Malnutrition ?? Quick question

[PonyPony]

Hoping you can help as Google been surprisingly unhelpful.

If a mare has very sunken 'lady bits' (for want of a better description) is this a sign of severe weight loss or could it be something else. Overall condition scoring is quite low but horse is quite elderly.

 

[Box_Of_Frogs]

Do you mean her vulva or her udder hun? As sex hormones peter out, it is quite common for the parts of the body that are linked to them to change a little, just like the rest of the body. Skin becomes less elastic, muscle tone changes. But if the horse's overall body condition is poor, then all parts of the body will suffer and be less plump and filled out. That would include the vulva. It could be that the horse is in poor condition because she is not being fed either enough or the right sort of feed that elderly or missing teeth can chew. Equally, it could be that the horse has some underlying health problem that is making her feel low and without an appetite which would, in turn, make her and her vulva thin. Is it your horse hun?

 

[PonyPony]

Hi Box-of-frogs, thanks for replying.

Not my horse but belongs to someone i know. It is under tail area and more her anus rather than vulva. Obviously getting quite dirty around there as it is sunken either side of her anus.

She seems to be happy enough pootling round the field munching and doesn't appear to have problems eating. Was just wondering about it really before i mention anything, and knowing it is an elderly horse just coming out of a rather harsh winter...