How to tell if a horse is cold?

[Celia]

[SIZE=12pt]My Basic Questions are:[/SIZE]

~How can you tell if a horse is cold (besides shivering)?

~What are some ways to warm him up if he already has a heavyweight blanket and won't eat hay? Or ways to at least convince him to eat hay?

But now I will go into full detail. Sorry so long...you can skim if you want

This is about my mini gelding, Calvin, who is 9 years old and in good health. He definitely has the winter woollies, but I am wondering if he is still cold or if something's going on. (please say its the prior!)

He is blanketed with a Miniature Horse Blanket--the product description reads, "Made of durable 420 denier nylon, 6 oz fiberfill insulation and a maintenance free nylon lining, the bellyband style blanket has an overlap front which adjusts to fit a variety of sizes, a cutback neck, Adjusta-Fit and a shaped tail piece."

So between that and his several inch-thick healthy coat, you'd think he'd be warm; even though its been around 10 degrees F in the barn, it slowly decreased down to this, so he should be used to it...Right???

What I want to know is how to tell if he is warm enough...I put my bare hands around his ears, under his elbow/girth area, and underneath the blanket while he was wearing it, and it was all ice cold...like, when I touch those places on my other mini, they are all warm.

He just stands there when he's in his stall, and even if I turn them out in a break in the weather during each day, he is either running with Beamer or just standing there (not eating the hay).

So I figure to give him extra hay, right, to heat him up? Well he barely eats any at all! I usually feed him half a flake of good 2nd cutting grass hay, 3 times a day, but I go out there 6 hours later, and he's barely eaten a third of what I threw out to him! Cuz he just stands there like a little statue! He eats his grain fine. Always has been a small drinker, but he's actually drinking a pretty good amount lately.

So what do you think? He doesn't appear to be shivering...but when I'm there he's always looking around to see what I'm doing and such, not really standing still. Maybe wetting down the hay with warm water would get him to eat it more? He's had soaked hay in the past...then again, he usually eats anything green regardless, but he's not now...

Please tell me it's just easy-to-fix cold/how to fix it.......I already have one sickling in my barn

And tell me if you need any more info...I usually go way over the top with background info and the post becomes a million pages long

)

Thank you LB!

~Celia

 

[RhineStone]

It is probably beyond that your horse is just cold.

It would be beneficial to check his other vitals: temp., breaths/min., messes in stall, and then call the vet. Our horses are out without blankets, and the other night it was -12. We feed them extra hay. No shivering. Horses can take cold as long as they can avoid wet and wind chill. Shivering is a pretty good sign of cold. I would be concerned about shock in your case, especially with cold ears.

Also, did you smell the hay? Sometimes, you can get a "patch" of moldy, dusty hay that they will not eat, even within otherwise good hay. It might have been under a tree that didn't dry as much as the rest of the bale. My guess, still however, is something deeper than just cold. Anytime a horse goes off feed, there is something wrong, especially a food-driven mini

.

 

[Celia]

Oh boy...well, thanks for the speedy reply. I guess I'm out into the inferno of ice (wait that makes no sense.....oh well).

So I'll check his temp, resp. rate, and the hay...anything else?

...and to think the vet was out at the barn checking my other horse last night. That's the horse business for you...

~C

 

[targetsmom]

I would check his temp for sure. I don't normally blanket mine, but if I have one that seems to be cold I will warm the blanket up first in the clothes dryer. You also have to be careful with blankets that they are dry and that they don't defeat their purpose by laying the nice fluffy coat down flat.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

I've not had the temperatures that you have but it has been snowing!!!

And everything is frozen solid, including me.

My horse are fine, though,none of them, not even the 31 year old, are blanketed.

Has he had his teeth done recently??

I would be alarmed at one horse in a barn of warm horse, being cold.

All mine are out all the time, and yes, they can take almost any amount of cold, it is the cold and wet that does the damage.

When we had rain after our last bout of snow they were all pretty miserable, even though they have shelters and a good hedge line, they wanted to be out grazing and they had to stand out of the rain instead.

Does you horse graze??

 

[Royal Crescent]

I have not blanketed any of mine either. It can in fact be counter productive, from what I have been told, as the thick woolies trap air to help keep them warm. When you add the blanket, it flattens out the coat so you lose that air insulation. It has been -20 or so with a nasty wind chill this year here and my minis have been fine. Good luck!

Barb

 

[Ellen]

Good Luck Celia, I hope Clavin picks up alittle for you. I don't blanket, only the weanlings sometimes. Or someone who is up under themselves and cold. And it is 8 degrees here. Everyone still wants to play. So please keep us informed.

 

[Celia]

Okay, update:

~Temperature: First time was 99.2F, the second time was 98.8F.

~Gut sounds are okay.

~Manure: Not a lot in the last day or so. It seems more....I don't really know how to describe it...not loose, but...who know's, it might just be because it hasn't had the chance to freeze yet today like the manure-icecubes I'm used to this time of the year.

~Gum color: This is what is most concerning me. It is not it's usual color. I will include I pic I just went out and took.

Mind you, being a rescue, he has really bad teeth...they were just done in July for probably the 1st or maybe 2nd time in his 9-year-old life. When I looked inside his mouth, he seems to have some build-up of food in between his top back molars. The vet who did his teeth already noticed this when she came this summer and said it was not affecting him, but to keep an eye on it, and I'm wondering if the build-up is increasing. But again, he is eating everything else but his hay...would that still apply because maybe the grain (and treats!) are easier to chew?

Sorry that it's a really crummy picture...hope it will still give you an idea.



~Celia

 

[Calekio]

I have a rescue miniature who doesn't winter well. He is currently rugged with 3 blackets on and neck cover at night, and 2 during the day and i dare say he's going to get more before the winter is out. We have a similiar problem that when he gets cold he won't eat anything but hay being the first thing to do.. last year we nearly lost him as didn't catch him in time before he ended up skin and bone.. this year i'm watching him like a hawk!! my vet is puzzled but has says he obviously can't control his body temperature and needs blankets to keep him warm. We did loads of test last year and came back with nothing..

This year he is on fattening feed and has just started to go off his hay but likes his hard feed still so i instead of hay i give him ad-lib high fibre cubes which is a hay replacer (not sure what is similar to that over there.. i'm in uk)

He is currently holding his own weight wise and looking well, out in the field during the day and runs around like a nutter playing with the other ponies so is ok in himself...

I would get the vet to look into it and see is there is anything wrong with him to cause this but in the mean time try and keep him warm and make sure he is eating.

 

[Miniv]

I'd have his teeth checked once more........ Something tells me that he's in DISCOMFORT, not cold.

I doubt it's an ulcer, BUT....... (Usually a horse with ulcers won't eat grain.)

I check a horse for coldness inside their "armpit". Also, we rarely blanket - just for the same reason that has been posted - blankets often interfere with a horse's natural winter coat insulation. We do blanket when a horse is ill or their coat has been clipped for show.

In the meantime, it wouldn't hurt to serve him a warm beet pulp mash with or without his grain..... You could also add some grass or alfalfa pellets and soak them in......... You definitely want to make sure he's eating enough or you could be facing a whole different set of problems.

 

[Celia]

Okay, two parts to this post

One: The Update

Dr. M came out to see Calvin. His temperature was back up to 99.8 I think it was, and his respiratory rate was normal...but she was a bit concerned about his off color in his gums. An impaction, maybe? She said to watch in the next 24 hours for healthy manure product/passing, water consumption, etc. We also gave him one mini-dose of banamine. In the meantime, I am feeding him small amounts of hay (which he suddenly is craving again...I am so confused) that I soak first, table salt, and wetted down grain.

Two: Complications

I dunno...he's only passed manure twice or perhaps three SMALL times since I did his stall at around 6.00 this morning (now it is 7.15pm here). But it seems pretty normal...I mean, it's frozen...kinda difficult to analyze the moistness/consistancy of frozen droppings...

But for sure they are tight, collected rounds, not diarrhea...

Then, I just went out and gave him a treat before dinner...(Mind you I have no idea if this applies to anything, it was just something out of the ordinary/something that I've never noticed before, so I'm mentioning it here)...It was like he was salivating...it was slimey...not really mucusy, but...just slimey and gross even for me. (It was from his mouth; his nose was clean.) I grabbed a paper towel and wiped his gums/front teeth and the paper towel came out all yellow and...just...blech. What on earth is going on here???

Please help!

~C

 

[REO]

You need to clean out the old rotting hay and feed that is stuck in wads between his cheeks and gums. That is what is bothering him. I'm surprized the vet did not do it.

His slobber is caused by the old junk in his mouth. Leaving hay/feed to moulder will rot his teeth and make his gums sore, a horse eats by moving the jaws sideways to grind. If it hurts to do that, they won't.

If you need to twitch him to do this, go ahead. But I don't on mine. With his rump against a fence. Open his mouth, holding his "bars" (bottom jaw) in your left hand so his mouth is open. With your right hand in his mouth, stick your fingers up & in the LEFT side (crosswise) and dig out the junk that is stuck in there. It will smell really bad! And then use your right hand to get the junk out from the left side.

I do this gently and am able because my horses trust me. If you can't do it, please have the vet do it.

I learned about this many years ago when we got some hay that was full of stickers and my foals cheeks/gums were full and sore. (yes it was slimey!) They were glad when I cleaned them out!

Good luck!!

 

[StellaLenoir]

You need to clean out the old rotting hay and feed that is stuck in wads between his cheeks and gums. That is what is bothering him. I'm surprized the vet did not do it.
His slobber is caused by the old junk in his mouth. Leaving hay/feed to moulder will rot his teeth and make his gums sore, a horse eats by moving the jaws sideways to grind. If it hurts to do that, they won't.

If you need to twitch him to do this, go ahead. But I don't on mine. With his rump against a fence. Open his mouth, holding his "bars" (bottom jaw) in your left hand so his mouth is open. With your right hand in his mouth, stick your fingers up & in the LEFT side (crosswise) and dig out the junk that is stuck in there. It will smell really bad! And then use your right hand to get the junk out from the left side.

I do this gently and am able because my horses trust me. If you can't do it, please have the vet do it.

I learned about this many years ago when we got some hay that was full of stickers and my foals cheeks/gums were full and sore. (yes it was slimey!) They were glad when I cleaned them out!

Good luck!!

This is such good info! Thank you Reo!

 

[REO]

It's what we've experienced. The wads stink and get slimey.

It takes some gentleness and sweet talking but it can be done.

Now when I see little bumps on the sides of a face, I get the wads out. Once those "pockets" form, it tends to gather food stuffs. Some horses that have sharp edges and they may actually stick hay there themselves to ease the hurt to their gums from the teeth.

I was just thinking that, even if this isn't what this boys trouble is, getting the wads out is still a good idea. That's all.

Just trying to help

 

[RhineStone]

Wow, I've never heard of that. Celia, it's a good thing that you posted that little bit of info that "might not have mattered".

 

[bevann]

I would also try giving him some warm molasses soup.Just put about 2 tablespoons of molasses in about 4 cups of very hot water.Let it cool a bit and then offer it to your guy.It will give him water intake and also add a bit of internal warmth.I have 1 who doesn't drink much in very cold weather even from a heated bucket.It sure helps prevent a possible impaction in this cold weather.I call it molasses soup.My horses love it.Warm soupybeet pulp might also help good luck and keep us posted.

 

[Field-of-Dreams]

You need to clean out the old rotting hay and feed that is stuck in wads between his cheeks and gums. That is what is bothering him. I'm surprized the vet did not do it.
His slobber is caused by the old junk in his mouth. Leaving hay/feed to moulder will rot his teeth and make his gums sore, a horse eats by moving the jaws sideways to grind. If it hurts to do that, they won't.

If you need to twitch him to do this, go ahead. But I don't on mine. With his rump against a fence. Open his mouth, holding his "bars" (bottom jaw) in your left hand so his mouth is open. With your right hand in his mouth, stick your fingers up & in the LEFT side (crosswise) and dig out the junk that is stuck in there. It will smell really bad! And then use your right hand to get the junk out from the left side.

I do this gently and am able because my horses trust me. If you can't do it, please have the vet do it.

I learned about this many years ago when we got some hay that was full of stickers and my foals cheeks/gums were full and sore. (yes it was slimey!) They were glad when I cleaned them out!

Good luck!!

Could you use a dosing syringe and flush them, too? Using warm water, maybe slightly salted? We have the big metal one with the long tube and it works wonderfully!

Lucy

 

[krissy3]

These are great posts, I am learning a lot ...so thanks for posting. We had a batch of hay with barbed seed heads ,that got stuck in one little horses gums...same thing happend , and after he was off feed for a few days because his gums were soar. If he is "sensitive "it could just be the hay in the back of his mouth bothering him and setting everything off kilter . I have a Donkey like that, sort of" princess and the pea" thing going on there, if something little is bothering him everything else seems to bother him too. I think you have figured things out pretty much , but as far as blankets ...this is my situation and how I deal with horses and weather.

2 shetlands definatly dont need blankets , The 30 year old donkey needs one whether he wants it or not. They sleep in a warm stall without blankets. The stall is warmer then my house actually. (maybe I need 4 horses in my bedroom) when I come in to feed suppliments at 7 am I open the door to add cold air into the stall so they can adjust to the temp outside. Then blankets on the old one and young one until the sun comes up, then i take off the blankets so they can enjoy the sun. Seems to be working so far. hope this helps.

 

[REO]

I don't know Lucy. Depends on how you do it?

The thing is, when I find wads, they are packed up in there tight and I can hardly get them out with my finger. I have to really dig! You'd have to squirt mighty hard and might asparate the horse? And if it's hay that's been there a while, it'll be fermented and I'm not sure I'd want my horse swallowing that! The stuff is so stinky, the smell doesn't wash off! PEW!

I get them out with one finger making the "come here" gesture.

Once I took a young one to the vet. I wanted him to look at her teeth since she was so young and was getting wads all the time. I said she keeps getting wads. She has some now. He looked in her mouth and said she didn't have any wads. I went and pulled a fat wad from each side. The LOOK on his face! LOL!

 

[targetsmom]

I had to use the "flush out the mouth with syringe of water" technique when one of ours got hurt as a weanling. She had facial nerve damage and couldn't chew properly, so food got stuck in her mouth. I also pulled out the wads of food with my hand, but you need to be careful not to get bitten!!! I did this several times a day - you could see the food wads on one side, making her look like a chipmunk.

Good luck with him!!

BTW, in her case (Princess), she was also unable to close her eye or move her ear on that side of her face for about a month, but she did heal completely.