I Keep Getting Reported To The RSPCA :(

[ QUOTE ]
Read the whole post and nothing new to add that has not already been said by people with far more knowledge than me. I just wanted to say that this is HHO at its best!!! Great advice, OP taking on board everything and no one resorting to name calling.
Today I remembered why i joined!
To the OP-lovely looking mare hope things turn out ok for you both.

[/ QUOTE ]
Eeeeee thank youuu
laugh.gif
 
I have seen far more horses skinnier so please don't worry.

My TB boy is 28 this year and did drop a bit of weight in Dec/Jan when it was much colder. He's a bit of a fussy eater too (poor doer) and I introduced him to barley rings to his usual fibre feeds which he loves. He also get adlib hay but is only out at the week ends (at the moment) at he can't stand being out more than a couple of hours as he would be charging around the field for hours getting well stressed and loose far too much weight and be lame for a couple of days so he is kept on the yard on a large area with the stable door open 24/7. He is so much happier like this although I would like him out in the field more.
The things I have to do to make him happy. In the summer he can do as he pleases - wonder out to his field or indoors.
I haven't tried him with the TV yet!
 
[ QUOTE ]
Your neighbours are out of order but looking at your mare she needs to be stabled at night in winter.

[/ QUOTE ]
i agree but my mare cant be stabled as she gets panicy and stressed when shes inside and gets to the point where she kicks whinies and tried to escape. plus my stables have been wrecked by some drunk driver crashing into my field and demolishing the stables with his car, so the field owners are currently sorting it out
smile.gif
 
These women should not be acting in this way it is totally pointless and a waste of everyones time!!
I have to say from the pics though she is in pretty bad condition, I would stop riding her altogether until she has put a lot more weight and muscle on, as I'm sure her saddle won't be fitting properly and rubbing against bone, plus she simply won't have the reserves even for just a bit of riding around a field, 4 months or so off should be fine.
You're doing all the right things though, but a small bale between 4 horses is not nearly enough. My TB's who also aren't great doers are on add lib haylage all winter and a molassed tub lick/horselyx, I try and put a lot of weight on them over summer - obviously not obese or anything, but enough to see them through the worst of winter, they will usually have lost it by spring. I'd say give her at least a bale a day with 3 smaller feeds, and as others have said oil of any sort - cooking/frying/veggie etc are fine and a very good way of putting the flab back on!!
Get her teeth done and a vet to do a blood test to make sure nothing else is wrong, and a worm count as some horses build up a resistance to certain wormers - do you rotate the type of wormer you use every year? and worm for the right types of worms at the right times of year? - all very complicated I know but worth writing out a yearly worming plan and do all at the same time.
Good luck and keep us posted how she does with the dentist and vet.
smile.gif
 
hey, i wouldnt worry to much i had 4 complaints from rspca about my boy when he lost weight. he has a severe pollen and dust allergy so he heaves which causes him to loose weight. people would come into my field and let him through to the next field where there was more grass not knowing they could have killed him by doing so. some people are just nosey these days and dont know what they are talking about
frown.gif
I still get shouted at still by people walking passed. but as long as you know you are doing all you can then thats all that counts
smile.gif
 
QR [ QUOTE ]
Having seen your photos, yes she is underweight but not a welfare case.

[/ QUOTE ]

I would say she is, actually - sorry OP.

You've had some really great advice on here - and Irishlife has described beautifully what you need to do.

I would just add that stabling her overnight so that she can have as much hay as she needs and wants would be high on my list of priorities. But in the absence of a stable, you need to ensure that all of the horses are getting adlib hay throughout the day (basically a constant supply).

I can see why your neighbours are concerned
frown.gif
 
QR

I can also see why the neighbours are concerned but certainly do not agree with how they are handling it
mad.gif


My lad was in a similar 'state' when he first appeared on this forum and has come good with ad lib good grass and hay and a high fibre diet with a blob of oil while living out.
smile.gif


OP...I would make sure there is enough hay out there that there is some left in the morning. As has been mentioned, teeth checked and make sure you have your worming correct and that she is warm enough/ or not too warm...I see she has a good fluffy winter coat of her own.
smile.gif

If no improvement, I would have her checked by the vet to make sure there is no underlying problem..

Good luck
cool.gif
 
Sorry but she looks absolutely shocking :-(

Youv'e had some excellent advice on here.

She needs adlib hay- so you will need to put out at least 3 bales of hay a day if you have 4 horses in the field.

2 good feeds a day- a good scoop/scoop and a half of something like build up cubes or conditioning cubes with speedibeet, alfa oil in each feed. Twice a day, not just once.

Also very important- a excellent heavyweight rug on her- you need at least two heavyweights on her in winter ( one on top of the other ) two rugs with a full neck cover. Until she is a normal weight there is no way she can build up again unless she is properly and heavily rugged. - the weather is getting warmer now but this is worth bearing in mind for when/if it ever gets cold and wet again. As soon as the rain and wind is back, pile those rugs on.
 
I've got one thing to add. Horses stomachs are only roughly the size of a football, so bear that in mind when feeding. If your grandad is nearby, it's much better to split her daily hard feed into 3 or even 4 feeds than to feed big buckets twice a day.
Agree with what the others have said, she does need a bit of help, and she definitely needs constant access to ad-lib forage.
 
she does look a lot older than 17, more like 27!!! my boy is 19 and he looks nothing like that!! so yeah i can see why they would be concerned she does look a state! However, the way your neighbours are handling things is so nasty and sounds like you do really care about the mare and want whats best for her
smile.gif
just listen to all the advice on here, and fingers crossed coming out of the winter now so her condition should start to pick up
 
To be honest I think she looks awful, but it is easily sortable with hard work.

I know tb’s drop off (have a yard full of them) but none of ours are ribby or look like that – they are all fed twice a day as we work full time, have ad lib hay, and more rugs than you think they need?

My tb lived out till October/November, he was ridden twice a week as I had no time, and still looked fat (but not muscled)

TBH your neighbours sound like bullying idiots, however if you were next door to me I would offer to help you too. If she is that bad, perhaps a change might help. PM me if you want some help as we have lots of experience with ex racers etc, and tb rehab.
 
QR - just to add a couple of extra things to the excellent advice already given.

1. Weigh her every month (mark it on the weigh tape). That way you can adjust feed up and down as required.
2. Ring D&H or any feed company and ask their advice (you will need to know her current weight and the exact dry weight of all her feeds at the moment).
3. Weigh each feed, I find judging by eye is very unreliable. I weigh out each feed for the week ahead and put them in carrier bags. That way I just have to tip them in a bucket and add water (mine are elderly so have everything soaked). Saves lots of time.

I would not wait until next winter to get it sorted, she may pick up on the Spring grass but you need to be ahead of the seasons if you have a tricky feeder. I would obviously be careful round the flushes, but for her I would preparing her for winter well ahead and have her in absolutely topping condition and on a rising nutrition level at the start of it.

Best of luck with all the changes, I was struggling with feeding my ancient ones, I felt like I was piling the food in and still losing the battle. The best thing I ever did was pick up the feed helpline number and implement the changes above.
 
You've had some excellent advice.

I would just add - I would not be riding her until she's up to a normal weight if she were mine.

Imagine a seriously thin person being made to go for a jog - it would burn more calories and be extremely difficult.

I would also buy her a thicker rug now rather than next winter, it will still be cold for a while and she will be feeling it the most.
 
Lots of good advice already been said. I would only add that in addition to upping her forage and protein, she could do with being kept a lot warmer.

Thoroughbreds tend to drop weight just from trying to keep themselves warm. They weren't bred to withstand living out in a British winter, so in preparation for next year, if she has to live out, it would be a good idea to invest in some lovely thick duvet under-rugs and a good quality heavyweight turnout with a neck for next year.

I tend to rug day by day, layering mine up according to the weather that day, some days they look like michelin man, and other days if the suns shining and the winds dropped I take away the under rugs. Always trying to maintain a constant temperature for the horse.

Keep an eye on ebay for some second hand rug Bargains, or buy them in the summer, as you can often get good winter-turnout bargains when the shops need to get rid of stock.
 
[ QUOTE ]
I've got one thing to add. Horses stomachs are only roughly the size of a football, so bear that in mind when feeding. If your grandad is nearby, it's much better to split her daily hard feed into 3 or even 4 feeds than to feed big buckets twice a day.
Agree with what the others have said, she does need a bit of help, and she definitely needs constant access to ad-lib forage.

[/ QUOTE ]

Agree with this 110%, my TB has 3 or 4 small feeds a day, on 2 big feeds she just seemed to pooh all the food out without absorbing it. When I split measures into 3 or 4 meals through the day, and added some oil for calories, and used A & P Calm and Condition added to her speedibeet the difference was noticeable within 5 days.
 
Given recent (carrot/spud) events I dont think that people saying that just because the RSPCA says the horse is fine then it is
crazy.gif


OP your horse needs a vet check, a dental check and if all ok from that some food. Even a poor doer out in winter can look better than that and I can understand why your neighbours would be concerned. Worming entirely depends on what you wormed her with.
just for comparison my welsh cob good doer gets 5/6 slices of hay a day, out on grass during the day and stabled at night and he is not overweight so the quantity being fed to the number of horses out there just isnt enough IMO

I havent spotted it on here yet but on this board many have reported good results with the soft and soak range if there is a problem with her teeth, although she isnt that old that there should be an ongoing age issue.
 
QR
Our 27 yr old ex-broodmare who used to be a really good doer will only eat a small amount of hay, in spite of the fact that she is up to date with the dentist. So, she comes in at night October-May, has a trug of Alfa-A Oil & Graze-on and a bucket feed of soaked grassnuts night and morning. We do have to monitor her wieght very carefully as she now drops weight easily but this regime seems to work.
OP I'm sorry your neighbours are being so horrid and agree that you should keep the police informed about their behaviour. I am glad that you are going to follow the excellent advice given on here by some very knowledgeable people and get her teeth done asap, increase her feed, make sure she isn't being harried away from the hay even when there is enough available and stop riding her until she is back to an acceptable weight and can carry you (tbh you look too big for her atm).
 
I'm afraid I too think she looks very poor. I've always had skinny TBs, and with the exception of when one of mine had a virus, i don't think I've ever let mine slip that much.

I appreciate she will not be muscled but her topline is non existant and her neck line virtually concave. You've had wonderful advice so I hope it helps, and I'm sorry you've had to deal with such unpleasant treatment. Whilst I feel there is cause for concern, there is certainly not cause to behave as these people have done.

To give you another example, I have 7 living out. the fat retired cobs have half a bale at night each and stabled, and a third of a bale in the field in morning each, decent grass (well, for the season LOL) and two feeds of half a scoop hifi each. they look good. I've got a five year old very very light work having the same amount of hay and grass and no feed, and living out, and a couple of others. I have a TB x mare in full work, on 3 feeds a day, totalling 1 scp mix, 1 1/2 scps sugarbeet, 2 scoops Alfa, one scoop HIFI and carrots, as well as a whole bale to herself of good hay.

Hope the sitatuion is soon more settled.
 
I would ask your vet to come out and give your horse a health check and at the same time check and rasp it's teeth. You could also get the flue and Tetanus jabs done if they are about to run out.

Is your horse rugged sufficiently well?

If you are a Gold Member of the BHS you can get free legal advice from their dedicated legal helpline.
 
Fantastic advice already on here. She is poor but i have seen worse. Sounds like you really care about her and taking everything on board. Only thing i will add is it might be worth getting the fit of your saddle checked too. It may be the picture but it looks like its sitting quite low.
 
You have been given great advice so far. I know what skinny TB are like I use to have one and she was a nightmare to keep weight and condition on in Winter, lots of feed bills and hard work. Too much for me to keep up with being ill, therefore I only have good doers and they are spoilt and I feel good keeping them.

In honesty if she was mine I would be worried, the horse should have heavy weight blankets now as she needs them now not next winter, access to ad lib quality hay or better still haylage and the correct feeding regime. Every horse should be having teeth done routinely same with worming, not just if they look poor. I would not ride a horse in her condition, it would not be fair.

If your horse has been like this for some time I can understand why you have been reported, I guess they wont stop until they see an improvement. I think you need a huge rethink on the way you are keeping your horse! Sorry if I seem harsh but I can only give my opinion. I am not having a dig at you and really hope for some lovely new pics soon of your TB looking healthier :-)
 
[ QUOTE ]
do you have enough rugs to keep her nice and warm whilst the weather is crappy?

do you know what rug size she is? i have a lovely HW weatherbeeta that's a bit too small for Raff which i'm happy to donate to you. whereabouts are you?

xxx

[/ QUOTE ] well i have 1 rug for her cuz her 2nd rug broke
frown.gif
ooo i do know i just cant remember XD but my horses are in eynsham, oxfordshire
smile.gif
xx
 
Sorry but I too think she looks very poor, I certainly would not be riding her.

You say you feed her 'buckets', please bear in mind that a horses stomach is very small and cannot cope with huge meals, they are trickle feeders and they are designed to eat 18 out of 24 hours. Try feeding her three smaller feeds rather than two buckets.

I am a little confused re the hay situation, first you say she has a bale a day, then you add that she has to share it with three other horses, then you say actually it is two. However much it is, it is almost certainly not enough. I would give her ad lib hay. 30 bales will only last two weeks as you currently feed so it would be worth getting in some more.

Try feeding her a good quality chaff instead of normal chaff which is basically chopped straw and has little or no calorific content. Alfa Oil and Speedibeet are both excellent sources of calories, please do not be tempted to pump a whole load of cereals into her, this is a waste of time weight wise, fibre and oil are the way to go.

Sorry, I know you say she has just been wormed but she also looks wormy to me, it would be worth taking a worm count (bear in mind tape worm will not show up) and most definitely have her teeth checked.

I am not sure how old she is but she looks like an elderly lady in need of some TLC, however I do not feel that she is an RSPCA case and agree that your neighbours have gone about things in an appalling way.
 
[ QUOTE ]
She does look undernourished but excellent advice given here. Do you have a pic of her before she lost the weight?

[/ QUOTE ]
yeah [image]http://s859.photobucket.com/albums/ab155/chuck2492/Lady/?action=view&current=Lady2.jpg[/image] but im not sure how to upload it on here properly :/
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top