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Discussion on Starved horse, we bought it
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Posted on Saturday, May 15, 1999 - 2:57 am:
Congratulations on saving a truely deserving creature. You will feel so good in a year or two from now when you see what a difference you have made. I won't give you advice as to what I think you should do, but I can tell you what I did when faced with a fairly similar situation (never are they exactly the same). I got a 4 year old morgan which was in very bad shape, ie. poor coat, listless, bad feet, very underweight. I started out by putting him on one quart (didn't weigh feed back then but I would say about 1 1/2 pounds) 12% sweet feed three times a day. I gave him only one leaf of hay at a time, but I tried to make sure that he never went more than an hour without hay in front of him . Sometimes this was as many as 10 times a day. (I would go out just before I went to bed and give him two flakes and then as soon as I got up, I would go out and give him another even if I wasn't ready to feed yet.) I had the vet out right away and he was afraid to tube worm because of the impaction it might cause. I wormed him daily for 5 or 7 days in a row. (His manure was almost solid eggs for days) After that I continued paste worming him once a month for 6 months and then every other month after that. I put out plenty of fresh clean water two or three times a day and I groomed and massaged him daily. I didn't bother with his feet for a couple of weeks or so. I tried to keep outside stress to a minimum. Once he realized he was going to have food regularly, I was able to give him more hay at a time without him attacking it. I only required good enough behavior from him that I was safe around him until I thought he could focus on something else besides just survival. I trained him only on things which were needed at the time, ie. haltering, leading, standing etc. When I started to see some improvement, and he would eat sensably, I switched from all grass hay to a timothy/alfalfa mix hay (about 25% alfalfa) I never increased his concentrate. It takes longer to put the weight on that way but I felt safer in the long run and he never seemed to bolt his feed. I also put him out on pasture when he seemed a little stronger. It took a while before I could really see a big difference. (other than the weight gain) Remember, it takes time for their body to stabilize and then grow the new things that you can actually see (hair and hoof) The next year though, he looked, what I thought, was a hundred percent better. But, the following year he really blossomed. Take pictures to compare and see your progress. Keep reminding yourself that what takes time today, will last him a lifetime. Don't hurry things along to fast and stress him he has had so much stress already. I didn't even try to ride my morgan until a year after I got him. Yes, he was a little spunkier, but it was a healthy happy spunky rather than a "I don't care about life, go ahead, do what you want, everyone else has." He is now a 17 year old happy, healthy performance horse being shown by a wonderful young lady. The time I took was worth it and all my time and hours and hours of grooming paid off in the form of a trusting, happy, healthy animal for many many years to come.
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Posted on Saturday, May 15, 1999 - 10:56 am:
Hello All,
Laurel, I would recommend the standard set in the vaccine article. If the vaccine history is uncertain booster them all except the Rabies in about one month. One thing we have left out of these posts that is very important is that be sure he has a negative Coggins test before being put with your other horses. Good Luck.
DrO
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Posted on Sunday, May 16, 1999 - 12:40 am:
Thanks, DrO, and everybody else,
He's doing a lot better! Still shows a lot of bones and such, but his feet were trimmed, we've wormed him, and even worked with him. He turned into a sweetheart, and, well, he may not be anywhere's near fifteen, but hey, I love him and he's MY old horse! Thanks for all the helpful info. No, we didn't get a Coggins test done on him before putting him with the others, but did wait about a month, so I hope he doesn't pass anything.
Again, thanks for everything!
Laura
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Posted on Monday, May 17, 1999 - 12:06 pm:
Laura-
Dr. O suggestion is still very important on Coggins Test (which tests for Equine Infectious Anemia Sp*?), The horse can be a carrier of EIA without showing symptoms same as some one can be HIV positive and not have devloped AIDS. Please do get your new horse tested, it's not that expensive and is definatly cheaper that putting all you horses down or in perminant quarentine.
-Emily
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Laura |
Posted on Friday, Jul 9, 1999 - 9:32 pm:
Well everybody,
That starved horse is now a semifat, healthy horse. We've been working w/him a lot, and he's turning out to be a great horse.
Laura
Thanks for all your help !!!!!!
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Laura |
Posted on Friday, Jul 9, 1999 - 9:35 pm:
Well everybody,
That starved horse is now a semifat, healthy horse. We've been working w/him a lot, and he's turning out to be a great horse.
Laura
Thanks for all your help !!!!!!!!!!!!
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