end of my tether

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jcbjack

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Hi all don't know what else I can do. ... I bought jack when he was 4 he is 10 now, and he had no weight or condition ... we got him right and looking lovely. ... up until 2yrs ago going into winter where he dropped all his weight and constantly looking tucked. ... worked with the vet on this and got him maintaining his weight, so I am happy with this. We had him scoped for ulcers and had bloods done twice and there is nothing abnormal.... his back is checked and teeth done.

With weight still maintaining I been increasing his work coming out the winter and built up to a fun ride Sunday. ..a few weeks ago after a hard lesson he became colicky for half hr and was then fine. .. he did the fun ride fine. .. was very excited coming off the box... but was fine. .. did all the right things when we got back. .. I made sure he was cool... had some electrolytes and turned him out for a few hrs .... they are still in at night at present due to bad winter. .. he came in and had tea as normal and I left him munching his hay. My friend turned out the next day but rang to say he had eaten all his hard feed but not much hay or ready grass. ...went up to check him and he is completely tucked which for a day maybe normal but 3 days on and he is still like a coat hanger at the back end. .. eating and seems happy. . But not really eating his hay just hard feed. ... I took him in the school Tuesday evening to try and get him relaxed and stretching out which he did fine and looked well. .. hr later tucked right up :-( any suggestions? Ps vet told me to carry on working him gently and he is in protextin recover aid for a few days. .. I have done a pinch test too.

Feed:
Scoop of hi fi original
Scoop of D and h build up cubed
Scoop of fast fibre

Fed once daily due to turn out rota. .. he has as much hay as needed and up until this week was having half a bucket of ready grass.

He is a 16.3 irish cob x shire x tb... With lots of tb traits. ... weight 490 and maintained this through winter...

Thanks in advance x
 
I assume your measuring is by tape because 490 seems very light for a horse of his type and height, my 16.1 sport horse weighs around 560 on a weighbridge and he is not over weight.
Back to condition, is he getting enough fluids, this can cause a horse to tuck up and often they do not replenish the fluids without some intervention and then are in a slightly dehydrated state for days, just giving electrolytes is not enough they need to be accompanied by extra fluid intake, the pinch test is a guide but not totally giving you a full picture of whether he is dehydrated .
1 feed a day is not really enough he would get more benefit from 2 or ideally 3 small feeds each day, I would put a good measure of salt in to help encourage him to drink and some form of oil for extra calories without adding bulk, micronised linseed would be good.
 
Thanks for your reply,

Yes it is a wiegh tape and he has been bordering betwen 490 and 530 throughout the winter.

Im not sure how to get 2-3 feeds a day into him, cause I dont always go up in the morning, it is worked so that we each only go up once a day. Due to work committments we are all pretty much in the same boat, when someone esle is turning out, its at 6am in the morning on route to their work, so its unfair to expect them to wait for Jack to finish his feed (he has never been a fast eater)..... He wont eat his food if there is salt in it but he does have a salt lick.... He doesnt drink much in the stable, probably only ever about a quater of the big round buckets. how else could I encourage him to drink, I have tried sugerbeet water, but nope, he doesnt bother with it.

Thanks

Rhi
 
as stated in my post though, he has had bloods done at the begining and end of winter for the past 2 years and they always come back clear, also had liver function tests etc.... will have to try and arrange something with feeds, from a weeks time they will be out 24/7 too and he always does well on the grass.
 
What did they test for on the Bloods?

As for the feeds. One when he comes in at night, one before he goes out.

As routine I would also feed electrolytes.

But generally I wonder if he's simply not getting enough to eat.
 
Could you add something like micronised linseed to his feed to help him gain weight? Or maybe rice bran oil?

I think you certainly need to feed 2 feeds a day - even my fattie cob has her meagre ration twice daily. The more feeds the better - small and often, but I would say a minimum of 2. Can a feed not be left outside his stable covered ready for the morning - if it's a smallish feed he won't take long to finish it.

I assume you have worm counted? Wormed for tapeworm and encysted redworm?
 
OP, there is still no grass, and if your horse is struggling, then you'll still need to be supplying adequate forage and feed when turned out 24/7.

I never understand people saying that they can't do their horse twice a day - you do it on the way to work and upon your return. We all have work commitments - but ensure our horses needs are met.

16.3hh is a lot of horse, and from what you've posted it would seem that they simply aren't getting enough food.

I would say your first priority has to be a review of your management.

Also, as above, you don't mention your worming routine. And it would be useful to have the horses teeth checked too.
 
Firstly, thank you for all your replies, there are some real valuable points.

I have never had help with Jack before and have always done morning and nights myself and happily done so, unitl my job changed this year working now most days 6am-6pm.... I was offered to join a rota this year and did so for Jacks sake and mine, as means he isnt being turned out a 5/5.30 am and staying out without hay all day until too late and this is the first year that he has only had his feed once a day, every other year he had 2 a day and still had the same problmes with sinking in at the flanks after work. he has Soya oil in his feed and pink powder and up until xmas he was having micronised linseed, which i ordered in.... when i couldnt get my hands on any, nothing changed for him, so I didnt keep it up... but I could re introduce this along side a small morning feed. ( will talk nice to the girls) I could go and drop his food in early, then they can put him out a bit later.

re fields, our summer turnout has been treated etc..... and is as green as anything and nearly ready for them to move onto. However, I am confused, because people say we have no grass.... he hasnt lost weight and his initial poo, in his stable at night is usually a beefy green grass one :-) and in the last few weeks, will eat his hard food and not touch much of his hay or ready grass (which he was in depths of winter). so this gives me the thought that he isnt hungry?(but I know this may be wrong) P.s. Haylage just makes him loose, so I dont feed it as recommended by my Vet.

I worm with my vet, i.e. from Nov-April, we have wormed with Pramox to ensure that we hit everything.... we also worm count and when the specialist scoped him there were no worms and also in his bloods, there were no signs of worm damage.

Bloods, not sure of each and everthing thats covered, but he has CBC's which covers RBC, WBC, Inflamation, Anemia, Parasites and he had another test which tested for Muscle wastage/damage. hope that makes sense. he did once have a slight decrease in WBC, but only by 1 unit and at no concern to my vet....

His teeth are done by my vet, who is also a UK qualified Dentist and is registered and they were last done 4 weeks ago, he also has his back checked via a physio linked to the vets (they are an equine practice).

My vet isnt worried about his weight because he looks well covered for his build, he is more TB type than a big chunky horse.... but its the sinking at the flanks after any work that is bothering me and I really dont hold back with anything he needs, so will make the changes suggested, and any others that are offered.

Thanks again

JCP Jack
 
Ah, ok. Mornings are clearly tricky.

I'd still be inclined to get a morning feed in to him - ask someone to pop it over the door, and put him out last to allow him to eat it.

Sounds as if your summer fields are well rested, and have a good supply of grass - so could just be what he needs.

Sorry for the assumptions.

Good luck with him.
 
Thanks, no probs for assumptions hun, I know we have had a rough winter and they would usually be out by now lol! but never mind.

Off the cuff question, but could the tucking up, just be something he does?? this is what people around me keep saying.... and I am not one to accept that, to me there is a reason for everthing lol! maybe, i should accept this is the type of horse he is lol

P.s. will do the electrolytes on a more perm basis too :-)
 
No, I don't accept horses just tuck up 'because that's what they do'. There's usually a reason - sometimes it's as simple as being dehydrated, hence suggesting more electrolytes.
 
jcbjack said:
Thanks, no probs for assumptions hun, I know we have had a rough winter and they would usually be out by now lol! but never mind.

Off the cuff question, but could the tucking up, just be something he does?? this is what people around me keep saying.... and I am not one to accept that, to me there is a reason for everthing lol! maybe, i should accept this is the type of horse he is lol

P.s. will do the electrolytes on a more perm basis too :-)
Click to expand...

The tucking up can be pain if it much more noticeable after work I would consider this .
My hunter tucked up spectacularly when he a pulled a small muscle in his back.
 
Thanks goldensta, did think maybe a bit sore, he was pretty grumpy to be touched anywhere on Monday (day after funride), but he is a very ticklish horse anyway.... may get another referral to my physio. x
 
Just to say JCB Jack well done you for being so thorough and concerned for your horses wellbeing. Thumbs up for you, good stuff, if you can't sort it, it won't be for lack of trying!!
 
It seems from the description that he's not eating dry forage, ie. hay and readigrass.

Can you put electrolytes in his overnight water bucket? Can you steam his hay. is the hay top quality? Trying dampening the readigrass. Is the field water cleanish?
 
9tails said:
It seems from the description that he's not eating dry forage, ie. hay and readigrass.

Can you put electrolytes in his overnight water bucket? Can you steam his hay. is the hay top quality? Trying dampening the readigrass. Is the field water cleanish?
Click to expand...

You're better off putting the electrolytes in a well dampened feed.
 
Thanks

He doest drink a lot of water really in the stable, will the electrolyts encourage drinking?

Good point about the field water though, will check it... obviously cant monitor what he is drinking out, but I can at least make sure it clean for them....

If I soak his hay, he eats less of it, even if its raining and the hay gets damp he wont touch it.... the hay is last summers hay, and he has never gone off it... its supplied by the farm owner (YO)... I do damp his readygrass anyway cause I alwasy worry cause its quite quorse... but he just isnt eating it at the moment... hence me thinking he is getting the new shoots in his current field? I could be wrong.
 
Electrolyte's won't encourage drinking, but they should replace salts and minerals if needed.

Don't put them in the water, because if he doesn't drink much now, the addition of something strange tasting will put him off even more. Plus most of the powder just drops to the bottom of the bucket.

Out of interest, when did you last have his teeth looked at?
 
HOw about you try putting sugabeet in his feed ? really well soaked so nice and sloppy so that he is getting plenty of water in there ? might hydrate him a lot quicker and maybe he isn't eating the hay because he's dehydrated he doesn't want to eat anything dry :)
 
His teeth were done 4 weeks ago, will put the electrolyts in his feed, this is what i did after the ride, but will keep it going longer now.

I tried sugarbeet water to encourage drinking, but he wasnt fussed... he has fast fibre, which is soaked the same way as sugarbeet tho... my mum (non horsey)calls it his fast cement mix stuff lol x
 
Maybe far too simple an answer but at the risk of seeming stupid,
Could he be cold?

It's eating hay and digesting that keeps them warm, so if he isn't eating the hay............?
Also the not drinking, found out here (never occurred to me before as not experienced it) that horses sometimes drink less when it's cold/they feel cold.
 
Get individual turnout and put morning feed in field when you get him in in the evening. I highly rate pure condition. Story sounds pretty much same as me and my guy!
 
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