Condition check on oldie please

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rockysmum

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Sorry folks but worrying about everything at the moment. After stressing over the mares feet I moved onto the oldie. Always have trouble keeping weight on him in winter. He is bright in himself and has a lovely shiny coat. But he’s getting thin. So honest opinions, how bad is it. He’s 36 for those that don’t know him.

This was summer

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This was last night, sorry about the muck, it was wet. It was also dark but I did my best

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Crumpet said:
I think he looks bloody good for his age, nice shine too. I'd just be keen to keep him warm and dry, teeth in check and more of what you are doing so far.:)
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Thank you. He's rugged up and only goes out for a few hours as there isn't much to eat. He had the dentist a few months ago and he's due again on Thursday.

On an extremely high calorie diet, I'm lucky he doesn't have lammi or cushings. Can still feel and see his ribs and his hip bones though :(
 
To be honest, I'm not at all suprised you can feel bones, oldies just don't hold the muscle mass and as we all know it all goes off the topline. If he's happy and eating well, you are doing right by him. I'd be proud to have a horse that age who still looks like he could pull a trick or two!
 
He looks fab :)
Out of interest what are you feeding? You can feed tonnes of some feed and have little affect had this happen before until I changed feeds.
But tbh yours looks good :) x
 
He looks pretty good for his age. If you are worried about him dropping weight, feed him loads of soaked feeds (Simple System stuff is great for oldies and Dengie do similar) plus linseed which is great for keeping on weight. I think you deserve lots of credit for having a horse his age looking so well.
 
I think he looks amazing for 36! As someone else said, they do lose muscle mass as they get older. Henry has 15 years younger than your boy and has lost muscle, so you're doing a grand job! I doubt you'll see the ribs covered again like you would in a younger horse. Oldies just can't digest protein like youngsters can and you can do more damage feeding high protein diets to old animals, so I'd say continue as you are. :)
 
He looks great - still plenty on him, and you don't want too much on them with their old bones anyway :)

I'm having the dentist out tomorrow too, which one are you having - Dan?
 
Micronised linseed has transformed a friends old TB mare who was very ribby coming out of last winter. She's in her 20s but after a couple of months of linseed she looked like a different horse.
Yours looks fab though! Does not look 36 at all!
 
Thank you everyone :D

I think it has been all the PTS threads on recently which set me off worrying about whether I am being fair to him. He's still so happy though :D

Stencilface we use Robin Earnshaw, cant praise him enough, he manages to do "The Beast" without sedation, vet couldn't believe it :D
 
He looks fine and if he is not in work then as the others have said, the muscle tone depletes, but overall your old man looks pretty good for his age. I have two who are also 36 years old; both are still in light work so their muscle tone is reasonably good and one in particular still has an impressive topline. I've had quite a few horses live to this age and what I've found with all of them is they keep going quite nicely until one day they just don't and usually within a short space of time you are making the decision to say goodbye.
 
No need to worry like everyone has said he looks fab :D keep up the good work I 'd be chuffed if my girl gets anywhere near that age and looks that good!
 
You need a slap ! you should be on here as proud as punch - god that horse so obviously wants for nothing.

Well done chick - you are a class horse owner.

Good luck with the dentist today
 
He looks great for his age.
Our 31 yr old ex-broodmare also has a sway back, it just goes with the age. We keep her weight on with soaked grassnuts, grass chaff and Speedibeet with linseed oil. That seems to be better than anything else we've used for the oldies.
I know exactly what you mean about wanting to be sure you're doing the right thing by them. We thought we would lose ours to colic about 6 yrs ago and then again when a young vet told us she had a bad heart. Fortunately the senior vet came out to check her before we made the final decision - and could find nothing wrong! We sometimes regret retiring her after the colic but are just glad that's she's still with us and going strong.
Yours looks as though he's made of similarly strong stuff!
 
rockysmum said:
Thank you everyone :D

I think it has been all the PTS threads on recently which set me off worrying about whether I am being fair to him. He's still so happy though :D

Stencilface we use Robin Earnshaw, cant praise him enough, he manages to do "The Beast" without sedation, vet couldn't believe it :D
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Well don't worry he looks great for an oldie, I am another who would add some micronised linseed into the diet if you don't already full of calories and lots of stuff excellent for the joints.
 
Please please don't worry! I have one of a similar age and he's lost muscle everywhere. I feed high fibre cubes (just the £5 a bag ones), brewers yeast and plain old veg oil for the calories. Together with excellent hay and a supplement with devil's claw in it. He has one feed of that a day, wetted down and is doing fine. I find alfalfa very good too (they do one for oldies) and fed it last year to put on weight.
 
My 34 y.o is always a bit hippy but that's due to muscle wastage as she's fat as butter. She's only on 16+ mix and speedibeet twice a day :)
 
Another one who thinks he looks fabulous:D He will let you know when "it is time" so enjoy him for now. He still looks cheeky and full of life.
 
He's looking really good.

I too keep stressing about my 31yo as I'm struggling with weight, just got a weigh tape then I can measure her weekly and monitor for changes. I **think** she might have put a bit of weight on after starting veteran vitality instead of fast fibre, fingers crossed!
 
rockysmum said:
Thank you everyone :D

I think it has been all the PTS threads on recently which set me off worrying about whether I am being fair to him. He's still so happy though :D

Stencilface we use Robin Earnshaw, cant praise him enough, he manages to do "The Beast" without sedation, vet couldn't believe it :D
Click to expand...

He looks happy as larry and actually, I think he is an ideal weight. You don't want him too fat as everything gets harder with more weight to carry. So long as he is perky and has some energy, no need to even consider PTS just because a few ribs are showing. My 18 year old mare needs to lose weight, but her ribs are showing. She carries her fat in fat pads so weight can be deceptive. I am getting a bit fed up of the trend on this forum for some to suggest PTS at the slightest setback.
 
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