How do I build up my horse's topline?

Hill work is an excellent way to build topline under saddle. Riding up and down hills increases the activity of the muscles in the hindquarters, the back and the abdominal muscles. A slow trot or walk is going to be most beneficial in the early stages.

How long does it take to build up a horse topline?

Your horse's spine is designed like a bridge. The vertebrae are strung together and supported by muscles, similar to the design of a suspension bridge. When the additional weight of a rider is added, the spine is supported by the back muscles and the abdominal muscles.

Why is my horse losing topline?

Many factors contribute to the horse's topline or lack of it, including conformation, age, exercise, disease (gastric ulcers and Cushing's disease, for example), and chronic back pain (kissing spine, poor saddle fit, vertebral subluxation, arthritis, etc.).

Can you build topline on an older horse?

One way to increase an older horse's ability to build and maintain a topline is to increase their protein intake. While a horse will get protein from hay and natural pasture, additional protein will enhance their performance and muscle building ability.

How do I build muscle on my horses back?

Working a horse up and down natural hills is a great way to activate the muscles in his hind end and back in a natural way without trying to maintain a balanced frame. Regular hill work of balanced gaits going both up and down will help build stamina and muscle retention.

5 steps to Build your horses Topline

What should I feed my horse topline?

The most critical nutrient for improving a horse's topline is protein, and not just any protein will do. Rather, high-quality protein with the proper amino acids. Protein is made up of chains of amino acids that are the basic building blocks of muscles and other important tissues.

Does lunging a horse build muscle?

Lunging is a great way for horses to exercise and build muscle.

How do you strengthen a horse's back end?

Walk, trot, and canter poles all work different areas of the horse but have one thing in common: they help to strengthen the hind end and improve the way of going by working the entire topline and helping the horse to engage his core and lift his shoulders.

How can I improve my older horse's topline?

Providing a balanced diet with high-quality protein and amino acids can help support topline development and reduce muscle wasting as horses age. Mature horses have relatively low dietary protein requirements; however, protein quality can be a limiting factor when feeding grass hay.

What should a horse's topline look like?

An ideal topline can be described as well-muscled, displaying a full and rounded athletic appearance, lacking concave or sunken-in areas, providing ability for sustained self-carriage. This region of the horse is a good visual indicator of the whole body amino acid status.

How do you feed topline?

The minimum feeding rate is 1 pound per 1,000-lbs body weight per day. Replacing one pound daily of your regular horse feed with one pound of a diet balancer will help to provide the required amount of essential amino acids to your horse's diet. And you should see an improvement in topline in a few months.

What can I give my horse to build muscle?

To build topline you must provide the building blocks your horse needs to make muscle. Using feeds with protein provided by soybeans, lupins, faba bean or canola meal will give your horse access to good quality sources of protein, which builds muscle. Feeds with one or more of these protein sources are best.

What should I feed my horse to build muscle?

When it comes to feeding, the main building block for building muscle is protein. Your horse will obtain protein from a variety of sources in the diet including grass, forage and the bucket feed. Some ingredients such as alfalfa are particularly abundant sources of protein.

Why is pole work good for horses?

'Polework is good for improving balance, control and steering. It also requires precision, so it can help to refine your aids (and your horse's reaction to those aids), which benefits everyday riding,' explains Stef.

What horse feed is high in protein?

Protein Sources

Your horse consumes a variety of ingredients from roughage to grains that each have varying levels of protein quantity and quality. High quality protein - Sources high in quality protein are legumes such as soybeans, tick beans, lupins and seed meals from sunflower and canola.

Is alfalfa good for topline?

Feeding a commercially prepared concentrate containing high-quality protein sources such as legumes, including soybean and alfalfa meal, along with additional lysine coupled with exercise and the correct timing of meals post exercise will develop the perfect topline.

What causes hind end weakness in horses?

One common cause of hind limb weakness, or paresis, is Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis. EPM is caused by Sarcocystis neurona, a microscopic protozoa, that migrates randomly through the spinal cord and brain. It can affect any limb and the signs may vary; muscle atrophy is a common finding in horses with EPM.

How do you build a lunge topline?

Using your whip, you can gently gesture to or nudge the inside hip, showing your horse where he might be off-balance. By moving your horse to place his feet more correctly, he is using his hind end and his back to balance, therefore building up that long back muscle that creates a beautiful topline.

How many days a week should I ride my horse?

For a horse and rider who require a moderate level of fitness, The horse should be ridden four days a week. At least two of the days should include a more intense workout while the other days could result in a slightly easier and less strenuous ride.

Does beet pulp put weight on horses?

Beet pulp can be used to help underweight horses gain weight, as it provides approximately 1,000 kcals per pound (one quart of dry beet pulp shreds weighs approximately 0.5-0.6 pounds).

Do oats help horses gain weight?

Do oats help horses gain weight? Oats alone don't help horses gain weight. Horses love oats, but you should feed them in combination with other food sources. Whole oats are difficult for horses to digest and can pass through their digestive system without being absorbed by the body.

How do I get my horse's weight back?

One of the simplest and cheapest ways to add fat to your horse's diet is vegetable oil from the grocery store, which can be poured over his regular concentrate ration. Corn oil is palatable to most horses, but you can also use canola, peanut or any other vegetable oil your horse likes.

Does canola oil help horses gain weight?

Canola Oil is a calorie-dense fat source that can be used to replace grain in the horse's diet. It provides cool energy for performance horses and supports weight gain in hard keepers. Canola oil extruded from canola/rapeseed grains can be readily purchased from local grocery stores.