reassurance needed

[Firewell]

I keep posting on here recently because im worried about different things with my horsey. Last week i moved her to a new yard and i posted on here that she was very upset (she had lived in old yard for 3 yrs).

Anyway she is a bit more settled now and I am bringing her in during the day. The thing is she has lost sooooooooo much weight

. when i moved her she was in very good condition, tbh prob too fat for a TB. She had a big shiny neck and bottom and was built like a brick s*** house. Since then iv noticed she has dropped off but brought her in this morning took her rug off and I could see every rib, her flanks have gone really hollow and she has rat runs down either side of her bottom.

Im assuming this is stress but this much weight loss seems a bit dramatic and im worried about the poor girl. She is having a haynet during the day in her stable and a haynet at night in her field, her field has a decent amount of grass in it and shes having a scoop of conditioning feed a day. shes eating most of her food but not all of it.

Shes being her usual gorgeous self to ride but in her stable and to be handled she is fretting a bit. I havent seen her relaxed and sleepy yet.

Im just looking for reassurance really, shes so sensitive and what with her foot problems ect im just completly paranoid about her all the time (do others get this way with their horses?)
Do you think she'll settle? Has anyone elses horses lost weight when you have moved them? am starting to wish I had never moved her to a new a yard.

Also worried about her seedy toe, was putting cream on her feet last night and all her feet feel very warm to touch

Shes such a pleasure to ride and now her back is sorted and she has a lovely new saddle I couldnt bear it if something else went wrong and I couldnt ride her

 

[stencilface]

I think this is probably just stress - some of them really suffer from it with losing weight etc. Do you need to bring her in in the daytime? I would opt for putting her out 24/7 unless this is likely to stress her out more? I just think that grass turnout is underrated and can help with a lot of things. Does she have field buddies?

 

[hellybelly6]

She is so lucky to be so well loved and looked after.

She is stressed, the poor sensitive girly. She might not be showing stress on the outside, but she is probably worried inside.

My horse was in the vet school for a week and he lost a lot of weight and he is usually a rather portly gentleman. To everybody else there was nothing wrong with him, but I knew he was stressed.

Its going to take your girly a bit of time to settle, you could try giving her a calmer as a temporary measure. Dont give it long term just to help her settle in something like NAF magic or Feedmark Steady up for about 6 weeks.

All horses find moving stressful and I know its easy for me to say, but try not to worry, she is just finding her feet. It took about 2 months before my horse settled in and he is not a stressy horse. Out on hacks he always used to head for his previous home for a while. So try not to worry, give her routine as usual and she will find her feet soon.

x

 

[JaneMBE]

I think stress also. My horse can look like a hat-rack, tucked up, within a day of being stressed (he is AA). It can take a wee while to settle in a new place. I would also opt for turnout if possible.

 

[Firewell]

ah thank you guys. hb6 sorry to hear your horse was at the vets

.

I swear my girl keeps me awake at night !! Im going to get her some speedie beet I think. She is in for a few hours in the day, turned out the rest of the time to try and get her desensitised to the yard as well as the field. shes doesnt like it as much but it is working and shes getting easier to handle.

Fingers crossed a few weeks from now she'll be back to normal and be nice and round again instead of bones everywhere!