Cant believe what I heard

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Hi everyone. I've been a lurker here for years but never plucked up the courage to join in or even open an account which I know is sad but I'm just shy.

Sorry that my first post is a bit of a rant but really cant believe what I have heard today from a YO. I've been having livery problems for a while and I'm on a temporary yard about 20 miles from home for the time being as all of the good yards around here are full. Plus its cheap and at the moment thats good because I'm not riding the horse because of back troubles after too many years of falls. The doc reckons 40 years of hitting the ground running literally isnt a great thing, so time off it is for me.

Joey has been out of work for about 5 months now as I've not been riding, he has done lots of lunge work and stuff like that to keep his interest but not anything over the top. Being thoroughbred and being winter he drops condition like a stone no matter what he is fed. He is wormed every 3 months, fed a diet of fibre, cool mix and a bit of oil which he has lived on for the last 5 years through all weathers.

I couldnt believe my YO earlier this week though, when they saw that Joey was dropping condition apparently according to them he was full of worms and as I wasnt using him anyway why didnt I get rid, even if it was to the butcher.

To say I didnt know how to respond would be a complete understatement. Why would anyone say such a thing? I mean, the horse is well cared for, has survived on that same care for years but now suddenly, what? I'm not good enough?

Am I overreacting and taking this too much to heart or should I really give up?
 
Thats awful :(

My pony has just had his overnight companion taken away (out 24/7) so he has been breaking though the fence to get to the other horses in the next field when his other companion goes in for the night. After days of fixing the fence and telling YO its because hes lonely that he is escaping, she told me it was nothing to do with company and that he has was a little s*** doing it to wind her up!!!!

So rude and some people just have no idea!

Just try and ignore it. I try but I know its hard xx
 
Hi, well done for plucking up the courage to post! :)

Your YO is completely out of order to say this. If for whatever reason a horse isn't ridden, I don't see that as anyone else's business as long as he's well cared for.

Even if the YO does have concerns, there are politer and more sensitive ways of expressing them. I'd hope it was a throw-away remark on a bad day though, and try to put it out of your mind.

Haffy yourself a merry Christmas said:
After days of fixing the fence and telling YO its because hes lonely that he is escaping, she told me it was nothing to do with company and that he has was a little s*** doing it to wind her up!!!!
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:D That's actually quite bonkers. Doing it to wind her up? Seriously? :D:D
 
It depends how much weight he is dropping, if he is dropping lots, you maybe need to look at what your are feeding. Has he been worm counted to check the wormers are being effective?
 
Our TB only does well on summer grass where she blooms, she is 23.... she drops weight from fly worry, rain, cold, any kind of stress,sugarbeet really helps her to build up condition. Someone very knowledgeable once told me, TB's are happy if you work and feed them, and to be honest I think this is true, if she is worked she keeps her weight, I know lots will be muscle, but she seems happier working.. Your YO sounds very stupid!
 
I'd tell yo where to go.
Get some linseed into him, my tb wouldn't survive on cool mix he also would drop weight but a good vit/min supple ( equimins advance) and linseed has kept all my tbs keep weight and none drop.
Would look at diet
 
Try to ignore your YO.
I had someone tell me to put my girl down the other day because she is 21 and not in work because it would save me money not having to keep her :eek:. There is nothing wrong health wise with her that would make me even consider doing that, she is retired through injury but she owes me nothing and will be looked after for aslong as she is well enough to be with me, which i hope is many years to come.
 
Good to see your 1st post. I know exactly what you mean about falling off too many times. And as for your YO, I'd tell her where to go!

However if your TB drops weight every winter, perhaps its time to re-evaluate the diet. I can't see much point in feeding a cool mix, if the horse is losing condition. Better to addd some non-molassed sugar-beet/micronised linseed/copra for weight gain and to check that forage is truly ad-lib with a little left over every morning.
 
Thanks for the support all, wish I had posted sooner now!

Pearl yes you do have a point there. The offending yard owner has offspring who moans about the amount of hay I feed as well "all that for one horse?" is a frequent comment I get from them.That is of course when they have hay there to feed,the yard is guilty of running out on a weekly basis which is a real kicker.

Point taken about the cool mix...perhaps something a little more heating is on the cards because yet he is worse than other years in terms of what hes dropped.I put it down to a variety of factors outside of the lack of work, such as being stuck indoors with no decent turnout since October. Want to move as soon as a space becomes available but trapped where I am for now.
 
Yes, I'd be looking for somewhere else.

Rather than more cereal feed, I suggest using soaked grassnuts to put condition on your horse. A different breed, I know, but we used them to put weight onto a very ill cob mare who used to be a good-doer in her younger days but suddenly wasn't. We now feed her grassnuts, dried grass, soaked Speedibeet and linseed oil, as well as all the haylage she can eat.
 
If anyone told me to send my horse to the butcher I would probably be arrested for what came next! How dare they! If they were genuinely concerned about his condition they could have just asked you about it, it's not difficult to be civil! Grrrrr!
 
sounds like not a nice yard owner!
Either keep your head down until you can move or move now to another temporary yard.

How about trying pure feeds.
Pure condition is great for my tb.
If he really drops weight so easily maybe get a blood test to check all is well.
The stress of being at a different yard won't help either.
 
Your YO sounds a real delight! When I had these problems, I fed readi grass and non molassed alfa by the bucket over night, with haylage alongside my hay.
I would probably also do a worm count just to be on the safe side, and move to something like calm and condition, plus alfa beet, and some form of linseed.
Good luck with the back trouble, I am also on damage related rest at the moment, which is fairly rubbish, but at least I feel slightly smug when it is raining!
 
Your YO is totally out of order.

However, no horse should drop lots of weight over winter unless they are overweight. I have owned and cared for tens of thoroughbreds, and not one of them has dropped weight in the winter. So I think you need to look at your feeding and exercise regime. Poor doers shoud be fed adlib good quality hay or preferably haylage throughout the winter, even when turned out and there appears to be plenty of grass. Hard feeds play very little part in keeping condition on a horse unless it will not eat haylage.
 
Wagtail said:
Your YO is totally out of order.

However, no horse should drop lots of weight over winter unless they are overweight. I have owned and cared for tens of thoroughbreds, and not one of them has dropped weight in the winter. So I think you need to look at your feeding and exercise regime. Poor doers shoud be fed adlib good quality hay or preferably haylage throughout the winter, even when turned out and there appears to be plenty of grass. Hard feeds play very little part in keeping condition on a horse unless it will not eat haylage.
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I totally agree with this - I'm on my third TB and none of them have ever been underweight in winter - in fact the one I currently have was at the vet for a lameness investigation the other day and the vet told me that she was overweight and she has to go on a diet! I have trouble keeping weight off them, not putting it on!

Although your yard owner should never have said what they said! What a horrid person. And welcome to the forum. :)
 
Imo, I'm afraid you need to move as soon as you can. If YO is behaving this way and blaming your horse for doing things to "annoy her" :eek: then I wouldn't for one minute trust them I'm afraid. Running out of hay regularly is not acceptable. If there are any stabled horses what are they eating? Fresh air? A worm count might be in order for ammunition and check tape worming is up to date. I would get some haylage in for times when hay runs out. Second looking at her feed too. Tb's shouldn't loose weight in winter anymore than other horses.

There are those that believe horses have to be ridden to be worth anything/keeping... there are many of us that don't. ;)

ps. Welcome.
 
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Can I suggest you call a couple of the top feed comanies ie spillers, Dodson & H, Top Spec etc and ask their opinion. They will give free advice over the phone.

I have to ask but I am sure you have had her teeth checked and perhaps a worm count wouldn't hurt as even if you have been worming regularly, sometimes the worms become resistant! If all else fails then a quick check up from the vet wouldn't go amiss either.

Best of luck x
 
You don't say how old the horse is. Maybe a conditioning mix + Fibre Beet + ad lib forage. Maybe a health check from the vet. Wouldn't do any harm to contact a few feed nutritionists for suitable diet, some you can do online. Is horse warm enough? Maybe needs more / warmer rugs. I think it's better for them to be too hot than too cold. I have a 31 yr old retired Tb mare & feed her as above & she winters well but what suits mine may not suit another horse. YO maybe meant well but it's not what is said it's how it's said. Try to take a step back & see it through someone else's viewpoint, then decide what to do. Hope you get back on track with horse. Best Wishes.
 
Mcnaughty gives sound advice. YO might be worried that others might see your horse dropping weight, and blame her! Just a thought, and certainly doesn't justify her comments. I guess you're stuck there at the moment with local yards being full. Definitely worth doing the rounds again to remind people you are serious about taking up a vacancy. Try not to let the comments get to you, otherwise you'll be dreading going to visit your horse. Perhaps thank YO for her observations, and whilst you absolutely wouldn't dream of parting with your horse, you will check with some qualified nutritionists to see if his diet could be improved upon.
I found that Supabarley helped put weight on when needed. Is it possible to get a sharer who can exercise your horse whilst you're incapacitated?
 
Your yo may have a point on the worms, and as the horse is so poor through the winter may be questioning its health, and the reasons for allowing the horse to continue in this way - however clumsily.

But the yard sounds less than ideal (in since October, and not worked? Poor horse). And running out of hay, I can only assume you have your own separate supply.

You may also want to look at what you feed. Coolmix may simply not be providing the calories your horse needs. I'd be reviewing what you feed by speaking to some of the feed companies, and also thinking about your worming regime, getting a wormcount and a blood year for tapeworm.

I understand that some hoses don't do well in winter, bit after 5 years I'd be really concerned that I wasn't able to manage it better. Because no horse should drop condition like a stone, providing they are managed properly.
 
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