Gawsworth Track Livery

[Gawsworth_Track]

I'm torn over this one RR. I've seen a number of horses which were at the end of their working lives according to vets and farriers brought back into full work by a period at Rockley, which at the time was one of very few options and for many, including a friend of mine, a journey of 5 hours which was unfeasible for visiting even weekly.

I would say to anyone thinking of sending a horse away to demand weekly video side on, walk and trot, and if that isn't supplied, remove the horse.
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We post many of the horses on our public Facebook page walking, running, playing, sleeping ect and all owners have always been satisfied with this but since this has happened we have now adopted the policy of exactly what you have suggested.

 

[southerncomfort]

The thing I'm struggling with is the horse losing weight.

I've had many horses go barefoot with me and none have lost weight in the way described. I don't understand the concept of it being a normal part of the barefoot journey.

The fact the horse became so thin suggests to me that he wasn't able to move easily between hay feeding stations because his feet were sore, and wasn't eating enough.

This is a huge welfare issue and I'd have wanted him in hoof boots a heck of a lot quicker.

Unless he was obese to start with, then on the face of it, allowing him to lose so much weight so quickly is, in my view, neglectful.

 

[MuddyMonster]

@Gawsworth_Track You probably want to remove references to the owner's name, especially the surname, in your posts.

 

[Palindrome]

The thing I'm struggling with is the horse losing weight.

I've had many horses go barefoot with me and none have lost weight in the way described. I don't understand the concept of it being a normal part of the barefoot journey.

The fact the horse became so thin suggests to me that he wasn't able to move easily between hay feeding stations because his feet were sore, and wasn't eating enough.

This is a huge welfare issue and I'd have wanted him in hoof boots a heck of a lot quicker.

Unless he was obese to start with, then on the face of it, allowing him to lose so much weight so quickly is, in my view, neglectful.

You don't know how much weight he lost though?

Plus, if a horse looses a lot of weight, what would you do? offer supplementary feeding? call a vet?

 

[ycbm]

You don't know how much weight he lost though?

Plus, if a horse looses a lot of weight, what would you do? offer supplementary feeding? call a vet?

Recent Facebook posts refer to supplementary feeding of loose hay away from the track for horses which need it.
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[SO1]

I have to say I was quite shocked to see Jasper's video on facebook. Admittedly the YO did say he was unsound due to the rehabilitation and I very much hope he wasn't left hobbling around like that for weeks.

I do appreciate that these track liveries take on horses that are already unsound and try and get them back to being sound and without vet reviews what they presume is a sore or unsound horse unaccustomed to be being barefoot could actually be something else like an abcesses or a flare of the orginal injury that may need vet intervention or pain relief.

If you have a lame horse I would think it would be important to have regular vet reviews with the possibility of pain relief to make the horse more comfortable.

I do appreciate that these track liveries because they don't have grass have been life changing in a very positive way for many laminitics and horses that cannot tolerate grass and there are not enough liveries that can accommodate this so people are sending horses away to give them a better quality of life.

 

[southerncomfort]

You don't know how much weight he lost though?

Plus, if a horse looses a lot of weight, what would you do? offer supplementary feeding? call a vet?

The OP refers to him being very thin. I'm taking her at her word, but appreciate that one person's idea of thin is another person's idea of ideal weight. However, GTL appear in their post to confirm that the horse had lost weight.

I already said what I'd do. I'd sacrifice ideology for the horses comfort and get some hoof boots on so he can easily travel between hay feeding stations.

If the horse didn't pick up or become more comfortable, then yes I'd want the vet to have a look.

 

[Gawsworth_Track]

I have put my side of the story across and that’s where I shall leave it and I will not respond again.

Days could be spent picking apart who was at fault, who should of done what and what each person thinks is right or wrong.

I know in my own heart and my own conscience that I did everything I possibly could for Jasper.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing and it’s very easy for people to sit at a key board and cast judgement.

Owner is hurting, she wants someone to blame … I get that 100% but alls we tried to do here was help Jasper.

 

[Forum Admin Team]

Thread/subject closed.


[Apologies to anyone who contributed since, but this seemed a reasonable point to draw a line. Raking over coals with second hand information and opinion in a situation like this serves little purpose.]