Concerned for the new baby at the yard

Oh poor thing...I suppose this is another Brendon foal..

A girl on our yard has bought two...they are fed and cared for but haven't been out of their stables since Wednesday before last
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I guess they are in isolation BUT they are right next door to my horses field
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Anyway..agree with the others..you really need to get onto these owners and tell them this foal need hay and turnout at the very least..
 
People like that should not take on foals - but for god sake, it is not that different from any aged horse - it needs food - hay and/or grass ad lib as a minimum, clean water and freedom to run about in safety.

I took Chancer home at 16 months and he had ad lib hay, two good fibre based feeds every day with appropriate youngstock supplements. I have limited turn out from end October to end of April, but he was out four days a week from 9 to 4 and in the school morning and evenings for several hours.

I did not have a youngster for him to play with and this concerned me, but I spent ages playing with him, and luckily Cairo had a new lease of life and became a youngster again and spent hours playing with him.

Ok, it was not ideal, but he has turned out a lovely little horse.

Please get them to see some sense and if they continue as they are, get someone in to force them to (a) give it up or (b) look after it properly.

I just can't believe they are so stupid as not to give hay - god help anything they own. Personally I would be on the move as soon as possible that risk my horses with idiots like that.
 
You might not have til tonight!

My 4 month old foal eats hay - as much as he can stuff in, and a hard feed a day.

Foals can go downhill in days and die. If that poor little sod has had nothing since friday he hasn't got long - I'm not joking!

I watch mine like a hawk because they are still so vulnerable that young.

So they have him penned in, no grass and absolutely not a scrap of food at all? What idiots (and I'm being mild) they are killing the poor thing.

Please, please do something before its too late!

Calves get fed, how can they think they are doing right with this foal?
 
Ditto what everyone else said but I think you MUST say something first and then get welfare involved if it falls on deaf eras. The longer you leave it the less tactful you will be. Some people dont mean to be cruel they just dont know and unless you are there 24/7 it may be getting hay when you are not around.

Inteerestingly enough my boy goes over the top when its feed time and even if there is hay in his stable when he hears the tractor coming around with the hay he goes berserk so maybe he experienced a similar start ??
 
I don't have any experience personally of feeding babies, but my YO runs a stud and his babies have been on mix and cubes, and ad lib hay since they came back to us from foaling in the spring, having been fed throughout the summer.
This is when a foal's bones strengthen and develop and when he needs good balanced and regular feeding..... and a rug in this weather. Ours are all well protected from the weather. Best wishes. Fingers crossed you can sort something out for him.
 
Are you sure they are not giving him anything to eat?
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I know there are some pretty dense people in the world, but most people know that animals need feed of some sort.
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I must say I wouldn't rely on the daughter's word, as children are notoriously unreliable about factual matters. I would definitely want to speak to the adult owners ASAP to find out what he is getting.
 
im very concerned about this foal as to you menshioned that it has not done any poos in my book if hes not pooing then his gut is not working propley due to not being fed
horses need bulk to keep the gut formaily working as it should do
if its not then they could be in for a hell of a vets bill
i would just say to them if they dont listen then it a call to the bhs or ilph but i defently would not sit back and wait for a disrastrous out come
 
not eaten since last friday??

well, if it hadn't, it would be shutting down by now and nearing deaths door...

i'm sorry, you must be missing something here...it MUST be getting something......
 
I'm back.

I just raced there, gave him some hay and water, raced home. Didn't want to be seen, but will probably be asked when I go back to do mine in a couple of hours.

TGM, the daughter is 13/14 and most of the time is the one who looks after and feeds the horses/ponies (not ours as we are DIY thank goodness); her mum comes out in the evenings to help, but more supervises than anything. The daughter makes up the feeds and I asked her last night what they were feeding the foal, in a sly way, and she just said they don't want to start giving him a feed yet. She wants to take over the livery business when she leaves school in 2 years
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With regards to the hay - I am there at least 2 and a half hours in the mornings as I try to at least lunge as well as do my jobs if I can. Saturday and Sunday my husband and I spend half our days at the yard as we do any big jobs and ride a lot. Both Saturday and Sunday the foal was in. The other horses of theirs were in on Saturday but went out yesterday, and are in again today (were still in a minute ago). I tend to leave between 12 and 1pm. He's definitely not getting turnout as of yet, but I guess it could change. Also, if they were feeding hay, I'd thing the comment about him choking when he tried eating his neighbour's hay through the bars, was bizarre. I will double check when I get shot down by them tonight though! I've seen them at night throwing silage in for the other horses, but giving no hay or anything to the foal.

He has no blanket on, but that wasn't what really concerned me.

Ischa, I got there at 8 and left at 1245 today and there were no poos in the stable. Everyone goes to school/work by 830ish, so I don't think they'd been picked up.

I was already concerned about this foal and now even more so. I've given him some hay and a bucket of water, and just hope he will be OK. I can't do anymore apart from have a chat with them tonight.

I know in my own head, what a baby needs and how they should be cared for, but when it comes to poking my nose in I tend to take a step back like this. I am glad I have given him something now, and if they turn round to me tonight and say 'well we actually give him hay at 330pm every day and he's eaten it all by 5pm (which is when I tend to get there and he doesn't have any), then I will be the first to apologise and jump for joy that they are feeding him. But as I said, I am there several hours morning and night, and I've never seen hay put in or him actually doing anything but standing in the corner of his pen looking withdrawn, hence me posting this today.

I just don't know what's going on, as they're farmers and have horses already, so they should know that he needs something. He's a living creature. We'll see tonight.
 
she went at 2.20pm. can you really believe these people. surely they can't think it is ok for a foal or any animal to go for 4 days without food. hope the poor wee thing doesn't colic now. I just keep thinking of the wee soul watching the others munching their hay while he starves. it is so upsetting.
 
I hope so, JM07. Like I said, I will be the first to jump for joy if it's being fed, and I also would have thought he'd be deteriorating. He's not very bright/happy and isn't moving around much, but I put that down to him being shut away with no where to run around and play. We will see tonight. They might tell me they've been feeding him the Alpha A Oil I gave them the other day because my boy won't eat it. Sigh.
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but even if they do give him hay at 3.30 and it is all gone by 5, then it still isn't enough to keep him alive. the lack of poo concerns me, if nothing is going in then nothing will come out.
good for you for going down ther and doing something. if you are worried about tonight, the take your oh with you. especially if he isn't worried about saying whats necessary. did he not have water either when you went down?
 
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You've done all you can do for the moment - I hope they have been feeding him, if not I am sure you will sort the situation out.
It's very awkward when it's your YO, isn't it?
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Yes it is, especially when you're a bit of a nervy idiot like me! Thank you all for your input everyone. I hope I was just missing something somewhere, and as JM07 says, he should be deteriorating by now. He's a chubby little thing, but with nothing going into him to regulate his gut then as everyone says, he is going to suffer.
 
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but even if they do give him hay at 3.30 and it is all gone by 5, then it still isn't enough to keep him alive. the lack of poo concerns me, if nothing is going in then nothing will come out.
good for you for going down ther and doing something. if you are worried about tonight, the take your oh with you. especially if he isn't worried about saying whats necessary. did he not have water either when you went down?

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No I know but what I am saying is, the only time during the day I am not there is between 1 and 5, so unless they give him hay when I am not there and it's gone by the time I get back there, he isn't getting any. Although, maybe they give him some late at night...

As for water. He strted out with a mini trug on Saturday but kept putting his foot in and tipping it over, so when they went hunting (hmmm, that's another story there) they took it out and when they got back they found another bucket which they could tie to the bars to stop it tipping. It was empty when I got there, but it is quite normal for their horses to run out of water during the day and for me to top them up (which i do always do)... they are in an awful lot and it seems only turned out if the YOs are not otherwise occupied. I have said to them I am happy to do them all if they need me to, but so far have not been asked. If not for me being there, though, the horses would probably not have new water until everyone is home at 4pm.
 
if they are lacking in foal experience im sure many of us on here would be happy enough to give advice relating to foal feeding and care there are also feed phonelines to which has been menshioned
please keep a very good eye on that foal if any dought you fill hes not well etc please phone vet
thats the other thing have you any vet appointments coming up maybe you could meshion on the side to your vet who maybe be able to give them advice
you also need to menshion that it can stunt the growth if not getting the correct amount food with vitamins
 
I would just tell them.
You are only acting in the best interest of the poor wee foal.
If that doesn't work then contact someone from an organisation.
It's not very old and won't cope for very long without food
 
Well, to be honest, standing for long periods with nothing to eat is going to do him no good anyway, even if by some token I have missed the fact that they are feeding him a bit of hay here and there (maybe he's getting some through the bars when they are not looking?).

Arghhhh. Well, I am going to talk to them tonight (will have to now as they will want to know why I've just given their foal a load of hay!).
 
Good Luck. Hope all goes well for you. Thank God you're there for him, poor little fellow. Would mentioning HHO in your chat with the people this evening help or hinder your case??
 
Maybe he's been tucking into his bedding????

Would it be at all possible to turn him out with your horse? If they cannot or do not turn their horses out you could suggest he goes out to play with yours??

Poor little foalie.

Good luck tonight.
 
Just a thought Carrie; perhaps when they said they were not feeding him they meant hardfeed rather than forage as in hay or straw? That is usual terminology for hard feed; doesn't mean no food at all.

If he is bedded down on straw then he will be eating that I would imagine. Hope it all gets sorted out though.
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THOSE PEOPLE ARE TOTAL MORONS,for christ sake get a grip and do something now.!!!!If they are really that ignorant then they are not fit to own any horse or pony let alone one so young and vunerable.You should never be afraid to stick your nose in and do what is right to help any animal that is suffering from neglect,after all they can not speak for themselves so you must do it for him and do it now!
 
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