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

I'm sorry but that is insane for a welsh pony to be wearing that amount of rugs.

How cold IS it in the UK right now? We're getting -18c tonight, all my horses are turned out, a couple aren't wearing any blankets and the rest are all in one mediumweight turnouts each. And I'm talking over 50 horses, ponies and youngstock here, not just one or two.
 
Friend says she is no longer replying as quite a lot of you have been rude and have upset her... "if you have nothing nice to say don't say anything at all" "don't judge" ever heard of those phrases?

Friend says pony is not hot and has never sweated up under the rugs and is the correct temp so what's the problem with the rugging situation? No all horses are the same.


FYI... This is not my horse and I am not looking after it and I did not write the original post so please can you refrain from associating my username with any concerns you may have.
 
if she is your friend cant you get her to call the vet? this pony is clearly very poorly and needs help, she prob wont sweat as she is dehydrated. but i stand by my original post, call the vet a s a p!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
I can encourage her but unfortunately it is not her horse!!! and she can't afford to take emergency vet fees (sat evening) out of her own pocket! She has rang the vets (as that's free) and they aren't too worried as her poo is normal and she has been nibbling at the hay and has eaten some carrots, only she has not drank much if anything. Vet has advised to squirt a salt solution into her mouth to make her thirsty and want to drink.


At the end of the day, there are extreme cases of neglect where ponies are in pain. This pony has not been neglected, it is just behaving out of the ordinary. Please refrain from your rude and judgemental manner.


"you can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink"
 
Ive seen worse on here but the vet should be called if that thin and ill.

You cant control what is posted on the net. If your friend is sensitive about people caring this much about the pony then she shouldnt be posting. nobody on this thread has been that nasty IMO.
 
why put a post like this on and then get upset when people give their honest opinion....why is it considered rude to say the vet should be called and from your post this hasnt just happened today its been going on for a while so it wouldnt have needed an emergency call out.....i have no money but if my horse is ill i call the vet and worry about how to pay afterwards.....
 
can she not speak to the owner and tell them that their pony needs to see a vet- regardless of financial issues it certainly sounds absolutely necessary.

I can't understand why anyone would continue to work a pony showing such symptoms, regardless of her being 'in for a client' surely it would be much more sensible to speak to the owner and tell them the pony isn't up for working right now, because it could be any number of things from the descriptions
 
Ok, so ops friend doesn't own the horse? It belongs to a third party? Tell them to ring the vet. And if they won't, ring rspca, bhs, whw etc. And tell friend not to be so sensitive. Telling someone to call a vet for an ill horse is hardly being rude.
 
Littlelegs said:
Ok, so ops friend doesn't own the horse? It belongs to a third party? Tell them to ring the vet. And if they won't, ring rspca, bhs, whw etc. And tell friend not to be so sensitive. Telling someone to call a vet for an ill horse is hardly being rude.
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Hardly rocket science is it? :rolleyes:
 
OP, if your horse (the thread quoted before) and friends horse are not the same, you can share the call out fee. Plus, it could be an infectious disease that could spread. Just get the vet and deal with the cost later. Chances are it will be cheaper now than in a few days when pony needs hospitalising.

Do the right thing x
 
Alternative post for ops sensitive friend.
Hi hun, (((((hugs))))). So sorry your horse isn't eating its food. Please don't take this the wrong way, I would hate to hurt anyone's feelings (((((hugs))))) but I think maybe it might be a wickle ickle bit not well.((((((vibes)))))). Maybe if its not better in a month or so you could get a vet ((((((hugs)))))) but if you don't want to that is great too. You are doing a wonderful job ((((((wonderful))))))), keep up the hard work you should be proud (((((((proud)))))). Good luck xxxxxxxx (((((((hugs))))))
(((((((vibes))))))
(((((((Soothing words of comfort)))))))
 
Littlelegs said:
Alternative post for ops sensitive friend.
Hi hun, (((((hugs))))). So sorry your horse isn't eating its food. Please don't take this the wrong way, I would hate to hurt anyone's feelings (((((hugs))))) but I think maybe it might be a wickle ickle bit not well.((((((vibes)))))). Maybe if its not better in a month or so you could get a vet ((((((hugs)))))) but if you don't want to that is great too. You are doing a wonderful job ((((((wonderful))))))), keep up the hard work you should be proud (((((((proud)))))). Good luck xxxxxxxx (((((((hugs))))))
(((((((vibes))))))
(((((((Soothing words of comfort)))))))
Click to expand...

LOL :D
 
Time to
365317_telephone.gif
the vet. Who will
444612_temperature.gif
and possibly suggest that Horse needs
108612_ill.gif

:)
 
GSLS said:
I can encourage her but unfortunately it is not her horse!!! and she can't afford to take emergency vet fees (sat evening) out of her own pocket! She has rang the vets (as that's free) and they aren't too worried as her poo is normal and she has been nibbling at the hay and has eaten some carrots, only she has not drank much if anything. Vet has advised to squirt a salt solution into her mouth to make her thirsty and want to drink.


At the end of the day, there are extreme cases of neglect where ponies are in pain. This pony has not been neglected, it is just behaving out of the ordinary. Please refrain from your rude and judgemental manner.


"you can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink"
Click to expand...

Funny that, my vets were worried, and my horse ended up looking like this... despite thousands of pounds and the best veterinary attention including consults with Newmarket. In eight weeks she went from this condition:
picture.php


to this:

IMG_0246.jpg


IMG_0245.jpg


but hey, if the vets can make a diagnosis without seeing the horse:rolleyes:

If its not her horse she should get vet and charge it to owner, if she doesn't you should, or no offence the welfare officers should be called in to relieve her of the problem. I am not saying she caused this at all, I am saying she has a DUTY OF CARE and I am saying that not having the money is no excuse and would be no defence if the pony dies and she is investigated. It is upsetting when things like this happen, it is frustrating, and it is hard, but the vets must come out.

Like it or not, if the vets are not called out.... she will be utterly neglectful of her duty and I would never ever have a friend like that. I hope this shocks her into ringing them out as a priority.

Hopefully my pictures will shock op or the owner/carer enough into action.

Ebony was pts 9 months ago.
 
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Littlelegs said:
Alternative post for ops sensitive friend.
Hi hun, (((((hugs))))). So sorry your horse isn't eating its food. Please don't take this the wrong way, I would hate to hurt anyone's feelings (((((hugs))))) but I think maybe it might be a wickle ickle bit not well.((((((vibes)))))). Maybe if its not better in a month or so you could get a vet ((((((hugs)))))) but if you don't want to that is great too. You are doing a wonderful job ((((((wonderful))))))), keep up the hard work you should be proud (((((((proud)))))). Good luck xxxxxxxx (((((((hugs))))))
(((((((vibes))))))
(((((((Soothing words of comfort)))))))
Click to expand...

LL you have just made me smile amidst my angryness (((((smile))))
 
I would agree you need a vet (or your friend does) My pony has chronic liver damage from an unknown cause, I had a pony die from the same condition in 2010. Pony that died showed all of the symptoms you are describing but picked up after antibiotics. Pony that is still alive was very unwell after having his routine vaccinations and is not wormed on vets advice as it makes him unwell. Could be your pony has had a liver insult of some sort and the vaccs and 5 day Panacur have been a bit much. Good luck, I hope she recovers
 
This is disgraceful - that poor horse is desperately unwell (and clearly has been for some time !!)

I don't care whose blinking horse it is, do the right thing and get the blinking vet out - sheesh!!

If my lad was laying down all the time, underweight, not drinking or eating etc, money would be the last thing on my mind. You should all be ashamed of yourself

And quite frankly I don't care if this offends you OP, of your "friend" - just hope this is a wind up
 
Until the vet comes I would stop working the horse as it sounds exhausted. If the only thing it will eat is carrots, it would be having ad-lib carrots. As well as offering ad-lib hay or haylage. With the current state of the horse any food is better than no food and carrots are full of water too. Rather than mixing up feeds with many ingredients, which the horse may refuse due to disliking one ingredient, I'd use several buckets with a single feed-stuff in, with the hope of finding something the horse will eat.
 
Sugar_and_Spice said:
Until the vet comes I would stop working the horse as it sounds exhausted. If the only thing it will eat is carrots, it would be having ad-lib carrots. As well as offering ad-lib hay or haylage. With the current state of the horse any food is better than no food and carrots are full of water too. Rather than mixing up feeds with many ingredients, which the horse may refuse due to disliking one ingredient, I'd use several buckets with a single feed-stuff in, with the hope of finding something the horse will eat.
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Yep - agree.

I'm sure the vet appt is booked - so look forward to the update.
 
Just to let you all know, the pony is fine now.

I think it was just a change of scenery that she needed to settle down to.

She is now eating and drinking as usual and we have now found a feed she will eat. It was the sugarbeet that she didn't like!!! Rang the emergency vet and she said to syringe a salt solution into her mouth to encourage her to drink. This worked :)

The vet said there would be no point her coming out on an emergency (this was sat evening) as there would be nothing she could do as the pony was eating/drinking some things, just a very very very small quantity - not enough as we'd like!!!!


The vet will be coming out tomorrow as she needs her injections anyway but there is nothing to worry about :) She has settled down now and is happy :) She has not been hard feeded before or stabled so perhaps this disorientated her a little :)

We are still trying to encourage her to increase her food intake but I'm sure this will all come with time :)


Only nice replies please :) There is no point upsetting someone over the internet just to get a kick out of it :) I don't say nasty things to anyone else so I really don't see how I deserve unkind/rude/judgemental replies :) you would not like it if it was done to you


I am trying to use this forum to assist me with any queries I have in general... I clearly made a mistake by involving a genuine "real life" case and in future I will ONLY post general posts which don't identify me/my friend's choices/situations in any way.


Completely a mistake on my part to think a forum would be kind :) :) :)
 
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