Exercise for an underweight horse?

[Keket]

Topaz is coming around with her training and we've got her up to one quart of feed a day, roughly a quarter of our goal. She's a few hundred pounds underweight, and her body condition is probably about a 3. She's happy, alert and willing to work.

Obviously, we're not riding her yet, and probably won't be for a few months due to her condition and lack of training. But I'm wondering how much work we should be doing with her. Right now, she's being worked in-hand fifteen minutes a day, six days a week. Mostly walk, but she gets trotted a few times around the arena too. We're also doing rein backs and turns-on-the-haunches. She's also on 24/7 turn-out.

So how much work should we be doing with her to make sure that the weight she's putting on doesn't turn to fat?

[Pink's lady]

Gentle exercise of 20mins a day would do her the world of good and slowly build up muscles without over-doing it.

I'd stay clear of ridden work at present - with an underweight horse they have so little muscle and padding over their back that they seriously struggle to carry a rider.

Do you have a heavy saddle like a western saddle? I'd start working her in that daily soonish. Keep up the walk, trot in-hand work and take her of in-hand trail rides with the saddle. That will slowly build up her back enought to carry a rider.

[Keket]

Do you have a heavy saddle like a western saddle? I'd start working her in that daily soonish. Keep up the walk, trot in-hand work and take her of in-hand trail rides with the saddle. That will slowly build up her back enought to carry a rider.

When she's started under saddle, it will be a Western saddle as that's mostly what I ride, and because riding a green horse in an English saddle is suicide. ;) We haven't got a saddle for her yet as she'll change shape dramatically over the next few months, and we can't afford to buy more then one saddle.

Thanks for the info. :)

[Skyhuntress]

I would do lots of in hand work with her.
There's no reason why you can't walk her over come poles so she lifts up her legs, do some hill work with her, get her leg yielding from the ground. (be a good workout for you too! :rolleyes: )

Lots and lots of turnout.
And if you havent' already tried it, maybe some vegetable oil or Black Oil Sunflower Seeds (most horses LOVE the crunch) in her feed? It's usually digested well and gives them the added muscle mass with a nice coat!

[Keket]

And if you havent' already tried it, maybe some vegetable oil or Black Oil Sunflower Seeds (most horses LOVE the crunch) in her feed? It's usually digested well and gives them the added muscle mass with a nice coat!

Because she is getting stomach-aches every now and then on her new feeding schedule, I'm wary of adding anything at this point. Once she settles more into her feed, I might add some seeds or oil. How much would it be?

[Skyhuntress]

Because she is getting stomach-aches every now and then on her new feeding schedule, I'm wary of adding anything at this point. Once she settles more into her feed, I might add some seeds or oil. How much would it be?

Start small, like 1/8 of a cup and then you can move up all the way to 1/2 cup if needed :)

[skye06]

You could always take her out on a ride and lead hack for a change. just in walk with a few light trots if you want. To go hand in hand with the ground work of course.