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bey_sirocco
Bronze Member
87 Posts |
 Posted - 27 Dec 2011 : 10:28:02 PM
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Apologies for the bad pic - I accidentally deleted the side on pic I took to show you 
This mare was saved from the meat man by my well meaning friend 18 months ago. Sadly, since she bought her, her circumstances have changed and she now has no job and 4 horses to pay and care for.
We all know what the market is like out there at the moment, selling a horse that is not 100% fit and healthy is impossible with the market already swamped with horses that are fit and sound going for a pittance.
Anyway, I sold my boy last year due to trying for a baby (I had my little girl 3 weeks ago  ) and was looking to get back in the saddle when my friend offered me her arab on part loan.
The horse is a sweetie. Really lovely temperament and I have seen pictures of her summer condition going really well under saddle. However, under her rug at the moment is a pony in fairly poor condition.
Here are the facts:
- She lives out 24/7 in an 8 acre field with 5 other horses on fairly poor grass (see above pic) the owner has just ordered some hay to put down at night
- She is fed one scoop of Allen & Page 'Calm & Condition' which is then soaked (it contains s.beet) and a scoop of AlfaA Oil twice a day. The owner is going some distance to try and tailor her feed. She even had the feed merchant call Allen and Page for advice last week.
- The mare has very loose droppings. I am not certain when she was wormed last but I am going to persue this with the owner.
- She is currently rugged in a fairly thin standard neck MW turnout. As I am prepared to take her on part loan I have offered to purchase a full neck HW turnout to lend her.
She is not in work at the moment. I will not consider riding her until she puts on a bit of weight. That and we have no saddle that fits at the moment. If we can get some weight on her I might buy a saddle with an adjustable gullet we could use on her.
My thoughts are if we can her into a reasonable condition and going well under saddle we might be able to find her a full loan home or possible LWVTB. My friend loves her but is really struggling with an ex-racehorse, a welsh A mare and a welsh A 3 month old colt foal as well. She offered her to me on full loan but if I could afford to keep a horse and 2 kids I would not have sold my own!
Anyway, other than additional hay, worming and thicker rugs has anyone any suggests to putting some condition back on her? It would be such a shame for her to have to go back to a dealer.
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My Beautiful, my beautiful,
That standeth meekly by,
With proudly arched and glossy neck,
With deep and fiery eye...
  
http://angelonhorseback.blogspot.com/ |
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Callisto
Platinum Member
6905 Posts |
Posted - 27 Dec 2011 : 10:37:14 PM
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Can you afford to get her teeth checked? (Or has this been done lately?). My sister's loan gelding always loses weight through the winter despite being wormed, teeth checked etc., we have done better with him by putting him on Calm and Condition and also giving him Feedmark's Original Balancer - it has made a huge difference to him this year.
Since he has been on the Balancer he has stopped having loose droppings - which has been a huge improvement. |
  Zahkira (GR Amaretto x Taffetta)
Linda
East Sussex |
Edited by - Callisto on 27 Dec 2011 10:39:08 PM |
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Vera
Membership Moderator
United Kingdom
8652 Posts |
Posted - 27 Dec 2011 : 10:37:47 PM
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| One way of getting calories in is veg or corn oil. A good glug in each feed will help. Cooked ground linseed would be even better.... |
    
Hampshire |
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bey_sirocco
Bronze Member
87 Posts |
Posted - 27 Dec 2011 : 11:21:20 PM
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Thank you! 
Simple things like a balancer and a glug of oil might make a world of difference 
Will defo enquire about her teeth. My local vets offers a 'Horse MOT' for £99 including a trot up check, worm count, flu jab and teeth rasping. Might be worth the expense. At the moment I am paying to loan a horse I cant ride  !! |
My Beautiful, my beautiful,
That standeth meekly by,
With proudly arched and glossy neck,
With deep and fiery eye...
http://angelonhorseback.blogspot.com/ |
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sab2
Platinum Member
8467 Posts |
Posted - 28 Dec 2011 : 12:56:27 PM
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| I have a filly who broke two back teeth as a foal and so couldn,t chew haylage properly so had very loose droppings, we put her on pink powder and she has not looked back since, good luck with her and i agree would be worth checking her teeth. |
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bey_sirocco
Bronze Member
87 Posts |
Posted - 28 Dec 2011 : 4:12:16 PM
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Thanks again. Will prob try pink powder first to keep the owners costs down.
Am looking into moving 'Angel' to a yard closer to me with better grazing where I can also control her feeding and monitor her closer. I think in 6-8 weeks she will be a different horsey. 
And the owner has agreed to let me find her a permanant loan home as well which is really sad but probably the best situation for them both. As long as I can keep some self control and not take her on myself! That would probably end up in my divorce!  |
My Beautiful, my beautiful,
That standeth meekly by,
With proudly arched and glossy neck,
With deep and fiery eye...
http://angelonhorseback.blogspot.com/ |
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sab2
Platinum Member
8467 Posts |
Posted - 28 Dec 2011 : 5:39:19 PM
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Hope you manage to get her sorted, its always awkward when they are not yours as you don,t want to upset the owner, in your case it sounds like she is very grateful for your help. I would also go with Vera,s suggestion of adding some oil, you can buy it very cheaply in the supermarket, best of luck   |
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garnet
Platinum Member
2382 Posts |
Posted - 28 Dec 2011 : 8:12:58 PM
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Another vote for oil - I usually get sunflower, but read somewhere recently that horses find corn oil more palatable. None of mine have ever expressed any preference!
Did you take your signature quote from the poem I posted on here a while ago or have you seen it somewhere else? I found it in an ancient library book - I think it may have been a Riding annual - many years ago but have never come across it anywhere else. It is a lovely poem and it seems a shame that it is not better known. Glad you obviously like it too! |
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angelarab
Platinum Member
Wales
2876 Posts |
Posted - 05 Jan 2012 : 1:39:37 PM
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| PInk POwder and micronized linseed get my vote(after all obvious checks) |
 "Until one has loved an animal, part of their soul remains unawakened."
www.northwalesarab.co.uk |
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coffeebear
Bronze Member
England
50 Posts |
Posted - 05 Jan 2012 : 2:19:52 PM
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| This will probably cause loads of comment, but yaers ago I had an arab mare approx 4years old who refused to eat!! wouldn't even graze! the vet tried everything and she went to the equine hospital at Newmarket; all with absolutely NO effect my horse was dying in front of me At the time I used a feed merchant so I tried all types of feed, split peas, flaked maize, barley, crushed oats, bran, sugar beet everything he had I tried she just got thinner! One day a gypsy turned up offering to tarmac our drive or buy one of they lurchers (Irish Wolfhounds!) Got talking to him and onto subject of horses and told him about my little mare... his comment was "Guiness and Eggs" mix in her feed. It was slow and I was sceptical but it worked Her condition began to improve as she was happy to eat her food as long as it was mixed with guiness and egg. Eventually we weaned her off them and she eat quite normally from then on. Dont know if that'll help you and I used to get some VERY funny looks when shopping but I didn't care as I firmly believe it saved my lady's life. |
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barbara.gregory
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
4531 Posts |
Posted - 05 Jan 2012 : 5:53:15 PM
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Many racehorses get Guiness and working farm horses sometimes did too. A good vitamin and mineral supplement plus oil and good quality feed should make a difference to her. She also needs as much hay as she will eat.
Good luck.
Barbara |
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Pauline
Platinum Member
England
3185 Posts |
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Advice on improving condition
