Advice about a pony that's reluctant to eat and is thin

GSLS

GSLS

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Written on behalf of a friend :)

Pony is a 3yr 8 months welsh part bred - mare

Pony has been....
  • owned by current owner for about a month
  • turned out 24/7 until yesterday
  • has had adlib hay in the field - nibbled at it - always seen to be laying down
  • is not clipped
  • doesn't seem to sweat or puff after exercise (light work only due to age - long reining etc)
  • has been wormed with panacur 5 day, 4 weeks ago
  • has had teeth rasped, back check, tack (bit and saddle) checked/verified 4 weeks ago, legs checked, flexion tests 4 weeks ago etc
  • has had jabs done (up to date)
  • is now stabled since yesterday on straw on rubber matting
  • has been given haylage and won't eat it
  • has been given hay that she was used to in the other field and won't eat it
  • does not like her feed except carrots
  • is drinking very very little
  • lays down a lot
  • lays down when turned out
  • very lethargic (half closed eyes and droopy lip)
  • very "lazy" when worked
  • very underweight - has not put on condition since bought - must work her as she's in for a client
  • poo is normal - not loose or too green/yellow


she has been fed... (and not liked/eaten)

bailey's no.1 cooked cereal
alfa a oil
honey chop chaff apple
apple juice
garlic



she is currently being offered...

sugarbeet
carrots
mare and youngstock mix
mint
suregrow balancer



any suggestions as to what is wrong? Money currently an issue due to unexpected circumstances however owner will call vet if emergency/completely necessary but doesn't want to chuck money at the horse.


Horse is very thin and is in light work (10/15 mins of long reinging/hacking in hand/lunging a few times per week)
has unexpectedly had to move to a yard (yesterday) with very little/no turnout. when turned out in the school she just lays down.


Horse appears "too quiet" especially given her age.




All constructive responses will be very much appreciated, no criticisms please as it's upsetting. :)
 
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I can't even begin to think about what might be wrong with her because I cannot get beyond the fact that she is wearing that amount of rugs! On a welsh x pony, is that really necessary? I'd think she was dying of heat exhaustion tbh
 
Not sure, but she sounds like my horses stable mate atm who is grieving. Poor thing has very similar symptoms.has the pony had a sudden change in routine? Maybe moved stables/fields/yards or just missing its buddies?
Sorry, just offering a few suggestions.
In regards to feed, I have found adding mint to a feed to tempt a fussy eater.
Also read somewhere that there was an old wives tale that adding a can of guiness to a horses feed could tempt them to eat. I did this yesterday for the grieving pony and ahe has eaten both her feeds. Just an idea for you.
Hope you manage to sort this out
 
Was she wormed / teeth done before or after she arrived? I'd still be suspicious of problems with her teeth, but either way would be getting the vet to look at her. Also, if she's cold and needing all those rugs that's probably because she hasn't enough food in her gut to keep her warm. I wouldn't work her until you get to the bottom of the problem.
 
shouldnt be in any type of work if continually laying down, too many rugs and CALL THE VET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i cant believe this post!!!!!!!!!!! its made me angry !!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Agree should not be working the poor horse and it needs a vet before it dies of dehydration through lack of water, she shouldnt have bought it if she was not prepared that it may one day need a vet.
 
Where`are rugs mentioned - am I being blind???
If a horse is not wanting to eat for more than a day, and exhibiting all those other behaviours then I would be getting a vet (and I don't get vets out unless i really need to!). Sounds like it could be anaemic/have some infection. It would not be normal for any (especially not a welshie) horse to not want to eat! I would not be working a 3 yo that much either. She sounds utterly exhausted and her body is not coping.
 
GSLS said:
Written on behalf of a friend :)

Pony is a 3yr 8 months welsh part bred - mare

Pony has been....
  • owned by current owner for about a month
  • turned out 24/7 until yesterday
  • has had adlib hay in the field - nibbled at it - always seen to be laying down
  • is not clipped
  • doesn't seem to sweat or puff after exercise (light work only due to age - long reining etc)
  • has been wormed with panacur 5 day, 4 weeks ago
  • has had teeth rasped, back check, tack (bit and saddle) checked/verified 4 weeks ago, legs checked, flexion tests 4 weeks ago etc
  • has had jabs done (up to date)
  • is now stabled since yesterday on straw on rubber matting
  • has been given haylage and won't eat it
  • has been given hay that she was used to in the other field and won't eat it
  • does not like her feed except carrots
  • is drinking very very little
  • lays down a lot
  • lays down when turned out
  • very lethargic (half closed eyes and droopy lip)
  • very "lazy" when worked
  • very underweight - has not put on condition since bought - must work her as she's in for a client
  • poo is normal - not loose or too green/yellow


she has been fed... (and not liked/eaten)

bailey's no.1 cooked cereal
alfa a oil
honey chop chaff apple
apple juice
garlic



she is currently being offered...

sugarbeet
carrots
mare and youngstock mix
mint
suregrow balancer



any suggestions as to what is wrong? Money currently an issue due to unexpected circumstances however owner will call vet if emergency/completely necessary but doesn't want to chuck money at the horse.


Horse is very thin and is in light work (10/15 mins of long reinging/hacking in hand/lunging a few times per week)
has unexpectedly had to move to a yard (yesterday) with very little/no turnout. when turned out in the school she just lays down.


Horse appears "too quiet" especially given her age.




All constructive responses will be very much appreciated, no criticisms please as it's upsetting. :)
Click to expand...


Vets now - full bloods to start
Stop all work NOW
Double Rug and keep stabled for a week ( no turn out other than a small walk in hand for a stretch - you need to monitor exactly what its eating
Weight tape daily and record, photos too.
Haemavite B+ blood tonic syringe it in if you have to it boosts immunity, blood count, is an appetite stimulant and is designed for horses in high workload stress evironments and for those who are ill or recovering. Reccomended to me by my vet when my mare was severely underweight and lacking in appetite.

Protexin to aid digestion

Linseed meal - lots and lots of it

Something like veteran vitality (regardless of age) soaked to gruel like levels and syringe in - your vet can give you a syringe - for now if you have to that is better than nothing.

Sod the mixes, your horse has little appetite and you need to take that into account, get some balancers, a cup is a lot less to eat than a stubbs scoop and you stand a better chance of getting a cup of stuff into her than a scoop. Hand feed it as treats, soak and syringe, do whatever but get it down her neck.



My first question:
How is the horse fed? is the hay on the floor or a haynet? same with the feed - floor or over the door?
 
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Sounds ill to me. And if the owner has the money to pay for it to be worked then that money can be better spent on a vet. Some horses just aren't that motivated by food. Handy if its an extremely good doer, pita if its a poor doer. But even in a poor doer, the usual effect is just a constant battle to keep it a healthy weight. Not all the symptoms & behavior you mention.
 
Spring Feather said:
I can't even begin to think about what might be wrong with her because I cannot get beyond the fact that she is wearing that amount of rugs! On a welsh x pony, is that really necessary? I'd think she was dying of heat exhaustion tbh
Click to expand...

How many rugs? I cant see how many... although I will say this pony sounds pretty far gone and in need of emergency medical attention by the sounds of it. Shocking it has not recieved it yet TBH. If it is as thin as it sounds, then I would be rugging it so much! For instance, Ebony wore a medium weight turnout with neck, a mw indoor underneath and this was in june.
 
Littlelegs said:
Sounds ill to me. And if the owner has the money to pay for it to be worked then that money can be better spent on a vet. Some horses just aren't that motivated by food. Handy if its an extremely good doer, pita if its a poor doer. But even in a poor doer, the usual effect is just a constant battle to keep it a healthy weight. Not all the symptoms & behavior you mention.
Click to expand...

yes, sounds ill and sounds familiar! OP my horse died, she had many of the same symptoms.... get that horse seen by a vet as an absolute emergency, PM me if you want, If owner wants to chat with me she can, it is vital especially with the lacking water intake. When ill, feed from an elevated level... it is much easier for the horse.

Could be any number of issues, but its a seriously ill horse, no question.
 
Queenbee said:
yes, but in any case, I would assume that an otherwise healthy horse that was vastly over rugged would be drinking a lot not a little.
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Not necessarily in all cases. I have seen horses which refuse to drink despite being dehydrated.

But generally, yes I agree.
 
Vet asap, but if you can get your hands on simple systems lucie nuts, horses love them, soak really wet as pony could also be dehydrated but all natural and i would be surprised if she didnt eat them, good luck hope she/he plls throug.
 
Moomin1 said:
Not necessarily in all cases. I have seen horses which refuse to drink despite being dehydrated.

But generally, yes I agree.
Click to expand...

Interesting.

OP, I sincerely hope this horse gets seen by the vet asap. also as putasocinit says... whatever you can get, make it into gruel and for the weekend I would syringe it in, and get vet on monday.

If a horse is skinny, refuses feed, refuses forage, and hardly drinks... no offence but wtf is owner holding back for? I understand finances may be difficult, but vets in such cases may well agree to a payment schedule, the absolute priority must be to get the vet out to the horse and deal with the rest later.
 
zigzag said:
Before the original post was edited.. the pony wa wearing a stable rug,MW combo and a HW conbo
Click to expand...

Blimey! Was that before the pony was ill?? If nothing else, it's probably over-heated!!!

OP - this pony needs a vet and needs fluids. I have only had one horse that has acted this way (he was not underweight though) and this was due to a rare reaction toa penicilllin injection. He was terrible for 2 days but we KNEW what was wrong and had to monitor him. He was fine. In this situation you are describing though the owner or your friend who's looking after it, do not have a clue what's happened so they NEED to get a professional in to find out. Money cannot be that ig an issue if the owner is able to afford to send said pony to someone tobe worked (I assume being backed??). This pony sounds like is has a severe infection of some sorts to show these sort of symptoms. I would be getting some fluids in to it asap.
 
Hmm, to be fair ben looks like this (well he is a tad leaner now its winter and hes had a growth spurt)

58823_506188926058154_2015576512_n.jpg


He has been in a MW and MW stable rug and he is well covered, do I think an additional HW is a bit excessive, possibly yes, but if this horse is not eating forage or feed and is underweight and being worked there is nothing to keep him warm without it, so quite possibly given the circumstances it is bad but not too bad.

but a vet would be better

Edited to say just seen that the stable rug is 350g, so yes, a bit much there I reckon
 
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