[KatieHunter]

Okay so here it goes,
I'm fairly rough around the edges with caring for horses but do know some we just recently purchased a house with land and the previous owners left a horse on the land and has never returned for it. (Said he was just going to come shoot and kill him we said we would just keep him)Well he is an older horse has no front teeth and horribly skinny, when we first started being around him he was very skiddish and still jumps with sudden movements (almost like he was beaten) he has scars on his neck and chest too. But he is warming up to us pretty good! But where do we begin with such a bad situation?! We don't have money for vet bills but would hate for someone to just come kill him! It's been about a week and a half and I've seen major improvement already but how or what do we do to put weight back on him? He seems much happier now, he is running in the field holding his head high and flipping his tail around and will meet us in the barn in the morning and evening for his feed. We have been given him lots of TLC but besides that what are some good tips? I will be going to the feed store this afternoon. Thanks in advance for any help and advice!

 

[buggy]

You will want to increase feed and hay gradually. Does his field have plenty of grass? ( is it 3-4 inches or taller?). If not, you will want to start feeding him some soft hay. If so, you may not need to worry about that part right now. How large of a pasture/field area does he have?

I would definitely go for a senior feed, it is usually easier for them to chew. I would do half pound 2-3 times per day to start (increase the amount by 1/2 lb at each feeding after about 4-5 days or so, and then again after another 4-5 days). If he has trouble chewing the feed, you can add warm water to it and it will fluff and soften.

He may need dewormed also. I would probably wait a week or two and see if the feed starts helping his condition.

 

[walkinthewalk]

I am sorry you ended up in this situation. Unfortunately senior horses, especially those without teeth, are going to cost money.

If you don't have money for vet billS in the plural, at least please find the money for one vet bill. That one vet bill will do one of two things:

1. Allow the vet to get you started on the right path to feed this horse or

2. Do the humane thing and euthanize the horse so it's suffering will be over.

It is never easy to see any animal put to sleep but if you had the humanity to keep him, have the humanity to PTS him, if the vet advises that.

 

[horselovinguy]

First off.... WELCOME to the forum!!!

So...
No front teeth.. as in nubs or gone?
That would mean great difficulty in grazing grass as no way to grab, tear easily off...
Hay might be a little easier to manage as a horse can use their lips to grab...
My concern would be his back teeth if his front sound worn away from cribbing/wind-sucking actions.

He truly needs to see a vet and dentist for a evaluation.
He needs his mouth to be checked for broken, uneven wear, sharp edges and points that could be contributing to his poor looks, his neglected state...
The fact you already though see a difference in attitude tells me the horse is lacking groceries and TLC given not that it is all a biological issue of old age cometh.

So, that said...
Till the vet gets to come...
* I would be feeding the horse a Senior feed.
Manufactured so a horse who can't chew well, can eat and thrive on food of this type.
Senior feed can be fed wet or dry...I prefer to make it pretty moist so less chance of gobbling quickly with not enough water intake so it not get bound in the gut called impaction.
If the horse is this thin it could be many things combined besides teeth and just not feeding the animal.
* Next grab a fresh handful of poop from the top of the pile and place it in a ziploc gallon size bag, . Add it till 1/3 to 1/2 full of water, squeeze the bag seal closed....squish it around so it breaks apart and put it someplace to sit for a few minutes till foam dissipates.. pick up the bag and look at the bottom...if you see a noticeable sand accumulation you need to treat for sand removal.
This can be done easily with generic Fiber Therapy {orange flavor my horses love}....
I feed 1/4 cup every day, once a day for 7 days... all done except to recheck and retreat if still a lot of sand is seen...this helps reduce the sand colic chance.
* Money being considered, I would buy a tube of Ivermectin paste wormer {not Quest} and worm the horse. Take the assumption the horse has not had good care and just worm him.
If he is a full sized adult horse 1 tube given...if you are afraid to give it to him in his mouth, purchase a Apple flavored paste and squirt it in his food ration, mix it around and feed it to him.
That will take care of most worms...
* Look for a white salt block, they come in small squares or 50 pound size...free choice for him would work well since he has probably not had any in awhile...
* Fresh plentiful clean water... use a muck bucket if you don't have something left behind. They hold enough for a day or two, are easily filled and dumped when needing to be cleaned and scrubbed weekly.
If the horse has a pasture let him graze.
If he has no grass to eat but can still chew hay, feed him small amounts often at first as he sounds like he had not much food available...eventually he will eat between 1/3 - 1/2 bale of hay, grass hay a day.
If he is unable to eat/chew hay because of his teeth then feed more of the Senior feed.
Read the bag back for suggested amounts...but do everything slowly and in small amounts of food offered increased in amount fed over several days period of time...many meals if possible in smaller portion sizes.
Our kindness can overwhelm a horses gut when they have had nothing for a long time and suddenly a abundance of food is presented...

You really need to have a vet come evaluate the horse and check that mouth though for issues.
Your "old" horse may not be as old as you think, just has/had a bad habit that makes him look ancient when peaking in the mouth.
Spend the money to you either buy and have vaccinations administered or have the vet supply and administer those vaccinations when they come.
You only need the "core" vaccines... https://aaep.org/guidelines/vaccination-guidelines/core-vaccination-guidelines
Eastern/Western Equine Encephalomyelitis
Rabies
Tetanus
West Nile Virus
Depending upon where you live that list may vary slightly, but since the horse is not showing or being exposed to traveling horses some of the other vaccinations I would skip.

Don't forget some good hoof care with your cleaning them daily should be considered and looked into for a farrier to just trim the feet.
You don't need anything fancy or special names, just a good solid trim to make the animal comfortable and safe to get around your place.

It is not the cost of "purchasing" a horse that costs but it is the continued monthly costs to keep the animal that cost.
Food, farrier and occasional vet care can get expensive or not...
Once you do some basic care now that has been neglected, it is much easier monthly on the budget.
A few bags of feed, a couple bales of hay and a farrier every 6-8 weeks....your horse will love you and he is already showing his appreciation just by being happier in disposition!!
The vet thing is 2x a year...emergencies happen but not often normally, even for older horses..
Vet costs vary greatly depending upon area you live in.
So does food and hay... I live in Florida.
Purina Senior by me is $15.99 a bag {50 pounds}, coastal hay is $7.00 a bale...
2 bags of feed and 10 bales of hay a month will get you very well started.
Prices from our local Tractor Supply stores..
Farrier for a trim varies from $35.00 - $60.00, most charge $40 per visit per horse. So...approximately $150 a month to keep the old man...without farrier as again I've seen way less and way more.

A commitment given to keep and do right by the animal or find a horse rescue, one you can see the good work they have done and sign him over to them so he has a chance.
"Giving" him away is to risky for him to find a kill buyer and death he does not deserve..
Give him a chance...you might of just found a great new friend to beautify your land.
Some pictures of your new horse would be great to share if you need or wanted more concise help in the weight issue.
The horse is a rescue, your rescue now...and rescues are not "cheap" to rehab.
Food, time and energy expended but the love they give back makes it so worth it...

Enjoy your new home, lands and the animals you now call your own.:wink:
:runninghorse2:....
jmo...

 

[KatieHunter]

Thank you all so much for all of you advice and help! I really hope we can nurse him back to health I would to see him happy and roaming our pastures for years to come! And to answer your the question on how much land he has to roam and graze there's 15 acres with a pond but we also have a trough by the barn that I put fresh water in daily! I made the mistake and went to ****** yesterday while getting the feed and asked them dimwhits for advice and they didn't know crap told me to Google it lol then I said what's best for weight gain they said uh food. They were dumber then a box of rocks! But I found something made by manna pro called bounce back for animals in times of stress or dehydration it an elctrolyte supplement would it hurt to give him that? I will do a fecal exam this evening and I will also grab a dewormer and go ahead and deworm him! We plan on getting a vet out here we just can't do it immediately as for moving expenses plus we have two babies plus we had a tornado touched down on Sunday and damaged our roof of our new house so there were some unexpected expenses as well! But we plan on doing everything we can to save this guy he deserves it!!!

 

[horselovinguy]

Bounce Back is electrolytes but I don't see where it is labeled for horse use....
I don't know the product so can't comment honestly.
Horses can benefit from electrolytes during stressful, hot and sweating times.
I think it isn't necessarily the place to head though for you...
Food fed.. calories eaten is.
Senior feed fed is where I would go toward myself. Hay is still a unknown if the horse can eat, chew and digest it well to benefit from it...
Here is a link about Sr. feed and why it is so good for any age of horse needing weight gain and a health pick-me-up...
I happen to love this site {Consider joining them...email is safe and not sold and it is free.} for the informative, easily read and understood articles pertinent to good horse-keeping.
Senior Equine Feeds and Fiber | TheHorse.com

So, all good equine manufacturers produce Senior Feeds today.
Some brands are not available everywhere, some horses won't eat every brand and not every horse does well on every brand of food either.
Here are 2 of the biggest producers of equine feeds...there are many choices in each companies products to choose from.
https://www.purinamills.com/horse-feed/products/detail/purina-equine-senior-horse-feed
https://www.triplecrownfeed.com/products/senior/
What you search for is higher/highest fat content, then fiber count then to me lastly is protein amount. Most any horse does not need more than 12% when a common backyard pet...only high competition horses {racehorses} or horses who truly work every day really can use anything in higher percentages...honest!
Our pets, no. What most of us consider "working" is not...

So, some reading to do so you know more than the store employees and can go in and state what you want.
I saw the store you mentioned and went to their website for feed selection choices....
Me, I would go buy Triple Crown Senior feed and start feeding it...
Remember although you want to follow bag suggestion for feeding amounts, it is a amount to be worked toward gradually not all at one time.
Start with small amounts, several times a day {2x minimum a day fed} to get results seen.
Tweak those amounts to more or less if you see no weight gain or chubbiness happening...a balancing act it shall be for you for now...
So for example, you take the entire amount needed fed a day divided by how many meals you can feed and then feed that amount each feeding. So 15 pounds of feed divided by 3 meals = 5 pounds per meal.
You feed for a weight amount of what the horse should weigh, not what it does weigh if underweight.
You can find online rough ideas of calculating weight for different size horses here and how to "score" their body conditioning... Determining Horses' Body Weight and Ideal Condition | TheHorse.com
Feed stores also sell weight tapes, for a couple of dollars in cost, and they work pretty good when used by the same person in the same spot for accuracy in placement.
Take pictures so you can record differences as our eyes play tricks and not see small gradual changes but a camera captures it.
Make a log/diary for yourself of all you do so you will know if something worked or not and how to re-do if it is a negative impact...
Go slow, ask questions and enjoy the process of horse ownership 101 you are now blessed with.
It is a great feeling to know you make a difference to a animal...already noted by the horse with his better attitude!!
:runninghorse2:.....
jmo...

 

[SilverMaple]

Some good advice already.

First place to start, as it sounds like you're going to do, is a tube of Ivermectin dewormer. Look around-- most feed/farm stores have it for about $3.00 if you get the generic brand. Give him the whole tube.

You're pretty safe picking a name brand Senior Feed. Everyone has favorites, but any of them will get some calories and nutrients into him since without teeth, he can't get much from his grass or hay. In many rural areas, Purina is the only brand available. Start him off with a small amount, and increase it every few days until you're close to the recommendation on the package. That is by weight, so measure it with a scale, don't just guess. Take the total recommendationa on the bag and divide it by the number of times you can feed him per day-- 2 is the bare minimum if he's not getting much nutrition from the grass, 3-4 is better. When picking your feed, realize that if you're feeding 10 pounds a day, that bag won't even last a week. You might luck out and he won't need that much, but plan for the worst so it's not a surprise if you spend $200/month on food for the horse.....

If you can find a few bales of good hay, pick a couple up and see if he will eat hay. If he has some teeth left, he might. But if he doesn't, hay won't do him much good and he'll either spit it out all gummed into wads, or ignore it altogether. He has a nice-size pasture, but is the grass good still? With it coming on to winter, most horses, even those at pasture, will need hay-- if you're unlucky enough to have an old horse without any teeth left, you're going to have to feed Senior feed and/or soaked hay pellets instead, and that's going to get costly in a hurry.

I wouldn't worry about adding anything extra to his diet-- electrolytes in a horse with poor condition can do more harm than good. If you still want to, see if feed store has Calf Manna pellets by Manna Pro. That's an old stand-by for putting weight on horses, and you can usually find it anywhere. You want the pellets, not the supplement.

You will need to set aside some money and get a vet out for his opinion. Get a baseline health evaluation on the horse, and have him check the teeth and mouth for sharp points, abscesses, lost teeth, etc. That will tell you a lot as to whether this horse can get condition back, or whether there's an underlying issue leading to his unthriftiness. Even if all he needs is some TLC and feed, he's not going to be a cheap pet, so really consider whether you can afford to care for this horse and get him the care he needs-- feed, vet care (routine and emergency, which can easily run into the thousands of dollars), farrier care, etc. If you sit down and have a good look at your finances and realize that's just not possible, please do the right thing by this horse and have him humanely put down. There's no shame in giving an animal a dignified end, especially one in poor shape who was dumped in your lap. If he's sold or sent to auction, he likely faces a painful end at a slaughterhouse in Mexico.

 

[AnitaAnne]

Welcome to the Forum!!

Bless you for helping this horse! Would love to see some pictures

I have found Nutrena Safe Choice Senior to work better than Purina. My 28 yr old and 22 yr old look fabulous on it and they don't need as much of it as the Purina.

 

[KatieHunter]

Thank y'all so much we are doing everything we can to save him here are some pics! Warning it'll break your heart!! I just want to get him healthy again it's a shame someone ever let him get this bad!! ???
Also I think we are going ahead and calling the vet out because I noticed yesterday that either he may have a possible UTI or is passing a kidney stone because he is constantly dripping urine out. So I think we are just going to get the very out and get him on the road to recovery ? oh and we have given him a name his name is Booger ? my 2 year old boy has named it and it's safe to say we are all already attached so I pray we can save him ? and we live in Oklahoma for those of y'all that asked were we lived and we did have a very hot and dry summer and I'm not sure how long he was left out there ?

 

[SilverMaple]

Oh, the poor dear. :-( He's really in rough shape for having that much grass. He either has no teeth/can't chew, or there's something else going on.

Bless you for at least giving him a chance and seeing if he can be saved. It's nice to see him enjoying some loving attention.

 

[KatieHunter]

Yes it literally makes me cry every Time I see him I watched and observed him for a long time yesterday he eats grass while roaming but I don't know how much he is actually getting because of his teeth and I observed his mouth really good yesterday and it honestly looks as if he was kicked or hit in his mouth because it's only his front teeth the rest look really good. But I was also able to find out a little more about the horse yesterday from a neighbor and he said that the previous owner of the horse had him (Booger) and another locked in the stable for God knows how long and claimed that the other horse that was in there with was dominate and kept stealing Boogers feed so he just let Booger loose in the field and packed up and left and took the other horse but left Booger because he was to far gone he claimed. I'm sorry but that owner doesn't deserve any horse and there's a special place for owners like that because he should've seen and noticed way before he did that something wasn't right and Booger should've never gotten that bad!!!!