Skinny Mare...Hows She Looking?? + HACK FROM HELL (Long Sorry)

JadeyyAndLadyy

JadeyyAndLadyy

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Firstly....me, my brother and two friends went out for a hack but brothers little pony started a bucking fit :( so i swapped horses with him, i went on dandy and he went on Lady.....Bad idea :/ Basically Lady is a one-person-horse so really only like me riding her. she had a complete fit when we were out, stomping her feet, spinning in circles, jumping around and sideways, lifting her head up and throwing it down and refusing to move. sweating LOOAADDSS :/ ahhh she was fine :) got back to the field and she was in a mood with me for letting brother ride her lol. Anywayy....

Update on lady i posted a few weeks ago about having problems with neighbouring horse owners and the fact my mare lady had lost weight in the winter. i changed a bit of her fed regime and there is a SLIGHT improvement....still a long way to go though....
These are photos from bout 1 month ago
ladylou-1.jpg

SDC10333.jpg


and these photos were taken today
SDC10371.jpg

SDC10370.jpg


please no harsh comments i know i still got a long way to go :)
 
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No harsh comments from me really - she looks a tiny tiny bit better but I really do think you should consider giving her some time off to speed up her recovery. IMO, she is too poor to ride.
 
I think she has improved a lot, but would agree that she is in no condition to be ridden. Give her a couple of months in the field with some good food and then bring her back into work. There is definate improvement in the recent pics though.
 
She looks LOADS better already! But.....I am not sure I would be riding just yet. She shows no topline at all. I would be trying to lunge and long rein in order to get her working over her back. I would be sceptical of her saddle fitting properly unless its been re-fitted since she lost all that weight.
But well done for the improvement, she clearly looks much much better!!
 
It can be hard to get weight on some horses, I agree with UnaB and PoppyAnderson that it may be worth giving her a few weeks off and see how she goes. Good luck.
 
hay she is looking a little bit better but still a long long way to go
ditto the others well under condition to be ridden
what feed is she on ?

good luck and keep going
 
Would have to agree with others re riding, what are the missing patches of fur?

On the feed side have you tried Dodson and Horrell Build up mix, I used it on my horse who was very ribby, worked a treat coupled with speedy beet and chaff.
 
ive looked at the pictures 4 times and going by her quarters and along her spine i actully think shes lost more conditon. granted it could be the picture angles.

what are you feeding her now?

i do agree with the others, you really shouldnt be riding her at the moment.
 
Ok ill start lunging and working without riding :) I can't remember the name of the feed but it's some build up food for weight gain and top line. Also apple chaff, oil and plenty of hay :) oh and the patches of fur... I researched that she's been bitten by something and it's just gone dry and a bit flakey. Was a bit worse but completely healed now just tiny patches of missing fur which should get better
 
i would personally get a possoa or similar can get on ebay for bout 20 pound to get her to work over her back and build her top line up
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Training-Lung...r_Equipment?hash=item255969b179#ht_587wt_1165

feed wise i would try alpha beet with baileys number 1 with some conditioning mix and some form of chaff and give her two good feeds a day

alpha beet is great can see diffrence in weeks another on is dodson and horral carm and condition also very good

good luck but when lunging make sure she is working over her back no going inverted (uoside down

keep us posted
 
Is she aged?
She looks like a very, very old horse that is suffering natural muscle wastage that comes along with age.

She looks in desperate need of some tlc and some more tlc on top of that.
 
i would personally get a possoa or similar can get on ebay for bout 20 pound to get her to work over her back and build her top line up
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Training-Lung...r_Equipment?hash=item255969b179#ht_587wt_1165

feed wise i would try alpha beet with baileys number 1 with some conditioning mix and some form of chaff and give her two good feeds a day

alpha beet is great can see diffrence in weeks another on is dodson and horral carm and condition also very good

good luck but when lunging make sure she is working over her back no going inverted (uoside down

keep us posted
 
I'd go as far as adding another smaller feed midday. Bites should not cause loss of fur like that, that looks more rain scauld to me, which would suggest she has either had no rug at some point, or a very leaky rug holding the wet against her.
Hay needs to be adlib, (as much as she can eat).
Calm and condition is great, especially for oap's as they find it easy to eat.
Sorry to be negative, you are going in the right direction, but you must get this sorted before she goes too far that she cannot be pulled back.
Another thing you must start to keep an eye on is the rugging. She has to be warm, but not hot, as this will cause weight loss just as badly as feeling the cold will.
 
Those patches do look more like rain scald, just keep an eye on them
Agree with the hay or haylage, ad lib, as much as you can get in her and some conditioning feed. If you're unsure ring a few feed companies and get some advice from them
Is she up to date with worming and teeth? and has she had a vet check her over out of interest, only because shes dropped a lot of weight in a fairly short space of time, but it could just be down to the horrific winter
I know how hard it it having had an aged skinny TB in the past. I wouldn't be working her until you got some more weight on her
 
Billsmam said:
personally i wouldnt be working her at all, riding or lunging. Have you tried Barley, its very cheap but fantastic at helping weight gain
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ditto this - I wouldn't be riding her. She's not looking an awful lot better - can you fence of an area of the field where she can get proper ad-lib haylage away from the other horses?
 
could also try micronised linseed meal - great for weight gain as well as the oil (1/2 pint day) . and with your build up make sure you are giving correct amounts - probably 2-3 kg a day plus alfa. barley also good. and i would give her 2-3 feeds a day and as much hay/haylage can eat

I would also leave off the work til she gained some weight or unforturnatly she will use her energy that she needs for weight gain.

Hope she comes right for you :) its hard going getting weight on some horses.
 
O.k I really would suggest not working this horse or of you have do minimal lunging at most but nothing more than walk with a bit of trot.

How old is she?

It might be worth putting her on veteran chaff (maybe Dengie hi fi senior) and mix so she gets plenty of supplements from her feed that are easily digestable, I would be splitting her feed into 4 a day atleast so that she can make the most of her feeds :).

I can also highly reccomend spillers conditioning cubes, most bags have £3 off at the moment and they have really helped my youngster.
 
Sorry, but I don't think you should be working her AT ALL until she has regained a lot more weight, then, and only then, start slowly and gently.
 
Ok. This horse is extremely poor. I looked at the pics last time but didn't post. I cannot see an improvement, sorry. If she were mine, I would in no circumstance work her in anyway what so ever. Lunging can be more of a work out than hacking and schooling. What she needs is her teeth checked, a worm count done and a proper feeding regime. Sorry if this sounds harsh but I do not see any point in beating around the bush and saying she looks better when she so clearly does not. For the horses benefit I am being straight with you.
 
for those who are asking iirc the mare is 18, I think thats right because I remember thinking she was just a bit older than mine.

IMO OP that is not what a TB of that age should look like.

I wouldnt be riding her and cant see any improvement.

I suspect that the bald patches are a rainscald esque type problem poss caused by sweating under her saddle and then aggrevated by it because I cannot see how her saddle can be fitting adequately when she is in the condition she is in.
 
sorry i can't see any improvement and there is no way a horse in that condition should be worked. did you have the vet out? did you get her teeth checked?
 
I remember you saying the RSPCA were pleased with you but did they know she was in ridden work? Like everyone else I really think she needs a break and to be allowed to put on what she has lost. I cannot honestly say she looks much better to me. I noticed her saddle was attatched to a breast plate - does it slip? I thought maybe some of the patches on her withers were saddle rubs - sorry if I am wrong.

Most horses would not get stressed like that with one change of rider unless that rider was very unsympathetic so maybe there was something else wrong? I know Weezy on here offered to help you - did you take her up on the offer because I really think someone experienced could give you some real help and it was a fantastic offer.
 
Being totally honest, I don't think she looks much different. I wouldn't be riding her - or lungeing her - in her current condition. I didn't post on your last thread but I did read it, and to be blunt I didn't think she looked up to much in the 'decent' pics (the one in your sig), she looked very weak and poor. I think I would be asking for experienced help, either in the form of a knowledgeable instructor or a nutritionist from a feed company.
 
misst said:
Most horses would not get stressed like that with one change of rider unless that rider was very unsympathetic so maybe there was something else wrong? r.
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Every horse is different and my mare just doesn't like being ridden by anyone other than me. We've tried four other riders on her and each time she obv isn't happy at all. So it's not my brothers fault :)
 
I'm another who doesn't think she looks much better. One thing worth bearing in mind is that pain is a great fat burner, a horse in constant pain will be difficult to get weight on , and the behaviour when ridden would make me even more suspicious that this was a possibility.
I certainly wouldn't be working her, possibly a gentle walk in hand if she gets too bored, but my first port of call would be the vet.
 
sorry-another one for the dont ride .... and I dont accept that just because she is an older TB she would automatically look poor. There was a previous lady at our yard who had a 26 year old TB living out and he looked very well. Granted she sent him into winter a bit overweight, but she rugged him properly and kept up the feeding - and this was a TB who was still in work- you would not look at him and think he was an old boy. Another girl has a younger TB mare living out - who went to her first event of the season on Sat and is probably twice the size. I know you want to do the right thing by your mare so first question - a: what are you actually now feeding her on b: how often c: what is the rugging situation and d: when did she last have her teeth etc checked. I have had a TB previously who I really struggled with weight wise and he did cost me a small fortune to keep his condition on so I have been there.
 
Why apple chaff? That's what I feed my horse when I want him to lose weight - as there's pretty much no nutritional value in it, any more than a handful of grass.

Use Alfa-A, or, even better, Alfa-A oil.
 
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