Advice needed for 2 rescue horses with lots of ailments

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B&J

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Hi there, newbie here :)

I have rescued 2 old neglected horses and have a couple of questions if anyone has any advice please?

The first one is a 24 year old TBx gelding. I’ve had the vet out; within his list of ailments is COPD, no vaccinations in 10 years, no dentist or veterinary care of any sort in same amount of time, bald legs, rain scald (I had to cut the rug off him, hadn’t been taken off since September and wasn’t waterproof!) and severely underweight.:(
Since arriving with me just over a week ago he has seen the dentist (gum infection & broken teeth), been vaccinated, wormed, seen the farrier for first time in 8 months!! (you can imagine how bad his hooves were!), been put on a good diet recommended by the vet along with all the measures to cope with the COPD.
Anyway my question for everyone is his bald legs. It looks like old sort of healed mud fever but its not scabby, just very very scurf’y, he was on a water logged hillside with little care however the owner occasionally brought him in for half a scoop of soaked sugarbeet! but left him in a bare concrete stable :mad: so I am wondering whether it might also be urine burn or similar, he’s not itchy and been checked for mites. Can anyone recommend a cream that can help the scurf and also the rain scald on his back? He is having ultimate oil in his feed which helps but looking for something to put directly on the area?


The other horse is an 18 year old Cob gelding who is very obese. They came from the same person and had the same level of (non-existent) care. He was given haylage and had a mud floor in his otherwise bare ‘stable’. He has also seen the vet, dentist and farrier. Apart from soft hooves and a cracked hoof with an old abscess he is mainly just overweight but has very bad rain scald on his back, he was unrugged and is so overweight that his spine is like a gutter, the scald is very bad in the top middle of the back.
The vet recommended clipping the patch of hair on his back and putting aqueous cream on it. I am worried though that I doubt the clippers will go through the scabs and will hurt him a lot. Also I’m reluctant to clip him as would rather not rug him due to his weight. Does anyone have any tips on what I can do with this?

Thanks for reading, apologies for such a long post!
 
Can't offer any medical advice but just wanted to say well done for taking them on. Fingers crossed that they both recover quickly :)
 
I really like "Barrier" Heel to hoof for scabs, its very effective, both for the rain scold and the scurfiness. smire it all around the scabs for 2 days and then watch the scabs just come off leaving clean skin. The rain scold might be more stubbern to remove but they will come off when he starts to loose his winter coat.

And well done for giving them a better home.
 
Well done for taking them on. I took on a neglected youngster with bad rain scald on his back. It took a while to get rid of and it was April a few years back when not exactly warm! I washed in Malaseb shampoo about 3 or 4 times a week. Left it on for 10/15mins then rinsed. Left to dry and let the air to it. Because he had to live out (locking stifle) and the weather was rubbish I did rug him in a no fill NZ just to keep the wet off if it was going to rain. Good luck!
 
Sounds like dermatitis on tbs legs, clean, dry and put a cream on which eill loosen the scabs should fall off then new hair will gorwn. Same with the cob rub cream in to rainscalld scabs will come loose and you can pick them off. Well done for rescuing them
 
Thanks everyone, I will try those and see how we do :)

Love them both to pieces and couldn't leave them in their situation. I've no idea how to add photos or I would to give a better idea :o/
 
Poor horses, but tbh the cob one doesn't look hugely obese just cobby to me, the poor tb tho, poor poor horse, looks a bit better after 5 days fingers crossed he comes good bless him xx
 
Poor beasts, they are lucky to have you. I see a difference in the TB already.

Good luck with their recovery.

Kx
 
ameeyal said:
I really like "Barrier" Heel to hoof for scabs, its very effective, both for the rain scold and the scurfiness. smire it all around the scabs for 2 days and then watch the scabs just come off leaving clean skin. The rain scold might be more stubbern to remove but they will come off when he starts to loose his winter coat.

And well done for giving them a better home.
Click to expand...

The Heel to Hoof cream just arrived :o Fingers crossed!!! Thanks everyone!
 
Thought I'd upload week 2 pics :o)

The Hoof to Heal is fabulous!!!

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I can't offer any more advice than the others who have posted here but I did want to say a very big THANK YOU for saving these poor little blighters. They have been extremely lucky to have you come to their rescue. How the previous owner could treat them so wickedly is beyond me!
 
Aww thank you all :-) I'm over the moon with their progress and they are so amazingly forgiving, loving, well behaved. Their characters are really coming out now, makes all the effort, expense and cold early mornings worth it to be greeted to 2 excited whinny's :-)
 
ameeyal said:
I really like "Barrier" Heel to hoof for scabs, its very effective, both for the rain scold and the scurfiness. smire it all around the scabs for 2 days and then watch the scabs just come off leaving clean skin. The rain scold might be more stubbern to remove but they will come off when he starts to loose his winter coat.
Click to expand...

Please patch test whatever you use before you slather it on. My TB had a horrible allergic reaction to the Barrier ointment.
 
Wow, they look so much better in such a short time, you should be really proud of yourself, I bet they can't believe their luck! :)
 
lurcherlu said:
Poor horses, but tbh the cob one doesn't look hugely obese just cobby to me, the poor tb tho, poor poor horse, looks a bit better after 5 days fingers crossed he comes good bless him xx
Click to expand...

Yes, I agree. Cob is cobby! Obviously you don't want him to get fat. Also agree that TB has already benefitted and improved from your care. Well done.
 
Wow what a difference with the TBx! Well done. :D

How do you feel the cob is doing? It's harder to see his progress in the photo. Has the rain scald on his back cleared up? Are you happier with his weight now?
 
Thanks :o)

The cob has put more weight on with the spring grass but we are slowly building up his work, he is going out on 2 hacks a week for about 30 mins mainly in walk and a couple of short bursts of trot. Then we are starting to lunge him (its all a bit new to him). He is quite stubborn and napping / planting is an issue! The farrier has done his feet again and he has shoes on now and no signs of lami so I'm hoping work can build the weight into muscle as his bottom does wobble bless him :-/
 
I have had to keep going back and forth to check the TB is the same horse! My lad looked very similar to your TB when I go him and he turned around in about 2 months. It is so sad that all it takes is looking after them properly and some folks just don't do that. Thank you so much on behalf of these guys for caring and taking them on. They look fab - you should be very proud of yourself. :)
 
Aww thank you, they have paid me back in spades with helping my confidence, it was on the floor when I got them and they have been perfect gentlemen :-D They even inspired my husband to buy his own mare and get back in the saddle properly!!!

This is a slightly better pic of Jack the cob - his main chubby part is his bottom, this front isnt too bad

 
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