Many youngsters and older horses struggle to develop a topline as they may not be in full work, which can lead to a lack of muscle growth and proper nutrition necessary to maintain topline muscles throughout the year. Some horse breeds are also prone to a weak topline, including Thoroughbred horses, Akhal teke horses, and Arabians. Many horse trainers are quick to recommend the latest supplement to build topline (that will cost you an arm and a leg in monthly feed costs). Yes, to make a strong topline, horse owners do need to look over the horse’s diet and set up the appropriate exercise regime - but you can do this on a budget! The biggest misconceptions in the horse world are that a horse needs multiple grains and supplements to build a topline quickly. A poorly developed topline is often the result of insufficient high-quality protein; other signs might include visible hip bones and pointy shoulder blades.
The Number One Feed that made my Horse Build a Topline (In Less Than 8 Weeks)
Don't spend thousands on horse feed, supplements, or horse trainers to try to fix a poor topline on a horse. This is what I used to do, and yes, sure, increasing your horse's hay and grain, etc, will eventually help build topline, but it will take a lot of time and end up being very expensive. The one thing you need to invest in that will both create a topline and make your horse's coat super shiny while still keeping your horse's energy level stable is to feed the Nutrena Proforce fuel horse feed. This higher crude protein feed will build a horse's topline in a matter of weeks. The following horses are young thoroughbreds that came to us undernourished with a weak topline, and the subsequent plan was put in place:
- Feed hay 3 times per day (avoid Alfa Alfa as they can make high-energy horses too wild)
- Feed up to 7lbs (3 scoops) of Nutrena Proforce fuel per day
Allow 2-4 weeks for you to notice a difference, and up to 8 weeks for your horse to develop a healthy topline and a shiny coat. Why does Nutrena proforce fuel work? The feed is made from high-quality protein sources and is high in fat and controlled starch. The following photo shows a horse that was fed Bermuda hay three times per day, in combination with 6 pounds of Proforce fuel, for a total of 10 weeks. The difference is unbelievable! The horse was kept in light work, with lunging twice a week and pole work under saddle once a week, followed by trail or arena work twice a week. The whole shape of the horse changed, and the muscle mass increased. Once a good topline and muscle tone have been established, it's fairly easy to maintain, and the amount of feed can be lowered slightly. Adjust to your horse's work schedule and season, is your horse in a hard work training program or just being ridden a couple of days per week, standard practice is to follow the instructions from the feed manufacturer.
Another way to improve and build a healthy topline is to increase the amount of forage and hay. Alfa alfa hay especially will build that topline fast as seen in the photo below.
Other Areas to Consider When Improving a Poor Topline
1) Hay
Horses are naturally built to thrive on hay and forage only; it is therefore very important that your horse is constantly being fed quality hay at a minimum of twice, per day. For weight gain and topline purposes, then Alfalfa hay is the best and most affordable option. However, please note that alfalfa hay is high in sugar and will make some horses too hot, so it should only be fed in moderation to certain breeds. Easy keepers do not require high-sugar hay, such as alfalfa, to maintain a perfect topline.
2) Grains/Supplements
If you want to keep your horse calm with manageable energy and still affordable horse feed, then we recommend feeding rice bran in combination with beet pulp. These low-sugar, affordable supplements will help your horse gain weight and improve the topline of the horse. Other popular and effective grains we recommend for the hard keepers:
- North America: Nutrena Proforce Fuel or
- Australia & New Zealand: Mitavite
- Northern Europe: Krafft
Other popular fat supplements horse owners use to add weight and topline on a horse in an affordable way is adding vegetable oils or soybean meal to their horse's diet. Even though this is usually effective and you will see results relatively quickly (improved overall body condition), it's not a feed we recommend, as it can disrupt your horse's digestion, and it is not natural for a horse to consume such a high amount of oils from a plant. Also, remember to add grain to your horse's diet with reasonable feeding levels and follow the manufacturer's recommendations.
3) Exercises
To allow proper muscle development, it is also effective to add certain exercises into your horse's weekly schedule:
- Hill work - Cantering up a hill multiple times with a 2-minute break between each set will improve the strength of the topline
- Pole work - Trott poles is a great tool for building top line, especially on a circle.
- Long & Low - Work the horse long and low under saddle, do stretching exercises before getting on and allow your horse to stretch its neck at the beginning and end of every ride
- Lunge Line - Use side reins or Pessoa when lunging to encourage the horse to lower its head
4) Reduce Stress
If your horse's feeding schedule or work schedule hasn't changed, then any recent topline loss can be a result of stress. Horses thrive in a pasture turnout in a herd where they can play and walk around; however, our modern society of keeping horses in small stalls or corrals can build up a lot of stress in the horse's body - signs include topline loss, weaving, cribbing, dull coat, and loss of muscle tissue. Try to keep stress levels low and allow the horse to spend as much time as possible in a pasture turnout with other horses.
