Skinny sensitive horse

Clodagh

Clodagh

Rage, rage, against the dying of the light.
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17 August 2005
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I have just accidently bought a horse. You know, like you do!
He is 17.1 three quarter bred, quarter ID. 9 years old.
He is poor and has no muscle, especially across his back. He has been worm counted and had all of them so has been wormed with the recommended wormer. He has put on a bit of weight but still looks 'poor'. His coat is gleaming though. He is on Baileys top line cubes and a handful of chaff. I tried giving him speedi beet and he became a fruit cake. Ditte alfalfa. What would you suggest for calories but no energy? I thought maybe corn oil?
He bites when his girth is done up and also tries to when you put your leg on when riding, although is OK once warmed up. Ulcers? Bad back? Thin skinned? Worm damage? He is not a nippy or grumpy horse at other times.
 
I would have him scoped for ulcers. Biting at the girth would indicate discomfort and the most like cause would be ulcers.
If thats ruled out, pink powder, stay on what he has, but start adding linseed and possibly soya oil.
 
Yes I may have to, but from a selfish cost point of view wanted to think if it might be something else first! He is insured tbh and that would probably be covered.
I have got him on pink powder, forgot to say that, soya oil sounds like a good idea. When the tub of pink powder runs out I thought of switching to a general vit/min supplement, or can pink powder be fed long term?
Thank you for your reply.
 
I wouldnt feed pink powder, has far too many possible irritants in it as 'fillers' (read the ingredients list) and only two active ingredients, brewers yeast and yea sacc which you could feed cheaper on their own.

From the sounds of it he is very sensitive to sugar, so id be getting all sugar out of his diet and feeding the yea sacc, which is the live strain of yeast for the gut, along with micronised linseed and some straw chaff or fast fibre :)
 
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