Gut instinct guys...

Cazza525

Cazza525

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Basically I have 2 TB's(not belonging to me) and 2 of my own ponies. All have been living out, kept in two groups of 2.

One of the TB's belong to my YM, she's rising four and she bought her in late October straight off the track. She arrived with mudfever and it has got worse although treated daily.

Second TB is a 'favour' for a friend till Spring. He's a 12 year old ex eventer with kissing spine and leg issues. He arrived lame and has come sound after a lot of hard work.

The 2 of them are out in 4 acres of good grazing, they have a double shelter bedded down, plenty of natural hedging. They are both fed conditioning feed twice daily and are fed adlib haylage also twice daily. They are both very well rugged and have never felt cold.

However, my YM managed to get them both down to the stables this morning after 3 weeks of being stuck out because of the track and yard freezing. She has rung me and says that the young mare is looking now quite skinny and mudfever bad again. The older boy has no topline anyway because of his 'issues',he has still got a bit of a 'pot'belly. He also has mudfever. They are both suffering a bit with rug rubbing although they both have vests on, apparently the younger mare is worst on her withers.

Now, what to do? I do have brand new stabling, but no electric as yet. The younger mare is a little stressy when in and the older chap needs to keep moving around as he gets arthritis and allsorts. They do both seem very happy out, but my gut instinct is telling me to get them in overnight at least.

My other worry is that I don't live onsight and am a bit concerned something may happen to them overnight, ie young mare gets stressy and old chap stiffens up and hurts himself.......

Just some thoughts really guys, I cant wait till Spring when hopefully all these ailments will go.

Oh and BTW, the younger mare is weatherbeaten as well even though rugged up to her ears!!
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Tell her you're doing your best for both horses - but if she wants to move them to a different place, you have no objections.
 
This is the reason I don't have a TB of my own. My 2 are very low maintanance this time of year.......its Spring and Summer they need work.

I am not worried abaout my YM's mare, that is her look out, its the older chap. I took him on for 3 months at the end of November to try and get him 'field sound' as I had the grazing and time to put to him. He is due to go back at the end of February to the 'numpty' owner who didn't know how to care for him. I did this for nothing, the only stipulation was she paid vets fees. She has been up once to see him and has purchased herself a haflinger to ride....!

I am reluctant to send him back at this time of year as she really is novice. I am capable of looking after him, and feed him accordingly, but my gut instinct is telling me to 'get him in'! This part of the deal I didn't sign up for......he was just supposed to live out!! Ho hum, what to do!!
 
Is it worth broaching the subject with the owner cos tbh it sounds like she's moved on and may not want him back.

I think you have to have a frank conversation with her and say the horse is not doing well living out and if he needs to come in she needs to bear the cost. You have been very good to put in that effort with no return for yourself.
 
Whose job is it to sort the mud-fever? It needs clearing up as it is a very painful and potentially serious condition which cancause real pain and siffering and be a precursor to cellulitis. Same goes for rug rubs and all kinds of things can be done with pilloews and duvets and sheepskin pads - and doing them is also urgent as the pain from rugs rubbing is just as bad.

Are the older horse's teeth OK?

Id be fetching them in andgetting everything sorted out before the vet's bills start.
 
TBH if you're already feeding them add-lib haylage and have a bed laid in the field shelter, how much extra is it going to cost you to put down a decent straw bed? - I know in my case its not much, about a tenner a month. I'd get him in. It made such a difference to my boy, who is young but started to struggle with 24hr turnout at the beginning of december...
 
When you put the second lot of hay out have they eaten all of the first lot? Can you up their feed, say an extra bucket, and more hay, i take it they have been wormed up to date and had their teeth checked, also maybe get different rugs as these sound like they don't fit very well . May be bringing them in once a day to do the mud fever, and take rugs off to check underneath would be good. i found that Camrosa for mudfeaver really works , if that is any help.
 
I'm sorry I haven't made myself very clear have I.

YM owns the young TB, it is her look out what happens with her. I have taken on older boy as a favour, on short term loan to make sure he is field sound and can then go back to owner to keep her new,rideable horse company.

Myself and YM do horses together every morning and then either one of us will do evening shift. My YM keeps her horse with me for nothing in exchange for helping me out with mine if I cant get there or stuck for childcare,as I was this morning.

Both TB's were being brought down from field daily to have legs scrubbed with hibiscrub, allowed to dry and then plastered with idder cream and put out again. Since the 'deep freeze', the track and yard were sheet ice so unable to get them down. We have instead been smothering with udder cream in field, but NOT wetting legs at all. It has got no better,but is not infected.
 
They always have haylage left, we put more than enough out, but rather that than not enough.....

I will have a good look at rugs in the morning as I'm not taking them off in the field this evening when I go over.

Thanks for the tips though
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clearly the management is not working out for the tb's.
While the responsibilty of the younger tb is not yours, it is yours for the older one.

Obviously when you took him on, there was no way of knowing that we where going to have such freak weather. This means that where as the minimal management was working out for him before, it isnt now and more money and time is going to have to be spent.

You need to contact his owner and disscuss his needs, and see wheather you can meet those needs or not.

the rugs will need seeing to asap, as the rubs could become infected, could it be he has dropped weight becasue it hurts him to put his head down to feed as the rug is digging into his spine?

if the Ym decided to bring her tb in then the elderly tb will be left with out company. So he would have to come in as well.

Is there no way your friend can take the elderly tb back and care for him?

if she wont then its only fair that she contributes towards the extra upkeep for him. what if he dosnt come sound in the spring?



 
I will speak to older TB's owner in the next few days. I have just checked him over in the field and he seems ok actually. Rug rubbing slightly on chest but nothing more than loss of hair at the mo. His mud fever can be seen to in the morning.

The field they are in is pretty battered dur to the weather and the fact that they are big! I'm only usede to dainty little ponies!

If he doesn't stay field sound, he will be pts. This has already been discussed with myself,the vet and his owner.
 
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