Just...How?

Auslander

Auslander

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Drove past the field earlier, and noticed that Alf was standing there looking a bit odd, and not eating hay, while the others stuffed their faces. I pulled in to have a look, and noticed that he kept putting his head down a bit, then jerking it up, so belted across the field to see what was up. This was what I found...

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Poor lad - it was poking him in the neck every time he put his head down to eat. He was fairly convinced he was going to starve to death!
 
McCauley said:
Flippin 'eck...poor lad... Where's he picked that up from?? It looks like It's been whittled down at the top point!
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There's a willow tree in the hedge that he likes chewing on - can only assume he was foraging and hooked himself up. That would possibly also explain how his rug has been folded back on itself!
 
McCauley said:
Flippin 'eck...poor lad... Where's he picked that up from?? It looks like It's been whittled down at the top point!
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Could be from a hedge thats been traditionally laid as opposed to cut.

How or why they do such things is totally beyond me, am sure horses have a self-destruct button.
 
Auslander said:
There's a willow tree in the hedge that he likes chewing on - can only assume he was foraging and hooked himself up. That would possibly also explain how his rug has been folded back on itself!
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Sorry for two in a row. Watch him if he is eating a lot of willow, usually they only eat it if they have pain of some sort as it's what aspirin is made from.
 
Ladyinred said:
Sorry for two in a row. Watch him if he is eating a lot of willow, usually they only eat it if they have pain of some sort as it's what aspirin is made from.
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I know - I'm very happy that he self medicates. Very brief history - he's a PSG dressage horse, who came to me with multiple undiagnosed issues. He turned out to have DJD in both hocks, big lumps of calcification floating around in one stifle, and PSD. He's had loads of vet/physio treatment, and is now about 1/10 lame on a bad day, so we've come a long way - but he's always going to be a bit stiff and achy in cold weather - hence his willow noshing!
 
How fortunate. Both that you drove past his field, and that you noticed that something was not right. Imagine if he'd became so hungry that he decided to ignore the pain! It looks like it could have caused a quite nasty wound.
 
McCauley said:
Ladyinred beat me to it as i was going to mention the 'willow' eating thing!

What a very intelligent boy then 'self medicating' when needs be!! bless him.
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He is very bright! He gets fed plenty of linseed, plus a bespoke anti-imflam joint supplement, but he reckons PYO is best. He's into rosehips too

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And willow leaves...

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And the odd blackberry

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Auslander said:
I know - I'm very happy that he self medicates. Very brief history - he's a PSG dressage horse, who came to me with multiple undiagnosed issues. He turned out to have DJD in both hocks, big lumps of calcification floating around in one stifle, and PSD. He's had loads of vet/physio treatment, and is now about 1/10 lame on a bad day, so we've come a long way - but he's always going to be a bit stiff and achy in cold weather - hence his willow noshing!
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He is a lovely boy!

Sorry I was teaching my granny to suck eggs, but not everyone is as aware as you obviously are and I should hate to think of a horse in pain with it's owner none the wiser. I would rather risk getting my head chewed off than say nothing ;)
 
Ladyinred said:
He is a lovely boy!

Sorry I was teaching my granny to suck eggs, but not everyone is as aware as you obviously are and I should hate to think of a horse in pain with it's owner none the wiser. I would rather risk getting my head chewed off than say nothing ;)
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Absolutely not a shred of offence taken! Better tell someone who knows, than not tell someone who doesn't.

He is an out and out star - I adore him! Even when he tries to decant me fro a great height. He may not be the soundest, but it doesn't stop him having pretty impressive jollies
 
Awww glad he got noticed and wasn't hurt!

My speshul girl cost me £200 being endoscoped after sticking a twig up her nose.....
 
Moomince Pie said:
Awww glad he got noticed and wasn't hurt!

My speshul girl cost me £200 being endoscoped after sticking a twig up her nose.....
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I was a bit perturbed when I noticed the stick - had a good delve around in his uber - fluff, and no damage, thankfully! You wouldn't believe he was full clipped a month ago!
 
Ladyinred said:
He is a lovely boy!

Sorry I was teaching my granny to suck eggs, but not everyone is as aware as you obviously are and I should hate to think of a horse in pain with it's owner none the wiser. I would rather risk getting my head chewed off than say nothing ;)
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Well I learnt something so thank you for posting :)
He is lovely Auslander with and without stick :p
Makes you realise how easily a rug can cause problems though.
 
Janah said:
Why horses need checking twice a day, glad your boy ok.
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Absolutely. Mind you - he had been absolutely fine when I hayed them two hours earlier at 9am - luckily I live 200 yards away and can see them from the road, so he didn't have to wait til 4pm to be rescued!

He has quite a significant hump to live off - chances of him starving are slim (unlike him)!
 
Good heavens, he needs rescuing, poor lad forced to forage all by himself, called a common old carthorse, jaws clamped together. Hang on in there Alf, Ted has just put his batman outfit on and is leaving now.

PS, rosehips are working a treat for my chemotherapy induced painful joints, Alf can share my box instead of picking his own.
 
AdorableAlice said:
Good heavens, he needs rescuing, poor lad forced to forage all by himself, called a common old carthorse, jaws clamped together. Hang on in there Alf, Ted has just put his batman outfit on and is leaving now.

PS, rosehips are working a treat for my chemotherapy induced painful joints, Alf can share my box instead of picking his own.
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He is forced to slum it in the field 24/7 too, after 15 years of being stabled, rugged up to the eyeballs, fed three times a day, groomed, bathed etc etc. Nowadays, he is treated like a native pony, and it's just not what he's used to!

Where do you get your rosehips? I am still finding a few in the other fields, but he loves them - and I'd like to keep them coming over the winter.

Very sweet of Ted. I just hope he doesn't mind being pushed around, as Alf is being very bossy about the hay at the moment. I almost wonder if the others ganged up and stuck the stick down his rug, just to teach him a lesson
 
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