Need advice on feed for rescued Spanish horse

Ailah

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Hi I have a 6 year old Andalusian, only been in country since end of July but not gaining much weight. Is recovering from foot abscess which has knocked him back again, but I will be responsible for purchasing his feed from the end of the month and so would appreciate some advice from anyone who has been in similar situation. At the moment he has 2 feeds a day of grass nuts, copra, micronised linseed and carob plus a cup of sunflower oil. Long story behind all this but any advice greatly appreciated. He has been wormed. Thank you
 

Ailah

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I am not experienced enough to be able to say specifically, the vet estimated he weighed 450kg when he did his passport paperwork but he has lost weight since then. His ribs & hips are sticking out again. He lives out,the person I rent field from believes in keeping everything as natural as possible. He has lightweight rug on as he has no coat as such but does have open barn he can go in. He shares with 2 other horses & they have large bale of hay in there. He was head shy when he came over so only just been working on getting head collar on. The person that brought him over says it will be a year before he can be ridden.
 
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Equi

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A lightweight coat will make him colder in this climate, and NOT help him one bit. He would be better with no rug than a light weight rug at the moment. He needs a heavier rug, and make sure he is actually getting hay and not being bullied away from the bale by the others.
 

Pinkvboots

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A lightweight coat will make him colder in this climate, and NOT help him one bit. He would be better with no rug than a light weight rug at the moment. He needs a heavier rug, and make sure he is actually getting hay and not being bullied away from the bale by the others.

I agree with this he needs a rug with some filling to keep him warm as he is not used to this colder climate, no fill rugs offer no warmth they just flatten the coat so make them colder, I would also be giving him 3 or 4 feeds a day it makes such a difference how about adding micronised linseed good for putting on condition.
 

Ailah

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Thank you both for the info on rugs. I am totally inexperienced at horse care and am relying on advice from the person I bought him from. I put a heavier rug on him as we had howling gales, hail & rain & I was told in no uncertain terms it was the wrong thing to do as he would over heat. It was not my idea at all to put a lightweight on him & you are right it has flattened his coat. I am stuck between the devil & the deep blue I'm afraid as I rent the field from them and there is no other livery in my area. He is having micronised linseed along with copra, grass nuts & carob. He does seem to be getting some hay but I just go early morning, spend couple of hours with him then go back late afternoon. Would you feed the same amount as the two feeds spread over 3 or 4 or are you saying double the amount? Sorry if I am sounding a bit like a numpty :)
 

Ailah

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I only have a very sketchy idea of his history, he had been ridden in Spain but he has a lot of scars on his face from, I believe, some barbaric device used with the bridle to make them behave. He was head shy but gradually getting over that. The vet said he was sound, back ok so physically, apart from being very thin and his coat very patchy from sweet itch, he's ok. I don't know the reasoning behind the year till he can be ridden but she does believe in giving the horses the whole winter off as she puts it and then start to work in earnest in spring. The idea is for them to be able to work through their mental issues and be able to cope with what is being asked of them. He has had a very painful abscess in his foot and the weight loss has been since then.
 

michelledud

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I've had horses on and off all my life and I would think twice about taking on a horse with any sort of mental scarring issues, it doesn't sound like he's had a great life, poor thing.

From what you've said so far it doesn't sound like you have much experience? I think you need to go completely back to basics in your approach as if he is a youngster.

My advice would be to find a livery yard which does breaking/backing/schooling and move him there. Then you can have the guidance of the yard owner, see how they handle their youngsters, and learn from them as you go along, with their input as necessary and then let them re-back him for you or with you when he's ready. I think it would be good for your boy to get into a yard routine, and to live in at night whilst his coat is patchy and thin, and he'd get used to being handled by yourself and professional yard staff.

You will also be able to monitor his hay/haylage intake overnight and can look further into what hard feed is needed. Perhaps you could call some of the feed companies to get their advice eg: Baileys, TopSpec, Dodson & Horrell etc

You should be taking advice from others but then making your own decisions about your horse, not being told what to do by someone else. It may be months before he is calm enough and trusting enough to be re-backed but I doubt very much it would be a whole year!

Does this make any sense, is it something you could consider doing?
 

Nudibranch

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Feed wise I would remove the sunflower oil as it can have a laxative effect. Increase the number of small feeds per day and work out a way to let him eat haylage without the others getting at it. You will have to introduce it over a few days to avoid upsetting his digestive system.
ets it's hard to say without knowing the horse but I'd be using a 100g fill rug most of the time ( its not that cold but they need some fill) and a 200g with neck for bad weather. And tell the other person it's your horse!
 
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Princess16

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Hiya from one newbie to another :D what made you get him? Like others have said it's a big thing to take on a pony that isn't sound so well done you for taking that step and giving him a chance. Have you had horses before?

I agree with the rug being too lightweight in this weather, albeit mild for this time of year, it is still very wet and windy and he will drop weight using up his energy to keep warm. I also think you should look at putting him in DIY livery (if you are going up morning and evening anyway to see to him) and getting some better advice from YO and other liveries. I know it can be a cost issue but in the long run would be more beneficial. He will prob need to be schooled as well before you ride him, I certainly wouldny jump on him after a year! You will need to go back to basics with him with lots of groundwork. I'm sure more knowledgeable peeps on here will be able to advise better.

Good luck with him and I hope you have lots of good times together :D
 

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Hi again Aila, agree with Nudi, cut out the sunflower oil, it won't be doing any good, make sure he gets at least 4/5 scoops( 150ish grms) of linseed a day and a good rug, i mostly use a 100 as i don't like to over rug ,then as Nudi says up it to 200/250, my PRE hates being cold and never grows a good coat, in saying that i have friends whose PRE's look like yaks as they have taken the natural approach and believe they will grow one as needed but no way should an underweight horse be made to do this or just have a no fill rug on, i totally agree that if you can find a better more structured enviroment for both of you you will both benefit , he can be monitored feed wise and a routine established ( my boy seems to need a routine)and you can get some support from the yard and control of your horse, do make sure your boy has even been in a stable, it sounds daft but somebody i met recently bought a PRE of unknown history and he had clearly never been stabled in his life! not funny !
He is now your horse, the ' natural approach ' is all very well and i'm all for it but not in your case and his owner sounds a bit precious to me, yes he's had a hard time and you respect that but as we agreed before, Spanish horses are smart and can learn naughty things very quickly, get him moving on and bonding with you, not her, ask as many questions as you need to , never worry about them, it's how i learn't and we are all here for you.
We will need some pics mind ! xxxx
 

Ailah

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Thank you for all your valuable advice, a lot to digest but all makes sense. I am very inexperienced and have only ridden riding school horses, you know ~ turn up, jump on, get back, hand back horse. I bought this horse because he stole my heart and I know I can make a difference for him and him for me. There are no other liveries that I can go to in my area, I have been looking for weeks so will have to make the best of it. Hopefully as I get a bit more confident about his care then I will be able to stand up for us. One of the other Spanish that she has looks like a Yak too but I don't know what condition he came over in, he's been here about 2/3 years I think. Anyway thank you all & I will keep looking in on the forum. Oh and Shady not sure how to do pics as posting permissions says I may not post attachments
 

Princess16

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Thank you for all your valuable advice, a lot to digest but all makes sense. I am very inexperienced and have only ridden riding school horses, you know ~ turn up, jump on, get back, hand back horse. I bought this horse because he stole my heart and I know I can make a difference for him and him for me. There are no other liveries that I can go to in my area, I have been looking for weeks so will have to make the best of it. Hopefully as I get a bit more confident about his care then I will be able to stand up for us. One of the other Spanish that she has looks like a Yak too but I don't know what condition he came over in, he's been here about 2/3 years I think. Anyway thank you all & I will keep looking in on the forum. Oh and Shady not sure how to do pics as posting permissions says I may not post attachments

The reason you can't post pics is that you have to have posted a certain number of times so just keep replying to threds etc to get your posts up.

Good luck from one newbie to another - will be interested to hear how you get on :D
 

Cortez

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How MUCH, by weight, of the bucket feed are you giving? A horse which needs to gain weight could be eating up to 5kgs of hard feed a day given in a minimum of 3 feeds, plus as much hay/haylage as he can eat.

Having had many rescue horses (mostly Spanish of late) over the years I can tell you that it may very well take a year to get him back in tip top condition, depending how underweight he is. It is worrying that you say he has lost weight since you've had him, make sure you know how much he's eating - perhaps stabling him overnight would help. Have you had his teeth checked?

Bailey's make some conditioning feeds which contain oil and are a simple way to add calories.

The marks on his nose are from the serration, many Spanish horses have scars from their use, and I use them myself; not necessarily barbaric, but should be used with care. Spanish horses are extremely sensitive; many unfortunately never recover from traumatic experiences. See if you can find someone that has experience of PRE's, they are a bit different from the normal run of horses. Good luck!
 

Luci07

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Equally, some PRE's are not used to being out. We have one (not a rescue!) who last year was a stallion living in a stable. He is a pig in the field and beats up the other geldings so badly that he is no longer allowed out with them. He walloped my horse just being led up. Get a weigh tape so you know what you are dealing with. Talk to your vet about the worming yours should be on..although if the other horses aren't on the same routine, then you are wasting money. Measure out his feeds (do it a couple of times and then you will learn how much a scoop of X feed weighs). It's quite mild down here but as the others have said, a rug will flatten the coat and if there is nothing to keep him warm, your horse will be shivering off his weight. I really would be hunting for another place though. You won't be able t get weight on if you can't ensure he is getting enough forage (hay).
 

wench

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Personally I think you'd be best off finding a good yard that will do full livery for you, and get the horse in a good routine with knowledgable people, IMO you will learn more this way than a DIY yard.

You could also get the vet to do a worm count and blood test done to check all ok
 

noblesteed

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It has gotten cold now. My spanish x usually manages in a light rug all winter but this year he's had to have a medium weight as he was losing weight. I think it's the wind and driving rain. And he's in at night!
He eats safe and sound as a complete feed, it's good for spanish types who can gain weight easily - plus it's cheap as it's all he needs.
 

Ailah

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Great thanks everyone, we are in the west country so quite mild still but horrific winds all the time and quite a lot of rain. I have sincerely tried everywhere to find alternative livery but there is not anything. Well there was one that was £45 a week more than I am paying now :-( I cannot travel too far as I have other obligations during the day & spend at least 3/4 hours a day with him. I stay while he eats his food but as none of the others are being fed they try to take it from him. I end up holding his feed bowl with 2 very large horses pushing to get it. Not the safest situation to be in. I don't think he gets his fair share of hay either but it is in just one place so they push & jostle for it. I will try the food suggested but I have to be careful as I have only recently found out that the field is organic so not allowed anything remotely resembling a chemical. Will post some photos as soon as I can and thanks again
 

HashRouge

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I really don't think your set-up is ideal OP. Ordinarily it would be my dream for keeping a horse, but I think you could do with more control over what he is actually eating. At the moment you have no way of monitoring how much hay he gets and I wouldn't be especially keen on trying to give him a bucket feed while two other horses try to get their nose in! Can you not take him out of the field to feed?

Are you sure there are no other alternatives in your area? Might it be that you just don't know where to look, especially if you haven't owned a horse before? You could try posting on here for ideas or look at/ post on this facebook page https://www.facebook.com/groups/277841962330141/?fref=ts

You sound like you would definitely benefit from a yard with an experienced YO. I also second what others have said about getting his teeth checked.
 

Leo Walker

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When I've moved and not been able to find a livery yard I've asked on Facebook, and also got in the car and driven round the area knocking on EVERY door that looks like they either have horses or have room for one. They probably wont be able to accomodate you, but they can usually give you a lead for someone who can :) The way you are keeping him isnt working! You shouldnt have to spend 4 hours a day at the yard!

Find another yard, get his teeth done and have a vet MOT, then you can look at finding good instructors etc to help you work through everything else :)
 

Ailah

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Hi FrankieCob, yep have done nearly all of the above, except facebook, for personal reasons I cannot do that. I have asked about his teeth but I am not permitted to have conventional vet/horse dentist, only homeopathic people, and so am waiting on a list for him to come. I do choose to stay with him and make sure he has his feed. I'm also getting to know him, getting him to trust me. I have got the person I rent from to agree to an holistic food called inspired feeds but I have to work out if I can actually maintain the cost of it. Otherwise I am going with the main suggestions here, warmer rug, better feed & get more regular supplies of hay.
 

Ailah

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Hi HashRouge, I know this all sounds so amateurish and it is not how I envisaged having him at all. I have asked all my horse friends and looked on all the feed merchants boards but despite being in the middle of a very rural area there is nothing. I know he doesn't get enough hay as he is getting pushed out. The other owner there says he is eating when she goes down. Nothing will be right till I move so will do the very best I can with what we've got. There is no way of seperating the horses so wouldn't matter where I take him they will follow
 

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I am sorry but wouldn't keep a horse ANYWHERE where I wasn't allowed a proper, qualified vet! What if he colics because he's not eating properly? I think that there is actually a law about this - check on the BHS website.
You also say you can't remove him from the other horses - how on earth do you think you are going to be able to ride him eventually if he can't be separated?
I hate to say it but it sounds to me like the owner of the yard is the one being amateurish... And taking money from somebody who genuinely wants to do their best for a needy animal. OP I really do feel for you . The best thing you could do is to get that horse to a better yard as soon as you possibly can.
Have you tried asking around at farms? Waving cash at farmers may work! You may find you can get yourself a field to rent for the time being until a livery space comes up. You could then advertise for somebody to keep their horse with yours. Or how about getting in touch with local pony club / hunt / riding club telling them your desperate situation? Word of mouth works best round here - my area is quite remote and people don't tend to advertise.
 

9tails

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What is going on here? You aren't allowed a vet or a dentist? You're being told that you can't put a heavier rug on your horse? Is he yours or not? And this cobblers about organic field and nothing chemical on it, well a big round bale of hay isn't chemical, it's a must. I echo others that this set up is terrible for your horse and you need to find somewhere else for him.
 

madlady

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Hi OP, from what you have said I really don't think your situation is going to improve until you move him.

The owner of the field sounds like a fruit loop TBH! Can you at least bring him out of the field to feed him - for your own safety more than anything else and also so that he doesn't have to bolt his food down because the others are trying to steal it.

With regard to finding somewhere for him why don't you ask on here for recommendations - there are members all over the UK and someone might just be able to help.
 

Leo Walker

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Post on here, someone will know somewhere.

Hes thin, he losing weight. He needs a vet check, worming and teeth done ASAP.

Feeding one horse with two horses loose is an accident waiting to happen. Can you section off part of the field, or shut them or him in the barn?

You've mentioned a couple of times about costs. I know money can be an issue, but this horse is going to be expensive to keep and even more expensive to get right.

Could you look into rehoming him? There are people like Cortez who would find rehabbing easy. You are going to find it a slog.

Or put him on full livery on a good yard where they will support you, and be prepared to get professional help in onn a regular basis
 
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