Old Horse Is Very Skinny??? Help.?

Question

We recently rescued a old horse a year ago. When we brought him home he was in horrible condition. Bad Skin, Bad Teeth, Skinny, etc. Now he recieves a scoop and a half of equine senior everyday and grazes 24/4. He is still incredibly skinny (his ribs are showing.) He is around 25 years old. ** Is there anything i can do for him?? maybe like some type of weight builder in his feed?? please any ideas will help. Thanks :)

Answer 1

first thing , give him a dose of wormer.  followed by a second dose about a month later.

also, he probably needs his jaw teeth filed down.  contact a vet about this.

******edit******

older horses can have their jaw teeth at uneven lengths.  the upper teeth do not match up with the lower teeth.  the feed and grass does not get chewed properly for digestion.  the feed just passes through their bodies without them getting the nutrients from it.  the remedy is have their teeth filed.  it is a diffucult job, to be done only by a professional.  a lot of times the horse has to be sedated to do it.  horses do not tolerate sedation very well.

Answer 2

you know your question reminds me of my dog i feed him but he is  so skinny  i don't want anybody to think i miss treat  him i suggest to call the vet.  and ask him what to do there might be a liquid thats thicker and has more fat

Answer 3

Feed it as many pounds of as you can. =) That will help. Plus it's old, and it never used to be having an owner, so yeah. It COULD have a disease. 1 out of a million though. =)

Best of luck

Answer 4

I have rescued many horses that were near death. It can take a long while to get them back as their body inside is also recovering.

I dont know the size of the scoop you are using but I would suspect that just a scoop and half only once a day is not nearly enough for this horse.  He most likely needs to be fed 2 -3 times a day because of his condition as well as his age.

You may also have to have bloodwork done to see if he has developed other issues as well.

IF you havent wormed him a while i would suggest this as well but after you confer with your vet as if the horse is way underweight  and using too harsh a wormer can cause immense other issues even death.

In my experience if you happen to be feeding Purina equine senior , in rehabilitating horses it really is a waste of money. Purina has not been very good for us at all in doing this.Although some love Purina we dont care for their products at all.

I would try increasing the horses grain and feed him 2 times a day at least. but you will have to increase his grain gradually or you will run the risk of colic.

Soybean oil or soybean meal is very good for adding weight safely and does not make a horse hyper. Soybean oil you give 1 ounce 2 times a day, soybean meal 1/2 lb a day to start and increase up to one pound , this is added to its grain, not feed soley.

Being on Pasture 24/7 is great BUT with his age he may not be able to properly chew the grass for good digestion. if you see wads of grass or hay laying around that is probably the case and you will need to replace his forage intake another way.

there are so many options out there for you. high fat feeds, beet pulp etc.

I have many links on our website http://www.windwalkerstables.com and click links scroll down and their is a specific article on feeding a starved horse, etc.

As for the person that commented and said  "feed it" you are a moron, this person is actually asking for help and suggestions not just looking to add yahooanswer points as obviously you are.

A word of Caution. i see someone mentioned using RED CELL , be very careful, if the grain you are feeding has selenium added, using red cell can be toxic as red cell also has selenium and when added with the feed amount the levels are WAY too high.

Answer 5

I assume you've already taken the step of getting him good vet care.  Make sure those old teeth are in as good condition as possible so that he's not having trouble eating his grain due to dental problems.  Then go to your local farm supply store and get a jug of Red Cell to add to his feed.  It's a vitamin/mineral supplement with plenty of B vitamins to help stimulate his appetite.  You might want to increase the amount of grain he's getting and be sure it has plenty of corn in it for the extra carbohydrates.  Elderly horses are bound to be a bit on the thin side which isn't necessarily bad unless he is looking downright skeletal.  Keeping him a little on the light side make not look quite as good, but it will be a lot more comfortable on the old fella's joints.  Best of luck!

Answer 6

I would first make sure there are no health issues that may be keeping the horse from digesting properly or gaining weight... this web site has some info that may be very helpful.

Answer 7

If the horse is 25 and was in bad shape when you got him, chances are you wont get him to pick up. As horses get older their teeth get worse which leads to weight loss.

You can try a weight builder in his feed but he will never be " a normal" weight because of age and the condition he was when you got him but KUDOS to you for helping an old horse in need

Good Luck

Answer 8

It sounds like he may have some kind of parasite- but those can also be signs of malnutrition as well.

As far as helping him bulk up, I have found that beet pulp may help, but you need to soak it overnight- about 2 parts water per 1 part of pulp. You want to make sure you don't feed it without having soaked it first, as it can rapidly expand in your horse's stomach and that will be BAD. Feed two or three times daily.

You may also want to consider adding some oil to the diet, and perhaps desanding him. Horses can eat dirt and sand as they graze, which builds up in their intestines which can cause weight loss. I have used metamucil, but there are other products made specifically for horses.

Perhaps check his feet. If his hooves aren't trimmed properly, it may be painful for him to stand and eat in the field. Have his teeth checked too, as it may be tough for him to chew. You may also want to try giving small amounts of alfalfa hay throughout the day, along with a salt block to get his electrolytes in better balance.

You don't want the horse to gain weight too fast though. (~ 20-25 lbs per week max)

Answer 9

I know excactley what you mean!!!! I have my own horse that is old and when we got her she was really skinny! Now she looks great.         If he has bad teeth, I would recomend to soak the senior feed with water. That way he can chew it better. I would also try gradually giving him more amounts of food each day. There is also fat supplement that you could give him. I don't remember what the name of the stuff was . I got it at the local mill. You could ask people at your mill for some fat supplement. Good luck!!