# Dancer and Rain - Then and now - need help with Dancer!



## sheawhittet (Oct 11, 2009)

I think she looks better mom! And Rain looks so good! I love the fact that she LOVES her attentions


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## dee (Jul 30, 2009)

Bump - I could really use some fresh eyes on this. I know Dancer is still skinny - any ideas?


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## riccil0ve (Mar 28, 2009)

Wow, having a baby really took it's toll on her, huh? How old is Rain? Is she weaned yet? If not, you may want to wean a bit on the early side.

Until you get a saddle, you can long-line or double lunge. That way you can encourage her to use her topline.

Also, maybe you could get a fecal egg count done and make sure it isn't worms.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## dee (Jul 30, 2009)

Dancer is about 12 - 13 from what I understand, though personally, I think she's closer to 16. I'll have a fecal count done, though she's always been wormed regularly. Rain is four months old and eating well (obviously!) so weaning her early shouldn't be an issue, though finding someplace to put her might be. I was hoping to send Dancer to a trainer when it was time to wean Rain, but that doesn't look like it's going to pan out any time soon. (The trainer thing, I mean.) 

Well, we always manage to think of something. I wonder if we could keep her in the goat pen - it's a chain link fence and is over 5' tall. She shouldn't be able to jump it...we'd just have to figure out some way to feed her so she wouldn't have to "share" with the goats!


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## riccil0ve (Mar 28, 2009)

Yeah, I think weaning would be your best bet. I imagine she'll be fine in a chain link, but I have no experience with weaning.


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## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

riccil0ve said:


> Wow, having a baby really took it's toll on her, huh? How old is Rain? Is she weaned yet? If not, you may want to wean a bit on the early side.
> 
> Until you get a saddle, you can long-line or double lunge. That way you can encourage her to use her topline.
> 
> ...


I totally agree with Ricci.

Even with regular deworming she could have a serious worm load that requires something extra.

Have her teeth been done lately?


She really does look pretty bad. Sorry to be blunt but wow. 

I would not even think of riding her at this point. She needs good calories (not just filler food) so she can develop muscles. She has no muscles any where.


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## dee (Jul 30, 2009)

Alwaysbehind said:


> I totally agree with Ricci.
> 
> Even with regular deworming she could have a serious worm load that
> 
> ...


Blunt is okay - I know she looks bad. She's better, but not by much. I wasn't riding her, though, or even trying to. Just planned on putting the saddle on her to lunge her and get her used to the saddle again. But...it fit so badly across her withers (it didn't used to, I swear!) that I wouldn't even lunge her with it.

Hopefully, pulling Rain off of her will help. She's not getting any junk food - alfalfa pellets, beet pulp and oats, plus boss and flax meal. She and Rain shared the same feed bucket - it's possible that Rain was getting more than her fair share, although I put half again as much feed in Dancer's tub than anyone else's.

I haven't noticed any problems with her teeth. She's not a messy eater or anything that would make it look like her teeth need to be floated - but I'll have them checked as soon as possible.

ETA: forgot to mention she's getting all they hay she can eat - she is _never_ without hay - and it is a decent quality prairie hay...


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## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

Well, her body is screaming that she needs something. It might be worth a call to the vet and maybe have a full physical and blood work done.

Please tell me she is not bred back to have another foal next spring.


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## riccil0ve (Mar 28, 2009)

When was the last time she had her teeth done? Just because they aren't showing signs doesn't mean it isn't necessary. Ricci's previous owners hadn't had them done in several years, and although I didn't notice anything, there was definitely some damage that will take a few more years to go away completely. 

She does still have a huge belly, I also hope it's not a baby-belly.


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## dee (Jul 30, 2009)

riccil0ve said:


> When was the last time she had her teeth done? Just because they aren't showing signs doesn't mean it isn't necessary. Ricci's previous owners hadn't had them done in several years, and although I didn't notice anything, there was definitely some damage that will take a few more years to go away completely.
> 
> She does still have a huge belly, I also hope it's not a baby-belly.


I don't know when her teeth were done last - we've only had her a little over a year. 

That better not be a baby belly she has, or someone has some explaining to do!:twisted:

(Son in law turned his stallion in with her once without my permission, he'd better NOT have done it again!)


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## riccil0ve (Mar 28, 2009)

Yeah, I had thought this wasn't a planned baby of any sort.

I would get her teeth done as soon as you can, and then send your vet away with a fecal sample. And wean baby yesterday. I hope your able to get weight on her soon, the poor girl really is in dreadful shape. =[


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## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

I think it is time to be a responsible adult.

If the place you keep your horses does not belong to you then move your horses to some place your less than responsible SIL does not have the ability to randomly breed your horses.

If this is your place then kick your SIL and his less than stellar quality horse out.

Your poor mare looks truly horrible. I sure hope she is not bred back. 

It is ironic that the only redeeming quality the stallion has is his color and that is the one thing he did not pass along to the baby.


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## dee (Jul 30, 2009)

Thanks guys. I have a feeling I'm about to have one very po'd SIL and a very rich vet very, very soon!

And AB - you are right about the color - we were shocked that Rain is a bay, and not a pinto!


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## mom2pride (May 5, 2009)

I'd say whatever you are doing is doing something...she definitely looks alot better than when she had first had Rain...

I think weaning baby would be a very good idea, though, to help get her over this last 'slump' before winter. 

She may need something like weight builder, or even a senior feed (I've had alot of success with this (high quality ones), even in middle aged horses, simply because it adds extra weight, without extra energy necessarily...). 

Definitely get her a teeth, and fecal check...even if they turn up 'okay', it is still a good thing to check, as those are two of the "most likely" weight snatching culprits.


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## dee (Jul 30, 2009)

Oh Mom! You just made my day! I was so depressed thinking that Dancer hadn't improved any after all. (When you see them every day, you really can't get a good idea of what is going on). My most sincere hope is that nursing Rain (not that she nurses much any more) and, more importantly, sharing a feed bucket with her, is the biggest part of the problem. We put extra feed in Dancer's bucket, but Rain may be eating more than we think she is.

Daughter said the vet charges $75 to float teeth - I can handle that. He won't float them, though, if she doesn't need it. LOVE that vet - he doesn't believe in interfering with nature more than necessary. Full blood panel (to be on the safe side), fecal count, pregnancy check - again - to be on the safe side, but I haven't seen any activity around the stallion other than standing near the fence), and all the good stuff shouldn't run more than $200. I was afraid it was going to be worse.

We shall see. (And as predicted, I have a _very_ po'd SIL!)


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## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

For now can you close Dee in some where so she can eat on her own?


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## dee (Jul 30, 2009)

Dee? Do you mean Dancer or Rain? (Or am I in that much trouble?  )


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## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

Laugh...yes... close one of them in... no you...you do not need to be closed in.

Sorry. 


*goes off to get another cup of tea, obviously need some brain awakening.


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## dee (Jul 30, 2009)

We've already decided to pull one or the other of them out of the lot at feeding time. We are going to _try_ tying Rain to the tree just outside the gate. She would be right near Dancer, but not close enough to steal from her bucket. Hopefully, feeding them like that (Rain would have her own bucket) will also help teach Rain to stand tied. Hope that makes sense - I've only had one cup of coffee this morning. 

I hope that's not more than Rain can handle. If it is, we'll just pull Dancer out and tie her to the tree. We already know we can separate them like that with no problems. Rain is pretty laid back and Dancer is not an over protective mama...


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