Packing your horse's bag for a stay at the vets

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clairencappelli

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It might sound like a silly question but what do/dont you supply when your horse goes in?.

My beautiful girlie is going in on weds and having an arthroscopy on her poorly fetlock joint to see why it wont heal.

Now i know they will supply hay and bedding but my horse is picky about what she will eat etc.

Ive never had to have her stay there before and dont know what im expected to supply.

Im thinking

* Feed ( as they wont stock every type of feed and i dont want to change her diet)
* A few brushes
* Summer sheet incase she feel under the weather as she does feel the cold.
* Feed bucket- named with a cover.
* Feed supplements.

If their hay isnt what she likes i can bung a haynet in the car inside a bag and feed her that of take some down if need be.

Its probably a really silly question but can anyone give me any ideas on what i should/ have to supply.

I shall be very embarrased if i turn up with lorry full of stuff and they dont need it. I just want her to be as comfortable as possible and have her own familiar things around her
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.

Any tips/ advice?
 
When my friends horse went for an operation at Cambridge w had the same problem. In the end she phones to ask and they told her they dont need anything but his headcollar!
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It was like full livery (he was there for a week) where all the bedding, hay, feed etc was supplied. I think she did take a rug, but they never used it as after the op he sweated alot (due to the drugs) so they didnt need it.

I would call them and ask if you are unsure.

Hope all goes well!
 
take your mare, a light cotton sheet and maybe half a sack of her usual feed-nothing else. Clinics have evrything thats needed and if everyone sent half their tackroom with their horse there would be chaos
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. M.
 
My old vets (don't know about my new ones) literally took the horse, headcollar, and any rugs. They would probably have taken supplements (only if it wasn't an operation etc., and only special supplements and not "general purpose" ones), and probably extra special feeds such as ones for cereal intolerant horses, but not much else! They don't have time to be faffing around with brushes and feed buckets for each horse (will only get lost) and are more than capable of disinfecting their own for general use. Oh and they fed hay or haylage and however you like it (haynet, floor, wet, dry, lots, little). Of course all is within reason, if your horse needs starving they will and if it needs some different type of food to get its insides moving they will.
When Maiden had her MRI at a vet in Newbury they literally took my horse and nothing else, no headcollar, no food.
Just bear in mind that your horse won't be recieveing care like you give him as that's not practical. Don't expect the vet nurses and grooms to have to mess around with 101 supplements but if your horse really is fussy food-wise then take a sack of whatever you want fed. Otherwise just the horse and rugs will do I expect!
As an afterthought - how long is she staying there? A couple of days on a different feed won't do much harm...
 
At Liphook they just wanted the horse and nothing else at all. keeps it simple. He was there for a week and a half.
 
When mine weny to rossdales I sent him with a headcollar, body brush, his evening feed and a flat feed bucket for the floor (he can be aggressive when food is around). Everything had his name on. I made his feed up (as he is fussy and gets fizzy with anything other than a cool mix) and put it individual bags with his supplements so that they just had to put it on the bowl. They fed twice a day so they just gave him pony nuts in the am to keep him quiet. Some people had a summer sheet that they had taken but mine doesn't need them. With regard to hay when we arrived we were asked what he was normally on either dry hay, wet hay or hayledge - all very good quality stuff. They must have used his brush as he came back gleeming.
 
I just took his rugs. They told me they had every type of feed under the sun (and they showed me the feed room which proved it!), that they would provide the forage (they gave him haylage), they would do bedding etc. All I had to do was leave a fleece rug and stable rug.

They took care of everything.

Hope it all goes well Claire, fingers crossed for you. It's so nerve wracking when they go into hospital xxx
 
Hi Claire

Are you going to Bell?

My boy was there in May and i took, him, headcollar, supplements (he was on farriers formula) and a fleece. They have all the bowls, hifi etc etc and offer wet/dry hay or hayledge. They are very good and i am a real worrier and i was comfortable with the way the grooms looked after him - they skipped out every few hours!! The beds were immaculate and the water was always clean.

Please try not to worry too much they were really good!

Hope that helps - PM me for more info!!
 
Interesting! My boy goes in next week for an operation and I was wondering the same. They don't want his feeds at all (he gets HiFi and Bailey's LoCal) - they will feed him HiFi while there and no supplements. I'm bringing nothing except the sheet he's been wearing at night and his headcollar.

My poor boy. I suppose it will go quickly and there will be lots to look at while he is there.
 
I understand that they may not fuss after her like i do- however its not a very big practise and Peli cant have any cereal feeds and i dont want her diet changed along with the upset of surgery.

I did think about making feeds in bags thistle as i do that if im away for any reason.

Maybe i will take feeds in bags and a summer sheet with her headcollar and a brush or two.

I will actually be there alot of the time with her. I shall stay the day of the op but go off for a bit in the afternoon for her to rest once im happy she is ok. The following day i shall be there mornings and afternoons to be with her and groom her

I will actually be there on and off lots.

If she doesnt eat their hay i will take some in my car.

Twigben im not with bell im with newham court vets they have been great and so understanding with her. They dont use the stocks with her as she freaks out and karen who deals with her knows her well.

I am taking her down at 4 ish as the vet has booked us out an hour @ 5 to settle us down and put the catheter in her neck and talk us through the process for the next day.

Eeek its all such a worry- just to top it off im having my wisdom teeth out under sedation on tues so im not going to be feeling too great myself either.
 
The letter liphook sends you says just horse and nothing else but I wasn't happy about them changing his feed so I made them up in individual bags. In actual fact when I got there the stable staff were only too happy to have them all ready made up and they took thermatex and stable rug too. I'm sure you're paying enough money to justify 10 seconds of their time tipping feed out of a plastic bag
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If its a Equine hospital I'd say take your horse and nothing else. My boy was at Leahurst for 2 weeks, I took a couple of rugs with me, it was an emergancy so no time to grab anything else and all they wanted was him. I think its so things dont go missing and also possibly trying to prevent taking something nasty in the rugs. We know they are clean but they dont!
Why not ring up and make sure, just in case.
Good luck.
 
I feel silly ringing them again i spoke to them loads last week ( i just call the vet on her own mobile number now hehe ). Its a small pracise ( only 6 stables 1 treatment room and a seprate surgery and treatment room etc ).

Robinhood i do understand how you feel as my horse dont eat just hifi if its not got her nuts in she wont touch it. We tried taking all hard feed away becuse she was on full box rest but she stopped eating and lost weight so had to start it again but she is fine on what she having.

I did ask the vet if they mined me going in and out within reasonable times and they said i was welcome to.

I think i will keep one brush there ( named ) and keep the others in my car so i can come and go with them. Maybe im just silly but i want her to feel as comfortable as possibly.

I intend washing her summer sheet before i sent it as its the rose pink amigo and at the mo she looks like a pink and brown coloured wearing it hehe.

Madmare what is your neddy going in for?
 
My horse lives at a vets yard (good job really
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) and they have in patients. People bring their rugs, feeds but not usually hay or haylage. They come to visit within the times allowed and groom etc.
I think I'd take what you said and keep your grooming kit in your car.
Hope all goes well.
 
When my boy went in to Newmarket all I took was his head collar and a waffle weave rug for if he sweated up in the trailer. Obviously was a little different for us as he had colic so feed wouldn't be an issue, although in Peli's case I don't see anything wrong in bagging up a few bags of her usual feed so they can just add water and give it to her. I'd take some sort of cooler/sheet with you but wouldn't bother about the brushes, although that's up to you. They groomed my boy with their brushes and he was fine.

Will be thinking of you Claire x
 
[ QUOTE ]
At Liphook they just wanted the horse and nothing else at all. keeps it simple. He was there for a week and a half.


[/ QUOTE ]

Same with mine, he got to wear their very fancy Liphook hospital rugs after his op as he was a bit ill but being a youngster he did not have any rugs of his own! Herbie was also there for about 10 days.
 
Id hate my horse to have to wear any old rug. I dont think my vets would supply them anyway as its a small practise. Horsewear rugs are the only ones that fit all the other rug her on her shoulder and fall back over her high withers.

I know i know - im a terrible worry pot. I just want her to comfortable in a strange place.

Anyone elses horses had an arthroscopy? What was the recovery aftercare like?
 
Hi Claire, did you get my PM?
Its no offence to be so worried, i would be exactly the same.
I hope everything goes well and I`m sure that she will take everything in her stride. She will be OK claire, especially with you there for her. She will need her mum. Poor you too with having to have your teeth out too. Get plenty of rest before Wednesday or you will be knackered. Give my love to Peli, and yourself. Keep me updated. x x x
 
Hi les i dont remember a pm?. Ill go and look now as i could have missed it.

Ive been to sainsburys today and bought some large resealable food bags and will make her feeds up in those and give them her superflex ( she needs this to help the damaged joint and cartledge )

I harldy slept last night with worry and my bloomin wisdom teeth are giving me hell. Its 2 on the right side im having out on tues and im terrified!
 
As most others are saying; the vets generally ask for the horse and that is it! They don't want, or have space for horses belongings generally, and they rarely want the hassle of having to feed individual feeds. The horses are there for a purpose and one purpose only - to fix the problem. They are not treated to 5 star accommodation and they are not generally pandered over, they are there for the job to be done and then sent home as soon as possible afterwards.

As your vets are a small practice perhaps they will be a little more sensitive to your wants. Good luck, hope all goes well and that you have your little horse home quickly.
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horse, headcoller and rug if ness. less to get lost and mixed up my horse practically lived at the vets last year! they put name tag on headcoller and rug they had there own grooming kits for grooming she was groomed at least once a day stables were imaculate she deff got 5* treatment!!
 
They are generally given food, water, groomed and mucked out. I call that necessities, not 5* treatment. I guess it is different perceptions of what 5* means.
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My boy was in for 3 weeks (he's been back with me for 2 weeks now
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) & I was just like you- wondering what to take with him. However as others have said they wanted as little as possible & will provide everything else. I only left him, his headcoller & his suppliments (formula 4 feet & garlic) He was v well looked after. The nurses were great with him. I went in once a day & took some grooming brushes with me & gave him a groom & a fuss.
I hope all goes well for you both.
 
3 of my horses have at some point had to go to Liphook and I can not fault the care they have received.
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I left food for one of them as he was a fussy eater and have always left any supplements they've been on - other than that have just left them and their rugs.

My 12.3hh pony had an arthroscopy in March as she had alot of swelling around the fetlock and it wasn't clear what it was. She was there for 6 days in total. She was admitted the day before surgery and was allowed home when the vets were happy with her condition.

She was on complete box rest for approx a week (i think!!) when she got home and then we started walking her out for very short periods of time building it up each week until we got to 45 minutes a day. She's now being ridden 3 times a week for 20 - 25 minutes and walked for 45 minutes the other days and so far remains sound. Vet is coming back to check her next week to see if she can start trotting. She is 18 and i've looked after her since she was 2 before she was given to me for a birthday. I was worried sick about her going for surgery as I was so concerned about putting her through a GA as she's a fab little pony who owes me nothing but it really was the best thing for her.

I'm one of the worst people for worrying about my horses but all the staff at the vets were fab and nothing ever seemed like too much trouble. I'm sure they'll be happy to discuss any concerns you have!! Vet even let a friend and I watch the surgery (through a glass window!!) - was kind of wierd seeing her on the operating table!
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my horse went to newmarket last year and i just left him - they didn't want his headcollar, rugs or anything because they get lost. they fed him on whatever they had - probably bran and chaff and i told them he needed soaked hay and that was about it.

when i worked in the hospital at the RVC we took nothing with the horse because it would always get lost and cause a lot of hasle trying to find it - we had our own headcollars, rugs, bandages and feed - everything was fed the same and no supplements. in reality, most horses were only there a few days, but even the ones in longer managed fine on this regime.
 
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