Where's William Gone? Rather Rapid Weight Loss

[luckilotti]

hi.

been down to the yard today will all intentions of finally getting chance to ride my sports horse... at the moment i am looking after my 7 horses, 3 other stabled horses of friends (due to new baby and the other has had a family brevement-cant spell!) at the moment all of mine are living out 24/7. they have 18 acres in total (2 fields with gate open) they have 4 double field shelters and an extra 16 single ones - dont ask long story! so they have ample shelter! they get 5 bales of hayledge (big round bales) and 1 big round bale of hay as needed - they always have plenty, all are rugged up depending on type, age etc.

well this morning, i noticed one of my retired hunters in the top field alone, he has been doing this quite a lot lately so i decided to forget riding and bring him in for a fuss! he was only in last week as i bring them all in at least once a week for a leg wash down, apply udder cream etc, general up close checks as it can be hard at times to fully check in fields!

anyway - he came in, went in his box, gave him some readigrass which he wolfed down, then i went to muck out 2 of my friends horses. came back, he was sweating up a little as he hates being in - always has always will! so i took off his rug (was always going to remove it but decided to go do other mucking out then focus all attention on him rather then messing with rugs, going to muck out then bringing him back out again etc) anyway - he has lost soooo much weight in a week! he was all tucked up which may have looked worse as he was stressing at being in etc but its made me heartbroken. ooo - hes a 24year old CB X TB who has bone spavin. it was round about this time last year i very nearly had to make 'that decision' on him as his spavin was really making him uncomfortable.

i've taken the decision to keep him in for a while - despite the fact hes not going to be easy to keep (he has a strong character!). i am going to get him out as much as poss in the indoor in the day and also use the solarium to try and help with his dodgy legs.

the reason i am posting is does anyone know of any feeds that may help him???? at the moment he just gets a veteran mix, molichop, sugar beet, sunflower oil.

so sorry for the long post i am just panicing at the moment!

ooo - btw - his teeth are fab and also hes wormed uptodate.

 

[AmyMay]

How much hay is he getting in the field??

 

[luckilotti]

trust me - hes certainly the one who gets a lot of it! hes always been a ''bully'' if you like when it comes to feed. i got him nearly 11 years ago from a lady who fed him a small amount once a day - so since i got him - hes always made sure he gets his fill of food - when hes in, he gets 2 bigggg nets of hayledge at night - and only leaves a tiny bit - then in the morning, has one big net. despite eating all of this - hes never really been a fat horse except maybe end of summer he gets quite a belly since he can no longer be ridden.

in the field, they get 6 big bales at a time - 5 hayledge and 1 hay - there are 9 ponies/horses out, as soon as its starting to run low, the farmer brings us more. each bale is in a seperate part of field so they all dont fight over a mass of bales of hayledge! hes always one of the 1st there eating.

i'm really worried as i did make a desicion last yr after his legs were bad this time last yr - that i would let him have a nice summer, and then not let him see the winter as i didnt want to get to the stage where hes unhappy and i have to make the decision there and then. its a matter of 2 evils, keep him in and risk his mobility, or turn him out and risk hes rapidly losing weight???

he has a heavyweight rug on, up until a few weeks ago it was a Fal with intergrated neck cover but he broke the neck cover fasternings so now hes been having a heavyweight Masta on - no neck cover but hes very wooly anyway.

i know spillers i think now do a senior weight gain? not sure if anyone has used it or knows of another feed that may help?

 

[AmyMay]

[ QUOTE ]
know spillers i think now do a senior weight gain? not sure if anyone has used it or knows of another feed that may help?

[/ QUOTE ]
I fed a horse I had Spillers Senior Conditioning Mix, and the horse did look fantastic on it. So absolutely worth a try. Perhaps time to keep a very close eye though - especially if he's removing himself from the herd. It could be the start of the slipperly slope.

How old is he??

 

[luckilotti]

hes 24 - if we go how old his owner claimed he was when we got him he would be 22 this year but dentist/vet both thought he was 2 years older than owner claimed so i always go of what vet/dentist thought.

apart from the spavin and its associated mobility problems - hes always been so healthy - and mentally he still thinks hes a 3 year old colt!

the only time i have seen him down and depressed was this time last year - but that was mobility problems, as i mentioned, i had made that decision, which was very hard. my mum backed me up but when i mentioned it to my dad in august that it was getting close to the end of summer, he went crazy as he has a limp and has down days and claims that it would be like me putting him to sleep. hence there have been a few rows etc and we decided, me unsure that we would see how he goes. his mobility touch wood - seems ok at the moment, its like and old horse, they have good and bad days depending on the weather but hes now lived out the last 3 winters and has done so much better that way.

i'm going to go to the feed store before i pick my boyfriend up from work but i am just in a panic at the moment - we have been through some very tough times together and hes soooo special to me.

 

[luckilotti]

ps - i am an adult, and i know if i make a decision that sould be it, but my dad, who bought me William as a teenager is veryyyy opinioniated about the matter as he has mobility problems, he actually claimed he wouldnt talk to me again, whether he would do that i am not sure, but deep down i am also maybe selfish as no-one wants to make that decision.
yes, hes an oap with dodgy legs, but i would pay the earth to make sure he has a good quality of life. i'm a bit crazy like that - i bought a horsebox so my shetland could go paddling in the sea to help his hooves - it worked thou.

i feel sure there is some other weight gain feed on the market but i cannot recall what it is and he certainly doesnt need something to make him fizzy as hes bad enough like that on fresh air

 

[Scarlett1980]

Yep spillers senior conditioning is brill - works a treat!

 

[sleepingdragon10]

Hi Luckilotti

I'm sure you're doing the very best for your boy, and it must be hard seeing him on his bad days.
As for weightgain, have you thought about Baileys No 1? It's fed dampened down and is great for oldies....shouldn't hot him up either.

Bethxx

 

[AmyMay]

[ QUOTE ]
ps - i am an adult, and i know if i make a decision that sould be it, but my dad, who bought me William as a teenager is veryyyy opinioniated about the matter as he has mobility problems,

[/ QUOTE ]
It can be very difficult trying to explain to people that it's time to have one of our old friends pts. A lot of people simply don't understand. However, at the end of the day your father, like you, will want the best for your boy. And old age isn't just about mobility problems.

Hopefully the situation with your lad is that he just needs a little more tlc, although you certainly sounds as if you are very hands on at the mo.

Lets hope the extra feed will help buck him up.

 

[Peanot]

Hi, Just a thought but over here, its been quite a mild week- although its been raining, but not cold. If he is wooly and he is used to living out, could it be that he has been too hot and sweating? It is quite warm in the sun. Sorry not been much help.
Also, we never really know when the time is right for the end. He will probably let you know when he is ready. There is an old boy in the stable next to me and he has Cushings and sweats quite a bit when it is mild and so he loses weight quite easily. I hope your boy picks up soon.
Give him a hug from me. x

 

[Hannahbone]

Spillers senior conditioning mix is great id try it if i were you

 

[TURBOBERT]

Total convert to Top Spec - has everything in it without the bulk - ad lib good quality grass/haylege with it.

 

[1CTrenowath]

If he is removing himself from the herd, could it be he is being bullied, I know you say is a 'character', but if his legs are giving a bit of pain (all this rain is making my old boy feel his age at the mo

), he may feel unsafe in a herd environment and therefore be keeping out of the way - this may also mean he isn't getting the hay/haylege you think he is? Especially if it is getting muddy around feeding areas - again old sore limbs don't like deep mud!! Would it be possible to turn him out with just 1 other companion to see if he picks up. If he is definitely eating all he can, perhaps before chucking more food at him, it might be worth getting a blood test done to check liver etc. function?

 

[luckilotti]

hi everyone - thought i would give you all a little update:

hes in and being typical william pulling faces at the liveries! the 1st day i kept one of my others in to keep him company but since then hes had to be in alone, which he is coping with - just screams when the last horse goes out.
hes eating quite a bit, his readigrass he gets in the am he is tending to leave and eat overnight and hes getting hos 2 feeds a day - i have ordered him some of the Baileys No 1 as suggested by SleepingDragon.
Re Peanut and the weather - where we are located - we get the breeze (or gales) off the coast so even if its been sunny - its been a freezing wind - they have been in the shelters quite a bit or in the 'dip' in the back field recently. i'll keep an eye out thou for excess sweating.

hes quite a hard horse to describe with the way he is - he really mentally is a 2 year old colt! hes been going in the indoor for a good few hours a day and keeps himself moving - and i hast to add throws a few jumps in - all whilst he has his 'hobble' due to the spavin - thankfully touch wood at the moment him being in isnt affecting his legs too much.

the hayledge hes had access to in the field hasnt been by mud etc as there is a hard standing the length of one of the fields and it gets put on there and also sum in the shelters. also the herd hes out with - most are in their early 20's and he is the main man in the field so to say. Re Peaonadrum suggestion, its not possible for him to be in a seperate field as he really is boss and unless he has all of 'his mares' with him - he runs around screaming.

i've only realised the other day - hes 25 this year - where does time go?? it doesnt seem like yesterday when i went to get him etc - i guess its as friends say - hes old and they do drop weight more easily etc. whilst he seems happy - i am happy, i just need him to get the weight back on. we are making a lot of extra fuss of him at the moment - ie going back at night to see what hes eaten etc and i attempted to plait his mane yesterday - hes ended up with a load of pony tails as he would stand still whilst i plaited so hes looking a bit like a punk at the moment!

ps - hes drinking his normal huge amounts of water - i turned his water feeder off to monitor it and its the same amount as when i got him in the 90's!

thanks for all the support HHO's and fingers crossed he will continue as he is at the moment and stays happy.