Summer – 11/08/09

Summer is between one and two years old and she’s been starved for quite some time.  She’s a sweet little mare that’s just dying to get some food and affection.  She was turned out with a stud colt (Traveler), so we’re hoping she’s not pregnant.   Considering her age and health, it’s not likely.

She wasn’t strong enough to go out with the main herd when she got here today, so she’s out in the back pasture with Flo, Stride, Sadie, and Shane.  They sniffed noses with her, then ignored her.  She was doing her best to become invisible, but after eating dinner around everyone she warmed up to them and now she’s out there eating hay next to Stride.

I gave her a 250lb dose of Ivermectin when she stepped off the trailer and will follow up with another 250lb dose in a week.  I’m starting her out on 2 cups soaked beet pulp and 2 cups senior feed.  The poor girl is covered in rain rot under that winter coat, so it looks like I’ll be picking up some more antifungal spray tomorrow.

The idiots that had her apparently didn’t realize that young horses grow.  Imagine that!  You mean if you’re stupid enough to leave halters on 24/7 that you actually have to adjust the halters as the horse gets bigger?

The first thing we did when we got her on the trailer was to take off her old halter and give her a bigger one to wear.  I took that one off her once she was here and I’ll clean up and treat those sores tomorrow.

Hopefully because of her age, she’ll be back up to a healthy weight and hanging with Kenzie and Maggie in no time!

Traveler – 11/08/09

Traveler is a two year old stud colt.  We have no idea what his breeding is, but he’s probably a Quarterhorse or QH cross.  He’s also starved and full of worms, but is otherwise a very sweet boy.

He’s in the quarantine paddock with the other gelding wannabes for now, and so far he’s getting along great with Timmy. 

I’m starting him out on 1qt beet pulp and 1/2 qt senior.  He got a 300lb dose of Ivermectin when he got here and I’ll follow up with another dose in a week.  I will probably also put him and the other three that came with him on Strongid C for 8 weeks, just to make sure we get everything.

His halter was way too tight and he has the same sores that Summer has, just not quite as bad as hers.  His halter had plenty of room to adjust, so that’s the first thing we did once he was on the trailer.

Isn’t that the cutest little marking you’ve ever seen??

Timmy – 11/06/09

It’s only been one week since Timmy arrived here, but I think he’s looking a little better already. 

 

He still has a long way to go, but the fact that he’s doing better after a week is a good sign.  He’s up to 2qts beet pulp, 2qts equine senior, and 1qt rice bran four times a day.

The love affair between Timmy and Maverick is over and the two no longer play together.  Maverick and Sky are best buds, and Timmy seems to think Buddy and Quill are the bestest little buddies he’s ever had.  He even let them share his meal the one time I forgot to tie them up before I fed him.  He’s such a big sweetie!

Shane – 10/31/09

Shane is a 13yo Thoroughbred gelding, about 16.1h, who came to us from a college student in Clarksburg. 

He’s a sweet, easy going guy who loves attention and is supposed to be wonderful under saddle and kid-safe.

It’ll be at least another 250lbs before I try and put a saddle on him.

He has only had pasture and hay for awhile, so I’ll start the reintroduction to grain slowly.  I gave him 1qt beet pulp and 1/2qt equine senior before putting him out for the night and will keep that up for the next few days, three times a day, and see how it goes.  I’ll throw in corn oil, a little rice bran, and Source tomorrow.  Doc is hopefully (that man is soooooo busy!) coming out next week to geld Buddy and Quill, so I’ll have him float the fangs that Shane has in his mouth as well. 

Timmy – 10/30/09

Timmy is a 17 year old Thoroughbred stallion, about 16.2 hands.  He’s about 400lbs underweight, but his blood work checks out okay so the only thing he should need is food and farrier work.  His feet are dry, cracked, and overgrown, and he’s lame on his right front with heat radiating down from the outside of his ankle down to his hoof.  He’s got an old ankle injury there, but since he was sound two days ago and the heat in his hoof is only on the lateral quarter, I’m hoping all I’ll find is an abscess.

Timmy was checked out by a vet in Virginia before he was brought to Horse Haven Holler.  The vet said his teeth are fine and the blood work came back mostly normal, with a few moderately high levels that the vet said were probably no cause for concern.  At the time of his rescue, Timmy was not strong enough to make the long haul from Virginia, so he stayed where he was for a week and grew stronger on a diet of just grass and hay. 

I’ll be starting him out on five feedings a day.  He’ll get Strongid C to gently take care of any worm load, Source for additional nutrition, and corn oil for added calories and to shine up that dull coat.  He’ll start out on 1/2qt beet pulp and 1/2qt senior feed at each feeding.

I’ll be applying Hoof Heal to those feet every four days, and if he’s strong enough to stand for the farrier next week, he’ll get a much needed trim.

 

Hopefully in a few weeks he’ll be strong enough to be gelded -- which will also help pack on the pounds!

Lilo – 10/27/09

This might just be as good as it gets for Lilo.

The ribs are still there, they’re just slowly being covered by her winter coat instead of a layer of fat. 

I think her barrel is sticking out just a touch more to each side than it was when she got here, but that could just be me doing some wishful thinking.

She’s just wishing I’d go away and stop taking pictures while she’s eating.  Poor mare… she won’t eat if I’m standing too close to her or paying any attention to her.  She’ll just stand over her bucket instead, head held high, just waiting for something awful to happen.  She will only want attention once the food is gone.  I sure wish she could tell me exactly what’s happened to her in the past to make her such a nervous girl.

I’ve done some more diet changes since last time because she’s such a picky eater! 

2qts Purina Strategy pellet, 2qt Purina Equine Senior, 2qt pelleted rice bran three times a day.

She stopped eating her food if it had corn oil, Red Cell, Weight Builder, or Source in it.  I wonder when she’ll decide she no longer likes Strategy or Senior?

Lilo – 09/19/09

I got nothing.  I’m only doing an update because it’s been a month, not because this mare has gained any weight.  Ugh.

She’s still very “wired”.  Even after our evening bonding session a couple of weeks ago, she’s very high-strung.  She’s friendly towards me, but sometimes the simplest things get her going, head high in the air, trotting around the pasture like a grand prix dressage horse.  It’s times like those when Sadie and Stride simply stand in the middle of her wild circles, watching her go, and probably wondering what the deal is.

She’s still being fed three times a day:  2qts rice bran pellets, 2qts rolled oats, 2qts hay pellets, corn oil, and plain yogurt.  In the morning I also give her Weight Builder and Source – all soaked and mixed up into a really lovely mash that she dives into with gusto. 

Wait, yogurt?  No, I haven’t lost my mind.  Yet.  Doc suggested it for another horse, as a way to stabilize the bacteria in her digestive tract and hopefully get more nutrients into her body instead of letting them pass – even though that does keep the chickens happy.  So I’m trying it on Lilo as well and hopefully… maybe… she’ll start putting on weight. 

Oh, and on another note, I’ve been calling her Flo.  It just slipped out one day and now I can’t seem to call her Lilo.  I guess all I see is a tall, leggy red head who seems to say “Kiss my grits!” when she’s upset.

Conformational train wreck or not, this mare looks prettier to me every day. :)