The Horse Forum banner
Status
Not open for further replies.

Two rescue horses. Advice please!

12K views 145 replies 22 participants last post by  Glenknock 
#1 ·
Hey everyone,

Yesterday we rescued two horses. An 11 year old mare and a 2 year old colt. The place we got them from had zero grass. They were eating off a round bale of some type of hay. Both are very under weight. I am almost positive they have worms (they both itch their tails.) I want to deworm ASAP but I don't wanna use propac. Are there any others that would work just as well that can be bought at places like tractor supply? I am also worried about the chances of laminitis. I didn't have a choice but to move them to a pasture of grass. There are no stalls or any way for me to keep them from eating all day. I live in Florida so that grass isn't super nutritious but I'm not sure if that matters.

Anyone else have a rescue horse? I really need advice on the best way to go about getting them fat again. They seem to be in great health
 
#29 ·
I'm glad you understand I wasn't trying to come down on you at all. I just was feeling some hesitation in your posts and thought I would venture out on it before going into too much advice. It is a great feeling to see the results of a successful rehabilitation and knowing you helped them have a happy life.
 
#131 ·
I think I have heard of peanut hay before. Do you know if they sell that in roll form?
Posted via Mobile Device
Make sure if you get some (wonderful stuff when done right) that you get the perennial peanut hay not the vines that grew peanuts. That stuff isn't suitable for horses at all for more than a snack.

Unfortunately we don't have the peanut hay here but I have seen it advertised in rolls in S. Ga.
 
#32 ·
I don't know that I've seen in roll form due to the cost. Most of the square bales on this side of Florida run about $12 so I imagine a roll would be in the $120 dollar range.

You would feed it in flakes rather than free grazing due to too much being a bad thing. We always put it in slow feeder nets and had good results. I also have been very happy with using Cool Calories 100 to help get the weight up without causing the horse to get hot. A lot of it depends on how underweight the horses are.
Can you put a tape around them to try and get a guess at their weight? Know how to do it that way? It is almost impossible to help offer advice on weight gain without knowing how much weight they need to gain.

I started working with my daughter's 12 year old Standardbred mare who was a brood mare from 4-11 years old then given to my daughter early last year. She left her hubby who kept the horses, but didn't provide for them well enough. I got 2 of the 3 they had and she was the worst of the 2.

Here are before and after photos of her with using Perennial Peanut hay, Cool Calories 100 and some mild exercise over about 3 months time. She is about 16H for reference.

Jems Before..
Horse Mammal Vertebrate Mane Sorrel


Jems After..
Horse Mammal Vertebrate Pasture Mare

Horse Mammal Vertebrate Sorrel Mane
 
#33 ·
Wow roadyy. That is a beautiful mare. Good luck chess! I don't have any advice for you at the moment, but I really hope everything works out good for you!

And I second the iPhone thing. Does anyone know how to post pics with the iPhone?????
Posted via Mobile Device
 
  • Like
Reactions: Roadyy
#34 ·
I've heard a lot of people download the Photobucket app to get pics posted.


Thanks for the compliment and I'll pass it on to her when I feed her this evening... haha

She was never broke to ride so I have been sneaking some ground work in from time to time between the other 6 horses and their needs from me. It isn't easy with all the other chores needing done too.
 
#39 ·
I love alfalfa for putting on weight. Either in hay or pellet form. Pellets are pound for pound with hay. They look to be about a 3/9 on the body scale. The mare has a slight belly, not nearly what I would expect if full of worms or pregnant but still needs to be checked. Colt looks a little wormy.
 
#40 · (Edited)
Yes I sprinkled it over the feed. It comes with a scoop in the bag, given twice daily and runs about $26 for 8lbs. The perennial peanut hay is really good for ulcers in them from lack of food in the stomach just like alfalfa is.

They look to be in about the same shape Jems started with so you should see about the same time frame for improvements if their aren't any other health issues.

Oh,, here is a before and after pic of the second horse..

His name is Little Man and is a registered Paint.

Before..
Not me in the pic.
Horse Mammal Vertebrate Mare Mane


After..
Horse Mammal Vertebrate Mane Stallion


He is a little thief is what he is...lol
 
#44 ·
Their are a couple of members on here who are super knowledgeable in the nutrition for recovering horses that I learned from by reading their threads or input on threads. I'm hoping they will find this thread like deserthorsewoman did and can give you better advice on that part than I can. I'm not learned up on those do's and don'ts. It did not hurt my horses when feeding the PPH while they free grazed on the grass, but they were used to some grass already.
 
#47 ·
When I first got them they were being fed 12% all stock sweet feed. Basically the cheapest feed available in the stores. I was told to switch them to whole plain oats by the initial vet and to build it slowly up to 4 quarts twice a day to get her weight up. Some members on here helped me get away from that and go to a quality senior feed because it has a lot of the vitamins, minerals and weight gain additives already in it.

I found Seminole senior feed available locally and it had the good ingredients in a good order to be beneficial to their health.
 
#48 ·
Cubes are harder to soak and such and more horses perfer pellets over the cubes. Yes you need to soak them. I personally do not like beet pulp. It stinks and for the price you are better off just feeding alfalfa pellets. Ivermectin should be about the safest you can give and I think it says it is safe for pregnant mares so that would probably be a good place to start.

Stay away from grain and molasses feeds. If you can get your hands on some ADM feeds they are wonderful, pricey but will give results. Flax is also a good idea. ADM adds flax to most of their feeds. Otherwise you can get omega horseshine. You don't want anything with corn in it.

I also sent you a pm.
 
#51 ·
I forgot to mention I kept a roll of Premium Coastal hay in a hay ring for them to free graze on. The PPH was fed in the stall with their senior feed. They are only stalled at feeding time to keep any of them from being run off their feed. Saw it wasn't in the post when I received a like on that post it was meant to be in..sorry.
 
#53 ·
@roaddy : love the standie mare:)

OP: the biggest problem at the moment is the sudden change from ( most likely) low quality hay, where the bellies could come from, at least partially, to pasture. To counteract the dry, fibrous to soft - watery-rich problem offer some hay, not too fine, or good straw, like oat straw. A couple of flakes thrown out, and watch if they eat it. They will, if they need it.
Unless you'll pump them full of grain or other sugars, you won't have to worry about laminitis.
UC Davis suggests alfalfa free choice to rehab starving horses, after an initial getting used to eating phase. So you can safely add alfalfa. As poppy said, pellets soak faster, so that would be my choice if I couldn't get it as hay. Get either a ration balancer or a vitamin/ mineral supplement, as I suggested earlier.
I wouldn't give any hardfeed just yet, let them get used to eating first.
The flax is not yet necessary, since they have grass, which has all necessary fatty acids. But for winter I'd consider it.
If the ration balancer, if you feed it, doesn't have probiotics, get them. To help the digestive system to work better. Especially after deworming.
In about a month or so, you could, if necessary, start them on a hardfeed, I really like Nutrena Life Design senior. Or, for the colt especially, their Life Design mare &foal. Should the mare be pregnant, she could have that, too.
Keep insects in check, or they'll lose all the precious weight stomping, swishing and running.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
You have insufficient privileges to reply here.
Top