How can I improve the condition of my horse who has Cushings?

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Ruftysdad

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Rufty was diagnosed with Cushings Syndrome about 2 years ago. His only symptoms were fat pads and ribby. He has been on prascend ever since and re tested regularly . His last ACTH level was 23, well within normal limits. However whatever, and how much I feed him, he is still ribby. Fine everywhere else, except a loss of muscle on his withers. He is ridden about 4 times a week, hacking for about an hour to an hour and a half. I have tried schooling him but he hates it and spends all his time giving a good imitation of a snail.Has the attitude, been there and bought the tee shirt
He is forward going hacking and seems to enjoy himself (too much sometimes)
In the winter he has ad lib haylage, large scoop of fibre beet, (split over 2 feeds) Baileys no14, Baileys light chop and linseed. He is fed twice a day and usually has a treat ball containing fibre cubes overnight. He is out more now on average grazing, and is still having hard food.

I have asked my vet and he has not really come up with any new suggestions so would appreciate any thoughts.
 
What about ab lib (and decent) hay all year? Hay IMO is amazing for condition. Ive seen a big difference with one of my veterans (not cushings but every winter he ends up ribby by the end of it despite packing him with hard feed) - he would always get hay all year round, a big round bale in a feeder but I had a haylage type net over it to limit wastage. Theyve now managed to chew big holes in it so can basically freely access it in big mouthfuls, this winter he's come out looking the best he ever has done. So just that little increase in hay has helped hugely. I give hay all year round purely because I lack enough grazing but it works for keeping weight on - two of mine are actually too fat right now!
 
I think it is JillA who has had similar issues with hers and from memory needs to give good quality protein to keep the muscle tone, if she doesn't post on this thread try sending a pm or searching through her posts.
 
At his last yard he had ad lib haylage all through the summer but did not improve. He has done slightly better since I moved him to better grazing. Hay was being put out but ignored. I will research extra protein.
As regards linseed he is now having a cupful in each feed
 
I used equijewel on an elderly warm blood that just looked poor all year round he looked loads better even after just 1 bag of the stuff, it's not cheap but it is very good for putting on condition when everything else sees to fail.
 
Mine lost a lot of weight last august, long story, so cut short put him on Topspec fibre plus cubes and senior lite balancer and they said if he didn't gain weight to change the balancer to the normal senior one. He had 5 feeds a day of 1 stubs scoop per feed, in 2 months he gained the weight I wanted. Now maintaining on half that. He's in overnight and out in the day muzzled and is 38 diagnosed cusings Nov 15

Other good feeds for weight gain are Saracen releve and their equijewel, also fast fibre
 
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