My new motto: Owning minis is not for sissies!

[wingnut]

My farrier was out tonight. Love this guy and his wife to pieces. They have been such a great resource as farrier and as former mini owners themselves. I've been starting to be concerned with our 4 yr old. She's always leaned on the heavy side more than the rest and recently I noticed her neck get thick. Looking to be what I've read as "cresty". When I brought her out for her turn, the farrier's wife immediately confirmed my concerns and said if she was in my position, this horse would not be on the pasture at all. Muzzle or no muzzle.

::::: sigh ::::: I know this is for the best but I'm one of those classic softies that just feel bad for my horse not getting to do what should be natural. But I trust this woman's advice and the advice I've read here and elsewhere over the years, so no more pasture for this girl. I'm really glad I followed my instincts to move to a ration balancer just 6 weeks ago. And we have two others who could go this direction without much of a push so she won't be left in the dry lot/paddock area alone. And of course, grass hay.

Then, she and one other of my girls acted just AWFUL. They have never behaved so badly...something I was a bit proud of because we weren't a farm with "those" kind of horses that farriers and the like dread to visit. Well, I'm going to have he** of a bruise on my chest because of one girl rearing up and knocking me good. Another did the same and got my arm. Something must have been in the air. Or more likely, my fat little piggies are just not being worked with enough and they've become down right disrespectful. Of course, after having my hubby come out to hold the last two horses, they were good as gold. I knew I was too shaken by that point to continue being the "header". The farriers wife is 8 months pregnant, so there was no way I would let her get anywhere near them once they started behaving like heathens.

LASTLY, the 14 yr old has the beginnings of white line separation. I'm going to start researching to see if this is part of the Cushings we're thinking she has, a side effect of her overall terrible condition (remember she's barely a 3 right now on the body score scale) or something completely different. Obviously, the vet and I will be talking about this when she calls with the blood work results.

I think I need a drink

 

[Riverrose28]

I hear you! My hubby is my farrier, and most of mine have been getting somthing done to their feet since they were three weeks old and held in my lap, but everyonce in a while one will get a bee in their bonnet and decide to act like a fool! I feel your pain about your skinny mare, I bought one too, she is good for her feet, but I'm about to pull her from her little herd and put her in her own paddock. She so needs more groceries and a vet check for blood work. When the vet looked at her early in the spring she said yes she is thin but not emaciated. Well now she has hip bones sticking out, and I'm concerned. They do have a way to get to you, and no having any kind of equine is not for the faint of heart.

 

[chandab]

LASTLY, the 14 yr old has the beginnings of white line separation. I'm going to start researching to see if this is part of the Cushings we're thinking she has, a side effect of her overall terrible condition (remember she's barely a 3 right now on the body score scale) or something completely different. Obviously, the vet and I will be talking about this when she calls with the blood work results.

Unfortunately, yes; hoof issues tend to come with Cushings; so laminitis (laminitis I'm sure of) and I'm sure white line disease are likely. so far, knock on wood, my Cushings gelding has very good hooves, but I know that can change at a moment's notice.

 

[Cricket8]

I always thought white line was from a wet stall. I never knew those two things went together.

 

[chandab]

I always thought white line was from a wet stall. I never knew those two things went together.

In a normal horse, yes wet stall and such is the most likely culprit; but with a Cushings horse, they are more prone to hoof issues regardless of the ground conditions.

 

[barnbum]

I went through the no pasture thing too. It's a painful process. Horses just look better when they are standing on grass!

It happened the year we finally could have all five together, so I thought with control over gates on all five pastures I had this too much grass/too fat horses under 100% control. It was super dry and all gates were open--there's about 1.3 acres tops of pasture--then it rained. There was so little grass I decided to leave all gates open for the day. Rosie was off when I got home, and the next morning she didn't want to walk. Hooves weren't warm, but farrier confirmed laminitis (unofficially). I put poles up with white tape and used Round-Up on a middle pasture. Horses had to stay off it for three weeks and then we rototilled it. I spent $300 on muzzles for everyone, but she couldn't handle that. We Rounded-Up another small pasture, and then another. Finally we made the back pasture tiny so there's only one very small area with grass. I let 3/5 horses on it for 30-40 min every other day--and let Rosie and Chloe on for the last five minutes. They get a 1/4 cup of timothy pellets while the others are on grass, which makes them feel special.

After a year she had grown a whole new hoof-so she's 100% perfect now.

At a clinic a few years ago, I asked the vet about fat minis, and he said the only thing that works for minis, in his opinion, are dry lots. I have to say--my horses have never looked better.

 

[targetsmom]

Yep, dry lots for all except the mares & foals. We have a cresty necked mare who was tested and is insulin resistant. You might want to have the test done or just adjust her feed as if she were IR. NO GRASS, and a diet of grass hay and a ration balancer, or in her case (she is an all around show horse), a low starch grain and beet pulp without molasses. She is also on Remission to reduce the risk of founder. She is not overweight, just has the heavy crest and fat near her udder. Good luck!

 

[ruffian]

I wonder if their feet were painful and having to stand on 3 set them off?? Possibly early founder?

 

[wingnut]

Based on the vet and farrier's input, this horse has had no signs of founder in the 3 years I've had her. In fact, the farrier commented on how soft her feet were this time. She's always had nice hard feet.

We have a sizeable dry lot. The horses are on it more hours than they are on the pasture. Using it more won't be difficult to do.

I just have to keep looking for the best answers and solutions. An increased level of exercise for all needs to become a priority for me.

 

[MountainWoman]

<p>I understand what you're going through with your girl who has gained weight. For the first time this year, same thing happened to one of my mares. I started using a grazing muzzle which she doesn't mind but I decided to pull her out of the pasture and put her on a dry lot when I didn't notice much improvement with the muzzle. I'm like you because I like seeing them out in the field but it wasn't working for her any longer and she has a buddy with her and neither seem to mind the dry lot.

Sounds as though you had quite a day yesterday. Hope you got that drink!

 

[little lady]

Cheers to you for being on top of things. Mine are "usually" so good for their feet trimmings that the farrier will give me a good horse discount but key word here is "usually" they have had their moments also. With your exceptionally easy keep you may want to test for insulin resistance or at least confer with your vet about it. Best of luck and don't be so hard on yourself. We have bad days too!