He gets a scoop of rice bran twice a day - reg. sized scoop.
The food explanation I gave is hard to follow, but the Arab Mare was on a diet of 3 lbs of 12% sweet feed twice a day - nothing added except hay - from her breeder for the last 8 yrs of her life, and when we bought her, she looks amazing, and we transitioned her to the diet our other horses were on, and that was a Zero Sweet feed diet of Stable Energy Pellets, Alfalfa Pellets, Beet Pulp, Rice Bran and Flax Seed plus hay. Her condition declined sharply and quickly, her weight, shine in her coat, and so we thought if that diet had done that with her, we better go back to what had worked with her, which was a sweet feed, BUT we kept the rice bran in the diet.
Now, I began to think with that type of decline in her appearance, we might be better off to get the horses all on the sweet feed as well.
So about a month ago, we transitioned BACK to sweet feed and add rice bran plus hay and loose minerals. The mare began to look better, and then the gelding began to loose a tiny bit of weight. The others stayed the same, so just a past few days before his problem, we began to transition them ALL to Strategy by Purnia - which is a pelleted feed and highly recommended by most horse folks I know, in an effort to find a feed they all do well on.
The vet said no need to supplement, so they get no added supplements.
I am going to get a photo of his back feet tonight. I think they look a bit swollen in the back, but my husband thinks I am seeing things. It doesn't look off in the photos - his legs are larger than usual because he has been an Amish Buggy horse in the past, and he has worked hard.
We are still giving the Bute, and talking to the vet, but he is pretty laid back (he is Equine veterinary professor at Ohio University as well) about things, and we've detailed everything to him, and he seems to think it is under control - but I admit, I wonder. He is a fantastic vet, and he is willing to go out of his way to help, and He seems to think me letting him know through the day and evenings how he is works for now.
Any pain seems under control, he is getting hay only, eating well, and he is pooping well. Drinking well.
When I get him out to walk him, he seems okay, until we get close to the gravel, and he stops - now I've checked his feet and there is nothing obviously wrong - he is fine with me moving them, cleaning the hooves and he now walking fine - I think he associated the gravel with where he was when the pain bothered him most the other night being brought in when it started. All this has been explain to the vet.
I think the fact he isn't rolling or laying down after all this time, is eating hay well, pooping well, ect has the vet convinced it isn't colic, and the fact it is in the back feet makes him feel is probably isn't founder, and he thinks he might have pulled something in the paddock in his back - causing the funny walk, etc. At any rate, he will be out in the next few days if I have to make an appointment - the way it works is appointments only unless he feels it is an emergency as he is the only equine vet anywhere around, but he is great to call right back and look at photos online through email, etc. to determine if he needs to come out.
His hooves look good by all appearances.