Yearling not doing 'well'

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Worried1

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Roxy came to us at weaning this time last year and I'll be honest I was shocked at her condition. We visited her several times from the age of 3 days up to 3 months and she looked great. I then had my hands full with Mini-Worried and as I knew she was coming back was not overly worried.

On arrival she looked awful, however she was fluffy so from a distance didn't look too bad but up close and when you could have a feel it was apparent she was very poor, ribby, bloated and with a scrawny neck.

First thing we did was to get her worm counted so we could target worm effectively and while I know full well youngsters can have high burdens, hers was mega, it was over 1500. So with the vets we worked out a careful worming program.

She immediately went on to adlib hay and was being fed twice a day with a Alfa A oil, stud mix, conditioning cubes and sugar beet. She was barned with Lou Lou Bucket so had company and everyday weather permitting they were turned out for an hour to give them a leg stretch.

Over the winter she improved slightly but never looked great, however she is a big filly so was growing and I certainly didn't want her 'fat'.

We got to Spring and her worm counts were either less than 50 or 0. She was turned out on 5 acres with Diva and Lou Lou, the grazing in the bottom field is poor so we supplemented with 14ft Heston bales up until June this year. They were never without adlib hay. Initially I hoped that she would gorge herself on spring grass and get fat but the dry spring meant the grass never truly came through. Once the warmer weather came I dropped their feed down to once a day.

Diva had returned pitifully thin but in no time at all she had gained weight and was looking great.

So in the run up to Kent County we brought her up to the main yard where she went out with Ron on excellent grass and continued to feed the pair of them. Once Kent were done and Futurity finished we turned her out on our alternative grazing which comprises of 30 acres divided into 3 fields grazed by a maximum of 10 horses, most are either mares in foal, youngsters or retired horses.

The grass is good and it's bordered by lovely natural hedges which gives them a good range of things to forage.

She is now huge, standing around 15.2hh but I am seriously considering bringing her home as she looks so poor. I have spoken to the vets who said they can do some blood tests but I think they feel she is just a gangly youngster and I am worrying over nothing.

She is not a huge eater, she is simply not that interested in food and is very slow to eat up, subsequently it is hard to ensure she finishes her feed when being fed in a group and so I think it might be better to have her in this winter where I can closely monitor her feeding habits.

On the downside if she is on the main yard her turnout will be limited to going out in the turnout pen when the wet weather sets in as we are on clay.

I would like to keep her out with Diva, Ron and Lou Lou as I fee it's more natural for them but equally I am worried about her condition.

I need a feed which is calorie dense as she simply doesn't have a naturally large appetite.

So suggestions on how to manage her would be very welcome. She is vaccinated etc, but am thinking it might be worth having her teeth looked at...

Any ideas welcome.

Thanks
 
Agree with the teeth but can also side with the vets that she's just a gangly youngster as she's put everything into growing tall instead of outwards as well.
In normal circumstances I'd have said keep her in at night but if she can't have proper turnout I'd rather she was out with ad-lib hay and decent grazing with company then I would supply her with just a balancer, nothing else (other than a field lick for them all) That way, it won't take long for her to eat it if she's a slow eater and you know she's getting everything she needs from just that one feed. D & H Suregrow is what I would recommend to start with and at £14 a bag it shouldn't break the bank. It won't force grow her at all just give her enough of the right things to build on.
Pics could be useful especially if you're not used to gangly youngsters as they can be scary when you first see them but quite normal to those used to them.
 
This shows how lean my yearling is. I've had him about a month and now that he's happy in the herd I have turned them all out in the field in the background. He has grown alot from when I first viewed him.

100_1927.jpg
 
Thanks I think I want to keep her out I feel she would be happier too
Here is Roxy at 3 weeks.
Roxy5.jpg

9 months
LucyRoxy.jpg

11 months
Roxy2.jpg

At a year at Futurity
Roxy.jpg

Roxy.jpg

roxy2.jpg

Today
Roxy-1.jpg

And the worst one
Roxy2-1.jpg
 
Yes, it's the worse one because she's standing so badly in the other 'today' pic she doesn't look half as bad to me and what I was expecting TBH.
Remember, it's blackberry time so their coats are changing and usually look rough anyway;
she is all legs too so is going to look worse than something that wouldn't be growing so tall as it would have started filling the frame out. It's very rare that you have a youngster that grows evenly, all matchy matchy, it's usually limbs and bodies growing at different stages.
My 2 year old was a stunning foal but as a yearling I was ashamed of him, he was a camel, a giraffe and a hairy mammoth all rolled into one, there wasn't once I could have shown him, he was awful, this was him about 18 months old -
line037.jpg

Now, he's changed and is blooming again, still looks a bit giraffe like but more of a proper 'everything's growing together now' than before if that makes sense.
IMG_4214.jpg


Your filly will come but she's got a lot of growing to do by the look of it so it's actually a good thing that she's not piling on weight which would be bad for her bones. She needs steady growth not rapid growth and this will take time but is also another reason why something like Suregrow would be beneficial for her, everything she needs for growing safely while not overloading her system.
Yes, I'd stick to my original thoughts of leaving her out as she'd be better toned too by always being able to move and play at will rather than for just an hour a day in a sand pit, that wouldn't do any youngster any good at all IMO. Just make sure she has adequate grazing and forage with good shelter; if no natural shelter is there and depending what part of the country you're in, she might need a LW because it won't help her if she shivers off the weight either. Something like a Rhino Wug is great when they're growing as you can buy a size bigger but because of the neck shape it's still a snug fit, just longer over the bum; bless them that ever invented them!
All you can do is play it by ear; if you think she's not coping out then bring her in for a month or two but turn her back out as soon as you can and think positive - there will be grass next year!
 
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I don't think she looks really awful but I do think you are right to be a bit concerned about her weight.

Vinnie never really held weight of any sort as a youngster and always looked ropey- he could never have gone in hand showing, even to a local show, as I was too embarassed!

I think you are right to be leaning towards keeping her out too.
Vinnie really struggled with eating (he still isn't overly interested in food) but I fed him Topspec Balancer and their Super Conditioning Flakes which he liked much more than mixes or cubes.
It is also low in starch and should be fine to feed to growing youngsters.

Vinnie is now a 5yro and a solid 17.3hh and only over the last 3 months or so has he started to really furnish up- I am still wary of letting him drop too much going into winter as it takes him so long to put weight on, but he is currently on Alfa-A and pink powder which is something I never thought I would say!
 
All I can say is lucky mare! WIsh I could stuff my face and still see ribs! Lol.

We fed ours Baileys stud balancer with a handful of chaff and a dollop of sugar beet and they did really well on it.

I would also be inclined to leave her out, but I would rug her to ensure she stays warm. Saxon rugs are good for youngsters as they dont come very deep.
 
Hi personally i wouldnt worry to much my 2 year old at one point this year looked horrible whilst she was having a growth spurt however she has filled out again now and looks like a normal horse. I spoke to my vet recently as I have a foal from this year and a 2 year old and both of them seem to drop condition then bulk up again and he said not to worry that is what youngsters do. He would only start to worry if they had lost there personality and looking 'sad and sorry'
 
Thank you all, been a really busy day so sorry not to reply earlier. I have given myself a slap and put an order in for Level Grow (equivalent to D&H) as the mill us just up the road.
She is bright and well and just growing fast!
I've got a LW and a Rhino for really cold weather. Loads of hay and haylage and now just need to develop patience ;)
 
I would be worried if she were mine. Its not the weight issue, but the fact that she looks "unthrifty" (an old fashioned saying, shows my age!). She has no muscle tone, and her coat is stary as well. One thing I would check, is whether she has a mineral deficiency. Although you have lots of grazing, it may be that the soil is not providing the right nutrients. I have a urine test done on any of mine that are looking below par, and the results can be very interesting. I really think you should have her teeth checked. People tend to think that youngsters don't have sharp teeth, but they do! I have my own gag to check the babies, and had to have both my yearlings teeth rasped this year.
One of my weanlings looked awful in March, and we found that a; he had a liver enzyme problem, and b; he had bloodsucking lice. They look very much like grey scurf all along the top of the neck, but more uniform in shape, and once we'd found those, (caused by pheasants in the straw that he was bedded on) and gave him a vitamin B supplement, he was totally different. He ended up winning all four of his County Show classes in May and June, but you'd never seen anything look so awful as he did!
 
I am worried but the fact her coat is ropey is not a worry, it's changing so I think they always look starry till they are through. I've got someone coming for teeth next week so that will hopefully iron out any problems.
I think a vitamin b supplement is a great idea and I'll certainly thoroughly investigate for evidence of lice, I'm right in thinking it will jump from horse to horse if in direct contact?
Diva is due a herpes and annual booster mid November so I will probably run some bloods just to put my mind at rest.
Thank you
 
We had a yearling like this and he never thrived. After being sold they noticed occasionally he made an odd noise eating, so got their dentist out. It turned out he had a really sharp tooth as well as a wolf tooth, once removed he's thrived. I'd try your dentist myself.
It had never occurred to me he could have mouth problems at this early age.
 
Yes I agree with the gangly description. My lot can show their ribs when they turn at anangle but their necks are big as are their backsides, it's just a growing phase they go through and then even out.
With her history she may I'm afraid have some worm damage to her stomach lining, which would affect absorption, but see my first reply, re teeth, it might be them.
 
Was any damaged caused to her stomach or gut lining from the worms? Maybe she is not absorbing the food as well? Even though she is going through that coat change, none of the photos show a blooming coat.
 
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