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Love Animal Control!

2K views 16 replies 9 participants last post by  draftrider 
#1 ·
Well, long story short. We gave a horse to a family who wanted to teach their 10 yo daughter how to ride. Gave them a big huge how-to book, tack, etc. Last year. Well, they haven't had his feet done.

The people we bough Turd off of, well the woman is the Animal Control Officer for that county and she gave us a call. They live right beside this family. She said the horse (who was fat at 29 years old) had lost a serious amount of weight and that he was on a drylot and she's one step away from impounding him. He's also not had his feet done once since he left here mid 2009.

So, with her as our witness, we're picking him up tomorrow. It's really a lucky thing, because her man is our farrier and she always comes with him to see the babies and Turd, and she knew TJ was in great condition. TJ is a super easy keeper as long as you feed him and I'll bet they haven't been doing it as well as they need to. We've tried to tell them over and over, but they won't have any of it. He's too good of a horse who have this crap done to him, and I feel like crap for just handing him over in good faith.

I'm just hoping he'll gain the weight back and that he's still sound.
 
#2 ·
At 29 it may not be a feed issue that is causing him to lose wieght. He is in his last years no matter what care he is getting. If it was me I would just go over and trim the feet and leave him there.
 
#9 ·
Age is NEVER an excuse for thin horses. There is NO excuse for thin horses. The owner simply isn't feeding appropriately or providing appropriate care. Often, these old horses will have a tooth problem that needs to be addressed, i.e. a tooth pulled, or needs a float twice a year instead of once. Worms are also a big concern. Older horses can also have weaker immune systems and are more susceptible to illness which can lead to weight loss. I've read articles about 25+ year old horses being fed pounds and pounds of food but were still skinny because of an internal problem [such as teeth or the inability to digest what they were getting, as well as low-quality feed] and when the internal problem was fixed, the horse gained weight. You cannot provide the same care for the same horse from birth til 30 and expect it to maintain weight and the same level of fitness and health. Also, 29 is old, but not necessarily the "last years." He could live to 40, or 45 if cared for properly.

End rant, I apologize for going off on a tangent. :oops:

I'm very glad you could get this horse back and that you have it in with someone with power. Best of luck in getting him back up to par. =]
 
#3 ·
This horse has never lost weight. NEVER. Except when we changed feed, but everyone lost weight on that feed. There's no reason for him to be skinny, old or not.
 
#6 ·
Sounds like if you can get him back it would be a good idea. Anyone who does not take care of the feet is probably not on top of other issues. And don't feel bad about trusting people once. It means you are responsible and expect others to be. In the future though, with an older horse, lend it on a month to month basis or something like that because there are a lot of irresponsible people out there.
 
#7 ·
Well he looks like crap and his feet were horrid and he has a fungus issue. I've NEVER smelled feet that bad, it was disgusting! If it weren't for his huge winter coat, you'd be able to see lots of ribs. I have some pics, I'll get them uploaded soon. Surprisingly, he's not lame.. yet.

Come to find out they were giving him like 2lbs of food per day 8| I give my show miniatures that much for crying out loud! And they're not full size seniors!
 
#10 ·
Thankfully, despite him being old as dirt, he has all of his teeth - except one. And his teeth are done by a great equine dentist. I am planning to worm him here soon. I just want to make sure he's settled in before I clean him out, so to speak.

Yes Juniper, we have him back.
 
#11 ·
I hope he gains well and is feeling better.

I don't agree with leaving him there, but do agree that there may be an underlying cause to his weight loss. Many times old horses are thin because of medical issues, not underfeeding.
 
#12 ·
Draftrider, when he's getting LESS than two pounds of food PER DAY on a less than ideal feed, I'd say it's underfeeding.

He's bright and alert other than that, still his pissy stubborn self... yay poco bueno breeding!
 
#14 ·
Well then I must be starving my horses because the only one that gets grain is my baby. Not every horse needs grain. If they have good forage and are doing nothing more than light work, forage is sufficient. Not every horse needs 50 different supplements and a bucket of concentrates a day.

My point is that it is not always low feeding that causes thinness- it is many times an underlying medical condition. Before you assume a person is starving their animals, have a vet check done. =)
 
#16 ·
Im all for knowing why your horse is thin. If you have had them vetted and gotten to the bottom of what the cause is that is different then saying "Oh its old, its thin and that is the way it is". Apart of choosing to own an elderly horse is keeping them up.
 
#17 ·
Oh sure if they were feeding 2 pounds a day of combined feed, sure thats starvation unless they are a 200 lb pony. My vet says figure about 1 percent of their body weight in hay a day. Of course tell that to Laz who thinks he can eat a 1200 lb round bale in an afternoon!
 
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