!!

[blackstallion2]

Poor quality hay, pasture… ? She might need to slowly transition to a complete feed at this point and that might be what I would do if I knew more about the quality of what was being fed. I don’t use mare and foal after baby is 6 months and weaned. Triple Crown Complete or Senior will add balanced nutrition, fat, rice bran, yeast and beet pulp and owner doesn’t have to guess about balancing minerals, etc. She will have to feed a fair amouint of it to compensate for what is lacking in the present forage.

[EqTrainer]

^in order to feed enough of those to meet his protein needs tho she will likely end up feeding too many carbs which is what leads to inflammation in growth plates. She is going to have to be very careful fixing this problem and it will not be a quick fix.

Really, this is so sad.

[bornfreenowexpensive]

do a fecal too. One of mine was at a top farm, with a solid consistent worming rotation and he still had a high count. We had to switch him to a daily wormer and then he thrived.

Otherwise…I can’t see the pictures but no, not all foals look like they can show HB. But they can still have a healthy coat etc.

ETA: Finally saw the pictures…I didn’t think he looked bad at all considering how young he is. But then many HB youngsters look fat and too mature to me too. Could he look better…sure but I wouldn’t be freaked out. Just make sure he is healthy.

[Stonebridge_Farm]

I don’t think I’d be aiming for shows this year. I’d also like to see him turned out with some other horses, he needs to be out running and playing! If there are no other babies a nice gentle gelding?

[FraggleRock]

if he is only eating 2qts a day isnt it possible hes being under fed nutritionally? would he possibly be better off on a ration balancer?

[EquusMagnificus]

[QUOTE=wanabi;6217963]
Your filly is beautiful Laurierace, I am also doing HB shows but, it is not unusual to see foals looking like that, there is a lot looking like this everywhere, I personaly have 1 foal in my barn looking like that right now, I am doing everything I can for him not to look like that but nothing is working :no:

Sandra[/QUOTE]

Ditto. I confess to having one like that too. Well-fed, under no stress… I am trying a round of omeprazole just in case, but I am not alarmed about this foal at all.

HB doesn’t seem in the cards in the near future though. I was going to take mine to a show in a little over a month from now, but forget it. She’ll never be ready. Oh well.

It might be a good idea to get a nutrionist or a vet out just to make sure there isn’t any underlying condition… Good luck!

[M_O_Connor]

The picture you posted is of a very ribby baby; the earlier poster that suggested that he isn’t likely to fit the typical HB mold in that condition is correct, and if you need convincing, just browse through the photos from any HB class to see why. (If you really can’t see a difference between those fat, sleek youngsters and the picture you posted, you need to look again).

Rather than aim him at HB, I would concentrate on making sure he is healthy, and developmentally where he should be considering he is a late foal, so a quite a young yearling at this stage, only 8 months.

When was he weaned? Did the vet assess his joints when they looked puffy and felt hot? What was the verdict? Have they improved since?

What diet did the veterinarian recommend? Is this your friend’s first foal?

KER has done quite a lot of research on the nutritional needs of developing youngsters, and they offer a free nutritional consultation service.

I would recommend that your friend, together with her vet consult with them (http://www.ker.com/consultation/HorseOwners/ask.html, http://www.ker.com/solutions/vet.html) to come up with an approach that will provide him with all the nutrients he needs at his stage of growth, as well as making sure that your friend’s parasite control program is an effective one.

More information is available in the KER Library:

www.ker.com/library

If his skinny appearance is ‘just a stage’ he will grow out of it if he receives proper nutrition. If it is an indication of something more, then close supervision by a vet and nutritionist will allow for early intervention that can head off any long term effects.

Whether or not he participates in HB, he should still receive optimum care and an appropriate feeding program.

[Concetta]

Perhaps his teeth need to be looked at? I would check a fecal, deworm appropriately and go from there…my 10 month old May 2011 colt is looking like that all of a sudden to me……he’s been living out all winter in a 5 acre field with my gentle older gelding…gets high quality 2nd cutting orchard grass and 3lbs/day Buckeye Grow N Win…he was on Progressive Nutrition Pro Advantage Grass Diet Balancer but didn’t really like it as much as the Buckeye…there for a while he was getting too plump…and now all of a sudden he’s a bit Ribby…so I just started adding some FiberBeet(plain bp and Alfalfa pellets) and Buckeye Ultimate Finish(extruded/balanced blend of rice bran/flax/soybean oils) hopefully that will help fill him back out some more…I’m sending out a fecal this week, and will deworm appropriately, and my dentist is coming in May…plus spring grass I’m sure will help too

These youngsters do go through growth spurts so I wouldn’t be too alarmed just yet…make some changes perhaps to his diet, check fecal/deworm and have his teeth checked…maybe adding a digestive aid such as Fastrack or Probios would help improve his condition as well

[judybigredpony]

I am not going to read all the posts, that baby looks fine, its not a gigantic huge boned WB. Looks more refined and TB plus remember it was recently gelded, we do not know the parents conformation or size and some photo’s just make everything look bad.

The worst thing that can be done is to go over board and stuff this baby with to much of anything, calories, fat, suppliments etc. Yes a fecal would be nice and if its high how about a blood panel for basics.

To throw a whole lot of food could be the worse thing in the world. whats the hay quality and the pasture??

To many of todays youngsters are placed in this artificial enviorment and feed manufactured foods/suppliments to create…not grow or develope naturally…for pure oramentation. I have conditioned and show line babies successfuly way back in the day, they still pinned (Devon)w/ a few minor pasture scrapes because I let mine be horses 1st and hand held objects 2nd.

You screw their joints up now and horse forever pays the price. No normal youngster looks like a full blow over weight mature horse at these young ages, they are still immature growing babies…WB or TB.

[Equilibrium]

The first thing I saw in the picture was the belly. It can be worms and or not great forage. While I’d much rather see a rib outline than not even feel them, this guy is a bit too ribby. If he didn’t have the belly with it I wouldn’t be so alarmed knowing grass is coming or in full bloom. But that depends on where you live. This colt is lacking in bone and I am a TB person as well. It almost rather worries me in that he doesn’t seem to be utilising any or very little nutrition. I would be running a few tests if he were mine.

Some youngsters are not made for HB, it doesn’t mean they aren’t nice horses. At this stage I’d be trying to get to the root issue of his problems and put him on a feed program that works for him. I hate to harp on about the grass but it’s a tricky time to be feeding at the moment. Too much nutrition on top of spring grass can be a bit of a disaster. And if this guy isn’t out full time he really needs to be.

Terri

[Concetta]

Well here’s a photobucket link to some recent photos of my 10 month old May 2011 colt by Apiro out of a big boned/16.2 Premium RPSI Approved Tb mare by Rock Point…like i mentioned above…he is very well fed/gets premium nutrition and forage,lives out in a big 5 acre pasture with an older gentle gelding,and is able to see my other horses on the other side of pasture…able run,buck, and play all day and night,gets dewormed monthly too…so despite even the best of care and nutrition…they do go through growth spurts and get ribby,and if unblanketed all winter and live outside their coats don’t always glisten and shine-especially if they’re furry and rolling in mud,getting wet etc…and if able to be HORSES and not hand held objects like JudyBigRedPony pointed out…its totally normal and natural…unlike these artificial situations we as humans put them through

http://s761.photobucket.com/albums/xx260/Littleturtlehurdle/Alibi%20-%2010%20months%20old/

[lauriep]

[QUOTE=Equilibrium;6222004]
The first thing I saw in the picture was the belly. It can be worms and or not great forage. While I’d much rather see a rib outline than not even feel them, this guy is a bit too ribby. If he didn’t have the belly with it I wouldn’t be so alarmed knowing grass is coming or in full bloom. But that depends on where you live. This colt is lacking in bone and I am a TB person as well. It almost rather worries me in that he doesn’t seem to be utilising any or very little nutrition. I would be running a few tests if he were mine.

Some youngsters are not made for HB, it doesn’t mean they aren’t nice horses. At this stage I’d be trying to get to the root issue of his problems and put him on a feed program that works for him. I hate to harp on about the grass but it’s a tricky time to be feeding at the moment. Too much nutrition on top of spring grass can be a bit of a disaster. And if this guy isn’t out full time he really needs to be.

Terri[/QUOTE]

Not necessarily. We occasionally get babies in who are in perfect health, yet have a belly. They usually out grow it quite quickly, but we have noticed that these youngsters gain their weight from the bottom, at the belly, up, with the upper ribs and back being the last thing to gain. So, sometimes, the belly is just that particular horse’s conformation/make-up.

[lauriep]

[QUOTE=judybigredpony;6221797]
I am not going to read all the posts, that baby looks fine, its not a gigantic huge boned WB. Looks more refined and TB plus remember it was recently gelded, we do not know the parents conformation or size and some photo’s just make everything look bad.

The worst thing that can be done is to go over board and stuff this baby with to much of anything, calories, fat, suppliments etc. Yes a fecal would be nice and if its high how about a blood panel for basics.

To throw a whole lot of food could be the worse thing in the world. whats the hay quality and the pasture??

To many of todays youngsters are placed in this artificial enviorment and feed manufactured foods/suppliments to create…not grow or develope naturally…for pure oramentation. I have conditioned and show line babies successfuly way back in the day, they still pinned (Devon)w/ a few minor pasture scrapes because I let mine be horses 1st and hand held objects 2nd.

You screw their joints up now and horse forever pays the price. No normal youngster looks like a full blow over weight mature horse at these young ages, they are still immature growing babies…WB or TB.[/QUOTE]

What is happening WAY too often is that people are now STARVING their youngsters because of incorrect information such as this. Growing horses NEED enough protein, calcium, fat and carbs to fuel the growing body and develop the musculature, bone, skin and hair of a healthy horse. We get in WAY too many yearlings that are stunted in their growth and very unhealthy because their owners “heard that they should feed this way.” Well, without the underlying knowledge to understand what they are doing and why it is wrong, and what it takes to build a body, they end up starving the animal.

The colt pictured doesn’t worry me for its health, but it could certainly use more groceries. HB horses should NOT look like they are on their way to being a prize hereford, but they need a good cover on their ribs, enough fat to have a little crest, and an over all rounded appearance. But they should NOT be obese, and there is a huge difference in the two conditions.

[EqTrainer]

^this. We know better now.

And Concetta… Your horse looks nothing like the OPs. My almost yearling also lives out, gets dirty, has a wild rumpus every day and eats well. He cleans up well, too he also looks nothing like the original pic.

Remember… Pics of horses almost always make them look heavier than they are.

[Ibehorsepoor]

I have three wb babies all born within 4 weeks of each other now they are 10 and 11 months old.

2 always look amazing… one always looks a little tuffer. I also deworm monthly, rotating between fenbendazole and ivermectin. They are all three in every night at about 10 pm out in the am around 7 am and in between in a 6 acre paddock with free choice lovely timothy grass hay.

They have their main meal in the barn… I wont get into it… they are fine.

My point… I asked the vet last summer cuz the poor doer wasnt thriving… she said deworm… I said done… (she never had a gut… just poor hair coat and ribs…) everybody told me she looked great… I asked the vet again… she said may be an ulcer… I said what would cause that she 3 months old living with her mother…? who knows… I didnt ultrasound her… or give her anything other than papaya… one month later… WOW she looked amazing… the vet could not believe it. Now her coat looks great but she is a bit ribby again… I am okay with that, she is healthy, but a gangly teen ager… oh by the way… I measured her yesterday… she is 11 months old and 15.1hh… so just using every thing to grow. I have no doubt she is healthy…I also have no doubt that she will not win or place in any type of halter classes this summer… so she will grow, play and develop. I have issues with pushing them… hard on joints… the other two could honestly go in a class tomorrow, Its the way life is;)

However I also feel that the OP horse is lacking something… however not knowing the quality of the parents it is tough other than to say, none of mine have that belly.

[dream]

To show or Not to show him?

Why spend money on expensive entry fees to show your thin yearling. No way is this poor baby in contention for ribbons with all the lovely turned out ones.

Take the time, feed the thing more and I question why or how did this yearling get to look like this in the first place. He looks like he was just pulled in out of the field where is did not receive hardly any feed?

Keep him at home until he fills out. I hope the damage is not already done to him.