Do you think he's improving?

[chubbydog811]

I'm stressing again. He's kind of plateaued since the last pics and may have lost a few pounds too. The horrible heat has decreased his appetite. He's super sensitive to the flies and even with a garlic and ACV, fly sheet, mask and fly spray, he has full body convulsions trying to get one little fly off of him! Meanwhile the other horses, with no fly protection are just swishing their tails (even my mare whom I thought was really fly sensitive, I guess NOT when compared to this guy!) He rubs himself on anything and everything and ends up with cuts and scratches all over himself without a fly sheet.

I have him in the barn during the day with fans on him now and I have a hard time getting him to eat anything during the day. I'm going to bathe him today with fly repellent shampoo. I don't know what else to do? This horse is so high maintainance! I'm really getting bummed out.

My TB doesn't look much better than your guy (though my guy's butt is a little more filled out with muscle), and you wouldn't believe the amount of hay, grain and weight builder we feed! I hate seeing a skinny horse, but some horses are just naturally "skinny".
I'll be honest and say his hind end needs some more weight/muscle, but other than that, I wouldn't worry too much, he looks fine. My horse ALWAYS has ribs showing. It's impossible to get the fat there.
I wouldn't get too discouraged, you just have a hard keeper that is most likely always going to be on the thin side.

What type of grain are you feeding? The only grain we have tried so far that gets any amount of weight on our hard keepers is a Blue Seal feed called Sentinel LT (lifetime). It also has added joint/hoof supplement. We also feed beet pulp on top of that.

As far as the flies, can't do much more for a sensitive horse! My TB (he's the priss of the barn if you couldn't tell) is so sensitive, that he freaks out at his hair touching his ears. I haven't found anything to help with the flies past what you are doing.

Anyway, best thing to do is just relax and know you are doing the most you possibly can to get him better! Rescue horses always seem to take longer to get back to good health, especially when they were really bad off to start. It took a good year on a warmblood mare I rescued before I could take her out without people saying I wasn't feeding her enough.

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

He looks miles better than he did in the first pic! You are definitely doing something right! I wouldn't worry as much and just let him develop at his own pace.

 

[dianneS]

Okay, I'm not as stressed anymore. I took some pics of the big guy today and I actually see some improvement in his back side from about three weeks ago!

I've given him time off to be a pasture potato and just take in calories, but its not really helping. Its time to start building muscle... long slow miles and gradual conditioning for his topline. I've decided to put him on Sentinel Senior feed and farnam weight builder. I'm sticking with that and giving it plenty of time to see results. On the days that he gets worked, he'll get some extra protein in the form of alfalfa pellets and some oats for energy. That's the plan for now.... I'll be back in a month with another update!

Today:

His Backside Today:

His Backside about three and a half weeks ago:

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

If you look at the picture you posted today and the one on the first page or two you can see a HUGE difference. He looks great!

 

[FlaRocky]

Big improvement!!!!!!


Remember it will take as looong as it takes..... So no biggie!!!!!

He is getting there.... But, he is taking his own sweet time about it.....



Maye

 

[GLENMAR]

 

[dianneS]

What type of grain are you feeding? The only grain we have tried so far that gets any amount of weight on our hard keepers is a Blue Seal feed called Sentinel LT (lifetime). It also has added joint/hoof supplement. We also feed beet pulp on top of that.

I did check out the Sentinel LT formula, but opted for the senior feed at this time because I'm taking into consideration any digestive/metabolic/teeth etc issues, and the senior feed seems to address that. Plus his history of choking... The senior feed is only 5.5% fat so I'm adding more fat to his diet too. Hopefully with the right kind of conditioning program I will finally hit on a winning combination!

 

[dianneS]

Well, no major weight gain yet, but certainly a change in attitude and energy level! Perhaps this senior feed is going to do the trick?

Normally this horse is eager to get in the barn in the morning, eat his breakfast and snooze all day. This morning, he was grazing when I went out to get him, he ate his breakfast and wanted back out in the pasture! (Now it is raining, cooler and no bugs right now, but he's never begged to go out like this before, even in cool weather)

I turned him out with the other horses and he took off at a serious full out racehorse gallop! He rounded the end of the pasture and threw a few big bucks just for fun and galloped some more!

He has NEVER done anything like this since he's been here. He was so full of energy today! It was great to see. I don't think he behaved that way for the rescue either. They reiterated several times how "laid back" he is. He will run with the herd, if the rest of them get going, but he's never just galloped and bucked of his own accord. I'm hoping we're on the right track now!

 

[FlaRocky]

Well, no major weight gain yet, but certainly a change in attitude and energy level! Perhaps this senior feed is going to do the trick?

Normally this horse is eager to get in the barn in the morning, eat his breakfast and snooze all day. This morning, he was grazing when I went out to get him, he ate his breakfast and wanted back out in the pasture! (Now it is raining, cooler and no bugs right now, but he's never begged to go out like this before, even in cool weather)

I turned him out with the other horses and he took off at a serious full out racehorse gallop! He rounded the end of the pasture and threw a few big bucks just for fun and galloped some more!

He has NEVER done anything like this since he's been here. He was so full of energy today! It was great to see. I don't think he behaved that way for the rescue either. They reiterated several times how "laid back" he is. He will run with the herd, if the rest of them get going, but he's never just galloped and bucked of his own accord. I'm hoping we're on the right track now!

Hip Hip Hooray!!!!!!!!

It will take as long as it takes......

Maye

 

[dianneS]

Its just one thing after another with this horse. He's like a hot-house flower.

He had rain rot when he got here in the winter and I got it to clear up with his spring shed. We had a little, teeny bit of rain recently and the horses stayed out in it because prior to the rain, we had terribly hot weather. They were enjoying the showers and the cool weather.

Well, now this guy has rain rot again, that quickly. It just appeared out of nowhere! He doesn't have any big scabs or broken skin, but his hair came out with a light currying. I tried the listerine trick. I'm going to bathe him with Hibiclens. But its rainy today again, and humid. After the rain stopped and I groomed and treated his skin, he went right outside and rolled in the mud! I don't want to put a rain sheet on him because I fear that may make it worse.

I think he may need an immune booster? He's just so darn fragile and susceptible to EV-ER-Y THING! I just don't know what to try?