TB - Is she too ribby?

Re rugging and temperature. Like you I base rugs on temperature as both boys currently unclipped. Ex-racer is a sensitive soul and although thermometer may be saying 12 degrees don't forget to take into consideration wind chill. It's about 13 degrees here right now (Kent) but wind chill takes it down to around 6! He'll be coming in tonight and wrapped up warm
 
I dont agree on everyone saying to add rugs. She sounds ideally rugged currently.

In a healthy horse with ad lib forage/hay they should be able to maintain themselves. She has a good winter coat so not like shes not got the capability there to puff it up to keep warm.

I think Id be wondering more about an encysted worm problem - blood test as they dont show on poo counts, or something more sinister. Vet visit would be my first port of call here.
 
Worms were the issue with my mare. I thought she was ok as she'd had equest pramox followed by panacur 5 day and had a low worm count (less than 200). We'd struggled for months with tons of feed and very little improvement, then when we did the next worming (can't remember what it was) she really started to pile on weight!

Just a thought :)
 
Kat said:
but what concerns me is her coat....
She should have enough forage so that she never runs out - this might be lots more than you think.
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Her coat looks horrendous in these pics but she'd just been rolling damp bark and looked a mess! I'll take some tomorrow she's actually usually quite shiny. And she's on ad lib hayledge, I've put 3 nets, stuffed her hay rack and put some on the floor tonight as you said it might be more than I think thanks :)
 
TigerTail said:
I dont agree on everyone saying to add rugs. She sounds ideally rugged currently.

In a healthy horse with ad lib forage/hay they should be able to maintain themselves. She has a good winter coat so not like shes not got the capability there to puff it up to keep warm.

I think Id be wondering more about an encysted worm problem - blood test as they dont show on poo counts, or something more sinister. Vet visit would be my first port of call here.
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Agree, 100%. I understand the mare is on box rest but she sounds as rugged up as she needs to be. Good luck, OP.
 
cptrayes said:
Seaweed contains a lot of iodine. Iodine will increase the amount of hormones secreted by the thyroid gland, which will reduce weight if that hormone is not required. Unless you are feeding seaweed because you are in a low iodine area, I would suggest that you stop.
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Thats interesting! never knew that. My farrier told me to feed it her for her feet
 
Sorry, but I would be SERIOUSLY concerned that a 6 YEAR OLD looked like this.

The TB in my sig is a 4 year old who was previously ill, a few months previous.

I use boiled barley, boil it myself I a slow cooker. Works a treat. Only need a cup full added to feed.

Not having a go, just think this need further investigation.

Good luck
 
When my boy was on box rest he was so stressed, but not showing outward signs as he's a worrier, that he lost weight with ad lib hay and I had to pump him full of conditioning but cooling nuts/chaff and added oil. Maybe yours is a bit of a stresser. I don't think she looks horrendous btw. Could look better for the time of year, but has a belly on her
 
She could do with more condition. try ad-lib forage and some conditioning cubes. The feed companies are very helpful if you ring them.
 
I'm with others that say there is something else going on - even allowing for a roll in the school, the coat is still a bit starey and if in on box rest I would expect a better coat. There is something about the muscle over the back end that is looking not quite right - if you said you were 3 day eventing and she was in genuinely hard work I would say that she looks how some horses do when at the top of their game. But the fact her neck has nowhere near the correct or expected level of top line would suggest she needs more condition.

For me personally - I would take her off all mixes, look to add a good quality hay or oat straw to the hayledge to bulk out and get the gut working properly and use something like fast fibre or unmolassed beet with Think Pink or Naf Pink Powder to help with vits/mins and gut flora. Add a small glug of sunflower oil or linseed. If she isn't moving around, you don't want to be pumping her full of added sugars, starches and too high a protein level as it will just go straight through taking everything else with it, or store up and cause other issues.

Sorry if you have mentioned why - but how come on box rest?

ETA: un-related and could be a trick of the light, but the first pic shows some white hair over the wither?
 
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I don't think she particularly needs more weight but I am sure I'll be about one of three people who say that. TBs are often ribby whilst being a reasonable weight. She doesn't appear gaunt in her hips and her neck is fine weight wise just lacking muscle ( unsurprsing if she's on box rest)

Her coat just looks like normal winter woolies to me as well. If she were mine I'd not be worrying one jot but that's just me :)
 
Nugget La Poneh said:
Sorry if you have mentioned why - but how come on box rest?

ETA: un-related and could be a trick of the light, but the first pic shows some white hair over the wither?
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Lame, vet said give her a few weeks to come sound. That was 2 weeks ago, almost there. I think that white hair is a trick of the light but she does have a stress mark from her racing days.
 
jesstickle said:
I don't think she particularly needs more weight but I am sure I'll be about one of three people who say that. TBs are often ribby whilst being a reasonable weight. She doesn't appear gaunt in her hips and her neck is fine weight wise just lacking muscle ( unsurprsing if she's on box rest)

Her coat just looks like normal winter woolies to me as well. If she were mine I'd not be worrying one jot but that's just me :)
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This is why I don't post on here unless I'm worried, I feel like I'm getting attacked even though I'm not :o She's lacking a lot of muscle anyway because she's only just starting to be put in an outline so wasn't using them muscles until about 7 weeks ago and then she went lame :(
 
About seaweed and Iodine........iodine in the diet is required to make the hormone thyroxine but I'm pretty sure that extra iodine does NOT mean you become hyperthyroid. I am just browsing my textbooks so preparing to be corrected but I don't think you need to worry about excess iodine in this case.

There are lots of good suggestions on here but it is almost impossible to truly judge a horse's condition from a photo. I would suggest you have a google about condition scoring and try and score her tomorrow if you are worried.

Scores can vary between different areas on the same horse depending on type so you are looking at the average. Even if she has a lower score on her ribs she may be better on other areas but it's really hard to tell without actually getting your hands on her and feeling her condition.
 
jesstickle said:
I don't think she particularly needs more weight but I am sure I'll be about one of three people who say that. TBs are often ribby whilst being a reasonable weight. She doesn't appear gaunt in her hips and her neck is fine weight wise just lacking muscle ( unsurprsing if she's on box rest)

Her coat just looks like normal winter woolies to me as well. If she were mine I'd not be worrying one jot but that's just me :)
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I actually agree with this ^^^

I've seen far worse - if I were you I would just make sure you've wormed and then feed ad lib hay/haylage and see how she goes. Good luck!
 
I agree with the people who suggest worming as a start. We had a clear worm count and found one pony who was actually heavily burdened! She had been fed lots of hay and feed and was thin. A good feed to put weight on is the Ready Mash Extra, lady at our yard feeds it to her oldie and it does work. I dont know much about the ingredients so it would be advisable to check they are ok for a horse on box rest.
 
Achinghips said:
Yes, she is. The images suggest to me and in my opinion, that perhaps she needs more rugging to keep her warm as thats one heck of a winter coat already for a TB. Cup of veg oil in feed will boost calorie intake and I'd move onto Baileys conditioning cubes. Hth's.
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I was thinking the same re rugging. she'll lose a lot of weight unless she is kept warm. My TB has a medium weight rug now otherwise he will drop off regardless of how much food he eats.
 
MontyandZoom said:
About seaweed and Iodine........iodine in the diet is required to make the hormone thyroxine but I'm pretty sure that extra iodine does NOT mean you become hyperthyroid.
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It does in humans. Humans on thyroxin because of a low activity thyroid are advised to avoid taking kelp because it messes with the thyroxin levels.


Seaweed also contains a lot of iron. A lot of grazing is already high in iron and an excess of iron will prevent the take-up of copper. That will mess up insulin control and can result in poor skin, weak feet and a bad coat.


The gelatin like chemical that it contains (agar), I believe, is what is good for the feet. OP feed jelly cubes instead!
 
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cptrayes said:
It does in humans. Humans on thyroxin because of a low activity thyroid are advised to avoid taking kelp because it messes with the thyroxin levels.
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That is very interesting. Could it be the fact that (in animals at least) it is a synthetic T4 analogue used for treatment perhaps? Just think it wouldn't be explained by the iodine in it as if they had an UNDERactive thyroid they would surely want more iodine if iodine (seaweed) would make your thyroid produce more thyroxine :confused:

Will have to geek it up and ask one of the bods at uni about this :D Did some reading but can't find anything about too much iodine causing hyperthyroidism........just low iodine diets causing clinical signs of hypothyroidism.

Anyhoo........need to stop confusing myself and start revising for my exams!!
 
Your vet must have seen her recently for the lameness issue, did they comment on her condition?
You could always have bloods done. Your horse may have a larval infestation but have very low egg counts, due to the larval stages not producing eggs. A blood test is the only way to detect whether a horse is infected with larvae. Lice also really pulls horses down.
These are just ideas & I do not wish to offend you in your horse management in any way.
I think your mare is gorgeous by the way. A lovely looking tb.

I am using Equivite Body Builder at the moment the ad says:
Use this if:
1. You have a horse or pony that needs to gain condition quickly and safely.
2. You need to maintain condition in box resting or convalescing horses or ponies
3. You wish to wean youngstock or orphaned foals early.

I have had amazing results with this. A point to point trainer I know uses middlings for bulk fibre & condition, he swears by it for keeping weight on stressy tb's.

Good hay or haylage saves on hard feed too.
Good luck.
 
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