A strong topline on a horse allows him to not only protect his spine, but also to complete athletic maneuvers his rider asks him to perform. This back musculature can be difficult to develop for a myriad of reasons from saddle fit and training to physical conditions and nutrition.
It's important to involve a veterinarian if the horse is struggling to develop an adequate topline, Dr. Clair Thunes, based in Gilbert, Arizona, tells The Horse. This will allow all other possible issues to be ruled out before nutrition becomes the key focus.
If the horse is receiving adequate nutrition and his body condition score is good, his lack of topline may be related to insufficient amino acids, which make up protein. A horse's protein requirements vary by life stage, but most quality grass hays can give mature horses the amount of protein they need by providing 10 percent or more crude protein; alfalfa hay offers 18 percent or more. Grain hays offer an average crude protein closer to 8 percent.
Though a hay analysis may determine that the protein content in grass hay may be adequate, it could still be lacking in lysine. For a horse to synthesize proteins, amino acids must be present in the correct ratio: if just one amino acid source is inadequate, all protein synthesis will be affected.
If a horse is having difficulty developing a quality topline because of inadequate dietary protein, the goal should be to improve protein quality so that the amino acids are available in a digestible format.
While it can be tempting to supplement individual amino acids, that can upset the delicate balance needed for protein synthesis; it's better to provide better-quality protein. Soybean meal, a high-quality, plant-based protein, is commonly found in equine feeds. Dr. Thunes says a commercial feed fed correctly will ensure the horse receives adequate lysine and other amino acids.
Whey protein is a source of highly concentrated protein, 60 percent of which is essential amino acids, some of which are important in developing skeletal muscles. Horses that eat a whey protein supplement may develop more lean muscle mass, though research in this area is lacking.
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Protein content in whey products can vary; whey protein concentrate still contains lactose, which can be difficult for adult horses to digest. Whey protein isolate has lactose removed and is a more-consistent product, but is also more expensive.
It's important to evaluate the protein source in the horse's diet to determine if there are ways to improve the protein quality and digestibility; this may include supplementing with whey protein.
Read more at The Horse.
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