Stressed horse and dropping weight!

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ellsbells285

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Hi,
my horse gets very stressed when realising he is going out in the trailer and then also when at events. We have never had a bad experience with him out in the trailer or at a show. However he drop a significant amount of weight the day after having gone in the trailer somewhere. He is currently on Calm and conditioning with some chaff and is fed three times a day just to keep his weight on as he is very thin and we are struggling for muscle development and we think it may be due to stress. He goes out about every 2-3 weeks in the trailer but this has only been recently for the past 4 months or so. He dropped the most amount of weight when we started to get him fit around November (We've had him since July however had to work long and low in walk and trot over summer due to a bad saddle before however it is all done and fixed now!) and when it started to get very cold. We upped his feed and hay then also changed his feed to Calm and conditioning (has helped but not as much has it should). We are soon to be getting a blood test to see if there is anything else, hes been wormed recently. How can we stop him from stressing at events and in the trailer and stop him from dropping weight?
Thank you
 
Some horses do no tfind C&C calming. I would change his feed, gradually, to soaked grassnuts, dried grass chaff and Speedibeet with linseed oil, or micronized linseed. I have found that this regime puts lost weight back on and then maintains it without fizz. This should help to keep your horse calm. Have you tried giving him magnesium? Some horses stress because they are deficient in it. You could also try an 'instant calmer' such as OxyShot (which I have never tried) or search on here for recommendations.
 
Very good post by pearlsasinger, I had a horse that was magnesium deficient and was so stressed to the point of not been able to ride her, soon as i put her on a magnesium calmer i used equistro she was a total different mare!!!!!!!! stress not good for them, this could lead to ulcers which you really don't want them!!!!! your doing everything possible for her which is the main thing, keep us posted how you get on!!! xxxxx
 
Make sure that he isn't dehydrated. Try feeding electrolytes when you get home. It makes a difference to my stressy horse.
 
Personally, if you are happy with C&C i would add to it, this is what I do with mine.
I use Micronised Linseed all year and use Equi Jewel when I need more on top.
 
Hi thought I would just update everyone! He has been putting on a bit of weight on the C&C however only bee slightly and mostly under his stomach!
His ribs are quite prominent which worries me as he is being fed a lot and 3 times a day! But muscle development around the neck, withers and over back is better.
He does drink quite a lot however also pees a lot we tried him on a type of viniger which didn't seem to make a difference however I will try electrolytes sounds like a good idea! He's a very odd horse indeed!
 
Have you had him checked out by a vet? What is he like for the rest of the time?
How old is he?
One thing that jumps out is PPID (Cushings) ...this is usually diagnosed using a blood test alongside clinical signs ....excessive drinking and weeing, Muscle loss and a pot bellied appearance and a change in behaviour (usually Lethergy but excitability has been seen) could all be symptoms.
This site is very useful
http://www.thelaminitissite.org/ppid.html
 
Agree with the other posters above..
The best addition to feed for weight gain is sugarbeet pulp and oil as this wont overheat, but its important to introduce it gradually over a few weeks, alongside good quality forage.
 
dianchi said:
Personally, if you are happy with C&C i would add to it, this is what I do with mine.
I use Micronised Linseed all year and use Equi Jewel when I need more on top.
Click to expand...
Hi ellsbells I think what dianchi said sounds just what I would do C&C or any good hard feed at the recommend level for the Vits, mins and Equi Jewel to hold the condition with a some Alfa A oil as well.
 
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