So upset

Turned Alee away just over 2 weeks ago.
She is in a lovely big field with plenty of grass, other horses and seems really happy.
She is turned out in a medium weight full neck rug.
I go and see her everyday but decided to taker her rug off today to have a really good look at her.
She looks awful
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her shiney coat has gone she is really skinny, her neck is all scrawney and her bum has dropped off loads. She didn't have too much weight on her when she went but I wasn't expecting this
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What should I do? If I bring her back home she can only go out every other day which I think is unfair for a 3 1/2 year old but I feel awful leaving her looking like this.
Thank goodness she has a rug on otherwise the RSPCA would be out
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If she is warm enough and seems happy in herself then I wouldn't worry too much - sometimes youngsters drop off a bit when they are growing. She might need a small feed - would this be possible?
Might be worth doing a worm count - are you sure the other horses she is out with have been wormed?
 
I wouldn’t bring her back either. Could you not just pop down there each day and give her some hard feed?
I’m sure once the spring grass really starts coming though she will put on some weight.
 
Yes they have all been wormed, unfortunatly I don't think feeding her is an option. Its not easy to get her out of the field due to its location and wouldn't want to feed her in there
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She is getting equi bites daily so I know she is getting her vits and mins. She does seem warm and happy though which I suppose is a good thing. Trouble is turning her away was such a hard decision to make and now I worry that I made the wrong one
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It's a tough one, but I think you have to expect weight loss if she's not getting any hard feed and is not a 'native' breed - or is she?

I think keep an eye on her and if she's getting worse, you or someone will have to feed her for a month or so until spring grass comes through..... x
 
My 3 year old goes out every other day (at least at the moment as the weather is so bad). He is impossible to keep weight on when turned out 24/7 and I know its really hard to feed a horse when others are in a field. Sometimes they are better off in the stable munching on hay and being fed properly, its about getting a happy medium. The livery yard I have just left had NO turnout and he was standing in 24/7 so have bought him home. If it were me I would maybe bring her home??? You are only going to stress...
 
I hope all the horses are having good hay , there is no food value in the grass at present and surely you have taken the rug off every day and noticed this was happening!
If you can't suppliment her feeding then I would bring her back up
 
I think you have to make this decision based on what s best for your horse. Perhaps bring her back for a couple of weeks then return her when the spring grass has come up?
 
Oh god now I feel really bad. Although I have seen her everyday I haven't taken her rug off
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It needs 2 people really one to hold and one to do the rug and I go up on my own. No excuse I know
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I really feel like I made the wrong decision now and feel awful for this. I really think I may have to bring her back - wish I'd never taken her at all now
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dont get too upset its just one of those things.some horse do well and others dont. im sure she will be fine once the grass starts growing which is really soon.
 
Dont beat yourself up too much, its natural for them to lose condition at this time of the year ready for the spring grass. If it were me, I would bring her home - as someone else said, at least she would be getting forage and feed and, it would put your mind at rest.
 
Why can't you take her out of the field to feed?

Dont' worry about the rug. I wouldn't take it off every day either. You have taken it off to have a good look and have seen the problem, so its ok, because you're going to do something about it.

How long is it on yard until daily turnout is back?
 
Heck, mine are supposed to be hardy boogers and live on air! They live out 24/7 and I have been feeding them twice a day all year round plus hay morning & evening now in the winter as there is hardly any grass. I hate when they lose condition. If yours is looking bad, then the others must be the same. Someone should at least cart some hay/haylage there every day, and I agree with giving yours a feed or better 2 daily. At 3 1/2 she is growing and needs that bit extra.
 
I can't believe people are owning up to not taking a rug off everyday and checking a horse. Rugs cause more problems on backs and withers than saddles ever do.
Please if you have a horse in a rug take it off at least once a day
 
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Why can't you take her out of the field to feed?
How long is it on yard until daily turnout is back?

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The field is on a lane and the gate is right on the lane so quite dangerous to bring her out to feed her. Our yard will be going out everyday from April onwards. I have paid up till the end of the month for this field so will probably try and feed her until then then bring her back to the old yard. I feel so awful what a bad owner I am.
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See this is what makes it hard. Some are telling me to bring her home and feed her up and others are saying to leave her there and she doesn't need feeding coz she isn't in work
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I can't believe people are owning up to not taking a rug off everyday and checking a horse. Rugs cause more problems on backs and withers than saddles ever do.
Please if you have a horse in a rug take it off at least once a day

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I take it that was aimed at least partly at me. These horses have well fitting and top of the range rugs which are breatheable, seamless wherever possible etc and in good repair. They have worn them for 2 winters without any problem, and are not growing, so I'm sorry but it has never done them the slightest bit of harm to skip a day or heaven forbid more from taking rugs off, I know of far worse crimes against the things people say "you must" do every day for your horse. Christ, when I worked on a stud the YO used to turn the youngsters away in rugs, they got looked at every day and a full groom and check over once a week and the only one who got a sore from his rug was a stallion who came in and had his rug changed twice a day!

If it were a cheap nasty rug or wearing a bit thin, different story but don't criticise me when you clearly don't know the situation.
 
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My two youngsters are turned away at present, and get fed once a day and have adlib hay, both look fantastic. I really think she needs hay at least if she is dropping weight, but I wouldnt bring her back, much better to have her out

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Thats my thoughts exactly trouble is she is out with 20 shetland and welsh broodmares and youngsters and not sure that their owner would want to put hay out for them. I'm in a catch 22 situation as this was the only place I could find to turn her away. Its obviously not 100% suitable. I'll speak to the owners on Tuesday to see if we can sort something out.
 
Could you try making a small enclosure in the field with perhaps some electric fencing that you could take her into safely while you feed her and check her rugs?
 
Agree with Atss re. making a enclosure perhaps infront of the gate to bring her into. However, i wouldnt worry too much, if she is happy and happy being out with the other horses I would leave her out. Obviously if you can get feed down her, great, but she will drop weight living out, but youngsters change shape so quickly and easily, it wouldnt concern me. Mine was turned away for 6 weks before Xmas, he lost a bit of muscle and weight, but once back in for a couple of weeks was absolutely fine. Let them live like horses. Her coat would have gone dull as I imagine she has gone quite greasy, just what you want when she is out!!!
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Mine (who's not much older than yours) has always dropped weight at this time of year - so has my sisters. We seem to get them to the end of Feb, then hormones kick in, coat starts to change, we're more careful about overfeeding for fear of laminitis so stick to bog standard hay and a handful of chaff, and they start to have naked days to help with the moulting when the sun comes out - mine was out naked yesterday even in the rain as although it was wet, it was warm and she actually needed the mud and rain on her coat as it was looking pretty scurfy and she needed a good roll. Last night she looked awful, she was cold, a little tucked up and looked a mess (I didn't get up till very late as I got held up with a family crisis - she was meant to come in at 4.30 and didn't come in till 10pm!!). This morning, after scraping the mud off that the rain hadn't taken off she was glowing and despite feeling awful about the state of her last night I still feel I did the right thing. Yes, over the last few weeks she has dropped weight but all we need is a sunny week and the grass will come through and by mid april she'll be on restricted grazing to keep the weight off!

My advice is leave her where she is but keep an eye on her. Rugs and lack of grooming always makes them look dull and if you get a chance pull her rug off for the day as the rolling and grooming from the others will do her the world of good. I place money on her looking much fatter within 4 weeks, just need to ride the storm for a bit.

Don't feel bad. I think at her age her mental condition is better than how well her coat shines and how fat she is, especially given that we are just reaching the spring and hopefully within a month the grass will be through and rugs off.
 
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I can't believe people are owning up to not taking a rug off everyday and checking a horse. Rugs cause more problems on backs and withers than saddles ever do.
Please if you have a horse in a rug take it off at least once a day

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I take it that was aimed at least partly at me. These horses have well fitting and top of the range rugs which are breatheable, seamless wherever possible etc and in good repair. They have worn them for 2 winters without any problem, and are not growing, so I'm sorry but it has never done them the slightest bit of harm to skip a day or heaven forbid more from taking rugs off, I know of far worse crimes against the things people say "you must" do every day for your horse. Christ, when I worked on a stud the YO used to turn the youngsters away in rugs, they got looked at every day and a full groom and check over once a week and the only one who got a sore from his rug was a stallion who came in and had his rug changed twice a day!

If it were a cheap nasty rug or wearing a bit thin, different story but don't criticise me when you clearly don't know the situation.

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But if there was a problem you wouldn't know about it and things can get under rugs and rub them.
My coat fits but I wouldn't like to be in it 24/7 .It is common sense to take a rug off once a day and brush a horse
 
I dont think you can take advice from people saying 'leave her there', or 'bring her back', because in reality only you can make that decision. You know the horse and can see how much condition she has lost....

A suggestion to the feeding problem - could you put up a small area of electric fencing by the gate? This way you would be away from the other horses but not on the road.
 
hard feed her a scoop a day for next few weeks of Allen & Page Weight Gain. My 28 year old gelding really dropped a load of weight when hunting for a few months and away from home, he came back thin and fit, but needed a bit more weight as looked quite ribby.

THis feed is fab, really does make them perk up and put some weight and condition on fast!
 
It seems to me you have three options;
1. Leave her there...don't feed...and hope the spring grass comes through before she loses too much weight.
2. Leave her there, but work out a system/method to give her at least hard feed if not hay. If you build an electric fence corner, and give her hard feed, you could take her rug off and check her whilst she is eating it. Would only take 10 mins.
3. Take her home.
Only you know how much weight she is losing and therefore only you can make a fully informed decision.
S
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