# Sticky  The Care of an Emaciated Horse



## xxBarry Godden

My friend and I, both experienced horse people, have recently been involved in the rescue of two badly emaciated horses. We have learned thereby that there is more to horse rehabilitation than giving them some tender loving care and access to green grass. A modern domesticated horse which has been discarded reacts badly to neglect not only in physical condition but also mentally. ​
The first essential when bringing the horse back into care is to carefully inspect the animal in every respect. The vet, the farrier, the dentist and the physiotherapist all have their part to play in the assessment of what the horse will need in order to recover. It is a good idea to keep records throughout the process of rehabilitation of the condition of the animal and to take photos for reference purposes. Worming is a must as is the treatment of any sores or wounds and the horse should be vaccinated. Any emaciated horse is vulnerable to infection, so special care must be taken if the animal is to be housed with other horses.


After getting the horse home it should quickly feel safe in its new and unfamiliar environment. Routine is the key to giving security. A fearful horse can lose weight just by fretting. The animal must also be protected from the elements. According to the season some type of rug be fitted, be it thin, medium or heavy weight. It is necessary to help retain the animal’s body heat during periods of inclement weather so there is no point in feeding the animal only to lose the benefit to the natural process of the horse keeping warm.

A priority is to give the animal restricted access to fresh grass when in season but care must be taken since an abundance of fresh green grass can kill a emaciated horse either through colic or via laminitis Whenever the horse is brought in from a grassy paddock and taken to a stable then it should be provided with a hay net or a net of low calorie chaff to keep the horse‘s metabolism working over every twenty four hour period. Most healthy horses choose to eat little but often.

The horse should be groomed thoroughly but gently every day and its coat should be kept clean permanently. Care should be taken not to put the horse back out into a field with a wet coat after being washed. The use of sweat rugs made of absorbent cloth helps in reducing the time taken for the horse’s coat to dry thoroughly. What the groom should be working towards is a soft, silky, glistening coat which is a sign of good health. The mane and tail should also be combed. A side benefit is that the act of washing the animal helps to introduce it to the touch and voice of the new owner. 

If after a week or so the horse’s belly starts to drop and balloon up, then this is a danger sign. It would then be advisable to cut back on the grass and to increase the chaff which has a low energy value. Giving food only will generate body fat but the horse will also need muscling up through regular exercise. Mixing mineral supplements with some hard food will help to offset any existing deficiencies induced from poor grazing. The vet will usually want to see a rib or two showing through since being over weight might present other unwanted health issues To start the rebuilding of muscles, work in hand is desirable preferably on a regular basis at the same time every day. Eventually the horse should be lunged when care must be taken not to exhaust the horse with too much effort too soon. Little but often becomes the rule. Watch out for undue sweat or tripping and the slightest hint of lameness.


Eventually, perhaps a month or two down the line the handler may consider mounting the animal but only when it is apparent that the horse’s back is in a fit condition to take the weight of the rider. The spine and hips should be covered with flesh and muscle. The saddle must match the shape of the horse’s back but nevertheless it is advisable fit a thick numbnah. Once backing is feasible then a slow but regular build up of exercise in a controlled environment can be introduced to the regime. It is important at this stage to watch out for irregularities in the horse’s action. 

A constant and regular routine is imperative for the animal.. The horse must come to expect work every day. It is not just for physical exercise but to give the horse a sense of purpose. Learning to handle a horse from the ground is as much an acquired skill as riding or training it. Any horse should come to accept the fitting of the head collar and to follow the handler willingly at the shoulder on a loose lead rein. 

My friend and I came to the conclusion that whilst we could repair the physical damage, the mental damage represented a far greater issue. Horses are born wary with an instinct to run rather than to stay and confront. If they are neglected for any length of time without adequate food and are given minimal attention then they can become anxious. Domesticated horses have as much in common with wild mustangs as we humans have with cavemen. We decided to put our rescued horses into individual paddocks but ones which were divided in such a way as to allow contact with other horses over the fence. 

We do not have any wire fences on the premises and prefer to use broad banded electrified tape attached to wooden fence posts. Introducing a new horse into the herd is always a sensitive process. If there are signs of aggression or fear then the rescued should be separated from the aggressors but it is unwise to leave the new comers alone without companionship of their own kind. 

On the whole the system worked well but we found that when a companion horse had been moved out of sight for exercising, the rescued horse often went into panic mode. One of the rescued horses at first showed signs of severe stress whenever left on its own. It would stand fretting at the gate for hours. Gradually this very obvious sign of distress began to ease up but it quickly became obvious that we had to be careful not to take this mentally damaged creature out of its comfort zone. Eventually under a carefully balanced diet and regular work in the training arena, the horse gradually came back into condition indeed she looked pretty good. She seemed happy enough in her new surroundings and slowly she became used to the lifestyle but any change for whatever reason in either routine or rider had to be approached with care. 

One horse wanted desperately to belong to our family but our plan had always been to pass her on when she was ready. The job had been to rescue it and to bring it back to health but not necessarily to provide a long term home for it. Finding the right owner proved to be difficult but eventually a suitable woman came along who fell for this pretty creature and finally it went off to a new home ready to rejoin the outside world. We knew there was a lot of horsey expertise at the livery yard where it was to be kept and all appeared to go well in the transfer. Our spending too much time at the new home with the horse after the changeover would have been unsettling.

A domesticated horse which has been starved and left out on barren ground unattended for any length of time will undoubtedly become distressed. No two horses react the same to deprivation but it would be foolish not to take into consideration the possible impact on a horse‘s temperament. Some riders have a natural rapport with horses than others but even empathy does not replace knowledge and experience. Nowadays many new riders are looking for horses with a calm disposition but a frightened and skittish horse does not fulfill that role. Horses have long memories. The probability is that a ’project’ horse will often appear to be cheap to acquire but it can be expensive to maintain over the long term. Overcoming innate fear in any horse calls for patience and understanding but as such these are qualities which the novice rider may not have yet acquired.


For me, watching the skinny bag of bones horse regain its health and happiness was undoubtedly a rewarding experience but handing the horse over to the care of a third party proved to be a soul searching exercise. I suppose it must always be a sensitive time when sending a protege out into the big wide world. I have deliberately kept my distance from the horse and her new owner but I would have been told if the little horse is not being well looked after. 

Let us hope it is.


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## Calmwaters

Good job on healing the broken horse. I bet it was hard to let her go to the new home but just remember that letting her go to the new home makes room for you to save another one. ; )


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## Joe4d

One thing I would highly recommend when you bring home a a very bad off horse. Call animal control or the sheriffs dept. Let them know you JUST got him, take some pictures on day one. You can save yourself a whole bunch of headaches if someone reports you and you get blamed for the condition,


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## iridehorses

Joe4d said:


> One thing I would highly recommend when you bring home a a very bad off horse. Call animal control or the sheriffs dept. Let them know you JUST got him, take some pictures on day one. You can save yourself a whole bunch of headaches if someone reports you and you get blamed for the condition,


Actually, that is a good idea. I've taken in some bad cases and I've always worried that someone would report me as an abuser. Fortunately, my other horses all looked great so I can justify the difference.


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## Joe4d

Yeh, you can rob a liquor and have all kinds of due process going for you, but abuse cases tend to always be guilty until proven innocent. It shouldnt be that way but it is. One phone call, a photo holding a newspaper in the shot with the horse, or a dated bill of sale, or something that can cover you if you are falsley accused can save you a bunch of headaches.
My area's sherrifs dept and animal control are a bit gun shy over the issue after being embarrassed nationally over refusing to act on the Vick dog abuse issues, and then again on refusing to act on a private socalled rescue that had dead horses laying in the field until the News traffic helicopter did a fly over and put the pictures on TV.


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## mistic mare

Thank you for caring for these horses. We don't have enough good horseman out there right now to do this for all those that need it. I am the founder and acting president of our local rescue network, SVERN and we hope to educate more to do the right thing by these animals. Keep up the good work.


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## bsms

I've never tried to care for a genuinely abused horse. However, both of the horses I have now had some rough treatment prior to arriving, and I didn't understand at the time how much TIME it would take for them to recover mentally.

*Mia* had been used for some endurance racing, then not ridden for a year, then given to a charity, and sold as a horse for a 12 year old girl. She is a very dominant mare, and she was placed in a pasture with a bunch of other horses, including a few that weighed 1500+ lbs to her 900 lbs. She wouldn't give in, so she was beat up regularly by the herd. She also had no desire to be ridden by a 12 year old, and a few months later she was returned to the charity with bite marks and 150 lbs lighter. And she was sold to me, a newbie, as a good horse for a beginner rider!

We already had a horse, and she had been Mia's corral mate for 2 years prior to being donated - odd chance, but we figured it would all be hugs and kisses right off. Lilly thought so too. She was dancing around before we got Mia out of the trailer. So we turned Mia loose...and she darn near tried to kill Lilly!

We hastily build a new pen for Mia, and let them get reacquainted - first with a 5 foot gap between corrals, and then over a common fence. A month later, they were pals again. And Mia gained her weight back quickly. But for 4 months, she would break into a heavy sweat just standing still. She had multiple bouts of colic eating the same feed regime her original owners used (she had papers, and we had the name of the original owners from that. They were shocked when we emailed them pictures.)

Meanwhile, in my ignorance, I started riding - a brand new rider with very limited experience followed by a 30 year gap without touching a horse. And I rode English. Until she bolted during a dismount, and I landed back first on some rocks. 3.5 years later, my back still hurts 4-5 times a week.

It took at least 6 months for her to get over most of her anxiety. Maybe a year to get back to feeling fairly confident. The problems I have with her now are caused by my lack of riding skill, but I've been working that issue hard for close to a year. In Nov she will get a month of training by a professional who has helped my family enormously, and by Dec I hope my riding skill and her mental worry level will match well enough to resume riding after a 9 month break. If so, then only 4 years of work and riding will have gone into it...

*Trooper* was bought from a ranch in Utah owned by an old friend. However, it took 6 months for us to get a place ready & arrange transport for Trooper, and he was loaned to a ranch in Colorado that promised my friend to feed him and ride him regularly.

Well, they did. They also spurred holes about 2" diameter in both sides, wore a hole in his withers with a bad fitting saddle, used him for cutting although that was the only restriction my friend had made on his use (at 800 lbs, he's a bit small for it), and our farrier is certain he was roped and thrown for shoeing - for no reason. My friend offered to cancel the sale, but we went ahead.

And yes, when his sides healed, we rode him. Which was OK as long as he didn't think he had done something wrong. If he thought he did something wrong, he would panic and try his best to dump his rider.

Eventually, I gave up and stopped riding him. I started looking to see if anyone would be interested in taking him on. Both our trainer and farrier thought he was potentially the best horse we owned, and we would have given him away to a good home, but no one wanted him. He went 8 months without being ridden - just lots of handling, or sitting on the fence and talking to him.

Since no one wanted him, we sent him to 5 weeks at the trainer's place. She started him over at the beginning, treating him like an unbroke horse. It was 4 weeks before she mounted him. One week later, he was ready to come back.

He was still nervous, so he went on the "You can do no wrong" program. Lots of short rides. He could trot as much as he wanted - that being his way of being nervous. At first, most rides started with 15 minutes of trotting. Then 10. Then 5. Eventually we did walks followed by trots. My youngest daughter started taking lessons on him.

A year later, he is an outstanding horse. He's in the process of teaching my daughter-in-law and I how to canter without bouncing. His goal in life is to understand his rider, and do what his rider wants. My youngest daughter rode him last week, supposedly because she wanted to try cantering. Trooper refused to canter, although he loves it. When I asked my daughter later, she confessed she got nervous and didn't REALLY want to try cantering. So Trooper cantered with me, refused to for her, then cantered with my daughter-in-law during 3 sequential, 20 minutes each rides. He picked up on what my daughter REALLY felt, and behaved accordingly.

As I look back on it all, I've decided that if I ever buy a horse again, I'll start by giving the horse a vacation to get used to his surroundings and the other horses. Maybe a month, maybe much longer. 

If he had been genuinely abused, maybe 6-12 months with nothing more from me than handling, and maybe some easy round penning near the end. A horse that has been treated badly takes FAR longer to get over it than I had imagined. But they CAN recover. With time. LOTS of time.

BTW - the previous owner of Mia & Lilly had taken Lilly in from abuse as a one year old. She said Lilly was afraid of humans, so she just spent time talking to her and handling her. For 5 years. They had other horses for riding. When we got Lilly, she was a super sweet, eager to please Arabian mare - ready for training. In the time I spent riding her, she never tried to buck, didn't bolt, and gave every sign of enjoying the time with a human.


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## xxBarry Godden

BSMS.
Well done with the persistence. Persistence and patience pays.
We give horses credit for having long memories, then we forget sometimes just how long it might take for the neglected horse to forget earlier memories of the bad times. It seems to me that the clever horses are always the more difficult to rehabilitate. 
B G


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## Saddlebag

You are lucky you didn't have to deal with organ failure which can be a problem in emaciated animals.


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## ladysun

Thanks for the sticky. We just took in two rescue horses who are i bad shape and there are days when we hope we can help them regain their health again. Such a story gives us hope there is light at the end of the tunnel.


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## Skyseternalangel

Barry this gave me hope since unfortunately I have to leave my horse for a year due to family stuff, though he is in absolute wonderful hands. Reading your thread, it was like you were describing the journey I had with my horse, down to the anxious troubled mind and having to be there on a daily basis just to let him know that he wasn't alone and he has a meaningful life and not everyone out there is out to get him. 

I'm glad someone out there understands. Thanks


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## Nitefeatherz

Good story to hear- I think a lot of the time many people are happy to be there for a well adjusted, happy, healthy horse and just give lip service to the idea of rescuing an animal. In my experience there are quite a few people who don't understand what coming back from trauma is like for anyone human or critter.

This thread makes me want to head down to see the guy I ride and have a squishing session involving a few carrots!


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## Skyseternalangel

Nitefeatherz said:


> Good story to hear- I think a lot of the time many people are happy to be there for a well adjusted, happy, healthy horse and just give lip service to the idea of rescuing an animal. *In my experience there are quite a few people who don't understand what coming back from trauma is like for anyone human or critter.*


You are absolutely right, and it can be so difficult especially if you've never been in a traumatic situation yourself.. then you have a very hard time helping the creature to trust again and feel safe in their own skin. I would pass down all the well off horses so long as they found homes, and open my heart to those that really need my help. 

I love seeing the difference going from scared of the world and paranoid, to safe and confident and glowing  And lucky me, I see it all the time in my Sky


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## dirtroadangel

*rescuing horses*

I never asked to be a rescuer but have been. I live out in thewoods and someone
moved 9 horses across my dirt road out in the middle of no where minis to quarter horses they fed them twice a week 1 bale of alfafa and they fought over it. many of them were a 1or 2 on the scale. after feeding them some hay the person called the cops on me. then started the procedure of having them confiscated.
heart wrenching and so rewarding all were placed in loving homes. with the last one going right after xmas.
we can not turnn a blind eye or think someone else will take care of it.
I don't know how some can justify their actions.

god puts things in our path for a reason.
macho`s mama


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## crimsonsky

this was both depressing and encouraging to read.

i received an email from a lady to whom i sold my first pony to two years ago this month. she asked if i wanted to buy her back for what i sold her for. i said sure i'll come take a look - i assume she's in good condition just like when i sold her? "well she had a founder scare but we put her on grass and she's fine now." O_O

fast forward to me finding a horse with obvious muscle atrophy/wastage, cranky and horribly off in the back/hips/hocks. they didn't see anything wrong with her - "she's not skinny she gets three flakes of hay a day!" not to mention "she teaches lesson kids how to jump (willingly)" <-- yes the willingly was in there, i didn't add that. 

would they give her back to me as she's an obvious rescue case? nope. so i swallowed my anger and handed over money. i pick her up on friday to take her home. it's so sad to see a pony i know and loved for so many years, who loves people like no other, definition of "pocket pony" - who now wants nothing to do with people. "oh she's just gotten cranky in her old age". old age my ***. 

*sigh* i hope she can be turned around.


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## dirtroadangel

crimsonsky said:


> this was both depressing and encouraging to read.
> 
> i received an email from a lady to whom i sold my first pony to two years ago this month. she asked if i wanted to buy her back for what i sold her for. i said sure i'll come take a look - i assume she's in good condition just like when i sold her? "well she had a founder scare but we put her on grass and she's fine now." O_O
> 
> fast forward to me finding a horse with obvious muscle atrophy/wastage, cranky and horribly off in the back/hips/hocks. they didn't see anything wrong with her - "she's not skinny she gets three flakes of hay a day!" not to mention "she teaches lesson kids how to jump (willingly)" <-- yes the willingly was in there, i didn't add that.
> 
> would they give her back to me as she's an obvious rescue case? nope. so i swallowed my anger and handed over money. i pick her up on friday to take her home. it's so sad to see a pony i know and loved for so many years, who loves people like no other, definition of "pocket pony" - who now wants nothing to do with people. "oh she's just gotten cranky in her old age". old age my ***.
> 
> *sigh* i hope she can be turned around.


_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## dirtroadangel

Thank god you have achance to bring the pony back.
Horses are very resilient beings. I bet he hasn't forgotten you.
He'll comes around. Just give him lots of love. Good luck.
Macho`s Mama
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## karebear444

I applaud you for what you do. It's nice to know there are people out there that can and will make a differance for the life of a neglected horse.


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## Casey02

I have been in your same shoes, only my friend still has her rescue, 30 years old, looks like hes 10, shiny coat and well cared for and loved. I like knowing there are other people out there that help these kind of horses.


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## Casey02

He has been a great horse and puts up with a lot, i dread the day when she looses him


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## dirtroadangel

Casey02 said:


> He has been a great horse and puts up with a lot, i dread the day when she looses him


_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## DRichmond

I liked your post so much, Barry. I'd like to add some things I've picked up here and there if it helps anybody. I've learned there is no one size fits all protocol, and not all vets have enough experience with rescued animals because their client base simply doesn't offer up the experience, and things can take a wrong turn with the best of intentions and professionals sometimes. A really good vet is priceless. 

Vaccinating: I found depending on how compromised the horse is, vaccinating may be best withheld if possible until the horse is healthier; deworming protocol same thing, depending upon the exam. It isn't rocket science, but yet it's not a piece of cake either, is it? 

I don't know if anyone here is familiar with Bach's Rescue Remedy (some people think it's airy-fairy) but I've used it for traumas, and even some gas and stress colics along with some acupressure work, and it's pulled a lot of them out without the need for banamine. I'd say colic's one of the #1 concerns with the newbie rescue. I'm also a very big fan of microbials, that gut balance is so so critical.


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## Micki O

Caring for a neglected, emaciated horse if a full time job both physically and mentally. 4 weeks ago I brought an old gelding home who was a body score of maybe a 1. We did our best but after 3 weeks his heart and soul were strong but he just didn't have the strength to go on. It takes a lot out of a person caring for these animals but the rewards are great no matter how long (or short) they are with you.

There is a lot of great info in this post. Thankyou for sharing.


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## diverwife

So glad to see others take in a horse in need of rehab once in a while. Some people look at me like I'm crazy when I bring home a bag of bones every couple of years. I just feel that if the budget allows it and I have enough free time, why not? The total after 10+ years is 4 rebounded, 1 unable to recover. So sad, but too much major organ damage. I just put the 'unable to recover' guy down a week ago. It sure was tough to admit there was only one more kind thing I could do for him, but reading these other stories and thinking about the others I've successfully rehabbed has made me feel alot better!


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## atthezookeeper

UC Davis has a starved horse feeding program that is hard to follow(your heart will hate the restrictions) but works well. We rescued a starved 4 year old stallion who looked like a 2 year old gelding(both his testicles had ascended into the groin above the sheath). We had documentation of his condition and all the horses on the property are in good health and great shape, but still placed him in a box stall with solid walls around the turnout where he could not be viewed. He has impeccable breeding and has recovered but may never reach his full potential as he was neglected and starved from 18 months to 4 years of age.


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## DRichmond

The UC Davis refeeding protocol is a nice article and I think it lends itself well as a jumpoff guide, but one thing that worries me a bit is that the article seems to have become a popular "one size fits all" one page protocol. Someone with good intentions but not knowing could, for instance, misinterpret their description of how much alfalfa to feed by weight and frequency after a two-week period, stating it's then safe after 10-14 days to offer free choice hay; they don't say alfalfa but it is implied, and that could be harmful if someone following what is written in that article then lays out the alfalfa buffet and winds up with a foundered horse  

Something I've done - again, depending on the individual horse - is to provide small amounts of grass hay too, the gut is waking up and remembering and wants to get busy, and I've found that small amounts of each provide more activity for the gut, and the horse is happier to have a little grass hay to nibble between alfalfa feedings which of course picks up those spirits. 

Your stallion looks just great, bless your heart  Did his noogies drop?


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## atthezookeeper

You are absolutely correct, the program is geared for experienced horse persons. With more than 35 years with horses myself and over 75 collectively as a family, it was a daunting task for us and not one I would recommend a novice/beginner undertake. Too many risks and the possibilty of failure is high. Yes, his "noogies" have returned and he is definitely aware of them now. Fortunately, he is double registered AQHA and PBA, his owners have graciously given me his papers. Not sure he will get to use them even with his really outstanding breeding ( Skeeter Chex X Mojave River Ruby (Peppy San)). The current economic climate makes it unconscionable and irresponsible to contribute to the glut of horses in the market. Too many being neglected, abandoned and slaughtered even the good ones aren't safe. Thank you for your kind words, it is so rewarding when you are successful in restoring one of God's most beautiful creatures to health.


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## johnwislee

Great information! I’ve been looking for something like this for a while now. Thanks!


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## FrostedLilly

It breaks my heart to see neglected and abused horses. The stable I ride at brings in and rehabilitates rescues for a local charity and there has been some ugly stuff going through. The worst I think I've ever seen is a horse named Pearl. (Warning, graphic picture) She sufferend blunt force trauma to her face but despite all she'd been through, turned out to to be the sweetest mare and was able to find a forever home where she will be loved. I give anyone props who takes on rescues and I've actually decided to be a volunteer at my stable with their rescue foundation come spring once I've finished school for the semester. 

Atthezookeeper - beautiful stud.


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## carlbergv

*emaciated horse 2*

HI,
My husband and I have 3 horses on our farm that belong to a friend. I haven't paid much attention to them, as the owners always respond that they are ok. Today I went outside to go and feed them some apples, when I realized that the newest of the 3 horses is very emaciated. I told my husband that this can't go on, we need to do something. 

So, with that being said, as not an informed horse person, I am trying to figure out where to start to bring this horse's weight up. I am working on other fronts to clear out the land, and get bales of hay myself to support them. But I am desperately seeking suggestions in helping to care for these horses--and possibly get them into better shape--both socially, and physically.

Any suggestions would be loved.

Victoria


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## FrostedLilly

My suggestion would be to have a vet look at her as there may be more going on than just lack of food.


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## xxBarry Godden

Victoria -- you are entering into a minefield for which sadly you are unprepared.
What you need is some advice from an independent advisor and not just in the matter of what to feed.

A British saying :"fools rush in, where angels fear to tread" comes to mind.

Thinking about your predicament, I think I might approach a local horse rescue organisation who have experience in such scenarios. 

Horse care is often as much about what not to do, as to do, even in good faith.

Before proceeding much further, I'd be inclined to ask your 'friend' for permission to proceed and, if you own at least 5 acres of well fenced grassland, then I would seek to take legal ownership of the animals, recorded by a written agreement. But take care, people become agitated when they are accused of neglecting pets.

But as a start, read through this thread - it is full of the advice you might need as and when you have a legal right to go ahead.


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## LisaG

Glynnis, I remember that case - as soon as I read "Pearl" my stomach churned. Ugh. Good that there are people doing that work.


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## stevenson

carlbergv.. get the legal ownership . deworm. seperate if possible, hay start with a flake 4 inches morning noon nite
no grain.
sr feed would be okay. if the horse is old, its teeth probably need floated. 
there is your starting point.


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## beemimom

i have taken in lots of malnourished horses and found them good homes and i know some don't always come out of it and have to be put down what people don't understand is horses will use all there fat first and then there muscles go which cause organ damage and they have no antibodies to fight infection so the first thing to do is get it to the vet and he will let you know if it is going to make it but still then its what you are willing to spend on one. I had one come through that because of its starved condition developed liver problems and became sun sensitive and she had to wear a mask all year around and she would loose all her hair during the summer here in louisiana. I did find her a home in tennessee and as far as i know she is 27 years old and still going i got her for free and gave her up for free because of her problems but it takes lots of money and time to get them back and you don't know what you have till it is fat enough to ride but ground working them to build muscle mass back helps, i have placed at least 7 horses into new homes that i keep up with i mainly give them away just so i know they aren't going to slaughter. i guess iam dumb for not asking anything for them but to me they came here free and i send them out free. good luck to all who do this and a hint red cell in there feed help their anemic state, and be careful with founder too.


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## AllieJ333

Barry Godden said:


> ​Domesticated horses have as much in common with wild mustangs as we humans have with cavemen.


Mustangs are not wild, they're feral. Since they come from domestic horses, they actually have a lot in common with them. There aren't any major differences.


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## xxBarry Godden

Feral v Wild
As per Collins Dictionary:
Feral: 1/ animals existing in a ‘wild’ or uncultivated state 
2/ savage, brutal
Wild 1/animals living independently of man; not domesticated or tame
5/lacking restraint or control 

At weekends I used to regularly ride as an assistant guide for a trail riding centre located in the Brecon Beacons. A group of keen riders, some from cities in the UK and even Europe would ride out on trails over the bracken covered mountains for four hours or so. My regular trusty mount, William, was the best trail horse that I ever discovered in my riding career. A Welsh Section D X Hannoverian, he was strong, sensitive, and fit. He presented as a well schooled horse who would yield to his rider obedience, courage and performance. He was no slouch and neither would he suffer fools. 

On one particular outing, a group of trail riders was in the process of negotiating their way around the base of a steep hillside when I espied up on the hillside a small herd of Welsh Section C Ponies. In that part of the country they are released out onto the moorland hillsides so as to fatten up ready for sale as edible meat stock. The small feral herd comprised of four pairs of mares and foals and one obvious stallion. Amongst the mares was one notably lively white/grey pony. She was very obviously the dominant mare Suddenly, whilst I was watching, the stallion split off from the group and cantered down the hillside and directly towards us. Meanwhile the pony mare had moved to the rear of her family group and had started to chivvy them up. She wanted them out of reach of the humans and the domesticated horses.

The small stallion was coming straight for our us and he had adopted a very belligerent posture with teeth bared, ears back and tail raised. Suddenly several of our horses started to show signs of stress and it was very questionable whether the townies who were riding them would have the ability to keep their horses under control and in line. If the line broke, then the chances were that the horses might whirl, bolt and scatter. The little stallion could well have caused havoc. There was a real risk that one or more of the trail riders would come off and that location was no place to be injured from a fall off a horse. We would have had to call in the air ambulance helicopter.

The trek leader managed to take charge of the line of riders from up front. He hustled them up to canter and thereby separated our group from the pony who by now was getting close. It was time to act and I took my crop out of my boot and urged my trusty steed William around and towards the stallion. William did as he was told and with a lot of waving of my free arm and the crop and some loud cries of ’get away’, William and I managed to divert the stallion away from our group. Much to everyone’s relief, no one had fallen off.

Suddenly the stallion looked back and he could then see that his small herd was out of harm‘s way He turned away and cantered back to his ‘family’. No harm had come to anyone and it had all been a good experience for horses and humans.

In that part of the National Park feral/wild ponies were left to fend for themselves for months until later in the season when they were rounded up and shipped off to market. Whereas my trusty gelding William lived a relatively pampered life amongst a group of well schooled trail riding horses - all of which were geldings. Once noticed, any little minor behavioural issues would be quickly schooled out of him. He had a regular daily routine which included two meals a day. He was groomed and inspected for injury regularly. He had shelter and grazed on rich green grass. When you went to catch him, he would stand and would doff his poll to accept the head collar. He would respond readily to a trained rider‘s soft hand. William had made a deal with humans.

I would hope that there is a lot of difference in behaviour patters between my domesticated William and that feral pony stallion. Their instincts will have diverged from the day they are born,. A well looked after riding horse should, through routine and constant care, come to trust we humans, whereas that little stallion has good reason not to.
Horses aren’t stupid,. Some come to knowingly accept which side of their bread is buttered. 

BG


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## xxBarry Godden

Back in November 2009 I started a thread entitled _'Anger and the matter of the carrot or the stick._ By the time the viewership fell dormant it had attracted 229 posts and 12,368 viewings. Three and a half years ago the active and regular readership of HF was a little different from that of today.

But the subject of how to treat a horse with the expectation that the horse would come to respond to 'kindly' treatment was discussed in detail. What was written remains valid to this day. The thread starts off with some confrontation because some members held the view that horses are animals -
my view at the time is that they are better described as potential companions to man and as such should be treated kindly.

If we humans give the horse shelter, food, water, grass and routine then with time most horse will come to serve us humans.

A feral/wild/undomesticated horse is indeed in a physical sense very similar to the animal we seek to ride as amateurs but its mentality is very different from that mentality we should have developed in the pet horse.

And I confess I accept that horses have a thinking brain which we riders ignore at our peril. The problem we face from day one of meeting a horse is communication with a different species of animal.

But I also admit that I have never managed to meet closely with what I would classify a feral/wild horse such as a mustang. In the UK all we can meet with
classifiable as 'wild' - is the meat market stock or the neglected and discarded waifs which in most cases have been subjected to abuse by humans.
The emaciated horse presents different problems - as we have already discussed.


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## ForeverSunRider

We just took in a rescue horse today. He's very underweight and had bad feet. He has a severe case of thrush, needs his teeth floated, and lots of antibiotics and medications to get him healthy again. Reading this makes me feel like we'll be able to get him back on his feet again.


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## xxBarry Godden

Sun Rider, Take your time You have to earn the trust of your refugee, The animal will be frightened and will be missing what was constant in his life. 
Keep your voice low; get him used to your touch; wear the same clothes so as to make your smell recognisable. 
Always be with him when the farrier, the vet, the toothman calls. Massage his back. Keep his feet picked out.

Work him in hand off the ground before you go to mount. 
Make sure the saddle fits, well enough and is fitted over a thick saddle blanket. Remember his shape will change as he becomes fitter. 
Use a mild bit - or maybe better a hackamore. 

Establish a daily routine and keep it constant. 
And, dare I say, - reward him with tidbits.

Be patient, and Good Luck

Barry


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## livelyblueyes

Those of you who have taken the time to rescue a hose have my utmost respect. This year on Christmas eve Ms.Piggy was delivered to us. She came in as a bag of bones in horrible condition. Information on her can be found under the horses section. The first image is her backend on December 24th 2013. The second is her rear end now. She is very pregnant in both pictures. She has been quite the blessing. Even with her heart problems. I just wanted to add that one excuse I absolutely abhor for an underweight horse is "Oh they are old" Old does NOT equate skinny or emaciated. This mare is 20+ yrs old as is her pasture mate. I have only had her for 4 months. A round of psylium,wormer,basic vet care including shots and floating now look at her... and she is pregnant!


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## xxBarry Godden

Blue Eyes - my guess is that this horse will repay your tender loving care with respect and perhaps by leaving you with her offspring.
Best of luck with her.

Barry G


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## livelyblueyes

Thank you Barry.


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## xxBarry Godden

Blue Eyes. 
Remember the horse you rescued needs very careful husbandry.

Certainly before being worked she must be exercised - gently - on the lunge. 
She'll need some muscles. 
Her feet will need trimming. 
Food is not enough but too much food can be dangerous. 
The foal may need supplements to compensate for the lack of condition in the mare.
Keep a daily diary in which you stick some photos.
A local nutritionist will make some suggestion regarding diet. Phone the local feed blender and ask for advice.
Have the teeth rasped. 
Ask the physio to run her hands over the back.

But remember you'll not be home and dry until the mare trots along after you, on a loose lead, at the shoulder, with foal trotting along at heel.

Take care with rich green grass - hay is safer.

and if you are going to think of riding her English, then first have the saddle fitted by a qualified saddle fitter. Check with the physio before you ever think of buying her a saddle.

There mare many rewards in saving an emaciated horse - as hopefully you will discover.

Barry G


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## livelyblueyes

I appreciate the advice Barry.

I agree she needs some muscles. When she came in she had virtually none. She has since developed a bit. I have not worked her hard. I have in actuality been letting her make her own pace. I will not be pushing her at all until she has had her foal and she is ready for it. Currently her exercise is mostly jogging around the pen when it is feeding time. ( she does this of her own accord).
As for her feet they are trimmed regularly but grow very slowly. My farrier is due out tomorrow morning. Her feet have been quite the challenge. She is sound on them but they are loaded with cracks that are taking forever to grow out. When she first came in the bars on her back feet had grown and started curling in on their selves. She had a heck of a time walking with them in that condition. It was a week after she got in before I was able to get the farrier to her (Christmas week makes it seriously hard to find one even when yu have a regular one). She stills has a lot of cracks but they no longer reach up so high. It is just taking a while to grow out.
As for the feed I agree completely. I took it real slow on moving up her feed amounts. I did this in conjunction with my vet. We have also had her teeth floated since she came home. The feed choice she is on has a lot to do with her dental situation as she is missing a fair few of her molars. Her feed is all soaked to essentially a mush.At one point we had attempted to work her into some alfalfa cubes but she does not react well to alfalfa regardless of how slow you try to change her to it. Even now a small handful will have her colicing. We did a heavy round of psyllium as well as a power pack when she came in. I have never seen a horse dispose of such a heavy load of parasites in my life. The pen is cleaned regularly(as in a couple times a day) to be certain to remove all poo. Our biggest worry was getting her back up to par without overdoing the feed. She was not gaining at all but barely holding steady until we came to the feed mix she is now on. She is now holding steady at her current weight and not really gaining anymore. She has no access to green grass. She is in an 80x80 pen that is essentially a dry lot.
Ms.Pig is about the most in your pocket horse I have ever seen.Her only vice so far is food. We have been steady working on food aggression which while I say aggression she is not mean just insistent. She is learning to wait now for us to set her bucket and back away before eating otherwise it is removed until she calms down.This has worked well as now she is no longer pushy. I would not go so far as to say patient but she is getting there.
I will not breath easy until the foal is on the ground,healthy and so is she. Currently we are on foal watch. She has been bagged up for a while now but only recently started waxing. Her ligaments are super loose and her vulva is starting to elongate. No mucus as of yet and no huge lengthening to her vulva but has gotten noticebly larger and relaxed over the last day or so. When we got her we had no idea she was pregnant. I had planned to have her palpated but given her age and condition.. and he no stud around we did not imagine she would be pregnant. We put the bloated gut up to a belly full of sand and worms. (she had a lot of both in there). She currently does have access to a mid quality coastal bermuda hay. Not cow hay by far.
I do not have access to a physio here. I have gone by my vets recommendations. She wil not be ridden English. She will be ridden western. I have already gotten rid of the tack she came with as none of it fitted her properly. I have yet to purchase a saddle for her as I will be waiting until well after she has foaled so that I can be certain it is a correct fit. The one saddle I have at the moment is fitted to her pasture buddy Sunny. Which is rather amazing as it fits her(Sunny) like it was made for her.. and we had it prior to getting her from a previous horse we owned.Sunny was a little under with bad overgrown feet but otherwise healthy feet ( You would think we sprinkle miracle grow on the things! have to trim at 4 weeks on the nose)
As for my rewards.. I got them the day we found out she was pregnant..not because of the foal but because of what the vet said. He told us flat out if we had left her where she was she would have already been dead. He has seen her through every step of the way. I would by far pick him over any other vet any day of the week. He is not about the money but about the animal. SO many vets in this area are not like that. ( don't get me wrong I always pay my bill at the time of service). I have only gone through roughly 800 in vet bills on her since she came in. I count that as lucky since I know it could be much much more.
Ms.Piggy has me wrapped. My biggest fear right now is the possibility of losing her as neither us nor the vet are certain as to how her heart is gonna handle the birth. It may sound cold but above all else I want her to make it through. Not that I do not want the foal but she is my first priority. My vet knows this.

In all truth Barry I sincerely appreciate all the advice.I take it in the manner it was meant. Helpful advice from one horse person to another. If I had this to do all over again I would do it again for her in a heartbeat. My joy with horses comes from the act of taking care of them. I have had so many people ask me why I put so much time and effort into two old mares I didn't know from adam. My response is as follows " Old does not mean useless. It just means they need me more"


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## xxBarry Godden

Well, Blue Eyes, it seems you are on track. Some horses show tremendous resilience and come through despite all the odds. It makes you wonder as to how she got pregnant.

It will be interesting to hear how she copes with the foal. Remember the first year of the foal's life is learning how to live like a horse (as against live like a human's pet) but much will depend on the mare's attitude - will she act motherly?

As I wrote the other day - the big reward is for you - you'll learn a lot over the next few months about horses. Well done so far.

Keep us all posted as to how it all works out.

Barry G

PS We rescued a stray cat a few weeks ago. She was meandering across a country lane along which we were driving. She weighed 2 kilos - say 4.5 lbs. Suddenly we realized the animal was blind. Obviously some b**tard had dumped her alongside the highway. We've watched and learned bit by bit as to how she copes with being blind in a fresh environment. It's fascinating to see how Mother Nature copes with adversity. Poody Tat is now doing well and putting on weight. She has been innocculated and tested by the vet. It seems she is about 10 years old. The dogs have let her into the household without any aggro.
I only wish I could learn how to inhibit her miaowing. She could sing an anthem .


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## Saddlebag

Blueseyes, some horses, like people, do lose weight with old age. At 27 my gelding began to lose weight, just a little but noticeable. His diet was altered in my attempts to get his weight back up. He'd gain some then lose it. He wintered well but continued the gradual weight loss. It didn't matter what he ate, the weight wouldn't go back on. One has to realize the organs aren't functioning as they should. That fall, he was thin and there was no way I wanted him to try to endure our very cold winters so he was put down.


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## livelyblueyes

Saddlebag- I was not intending to insult anyone. You said yourself that his organs were no longer functioning as they should. That is a part of old age. I can understand the weight loss in that situation. The only point I was trying to make is that it seems an acceptable excuse (age that is) for being very underweight. I do realize that some do indeed waste away the same as some people do. I most likely should not have generalized that statement in regards to weight. I have just heard the excuse so many times, to excuse neglect. ( I am not by any means saying you neglected your horse from what you say you did everything you could for him/her and then had the mercy to put him down instead of let him suffer). 
I consider it obvious neglect when the horse is bones,matted, and you can see a lack of hoof care. These are the situations that I get upset with when someone says "Oh they are just old". I am not a person to pamper the living daylights out of an animal.Again I am sorry if you took offense to what I said. I was wrong to generalize like that. I just get so sick of the assumption that all old horses must be bags of bones.


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## YoungGun

*Rescue Part 2*

A few years ago I rescued a horse that, at the time I couldn't even tell what kind of horse he was. I just paid the guy to quit abusing him basically. I was a long road of one our vet nor I thought he would survive but my nephew was very attached to him so we kept trying. He named him Superman. Really his transformation reminds me more of Captain America. 

I recently acquired another rescue. At the time of purchase I didn't realise she was in need of rescuing but I think God works in mysterious ways. I went to see her at dusk and being white, winter and covered in mud, it covered most of her issues well. She appeared a little thin but not as bad as she was. Come to find out she hadn't been being fed and was apparently abused because you can't even approach her in a stall. Though she is a BLM mustang her owners prior to the ones I had bought her from had shown her in 4H for years. These people, who thankfully didn't have her for long, left her in a pen with no shelter, water, food and mud up to her knees. There was wire on the ground for her to cut herself on and she is covered in rain rot and lice. I named her Battle Born since she is from Nevada and it is the state slogan. 

I'm not sure if anyone mentioned this or not but I always have the chiropractor out to check them prior to riding any rescues.


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## ForeverSunRider

Figured I'd post what I think is the "after" of our rescue. 

Before: 










After:



















He has quite the personality. Isn't very fond of me, but loves my mom to death. I think he knows I favor Sonny, our other horse  He's a sweetheart with his in your pocket antics though.


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## evenworld

Good job!! I think among all those brands,Horseware is the best, Native Pony is not so bad and the worst I used is Harrison Howard.


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## stevenson

iridehorses said:


> Actually, that is a good idea. I've taken in some bad cases and I've always worried that someone would report me as an abuser. Fortunately, my other horses all looked great so I can justify the difference.


I took in a very starved arab mare, I put her in a pen that was not easily seen from the road.


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## bsms

2011 thread. Updated to 2014 thread. Hard to notice that with the new forum software bringing back old threads.


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## walkinthewalk

bsms said:


> 2011 thread. Updated to 2014 thread. Hard to notice that with the new forum software bringing back old threads.


Yes and I am not at all pleased with the forum software offering “recommended reading” that is so old

I thought the gurus were working on this issue.  I’m growing weary of checking dates


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## horselovinguy

Based on age of this thread... * THREAD IS NOW CLOSED.*

We encourage all readers to read dates before commenting so your responses are on timely threads.
We also encourage anyone that has similar issue to start your own thread for comment specific to your issues, do not tag along on old forum content and be lost in the old dust...


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