New horse in a bad way

[andik]

Hi,

we brought an Irish Sports horse three weeks ago, a real sweetie but in a really bad way. The field he was on was like a ploughed field and he is skin and bone. He is scabby on his face and is losing hair. I am going to wash him today in an anti fungal and bacterial shampoo to help with this and give him another bath next week (if its warm enough!)

The confusion comes with the feeding....

He has not been ridden since we brought him and the poor thing was so shocked that there was grass in his paddock when we got him home.

Started him on Allen and Page Ride and relax, now he is on Calm and condition with some mix (he is not a fan of ride and relax on its own. I have been saoking a scoop of pellets in a backet of water and letting them soak. and then feeding a scoop of it with a scoop of mix.

Everyone keeps giving different advice and I was wondering if anyone else has been in this situation and what they did?

I am going to start lunging (only tens mins or so) in a couple of weeks to help him build his muscles up as they are non exsistent.

He has got a rina sheet and fleece on to keep him warm and back lady is coming on Tues as he seems to have a lot of pain in his withers and his shoulders and pelvis are out.

[r0450111]

ring a feed company, they can give you the best advice by knowing the exact content of each nutritant in feed. They can tell you what the best thing would be to feed to help him gain condition safely.

[haffyfan]

Have you tried asking your vet for advice regarding his 'skin condition' and also about feeding him/building him up. It will need doing gradually so he dosen't colic/go down with lami etc. Feed companies may also be a good source of advice regarding nutrition. I would think a forage oly diet would be more than suitable at the min if he's not working...maybe alfa A (or alfa a oil) and some alfa beet or other type of unmolassed s.beet?

When Harry arrived he was fat in a pot bellied way (wormy) and his feet were in a very bad way so I just fed the above with ad lib hay/grass and immediatly had the vet out to give him a once over (so very different from your boy obviously).

Personally I wouldn't begin any form of exercising until his weight etc are sorted out.

Well done for giving him a chance,

[andik]

I forgot to mention that we had rang Allen and Page and that is what they recommended. And I neglected to mention that he has Alfa A oil too. I have not wormed him yet as Allen and Page said leave it for a couple of weeks until his tummy is working properly again (so will do it today). However, people have the best intentions at heart and now advice is coming left right and centre. The vet has seen him and she just said that he needs to get the weight on. She did not say anything about his face but the shampoo I am going to use is called Maloseb (?) and if that does not improve things then I shall get her back out.

His feet were in a bad way too but farrier has sorted that and they look much better.

[r0450111]

Well if the feed company have oked his current feed then it should work. Will just take time. Well done for taking him on!!! Have a karma!

[haffyfan]

Sounds like you are doing whats best already...I would try to ignore the others maybe as like you say everyone gives advise but it's so conflicting and every circumstance is slightly different. One thing I forget before and would recommend is a worm count.

[andik]

He is soooooooooo sweet! Smite the people who had him before!!!! He is a genuine little horsie. When you call him he charges over now so obviously very happy now. My horse, TC is not a fan at the mo but he will have to like and lump as he is staying. Going up to spend some quality time with TC today as alot of focus has been on the new boy. I think TC is just not used to sharing me but I have been giving him his required attention too!!! Just a jealous boy - bless.

[andik]

Sept 20, 2008 10:11:35 GMT haffyfan said:

Sounds like you are doing whats best already...I would try to ignore the others maybe as like you say everyone gives advise but it's so conflicting and every circumstance is slightly different. One thing I forget before and would recommend is a worm count.

Worm count? Not heard of that before.... pls explain....

[r0450111]

you take a sample of poo and send it to a lab. They then count the worn eggs ect in the sample of poo. Ifteh y find loads, horse has heavy worm burden. They cost about 12 quid. Thing to remember is that if the test comes back with a low count, that doesnt mean that horse has no worms. Just that there are no worms in poo. For it to be accurate, test must be done on regular basis.

[haffyfan]

www.westgatelabs.co.uk/

This is the company I use.....your vet can do blood tests I believe if you do suspect heavy worm burden/damage too but the counts are great for knowing if your system is working.

[rocker]

when i first got masha she was in a simerler state , i found the best stuff was baileys show and win , and redi grass ,

[ceej]

i spend far too much of my life trying to keep weight off than putting it on so only advice I can give is to do these things slowly. I really rate dermoline for any type of nasty living things (lice etc).

I use R&R (now on fast fibre because fat) but I thought all those ranges were meant to be fed with chaff?

[brigadier]

Echo all of Haffys advice above- the important thing about getting a vet to advise if you take on a poor horse is that it also gives you protection should you get reported to rspca/police or happa etc, as they wont intervene if under veterinary treatment.
good on you for rescuing him!

[spotti]

Maloseb - we had that for our dog! She was allergic to practically everything and had a constant fungal infection too. We found this shampoo was the only thing that would stop her itching and let her be happy and just be a dog (instead of an itchy, sore, bundle of red skin and fluff). We also found that if we didn't bath her in it everyday then she went back to being itchy and miserable.
Hopefully the shapoo should help to clear up the fungal infection on his face and the food and grass should help to build him up a bit too

[fimacg]

take some pics of him now and once you have him going again takes some more and post some then and now pics so we can see how he has improved.

[andik]

We have started a photo log. Will post pics soon. Wormed on saturday and fly mask on his face to protect him a bit more.

Thanks for your advice, I was going with the rule of 'little and often' with the food. Dad saw him for the first time since neddy arrived yesterday and he said there was a definate improvement. I don't notice so much as I see him every day I suppose.

[racaille]

Personally, I think the best way to put weight on is to feed good quality forage and forget the hard feed (and expensive bits and bobs!). And I wouldn't lunge him yet, it's quite hard work and he might be better - later on - just starting out on walking hacks.
Good on you for taking him on - have I missed the story? How did you find him?

[andik]

We originally went to see a mare that was advertised on line. She was worse than the boy but I did not think she was suitable. The girl said the boy was for sale too so we had a closer look and decided that he needed a bit of TLC but would soon become a lovely little horse. I knocked her down and we brought him.

[maximum]

well done you for taking him on!

I think as little cereal as you can- plenty oil and grass should help him. Fibre is much better for his digestion.

The worm count is great- I had Max done for first time last week and he came back as 0 eggs per gram. Means I dont have to put any chemicals into him when its not required. They still require twice yearly treatment for Tapeworm but if the egg count stays low there is no need to pump them full of chemicals.

I would lay off the lunging- circles are not good for a horse who may have pelvic or back problems- its hard work at the best of times. I would leave him to put on the weight, get his back checked and then start some long reining once you have the all clear to work him.

[florence]

Good advice above. I strongly agree with the worm count before deciding on worming and with not giving too much cereal. My horse was ill this year and dropped a lot of weight. My vet recommended small feeds of hi fi or alpha a with sugar beet and plenty of soya oil. I've now got him on alpha oil but still add soya oil to it as the vet said he could have at least a mug full per day. Of course good grazing and forage are best but small feeds to *top up* and if possible three small feeds per day.

[ceej]

I agree with everyone re not too much hard feed, but I know what you are feeding is all about the fibre anyway...C&C and R&R are high fibre, no/low cereal content for laminitics..they ahve no barley or molasses...but they ahve the vits and mins - perfect I woudl have thought for the boy...although I woudl add soem HI Fi lite to it.

[andik]

Sorry it has taken me a bit of time but here are the pictures of Ozzy when we got him home on the day we brought him. This was at the end of september:

[silverstirrups]

He was a skinny ribs wasn't he? Whats he like now?

[florence]

Yes, I'd love to see what he's like now! He looks so lovely, he's lucky to have come to you.