Something not right! Please help!

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EHart

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Hi!
I'm wondering if anyone can help; I am loaning a 4 year old mare - cob. I have had her since November (but have had previous horses) and I am very close with the owners. She hadn't been fed anything apart from grass and hay and she was on the skinny side so I started with horse and pony mix, chop, carrots and bread. She loved it and started to get bigger and also a lot livelier and excited (I loved this!). However in December she had the runs and was put off hay and feed for a good few days which meant she lost all of her weight. She never put it back on despite still feeding her the same as I used to. She went out in the field last month but still hasn't put any weight back on and seems to me like she is now losing more and is really weak compared to the exciting horse I had back in December.
I have changed her feed slightly (and slowly) and added some sugar beet. I took her for a walk yesterday and she was making some strange noises, grunting almost and kept turning back to the farm, she was quite foot sore but she always has been since I started loaning her but yesterday she was really slow and weak. Something just didn't feel right. Been to her today and she really looks down in the dumps and still very weak.
I'm not sure if I will hear anything back but I just wanted some advice if anyone has an idea what it could be and if there is anything I can do (apart from vet which will be last resort).
Thanks!
 
I'm sorry but you really need the vet. Not to get a vet out in the circumstances you are describing is neglect I'm afraid and you could be in trouble.
Has the pony been wormed, had teeth checked etc
Please get some help for this pony.
 
Are you feeding molassed sugar beet or unmolassed?

Sounds like either a touch of colic or laminitis. You need to get a vet out as both can be fatal if not treated. Why is a vet the last resort here? She is showing SERIOUS signs of illness and distress.
 
I don't think a vet should be a last resort in this instance, even more since she has been ill for a while.
 
You need to get a vet out now and cant believe you have not had one out when she first went off her food as this is an indication that something serious is wrong, she sounds like she is very ill!
 
I'm afraid an early vets bill is invariably cheaper than a late one. You will never save money with horses, they are expensive and that's a fact. But it will certainly cost you time and money if you play wait and see.
 
Is this for real? If I am understanding your post, this horse has been listless and losing weight since December and you feel that now, in nearly May, that phoning the vet is your "last resort"? Does the owner know the horse hasn't been right?
 
Also bread is not a ideal diet! Have a feeling this post could be a wynd up, but if it's not please get a vet to this pony now.
 
Vet has not been out as she picked up eating again but just didn't put weight on. She has lost a considerable amount of weight in the last month however never shown signs of stress or weakness until the last few days. That is why i posted on here. Also owners of the horse and the farm have never mentioned the vet, I am extremely worried and concerned but they are showing no signs of that which made me think it wasn't serious. Thank you for your advice, i will be on to the vet asap.
 
Thank you for the advice. Just to clarify I am loaning the horse and have expressed my concerns to the owners who own the farm I keep the horse on and they have never mentioned the vet and never said it was anything serious, just for me to get her weight back up which i have been trying to do. This is the reason the vet was the last resort, as the owners do not think anything is wrong, obviously it is their horse but i will be getting the vet out to her asap.
 
I think legally if you are the keeper of the animal it is your responsibility to make sure the pony is not suffering. To me it sounds as if she is so if the owners don't get the vet you need to.
 
Why would this be a wind up? I haven't just fed my horse bread, it is included in the diet! Which I know is perfectly normal for a horse
 
She picked up eating again as normal which is why the vet wasn't called out. The owner sees her everyday as she owns the farm which is another reason why the vet hasn't been called out. She has been eating fine and wolfing her food. I was told I wasn't feeding her enough through winter which is why her feed has been changed slightly.
 
I've never heard of bread forming part of a horses diet. I think it could be a wind up because most horse owners would have got the vet long ago to a horse with the symptoms you discribe.
I know you say you are loaning the horse, but you are still responsible for its care.
It could have a life threatening illness.
 
We both are the keepers of the animal. Even though i am loaning her, the owner deals with the horse everyday as well as me. I will be getting the vet out asap. I wrote on here to get advice as I was being told that it wasn't a serious matter and she just needed more weight on her.
 
So you've never heard of thirds? Bread crumbs? Of course I am responsible for her care but the owner is saying this isn't serious and no mention of a vet coming out. I am going off what she says as she has had the horse since she was a foal and has the last say in anything I do with the horse.
 
I understand that you have written on here for advice and you sound either young or inexperienced or possibly both.
You have said you are getting the vet and that's the best course of action. I hope it turns out to be something simple.
No I've never heard of thirds and I've had horses for 30 years.
 
selinas spirit said:
I've never heard of bread forming part of a horses diet.
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I'm not sure about other parts of Europe, but in France, giving stale bread to horses as part of their diet and as a treat is a very common thing. It's probably something to do with the fact that everyone buys fresh bread over there, so lots of people have left-overs. As long as it's stale and hard then it's not harmful and good for horses who struggle with keeping weight on.
 
As far as I'm aware in this country ie England it's not common to feed bread. It seems it's not working in this case anyway and is beside the point. The horse needs a vet and sounds in distress.
 
Definitely not common for it to form part of the diet at least, a few like it as a treat but :p.

Thirds aren't bread they are bran!!

I hope that it is a wind up, I'm not sure how anyone can think that a horse that has lost a lot of weight doesn't need seeing by a vet just because it is now eating again.
 
SpringArising said:
I'm not sure about other parts of Europe, but in France, giving stale bread to horses as part of their diet and as a treat is a very common thing. It's probably something to do with the fact that everyone buys fresh bread over there, so lots of people have left-overs. As long as it's stale and hard then it's not harmful and good for horses who struggle with keeping weight on.
Click to expand...

As a treat yes (same than sugar lumps, carrots, apples, etc), as a feed no, even in France. Too much bread can cause colic.
 
Well in any case, glad you're getting the vet out, I wish you and the horse the best of luck with the outcome
 
Palindrome said:
As a treat yes (same than sugar lumps, carrots, apples, etc), as a feed no, even in France. Too much bread can cause colic.
Click to expand...

I didn't say it's a feed in France - I said it forms part of their diet. Too much of anything can cause colic - I'd rather mine have half a stick of stale bread than sugar lumps to be honest.
 
On bread horses can't digest gluten bread made from wheat flour is bad for them .
OP I hope your having a joke at our expense .
But if you are serious your horse needs a vet .
 
EHart said:
Hi!
I'm wondering if anyone can help; I am loaning a 4 year old mare - cob. I have had her since November (but have had previous horses) and I am very close with the owners. She hadn't been fed anything apart from grass and hay and she was on the skinny side so I started with horse and pony mix, chop, carrots and bread. She loved it and started to get bigger and also a lot livelier and excited (I loved this!). However in December she had the runs and was put off hay and feed for a good few days which meant she lost all of her weight. She never put it back on despite still feeding her the same as I used to. She went out in the field last month but still hasn't put any weight back on and seems to me like she is now losing more and is really weak compared to the exciting horse I had back in December.
I have changed her feed slightly (and slowly) and added some sugar beet. I took her for a walk yesterday and she was making some strange noises, grunting almost and kept turning back to the farm, she was quite foot sore but she always has been since I started loaning her but yesterday she was really slow and weak. Something just didn't feel right. Been to her today and she really looks down in the dumps and still very weak.
I'm not sure if I will hear anything back but I just wanted some advice if anyone has an idea what it could be and if there is anything I can do (apart from vet which will be last resort).
Thanks!
Click to expand...
The animal is in your care, get a vet.
 
Yes and everything is fine. Nothing wrong with her I've just not been giving her enough feed for the work she's been doing.
 
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