Weight

[Becca]

Hi all sorry I am not on lots any more hope you are all well.

So before Egypt I went to see Bern, he had lost weight but needed it, he had done some but not loads of work over the summer according to his Loan Mummy. Anyway, went to Egypt for three months and he has dropped a huge amount of weight and overall condition! I have never felt let alone seen his hip bones, could feel his ribs (which i know technically you should). Now Loan Mummy has always been honest with me, explained how they have had a very harsh winter an lost grazing and hacking space. He is very hairy and warm, and wore a rug when it was coldest. She is getting his back checked so that she can see what she needs to work on while bringing him back into work. And is on sugarbeet and nuts now to help him out. (never ever fed him so much)

I am thinking it is just because he is now 18 and obviously not as robust as he has been, I have always kept him on quite lush grass even if there hasn't been much of it . He still looks happy in himself and bright eyed am I being naive or is he just showing his age this year?

[fimacg]

from the sound of it he could be showing his age, this winter has been very hard and very long, so it could just be that

[fleabitten]

i would agree with Fi. it has been a tough winter.

[spotti]

As above really. At 18 a winter like the one we've just had will hit much harder than it would have when he was younger. I'm sure he'll gain weight and condition once the weather brightens up a bit more

*just as an afterthought...how are his teeth? Has he had them checked recently?

[Becca]

Cheers guys thought that was the case, you know when you just need to hear it from someone else

Yeah he isn't due a check up, has never had bad teeth

[scattymare]

It has been a long old winter and didn't help lot of places had cruddy grazing going into it due to the dry snap last summer. Sancy (who is also now a 'veteran' and will turn 17 next month) Has struggled the most. She was fine until about Jan but then started to drop. I'm giving her two feeds a day of Fast Fibre and Good old A&P weight gain mix and she's now starting to put it back on slowly but surely.
However even Myric who as you with Bernie I have never felt, let alone seen ribs on before has also dropped condition far more than usual. He's also lost a lot of miscle though as his mums pregnant so je's not been excercised - could also be the case for Bern. They do lose muscle quicker as they get older.
So long as the obvious things are ruled out - worms, teeth, even warmth I'm sure that the fast emerging spring grass will have him back to his usual self.

[haffyfan]

It's certainly been a long cold winter...maybe the extra coldness and his more mature age mean he may need a little extra hay/forage in coming winters. Springs here finally, my grass is growing like mad but that of course is a bigger problem in itself...we should ahve all stuck to my little ponies shouldn't we!

[fleabitten]

Apr 5, 2010 18:42:39 GMT haffyfan said:

..we should ahve all stuck to my little ponies shouldn't we!

I think i should have anyway

[spotti]

^^^ they'd certainly cost us a lot less! And save us from all the stresses of everything that has anything to do with horses (but then again we can't ride my little ponies or teach them tricks!)

[fleabitten]

im not even sure i had a my little pony. i remember my cousin did. it got thrown on the roof of our primary school and stayed there for about 5 yrs. she got it back right at the end of primary school lucky enough. and it was still intact! amazing.

[ceej]

ahhh becca I can only dream of such weight loss for Harry (although Willow has lost a fair bit this winter) but its better for them to go into the spring like that (and far more natural). If they can now bring him into work to increase his muscles then he will probably be very healthy for his age.

[racaille]

Sorry to disagree but ... his teeth need checking anyway, but he's not so old that he should be looking poor. Quite a few competition horses are still going strong at over 18.

And if he is rugged to stay warm he is not losing too much energy that way. Enforced inactivity due to terrible weather should mean he put on weight not lost it over the winter (you should see my porkers ) if he is getting enough forage.

I'd get him checked out, Becca.

[jane]

I agree with Racaille, I too would be tempted to get his teeth checked out and get the vet to give him a going over. The muscle wastage is quite shocking, and am sorry but I think he looks very poor and 18 is certainly not old.

Rockefeller looked really healthy (lived out 24/7) well into his 30's, was only the last couple of years that age started to show on him. Debbie is 20 and looks fine, she has been out all winter on very poor ground in the harshest weather this year, had a month of no riding because we couldn't go out on the ice but she has maintained her muscle mass and her weight has remained normal, she was a real porker when I first got her but hacking out over the hills soon lost the fat and developed the muscle.