Joanne
Well-Known Member
We are currently going through turning around a horse we bought from Texas that arrived with a BCS of 2 (see Becky's link). We paid top dollar for a starved horse from a well known farm based on fictitious, old photos.
Monday will be nine weeks of turning her around. The effects of this type of starvation are multifacited and many systems are involved. Survival is far from assured. In this case you are dealing with far, far less than 50/50. And there can be long term affects from the abuse to the body. The significant financial costs are ongoing.
There are several links to new research on how to do this. Concentrates are the worst to give them. Alfalfa in small doseges is the best. Our mare crashed on day 10 and had to have IV's started. Their stomachs cannot hold much and they are severly dehydrated. Her teeth were in such bad shape she could not chew grass or hay. When their weight is that low sedation is life threatening.
The mare we thought we bought as a healthy, in foal (No she was not) and arrived starved, had a low weight of 131 pounds, before turning around. Normal weight on this mare is about 200 pounds. The photos we were sent were obviously not recent ones.
The type of starvation these horses endured should have their owners prosecuted. Many times there are other horses at the same ranch going through the same heck. Once these horses have food in front of them it can be days before they know what to do with the food. They have no muscle or fat. Movement is extremly painful for them. They expend more energy moving then they are eating and it is impossible for them to stay warm. All their organs are affected. You have to wonder what the veterinarian was thinking when he passed the health exam. I called him and he said "He knew the horse would be going to a better place"!!!!
In our case the owner still wanted top dollar for what turned out to be a rescue horse. I am still angry I paid someone to abuse a horse. Thankfully Rose is still alive and we pray will recover completly. But there are still issues we are trying to work out. The recovery is measured in months to years, not days. This abuse will not be turned around quickly.
You have my sympathy and I certainly know what you are going through and what lies ahead. I wish I could say this is an isolated case, but as the 100 miniature horses on that ranch in Texas a couple of weeks ago proves, it is not the only one.
Monday will be nine weeks of turning her around. The effects of this type of starvation are multifacited and many systems are involved. Survival is far from assured. In this case you are dealing with far, far less than 50/50. And there can be long term affects from the abuse to the body. The significant financial costs are ongoing.
There are several links to new research on how to do this. Concentrates are the worst to give them. Alfalfa in small doseges is the best. Our mare crashed on day 10 and had to have IV's started. Their stomachs cannot hold much and they are severly dehydrated. Her teeth were in such bad shape she could not chew grass or hay. When their weight is that low sedation is life threatening.
The mare we thought we bought as a healthy, in foal (No she was not) and arrived starved, had a low weight of 131 pounds, before turning around. Normal weight on this mare is about 200 pounds. The photos we were sent were obviously not recent ones.
The type of starvation these horses endured should have their owners prosecuted. Many times there are other horses at the same ranch going through the same heck. Once these horses have food in front of them it can be days before they know what to do with the food. They have no muscle or fat. Movement is extremly painful for them. They expend more energy moving then they are eating and it is impossible for them to stay warm. All their organs are affected. You have to wonder what the veterinarian was thinking when he passed the health exam. I called him and he said "He knew the horse would be going to a better place"!!!!
In our case the owner still wanted top dollar for what turned out to be a rescue horse. I am still angry I paid someone to abuse a horse. Thankfully Rose is still alive and we pray will recover completly. But there are still issues we are trying to work out. The recovery is measured in months to years, not days. This abuse will not be turned around quickly.
You have my sympathy and I certainly know what you are going through and what lies ahead. I wish I could say this is an isolated case, but as the 100 miniature horses on that ranch in Texas a couple of weeks ago proves, it is not the only one.
