gibsongrrl
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I need some advice on my underweight mini mare.
A little background. Sugar is about 5 years old. I sold her and my donkey a couple years ago, and ended up buying them back this past November. When I sold her she looked wonderful...when I got her back she and her donkey friend, Sparky, were pretty morbidly obese.
I was a little freaked because my Fjord pony almost foundered last year and I knew these guys were on the brink of founder. I fed them little grain, but gave them free choice hay and minerals over the winter. Well, I didn't realize what a picky eater Sugar was and she lost more weight than I wanted over the winter.
I'm ashamed that I did not catch it sooner, but now she is looking much better. I've found a feed that she loves, and I'm going to start adding a little whole oats (good idea?) to help put some more weight on her. I have started lunging her VERY lightly, as she has lost muscle tone as well. I can tell she is getting better as she is getting a healthy belly, but still weak in the topline.
She has been dewormed regularly, vet was out in the Spring and said her teeth were OK. HOWEVER...I do not think her teeth are OK. Vet is new and I just don't like her. So I do plan to call soon and have another vet come and do her teeth.
Anyway....I noticed the other day that something didn't look quite right about Sugar, that her neck sure looked skinny. And I am so sad to say that her crest has fallen. I have researched some threads on here and some of you say it can't be corrected, some say it has corrected itself. I don't show her, so I'm not worried about appearances, but I am so upset with myself for not catching all of this sooner. I THOUGHT I had caught it...but why did her crest fall? Malnutrition? If you could see my other horses....they are NOT malnourished.
So this morning I clipped her mane and braided on the offside, and I'm going to finish body clipping her this afternoon, so I can REALLY see what's under there.
Do you guys think I should roach her mane? I'd hate to, but if it might help, I'm certainly not above it. Her mane is going to grow back in incredibly funky anyway, thanks to my lovely clip job from this morning.
Do you have any other advice? She is not on pasture right now, but she gets 1-2 hours of grazing outside the drylot a day. I'm working towards putting them on pasture, but it will still be a few weeks away.
I'm feeding her the new Purina Wellsolve, lowstarch formula...approx. 4-5 cups a day (she LOVES it), with free choice hay (which she is picky about) and I think I want to add some whole oats. I tried adding BOSS, but she turns her nose at it. And I feel like she'll turn her nose up at beetpulp as well.
I'm getting ready to leave for work, but I'll be back on this afternoon. I don't post here very often, but I have learned a lot from reading here, and I would appreciate some input/advice.
Thanks so much!
Kristie Strange
[email protected]
A little background. Sugar is about 5 years old. I sold her and my donkey a couple years ago, and ended up buying them back this past November. When I sold her she looked wonderful...when I got her back she and her donkey friend, Sparky, were pretty morbidly obese.
I was a little freaked because my Fjord pony almost foundered last year and I knew these guys were on the brink of founder. I fed them little grain, but gave them free choice hay and minerals over the winter. Well, I didn't realize what a picky eater Sugar was and she lost more weight than I wanted over the winter.
I'm ashamed that I did not catch it sooner, but now she is looking much better. I've found a feed that she loves, and I'm going to start adding a little whole oats (good idea?) to help put some more weight on her. I have started lunging her VERY lightly, as she has lost muscle tone as well. I can tell she is getting better as she is getting a healthy belly, but still weak in the topline.
She has been dewormed regularly, vet was out in the Spring and said her teeth were OK. HOWEVER...I do not think her teeth are OK. Vet is new and I just don't like her. So I do plan to call soon and have another vet come and do her teeth.
Anyway....I noticed the other day that something didn't look quite right about Sugar, that her neck sure looked skinny. And I am so sad to say that her crest has fallen. I have researched some threads on here and some of you say it can't be corrected, some say it has corrected itself. I don't show her, so I'm not worried about appearances, but I am so upset with myself for not catching all of this sooner. I THOUGHT I had caught it...but why did her crest fall? Malnutrition? If you could see my other horses....they are NOT malnourished.
So this morning I clipped her mane and braided on the offside, and I'm going to finish body clipping her this afternoon, so I can REALLY see what's under there.
Do you guys think I should roach her mane? I'd hate to, but if it might help, I'm certainly not above it. Her mane is going to grow back in incredibly funky anyway, thanks to my lovely clip job from this morning.
Do you have any other advice? She is not on pasture right now, but she gets 1-2 hours of grazing outside the drylot a day. I'm working towards putting them on pasture, but it will still be a few weeks away.
I'm feeding her the new Purina Wellsolve, lowstarch formula...approx. 4-5 cups a day (she LOVES it), with free choice hay (which she is picky about) and I think I want to add some whole oats. I tried adding BOSS, but she turns her nose at it. And I feel like she'll turn her nose up at beetpulp as well.
I'm getting ready to leave for work, but I'll be back on this afternoon. I don't post here very often, but I have learned a lot from reading here, and I would appreciate some input/advice.
Thanks so much!
Kristie Strange
[email protected]