Would you report this horse?

B

Bright_Spark

Well-Known Member
Joined
25 October 2006
Messages
3,111
Location
Hampshire
Visit site
I was told today that if the RSPCA saw Amber, they would take her away from me in an instant.

Can I have honest opinions please? I am so sick with worry and upset.

The white on her back it cream to get rid of the rain scald type problem she had. Oh and this is not her normal stable (in case you were wondering about the lack of bedding), just where I was grooming her.

DSC00293.jpg


DSC00294.jpg


Photo from last week (might be a bit better to see)
DSC00287.jpg
 
Some people are just sooooo helpful aren't they?

OK, So what is the story so far? Age, recent history, vets etc?

Yes, she looks a little bit out of sorts but it can surely be sorted out.
 
Its not the rainscald though (that is being dealt with, just stubborn- she got it from sweating up under a rug).

I was away for a week at the end of August, and when I came back, this is how her back looked.
DSC00227.jpg


Apparently she is too thin and lacking condition, which is this person's main concern. I apparently starve her, dont feed her the right food and she will end up with colic. This was all said to my novicey OH (I wasnt spoken to at all by this "friend").

She is 4, TB, had foal in Feb, lost foal in March, had hock operation in April, 2 months boxrest and currently HAS to stay in because she is not allowed out with the shetland foal and the other paddock is unusable thanks to the ponies wrecking the fence.

Because of her having to stay in, I can not put her on conditioning feed as it will blow her brains (made that mistake on boxrest. Although if anyone knows of something that won't, I'd be very thankful to know about it.

So am I a terrible owner?
 
I personally cant see any ribs etc, and while she/he does look skinnier than ours, thats no bad thing as our lot are fat buggers

Looks fine to me
smile.gif
 
Seems like the poor mare has had a rough year.

If she were mine I would be giving her some immune boosting stuff (Global Herbs Immuplus and Restore) I would put her on a good feed balancer and give her adlib hay.

I would give her other feeds too but it would depend on so many factors as to what I would choose. I am sure there will be many good suggestions on here by other HHOers.

Keep us posted on her progress. I am sure your friend did not mean any harm in what she said to your OH. Try to focus on your girl.
laugh.gif


Oh and keep us posted.
laugh.gif
:D
 
naw! if said "friend" thinks she is too thin and lacking condition then god help her she didn't see Pidge when I first got him
shocked.gif

have you tried food such as readigrass or even speedibeet to help with her weight? don't know a great deal about feeding on box rest but I know Pidge loves these and doesn't make him loopy either!
 
She is thin but not an RSPCA case. I had a mare who looked just like that when she arrived. I found sugar beet (mixed with nuts) and sunflower oil very useful for weight gain... a good slosh a day of oil, say 250 mls.

Is she on hay or haylage? Haylage would also help her put on weight. Is she getting any exercise at all? Could you walk her out in-hand or long rein to help her release some energy? Being stabled 24/7 may be making her a little stressed. Also I'll mention the obvious - teeth check and worming! Good luck with her.
smile.gif
 
Oh for goodness sake, some people are just meddling sods. There is nothing wrong with what I am seeing in the photos. She's a 4 year old TB who foaled and then lost her foal....with a little bit of rainscald...big deal! No of course the RSPCA wouldn't do anything. She is clearly well looked after and for a TB looks fine.

For the rainscald, have you thought about importing some MTG by Shapleys? It is really good for clearing it up quickly but I think you can only get it in the States. I wouldn't be without it.

Don't listen to the nosy beggar who said this and if it is someone at your livery yard, I'd consider moving. Can't stand people like this.
mad.gif
 
I will be honest... When I looked at the pics I thought the horse was a veteran, not a youngster. However, obv the horse has had a very trying year. What she is suffering from IS rainscald, it isn't caused by rain, but by bacteria and most horses who get it these days get it because of rugs, not rain. She is not lacking in weight, she is lacking in muscle, so the sooner as you can get her working on the lunge, the better IMHO.
 
Agree with the oil,deffo!!!
smile.gif
Readigrass is fab stuff for putting the weight on,however,i DONT think she is skinny,she is just lacking muscle,major difference,to be expected with the troubles she has been having!You dont want her fat!!I would probably add a multi vitamin to her feed to,i use equivite and my boys feet(best they ever been,been on it a while obviously,lol)coat etc are fab!!Dont take any notice of snide remarks,you are doing the best for your girl,as long as you continue to do so she will improve in leaps and bounds!!Know what i would say to a friend that had the cheek to pass comment like that,ESPECIALLY to my OH!!!
 
Agree with Weezy! Also, agree with feeding oil - though be careful, if you feed over 250mls, you need to add a Vit E & Selenium supplement to help them digest it.
 
You are not a terrible owner - and sometimes busybodies need to have their bluff called. Although one person's busibody is another's concerned spectator - I guess the difference is usually in approach.

A call to any of the big feed companies might be in order to get some ideas from them, personally I am a big fan of ad lib hay or haylage with a balancer - eating does at least keep them occupied on box rest/confinement. She will change shape with light exercise when the time is right. The balancer (or pink powder, my favourite) will support the skin and hair growth too
 
You obviously want the best for your horse and that's what counts. She is lacking muscle as she's 4yrs old and obviously hasn't been doing much in the way of work this year, but I don't think she is overly thin for a TB.

I'd give her ad-lib hay and make sure she's kept warm.

you could also try speedi-beet, I don't find it heating for my boy, but each horse is different. Or calm and condition or something similar. Don't be bullied into over feeding her, people seem to forget that we have to sit on these horses and don't really need a timebomb that's about to explode.
 
As someone has already pointed out, your mare is not thin, just lacking muscle tone which is no surprise after her awful year and confined to her stable.

THIS is thin ...
20thaugust06-3.jpg



20thaugust06-5.jpg


20thaugust06-2.jpg


Your mare needs lots of Dr. Green (grass). Gentle lunging will help with the muscle tone and fitness. Lots of fibre, ad-lib hay, oil. Lots of helpful advice on here and I would agree with what someone else said ... find somewhere else where turnout/fencing/bitching liveries isnt a problem.
 
'Quote - She is 4, TB, had foal in Feb, lost foal in March, had hock operation in April, 2 months box rest and currently HAS to stay in because she is not allowed out with the shetland foal and the other paddock is unusable thanks to the ponies wrecking the fence'.

Your horse really needs to be out in a field excercising herself, enjoying eating grass and chilling out.
If your present yard can't provide grazing then I would suggest you find somewhere else that can. Keeping a horse this young in all the time is not fair to the horse.
 
Not at all! Considering what she's been through you've done well and thoroughbreds are almost always on the slimmer side of average. Ignore said person and carry on as you were, foals do take it out of mares, it's a known fact.
I've known people who have slimmed their horses down on purpose until you could see their ribs, else the animals were deemed overweight. What you have done was not intentional and she looks better than some I've seen that no one seemed to be worried about - poor animals.
 
Your horse looks fine - considering the year she has had. I use Baileys Low Calorie balancer with loads of haylage and this seems to keep them in excellent condition without giving them any pep. If she is being kept in with no rugs that rain scald will clear up in no time. My chestnut mare had it a couple of years ago and I used hibiscrub, kept the scabs off and she has never had it since. Stop worrying about what other people think and get that lovely horse feeling well again.
 
Don't listen.

I had someone threaten to report me to the ILPH because I was nursing a rescue horse back to full health. It's just meddling and ignorance IMO.

Yes she needs more condition, but she has had a rough year and I expect in a few months she will be looking lovely.
 
I've rehabilitated a couple of rescues, and your girl is fat compared to them! Sounds like you've been to hell and back with her, how exactly do they think she would look?
I think the way she looks now is perfectly understandable bearing in mind what's been happening to her. If she was mine I'd want to get her out, even if it's in a field with hay put out. It would help her to be able to move about and keep herself gently exercised. Where I live there's plenty of grass, I swear it was still growing last week, but even if it's poor she'd still go out.
You don't say what you are feeding her now, but I feel that the key is plenty of good quality forage. So if you don't give her more hay than she can finish now, then I'd up her hay ration until you find some left in the mornings. I sometimes add a slice of horsehage to the net. Top Spec is a really good balancer, if you look at the ingredients it has more of the good stuff than Baileys for example. Feed with some Alpha A and some oil. But, I'd do whatever it takes to get her out of that stable for at least 7 hours a day. (I know not everyone will agree with that).
 
my really old pony was a rescue pony - he was rescued only after one of his compainions died!

i dont see that as a neglected horse - quite the opposite- you are putting the cream on to help the horse
tongue.gif
 
Certainly not. Can't imagine what this busybody is thinking. Yes, she's not got much condition on her, but she's had a bad year. You're obviously looking after her.
 
No wonder you were upset by the thoughtles and ignorant comments, tell her to mind her own business.
Firstly regarding the RSPCA, if your vet has seen the mare and prescribed anything they will get short shift from him, she's had a difficult year and the rain scald is part of the result when her immune system gets low.
I would firstly ensure her worm count is low, and get her teeth checked as any feed you give her won't be working if either is at fault.
There are numerous ways of feeding a box rested horse, we find ad lib haylage plus half a bucket of alfa A plus some oil, or alfa oil plus a feed balancer or pink powders works wonders. If her legs start to go puffy don't feed the alfa..
I would ring saracen too, they have a very good nutritionist who will advise you what feed you can give her. I for instance had never even heard of what they recommended we use for one horse, yet it's worked perfectly.
Her back is best treated by a really liberal application of any cream, we used nettex with success last year, put a thin rug over the top and leave it on at least 24 hours. After that time wash the rug, and all the scabs should have slewed off on the inside of it. You then need an antifungal cream which your vet will provide.
Do not worry about the RSPCA, and tell your friend to read here, your horse is obviously much loved and you are doing your best, she will make up the lost weight but it takes time. She does look sort of immune low so I would perhaps give her a mineral lick in her box too, but the pink powders normally work very well on this type of dull coat..
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top