need help with rescued colt

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littlearab

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I posted last week about the 5 arab stud colts who were in need of a home last week. I have taken in 2 and contacted a gal who took in 2 and she found a home for the other so all are now in good homes.

The two I took are weanlings, who were weaned every fast(2 weeks ago) and were lets just say starved.In a large drit pen with no hay or feed for the frist few days and then they put grian in but the stallion and older colts in the pen did not let them eat much.

The one colt is eating his hay & feed with great joy he is putting on wieght daily and looking better every day.He is the chestnut.He is very laied back and mellow.

But the other is not,and I'm begining to worry about him. He is the bay he is more high strung ,but not jumpy. He was also the top weanling in age and herd order in the pen. He seems to losing wieght and now he is shedding out? It's fall here and even my grown arab geldings and getting thier winter coats.

He eats hay, can have all he wants, but will not eat the feed. I have been leaving it in the tub and hoping he will try it on his own, but he will not.

If I put some in his mouth he will chew it and but spits most of it out.

He does seem to be doing OK, just not blooming like the other one.

I have not wormed either yet, was told by my vet to let them get eating first and ajust to thier new life then worm ect. I planned on worming them today it's been a week here now and they seem settled in' other then the bay not eating feed.

But wonder if I should hold off worming?

They are freindly and learning fast to come when called, are halter trained now ect. But as the one is not eating feed, I wonder if he needs to be seen by the vet again, or just wait it out and see. I was told by a freind maybe be he just does not like the feed. It's a high end colt feed 25% protien ect, I really think he needs that so he can put on wieght before winter. But if he not eating it it will not help. Maybe just try plain oats?? I hate to try a diffent feed as he did colic the first night. Too many changes for him maybe.

The colts are not together, but can see each other ect. Maybe the one is stressed from being alone?? Or was beat up when he tried to eat grain when they were with the bigger ones and is afraid.. I just do not know. Or could it be a health issue..

Any help will be a God sent.... any ideas or anything??
 
I'm no expert but I have done several rescues and I found that with young horses that aren't used to eating feeding it can take some time for them to start eating it. I have success with sprinkling the feed on top of alfalfa or other really tasty hay. I think it's the texture that young horses aren't used to but once they have tasted sweet feed they will usually come around. I try and worm new horses as soon as possible. I usually start with Pancur or Strongid since they are pretty mild. I wish you all the luck with new beauties and "thank you" for making 2 lives better.
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This is just a suggestion we bought a weanling and she wouldn't eat ..she had been put in with other weanlings and they must have pushed her aside..anyway we started giving Red Cell..It really brought her around ,she started eating and getting more energy...we had tried hand feeding her but it took her almost an hour to finish...when we started her on Red Cell ..which I heared about hear on the forum she really started doing much better..I know now if we hadn't started her on it she probably wouldn't have made it...hope this helps..
 
I would try a slow introduction of oats...I have yet to see a horse turn up thir nose at it... He may nibble at first , but with each feeding they look more and more foward to it.. It is simple and good for them to get them back into accepting grain.. And it is a good source of protien, and not complicated so they are more likely to eat it.. After he accepts it you can try adding something to it, non-gooey like- Purina "Born to Win".- A vitamin supliment
 
i would start giving him a tablespoon of clear karo syrup everyday. this is so good for sick or malnutritioned horses!! It really seems to pick up their appetites. The university here always puts sick or injured horses on karo syrup. Also i would have his teeth checked to make sure there is no problem there. Normally i like equine jr but if a horse doesnt eat it ill use omalene as its really smelly and has molasses which horses love.
 

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