I can see gelding's ribs, but yet he looks pregnant? Round ribs??

[beau159]

Okay, maybe “pregnant” is a little exaggerated (he’s not THAT bad… but kinda was pretty danged fat in May!). But I’ve been looking at little ol’ Dexter all year and just trying to figure out his conformation. It’s just a little different than I have ever seen.

Background: He is 12 years old. Quarter Horse. About 14.2 to 14.3 hands. I started riding him in May (so just over 4 months). Sat in the pasture the prior year. And don’t know too much about his history before that (before we bought him) except I know the poor guy was manhandled and “cowboyed” on.

I’ve gotten him into really great shape. He can go 7+ miles trotting/loping without batting an eye. Of course, my rides aren’t always that long, but I like to do a long one about once every week or two weeks. Most of the time, I make him travel correctly, but I understand he’s had 12 years of uncorrect riding (head in the air, hollow back) so there’s just going to be certain muscle developments he already has that I know I’m not going to change in only 4 months of riding. Getting that head down is just a work in progress. Strangely, he is fantastic at flying lead changes. Does them just beautifully!! So he does already travel with his hindquarters reaching under him (of course he has a short back too), but yes, there’s still lots of room for improvement.

But I’ve just always been curious about his ribcage. I can just barely see his ribs when he walks, but they come OUT instead of DOWN on his sides. Yea, he does still have a little bit of a belly. They are on pasture 24/7 and I know that can do that, but it could also be from all his years of incorrect riding (he does have decent dips behind the withers too, so his topline could be much better).

So I guess my long winded question: Have you had/seen horses that had very rounded rib cages, where your leg goes?

So I tried to describe my question by drawing lines on this picture I took yesterday. Normally on a horse that is in good shape, they are “flat” on the sides (like the green line) but it seems like his ribcage just anatomically will stay round (red line) because I think that just might be how he is built? (Yellow line is probably pasture belly bloat!!)

Here’s the picture without the lines: [IMG2=JSON]{“data-align”:“none”,“data-size”:“full”,“src”:"http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k27/r_beau/Horse%20pictures/dex%20ribs%202_zpsbfbazqbl.jpg)

Side View: [IMG2=JSON]{“data-align”:“none”,“data-size”:“full”,“src”:"http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k27/r_beau/Horse%20pictures/dex%20ribs%203_zpspbzcqh3x.jpg)

“Rib” view. I like to think we’ve gotten him good and healthy. Look at that shine, straight out of the pasture!!! [IMG2=JSON]{“data-align”:“none”,“data-size”:“full”,“src”:"http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k27/r_beau/Horse%20pictures/dex%20ribs%201_zpsrt5tgcwa.jpg)

[GramV]

He looks great. Barely seeing some ribs at the just the correct angle is about right. It looks like he has a huge barrel with a little bit of fat, which is wonderful.

Horses in good shape are not normally flat at all. It depends on the horse. I have one mare that can be emaciated, but she has such a massive barrel, she looks huge. Conversely, when she was 10 months pregnant, you could barely tell unless you were just at the right angle.

[Scribbler]

I wouldn’t worry about the ribs.

I would concentrate on getting his abs toned up, and developing topline which will fill in his back and hind end.

Actually belly isn’t even a point of reference on the Henneke weight chart as it can be distended from gas, worms, starvation, pregnancy (none if which apply here!).

He sounds like a nice horse and if he gets decent nutrition while you are getting him fit his body will develop a lot.

[PeteyPie]

Has he been wormed? If that is not the problem, here is my opinion:

There are three issues, the wide-sprung ribcage, the hanging belly, and the ribs showing. The wide-sprung ribcage which is clear in the top photo is just the way he is built and is considered by some to be a desirable trait for a couple of reasons (which occur to me; there may be other benefits as well). First, from a health perspective, it gives plenty of room for his organs, especially the lungs which are super huge in a horse. Second, it allows for a rider who is taller or has long legs to ride a relatively short horse comfortably. He takes up a lot of leg.

The second issue, the hanging belly, can be from worms, lack of exercise, obesity, or access to plenty of grass (hay belly). He looks healthy to me, not wormy, but you would know what your worming schedule is and if you have done a fecal count to monitor his worm load. I don’t know what type of exercise is good for this if his belly is lacking muscle, but others would, and it seems like you are working him a lot already but look into that issue. He doesn’t look obese to me although a tad heavy, but I think his weight is probably good for a Quarterhorse. That leaves hay belly as the culprit, and since he is on grass, that points the way. So I vote hay belly if worms are ruled out. Here is info about hay bellies on the AQHA website:
https://www.aqha.com/daily/health/20…d-a-hay-belly/
Also, here is a thread on COTH about curing hay bellies:
https://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/forum/discussion-forums/horse-care/58895-hay-belly-but-still-ribby
More discussion from Horse and Hound on reducing that belly:
http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?600931-How-to-get-rid-of-grass-hay-belly

The slight sign of ribs could be a sign that he is underweight, but I don’t think so in his case. He is really padded on his neck, withers, loin and rump and there is no sign of a backbone sticking out, so I don’t think he is underweight at all and in fact, as I said above, he might even be a tad heavy if anything. I wouldn’t worry about the ribs.

Your horse is very pretty, healthy, shiny and happy looking!

[beau159]

@GramV

He looks great. Barely seeing some ribs at the just the correct angle is about right. It looks like he has a huge barrel with a little bit of fat, which is wonderful.

That’s a good way to describe it, in my words I was lacking: Huge barrel.

@GramV

Horses in good shape are not normally flat at all.

I’ll take a picture of my other horse tonight, for comparison on what I mean by “flat sides”. With all the horses I’ve ever had, this is how they looked when they were in good shape.

Of course, I’ve just maybe not had a “huge barreled” horse until now!

[retiredhorse]

Look up conformation term “well sprung ribs”.

eta: Had a tb built low and wide, with well sprung ribs/wide barrel, and always could see a little bit of rib like from certain angles, like your photos, even though he was in good weight (maybe a tad fat, since he was a hunter (but not quite as fat as today’s hunters and did not have a hay/grass belly)), shiny and healthy.

[beau159]

@Scribbler

I wouldn’t worry about the ribs.

Oh, I’m not. The ribs are fine!

@PeteyPie

Has he been wormed?

Yes, in July. Vet has me doing 3 a year. He is due to have his Quest once we get the first good frost probably in about a month.

I have not done a fecal on him, but I did on my other horse (part of his wellness package I did) and they are kept together and he was fine. Of course, that doesn’t mean Dexter is but I wouldn’t have a big concern with worms on him.

It’s probably just grass belly.

@PeteyPie

so I don’t think he is underweight at all and in fact, as I said above, he might even be a tad heavy if anything. I wouldn’t worry about the ribs.

Yup, not worried about him being underweight at all. I think he’s pretty good … ***if **** anything, he could still lose a few more pounds. But he’s doing very well, for being on pasture 24/7. But he does get ridden most days.

[mmeqcenter]

Yes, some horses just have more “well sprung ribs” than others. He also looks to be having a bit of a hay(grass) belly going on. Building up his stamina is great, but it’s not the same as building muscle, especially if he’s just loping around lazily for 7 miles without actually using himself correctly. IMO, he looks quite tubby without a whole lot of muscle. Getting rid of the hay belly involves higher protein in their diet and muscle building. Hills, trot sets, cavaletti, transitions, etc.

[drafting_dots]

My horse has a similar belly! The only way I can describe it is that he has a very narrow, forward set girth in combination with a large barrel. I know some of it is fitness related but I definitely think he will never have a straight girth to belly transition

[cnigh]

My mare is the same. You can feel her ribs and sometimes see them, but still huge around. She is 13.1hh and 950 lbs. She is an Arab with a narrow chest as well. So the ribcage looks even bigger by comparison.

My girl has had 2 fecals done and dewormed accordingly. She is happy and healthy with a shiney coat.

I just take pictures that make the barrel look nice, lol.