Urgent advice needed please...

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I hope that this is not classed as defammatory etc etc, but I am really angry at what is going on at our yard at the moment. Therefore, some of the people who come on here will know what yard I am talking about, but I am not going to mention any names or areas.

Just for the record I have been on the yard for just over 4 years now.

On Monday, a new girl (will be known as NG from now on) moved on with her beautiful horse (will be known from H from now on). She has owned H for two months and from what I can gather H has been living out. NG sent H to be backed (he is 4 years old) and the person who backed H said that he was overweight and should not be given any haylage or feed.

NG moved onto our yard Tuesday, wormed H and gave him 0.5kg haylage, then left at 5pm. At 6pm H had eaten up and started wind sucking very badly on his water feeder, stable walls, in fact anything he could get his teeth (excuse the pun) into. I rode Grace, came back and it was wind sucking even harder and still had its head collar on so a few liveries presumed that NG was coming back. I had to plait Grace up for the competition yesterday so did not leave the yard until 8.30pm when there was still no sign of NG.

I am not usually someone who interferes with other people's horses as I would hate for someone to interfere with mine, but H was beginning to wind suck constantly, so myself and two other liveries decided to put a 4kg net in with H and take off his head collar. We also put up a tie ring as the net was simply tied to H's door.

The following morning I as up early competing... H seemed quite content and I went off to the competition feeling a little happier. At 11am NG turned up, mucked out, put in another 0.5kg net and left again (H was not walked out or anything).

I was around at the yard most of the day with unplaiting and then Grace had a jumping lesson (poor girl is shattered today), and at 8pm there was still no sign of NG... by 8.30pm NG had still not been up and H was wind sucking like crazy. So, again, a few of us decided that we couldn't leave him like that and put another 4 kg in for him.

This morning I have been down and once more there has been no sign of NG. I left at 11am, H still had not been seen to, was wind sucking like mad with no haylage and had I not given him 4kg last night he would have had 0.5kg in 24 hours!!!

This morning he has been eating shavings...

What would you do?
 
Crikey! Thats ridiculous, sounds like the poor beggar has stomach ulcers already! I wouold speak to NG! Aske her why he was on such restricted diet, and if she knew he windsucked?!!
 
As a windsucker idealy he should have a constant supply of forage
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I suggest you have a quiet word with this girl - just explaining that horses need 'small and often' and although he is over-weight - he still needs forage and perhaps instead of cutting down his haylage, she could try riding, lunging or turning him out to burn off some extra calories?
What a sticky situation to be in!
x
 
Could you speak to yard owner and get her to have a word with the new girl? (so that you are not directly getting involved at first).

I totally agree that this is wrong and you are right to be concerned. Starving a horse is ridiculous and what sort of person would suggest that? Not one that I would be sending my horse to for backing! Also if this horse has just moved on the yard he is going to be stressed so obviously this treatment is going to dramatically increase his stressed out wind-sucking behaviour. Exercise and small amounts of hay given on a regular basis is the only way for a horse to lose weight surely?? Plus that would keep him chewing and so reduce his stress. I would also worry what state his guts will be in if this continues and then she does start feeding normally again...

Good luck x
 
Haven't seen NG since they got there... otherwise I would have said something already! NG is only coming up once a day at lunch time you see, I have long gone by then.
 
Gosh Becki.

What a situation to be in. Why can't she substitute the haylage for hay, even soaked hay, and put it in some small holed haynets? Surely if she left a haynet ready made someone would also put that in for her if she doesn't want to or can't get down more frequently.

Poor horse. When Tweenie was on a strict diet she was only being fed a few handfuls of hay but that was every hour or so. Easy for me as I live on site, I guess. I'd never have left her for that length of time without food. No wonder he's windsucking.
 
Thank you so far for the comments... sorry it is only a quick reply, I very much appreciate the advice!

I'll try to answer a few of the things stated...

YO is aware of the situation but has not seen NG since she arrived. In fact, since coming on Tuesday she has only been up once at 11am yesterday morning (andobviously Tesday night when she brought H to the yard). I was at the yard until 11am, someone else until 11.30 and still no sign today.

Until recently I believe H has lived out, but the wind sucking is full blown therefore I also fear what his gut will be like at just 4 years of age.

My other worry is that I obviously have a 5 months old foal on the yard... how eaily can they pick up a trait like this?
 
Thanks honey... I need to know information like this before I make any comments. We have a laminitic on the yard and he is on 4 kg a day (split into several nets) and straw to keep his gut moving and he is doing very well on this (has been on 4kg since he had the attack).
 
Is your Yard Owner aware of the situation and could they have a word with her? Maybe she needs someone to explain to her that horses need to be fed more than this and if she is worried about weight there are better ways of managing it (if it is actually a problem). Also don't forget that under the new animal welfare laws you are legally required to provide adequate food, water etc.
 
Thanks... don't suppose you know where to find some of the new animal welfare laws on line do you?

H is slightly overweight (but it is partly due to his breeding imho) but certainly should not be being starved!
 
In my opinion YO should be on the phone to NG stating that the treatment of this horse is unacceptable and she should get herself to the yard immediately.

3 rules on my yard are - every horse MUST be checked at least once every 24 hours and preferably twice in 24 hours. EVERYONE must leave contact details on stable door and NO cribbers/ windsuckers etc allowed to stop other horses copying.

I thought the rules were fairly harsh at first but having been on the yard a while now these do work and you are right to be concerned about your foal...

YO really needs to pull their finger out and chase up that owner or that horse could get very sick. Aren't YO's partly responsible for the welfare of horses on their yard?? (not sure about legality etc).
 
It sounds like this NG is a new owner who knows little about equine management. You can either have a word with her regarding the windsucking etc & the general lack of hay or leave it to the YO to speak to her. It may be better coming from the YO, an authority figuer, who can tell her what he knows & tell her that unless she is prepared to look after her horse correctly he will ask he to find another yard.

She is either naive or neglectful....either way something needs to change.
 
I should've pointed out that Tweenie is back on normal rations now, and has been for a good two years. Something about forcing her to trickle feed (on veterinary advice) was supposed to speed up her metabolism. She no longer bolts a pile of hay and trickle feeds herself when fed ad-lib. It must've worked as she isn't as prone to weight gain as she used to be.

I don't feed from nets now, but when mine are in they are given hay rations at 6am, 12 noon, 6pm and before bed, which is about midnight.

You cannot possibly have a horse stabled on DIY livery and turn up once a day. I would expect the yard owner to contact her and have strict words with her. If she doesn't want to come more often, fine, but she needs to know that the horse will be fed an acceptable ration of hay and she will be charged for the service.
 
If noone is seeing her, i would get someone (YO) to make sure horse is getting minimal ensible amounts of hayledge necessary to keep horse healthy but not to put weight on, then YO should have a work with NG, and bill her appropiately for her time/extra hayledge (depending how you get billed for forage) It may just be ignorance, but sounds like neglect to me.
 
I agree that this could be naivety and once you or yard owner actually get to speak to her this could easily be resolved once she is made aware she is actually neglecting this horse. It could be that she has taken this person's advice too literally about starving the horse and doesn't herself know any better....although any normal people with a new horse spend a lot more time with it than she is? And why isn't she lunging/walking it??

If however she isn't particuarly bothered by your or YO's advice then that is a case for reporting her.

Either way YO needs to speak to her ASAP...
 
Again, thank you for the replies...

I may try to see the YO this evening and make them completely aware of what is going on at the moment. I don't like getting involved, as stated in the OP, as I think people all have their own ways of looking after their horses and other people should not judge them for that. But I just find 1kg in three days (that is how much it has had) is completely unacceptable for any type of horse, in fact even for a rabbit I don't think that would be enough.

My main concern is this horse's wellfare, but as I have said, I have the added concern of having two young horses on the yard in close vicinity to this horse (one 6 year old and one 5 months old foal) and I would hit the roof if I left this carrying on and they developed the wind sucking vice.
 
Who the hell told her not to feed it and that it was overweight?

Even if it is overweight the answer is NOT starvation & they need a good kicking!

NG sounds a bit naive TBH and is just following instructions of a person who clearly knows foo all about gastric ulcers, hyperlipaemia and stable vices, poor horse!
 
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My other worry is that I obviously have a 5 months old foal on the yard... how eaily can they pick up a trait like this?

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PF windsucks and neither of my foals picked it up, nor did the other horses. I don't think you have anything to worry about as long as foalie has enough turnout, etc etc
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Poor horse, why is she giving it hayledge if she wants it to loose weight? I would be giving it 3 or 4 small haynets per 24 hours in very small holed haynets, as someone elde said if she left them ready and asked people just to hang them for her i am sure they would. Can she not turn him out on restricted grazing to reduce the stress?
 
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It could be that she has taken this person's advice too literally about starving the horse and doesn't herself know any better....although any normal people with a new horse spend a lot more time with it than she is? And why isn't she lunging/walking it??


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My feelings exactly. One would have thought that someone who's just bought a new horse would be spending as much time as possible with it - you'd not be able to winkle me out of the yard with a big pin if I'd just brought home my new horse !

Is this horse getting any exercise /turn-out at all?
 
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My other worry is that I obviously have a 5 months old foal on the yard... how eaily can they pick up a trait like this?

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PF windsucks and neither of my foals picked it up, nor did the other horses. I don't think you have anything to worry about as long as foalie has enough turnout, etc etc
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Thanks PF... that was something I was worried about on top of the horse's welfare (I know it was quite a selfish thought when this horse is not getting any feed).
 
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Is this horse getting any exercise /turn-out at all?

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It might get some turnout this afternoon, but as I mentioned at 11.30am still no sign of NG. It was not walked out yesterday.
 
The fact that she is only coming up once a day when it is stabled would also concern me as well as her starving it. Your YO should have dealt with this the first day NG came up only once by telephoning her immediately. This makes me really angry as it is not the horse's fault if she is naive/inexperienced. Good luck, horrible situtation to be in, and I too, would be chucking haylage over. Poor you. How ridiculous
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She sounds like she needs a quiet chat and some advice! She probably isnt (hopefully) doing it out of laziness and she does just think that by keeping him in he will eat less and therefore lose weight.

I would say it is ignorance. Well I hope it is! But yes I agree it is frustrating and not very nice!
 
very difficult situation for you to be in, and good for for actually giving him some more hay, although unfortunately she may not realise you're having to do this?

I would just speak to YO and see if he/she can quietly take her aside , and explain that he/she understands she is doing her best to try to reduce his weight, but feeding him so little will only serve to slow his metabolism, making the problem worse ultimately. It would be good to suggest feeding soaked hay, and point out that the windsucking will reduce her horse's value and desirability (in case that is how she is motivated...)

Good luck, hope it gets sorted.
 
I had this too, someone told owner her pony was overweight - it was a little rounded, but nothing to worry about. She did the same, left it in with a handful of hay for the day - poor thing was going mental so I fed it hay.

I then mentioned it to YO and both he and I had a chat with her at seperate points. She completely ignored our advice. She then asked me not to feed her horse hay - I was giving the poor thing one slice which had to last it from 8 pm to 9 am the next day, so was not over feeding. YO was doing the same in the morning to last it from 9 am to 5 pm.

I am afraid this time she got it blunt and to the point what she was doing to her horse. I said until she learnt how to properly look after her horse, the YO and I would continue to feed it. I suggested turning it out, we had limited grass which would not have put the weight on and getting off her arse and exercising it.

She did improve and when she left to go to a yard with full livery, I really felt better and hoped the poor pony would be better cared for.
 
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rules on my yard are - NO cribbers/ windsuckers etc allowed to stop other horses copying.



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Wow your YO is very ignorant - just goes to show that you don't have to understand horses to open a livery yard. Very sad.
 
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