I just bought my first cob! Introduction + feed advice + photos!

[SatansLittleHelper]

Norty Rigsby ??
Glad no-one was really hurt, little sod. Sounds as though the new horse is just what you need...Rigsby needs to remember which side his bread is buttered and behave..!!!

 

[Red-1]

Rigsby had to have the vet! His wind wasn't good when he came but it seemed stable. He had a prominent heaves line, but he is on dust extracted bedding, soaked hay and loads of ventilation, and his wind has been stable.

Until...

A few weeks ago, he had a cough. It got worse.

Day before yesterday, he coughed so much when I turned him out, I was actually worried. I called the vet, who came next day.

And...

They thought I was making a lot of fuss about a horse who didn't seem particularly sick!

The vet left me with some ventipulmin, not to actually use unless he is bad, as he was OK when the vet saw him! I mean, not a cough all day.

Today he did do a few coughs after we had finished our ride out, so he had some of his medication for the first time.

I am unsure how bad it is that I am so fussy. It was £180 approx for the visit and medication.

 

[CanteringCarrot]

I think being "fussy" about a cough is fine. Coughing like that isn't normal.

I've seen too many horses in later stages of COPD/Heaves who possibly wouldn't have been in such poor shape if things were treated and taken care of early (and the horse kept fit and in appropriate conditions). Scarring on the lungs is difficult to deal with.

A few horses at the yard in another stable have started coughing recently and my allergies kicked into gear, so idk exactly what's going on.

 

[Red-1]

I think being "fussy" about a cough is fine. Coughing like that isn't normal.

I've seen too many horses in later stages of COPD/Heaves who possibly wouldn't have been in such poor shape if things were treated and taken care of early (and the horse kept fit and in appropriate conditions). Scarring on the lungs is difficult to deal with.

A few horses at the yard in another stable have started coughing recently and my allergies kicked into gear, so idk exactly what's going on.

I have heard that it is a bad time for a lot of horses locally. Don't know if it is harvest.

 

[BBP]

I think being "fussy" about a cough is fine. Coughing like that isn't normal.

I've seen too many horses in later stages of COPD/Heaves who possibly wouldn't have been in such poor shape if things were treated and taken care of early (and the horse kept fit and in appropriate conditions). Scarring on the lungs is difficult to deal with.

A few horses at the yard in another stable have started coughing recently and my allergies kicked into gear, so idk exactly what's going on.

Completely agree, lost my little pony last week thanks to COPD that became unmanageable. Came to us 6 years ago allergic to absolutely everything and lungs and lungs already shot to pieces. Constant battle of finding the perfect dust free, spore free forage, couldn’t even have a stem of hay without setting him off coughing hard but then allergic to pollen, harvest dust, rust on grass and any kind of chemical in the air. Hard life for a horse but we kept him happy. I found him one morning having an acute attack, heart rate 100, respiration 60-70 per min. Although we got him stabilised his lung function was then not sufficient to have any quality of life so said goodbye.

 

[GoldenWillow]

I'm another who thinks being 'fussy' about a cough is fine especially when you know your horse and know what's 'normal' and what isn't for them. September often seems to be a bad time of year for summer allergy equine asthma.

 

[PapaverFollis]

An allergy probably. Granny horse was bad with mould spores and I think autumn is the time for those I'm the general environment. I found NAF Respirator Boost to be really effective.

 

[Red-1]

An allergy probably. Granny horse was bad with mould spores and I think autumn is the time for those I'm the general environment. I found NAF Respirator Boost to be really effective.

I had him on that for 2 weeks already, it was my first thing. It did damp the response down somewhat, but I still wasn't satisfied, so had the vet. He had his first Ventipulmin yesterday. I was surprised that he isn't supposed to be on a preventative dose, but the vet thought it wasn't serious enough to actually start him on it, except at any time he had an actual coughing episode. Apparently his lungs don't sound that bad.

Rode him out last night, just a walk around the block, he was fine until, bizarrely, we stopped. He had about 20 coughs then, then was fine for the rest of the evening. He had the medicine though. He is out at night, outside the bedroom window, and I heard one more set of coughs in the night, about 10 coughs. So, I think he can have some more today.

Mr Red says to wash the nets again. I do wash them, but they are due. They quickly get yakky as all his hay is soaked.

 

[laura_nash]

My old cob sounds similar to Rigsby breathing-wise and I keep a tub of ventipulmin handy so I can give it ASAP when needed. I find if I do that, I can get on top of it quickly and it doesn't get worse. When I use it all up I just ring the vet for another tub, usually about one every 2-3 years.

 

[Red-1]

My old cob sounds similar to Rigsby breathing-wise and I keep a tub of ventipulmin handy so I can give it ASAP when needed. I find if I do that, I can get on top of it quickly and it doesn't get worse. When I use it all up I just ring the vet for another tub, usually about one every 2-3 years.

Out of interest, how much is a tub? Mr Red was in charge, and I only know it was £180 for the visit and a tub.

 

[Red-1]

Completely agree, lost my little pony last week thanks to COPD that became unmanageable. Came to us 6 years ago allergic to absolutely everything and lungs and lungs already shot to pieces. Constant battle of finding the perfect dust free, spore free forage, couldn’t even have a stem of hay without setting him off coughing hard but then allergic to pollen, harvest dust, rust on grass and any kind of chemical in the air. Hard life for a horse but we kept him happy. I found him one morning having an acute attack, heart rate 100, respiration 60-70 per min. Although we got him stabilised his lung function was then not sufficient to have any quality of life so said goodbye.

I am sorry for your loss.

 

[Red-1]

Just done him this morning, not a single cough. Not even when having his grazing muzzle fitted, which is a pinch point.

I have heard that moulds and fungi have been growing prolifically this year. I hope we damp it down until it passes, then we can have a lull before next year.

 

[Red-1]

Yesterday Riggers did his nannying job out hacking. He is ace, sweet enough to have a variety of riders, although this rider is actually a retired pro, as I wanted someone handy for our first few outings. We met a motorbike, a runner, cyclist, cars, a trailer, went onto a stubble field. All the way Rigsby held the outer spot and showed the new baby how a properly educated horse behaves.

He didn't cough all day, so, following the vets instructions, he didn't have any medication. However, this morning he did again cough, so I wonder if he would be better medicated for a week solid so it really calms down. I am a lot happier knowing that a couple of measures of Ventipulmin was enough to halt the coughing altogether though.

 

[PapaverFollis]

Oh he's a good boy. ❤ Baby horse looks lovely too. What knee boots is he/she wearing? They look fluffy and comfortable!

 

[Red-1]

Oh he's a good boy. ❤ Baby horse looks lovely too. What knee boots is he/she wearing? They look fluffy and comfortable!

No fluff, just shell and neoprene. I can't remember the make, they were about £12 from ebay! I thought them worthwhile at present as he has the attention span of a gnat and hasn't found his balance yet. He is likely to stop to scratch and forget to also stop his body and topple over LOL.

 

[Red-1]

Although Homer isn't having a thread, I have done a write up on the Covid purchases thread.

 

[CanteringCarrot]

I've usually been told to give the Ventipulmin consistently. Either for a week or two straight, or until it runs out.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

What a good sensible chap Riggers is! Homer looks very much like my late IDx mare, although she was 16.3hh and he looks to be about the same height as Rigsby. I'm sure you will enjoy him.

 

[Red-1]

I've usually been told to give the Ventipulmin consistently. Either for a week or two straight, or until it runs out.

I think it may be because, when the vet came, he said there was nothing to see or hear. No coughing and lungs not that bad. I will put him on it for a week, I think.

 

[BBP]

I think it may be because, when the vet came, he said there was nothing to see or hear. No coughing and lungs not that bad. I will put him on it for a week, I think.

Just check, as I’m sure I read when I was looking for my copd pony, that studies are showing that sustained use (even for 2 weeks) can result in desensitisation to the active ingredient. Which might be why advice now is not to feed it daily unless the horse is really bad. I might be wrong as I looked a while ago.

 

[Red-1]

Just check, as I’m sure I read when I was looking for my copd pony, that studies are showing that sustained use (even for 2 weeks) can result in desensitisation to the active ingredient. Which might be why advice now is not to feed it daily unless the horse is really bad. I might be wrong as I looked a while ago.

That would make sense. The vet did say that they can become immune to the effects, but not that it would only take 2 weeks. I gave a half dose today, as he was only coughing half as much.

A wise herbal-aware friend said to try some mullien tea, so he will be trying that as a preventative. She has a large rescue, many elderly horses, and uses it with great success, so I will swap to that tomorrow and see if it works for him. It arrived today. That way, if it gets worse, he will ahve the Ventipulmin in reserve.

 

[Red-1]

What a good sensible chap Riggers is! Homer looks very much like my late IDx mare, although she was 16.3hh and he looks to be about the same height as Rigsby. I'm sure you will enjoy him.

He is 15.3, and only 4, so I am thinking he will level off at 16.1, eventually. He rides bigger than 15.3 though, so even if he doesn't grow any more, that is fine.

 

[GoldenWillow]

How I was told to use ventipulmin for my copd (equine asthma) mare was to use it for 5 - 7 days or longer if needed. She had many tubs of it over 4 years and it was only the last year that it failed to have any effect. That was 12+ years ago so thinking may have changed but Joey has occasionally needed it, mainly before we started with nebuliser, and the advice was to use for 5 - 7 days again (different vet practice) and he has responded quickly with it every time.

 

[laura_nash]

Out of interest, how much is a tub? Mr Red was in charge, and I only know it was £180 for the visit and a tub.

My last one was €100 (last year).

 

[laura_nash]

How I was told to use ventipulmin for my copd (equine asthma) mare was to use it for 5 - 7 days or longer if needed. She had many tubs of it over 4 years and it was only the last year that it failed to have any effect. That was 12+ years ago so thinking may have changed but Joey has occasionally needed it, mainly before we started with nebuliser, and the advice was to use for 5 - 7 days again (different vet practice) and he has responded quickly with it every time.

I tend to only use it for a day or two in conjunction with a management change (usually stopping all hay and switching fields), but if I can't change the management enough, like last year when he had to be stabled due to an injury, then I'll have him on it longer, I think it was around 9 days that time, and I haven't noticed it becomes less effective.

 

[GoldenWillow]

Forgot to say, my last tub was around £80 but it would be 3+ years ago. You can get it a lot cheaper online with a prescription but I've, touches wood frantically, only needed the odd tub for J so it hasn't been worth it.

 

[jnb]

Just a thought, does the muzzle accumulate any gunk? I'm guessing you already clean it / wash it out but possibly wouldn't help.

 

[Red-1]

Just a thought, does the muzzle accumulate any gunk? I'm guessing you already clean it / wash it out but possibly wouldn't help.

I can do, but I have cleaned it, the water trug, his haynets...

 

[Red-1]

Harvesting going on all around us, Rigsby is fine, but we are hitting the Ventipulmin hard! The vet is coming back out on Thursday, I am still wondering about antihistimines as well as/instead of the Ventipulmin.

For the moment, however, he is happy. When his asthma flared he dropped weight dramatically in a week. He has more or less replaced it now, and looks OK.

I rode him out a couple of times this week, he was fine. Today a friend rode him out with me and the new lad, so we could try riding somewhere new.

Rigsby was on top form, mannerly, patient, obedient. He led over the step through gate, past the tractor, waited while we stared at a cyclist. He was ace. Good old Riggers!

 

[Red-1]

Oh, and I forgot to say, Sunday was our one year ownerversary!