# Speaking of thin horses... old horse blues.



## Tiempo (May 22, 2008)

Looking for suggestions of things I may not have thought of.

We have no idea how old Norman is, he's very old.

He gets free choice hay, we only have nice first cutting right now, second cutting ran out and is very hard to come by because of the drought last summer, still looking.

I make him a mix of sweet feed, Dumor senior pellets and Calf Manna and he gets as much as he will eat, but he will walk away back to hay/grass after about 3-4 pounds, sometimes he will come back for more later, sometimes not.

I've arrived at this mixture as it's what he seems to like best, he's very finicky about grain and has been for as long as I've owned him (12 years.)

24 hour hay/grass just does not keep the weight on him.

We were able to put oil on his feed for a while, but he's decided he won't touch it now, he will leave the grain alone if it has oil, any kind of oil. He will not eat wet feed so soaked beet pulp or alfalfa cubes are out. Will not eat any of the weight gain supplements I've tried.

His teeth are good and floated recently by my great vet, his spring health check was really good for a horse that looks so bad. No arthritis, he gets up and down great and believe it or not still has a lively spring in his step.

In my brain I know that ancient horses are just thin and we are fortunate that he appears to feel great, but my heart hates to see him look like this.

Oh, we've also tried a course of testosterone shots at $75 a pop..no change.

Someone called animal control on us a few weeks ago, I was not surprised, except for perhaps that it took so long...AC came out and was very happy with our care and congratulated us on our efforts, but still...I have to keep trying. 

What have I not thought of?

The sweetest gentleman of a horse in the world.....


----------



## wolffeathers (Dec 20, 2010)

Poor ol' boy, I can understand why you hate to see him like that.

What type of hay does he get? I wonder if it was a different type it would have more nutritional value per pound, since he self-limits. Kind of more quality than quantity if he limits his intake.

They also make feed with cooked grains that's suppose to be easier to digest. I think I would try him on something like this and cut out the sweet feed:
EQ8

Sometimes they won't keep weight no matter what we try. I had to say good bye to my childhood horse when she started loosing condition. It's bitter sweet, I'll always remember her when she was in her prime.


----------



## offthegrid (Aug 11, 2009)

Oh wow, he is a thin guy. I guess the only thing you didn't mention was his deworming protocol? 

Any chance he's got ulcers? Even if you don't want to treat them (which I can completely understand), maybe just adding an antacid to his diet?


----------



## Nevnarial (Mar 5, 2008)

I was not able to get my gelding to eat his supplements no matter what I mixed it with and was about to call it quits with him when I tried carrot pulp & juice. He loves it! I use a juicer and keep the pulp and juice in separate containers in the fridge and mix it with his supplements until he will eat them. My horse doesn't care for really wet minerals but he likes the carrot pulp and the smell hides bad smelling supplements. Maybe your boy would eat weight builder if he didn't know it was in there? It also helped my guy to have 'competition' so he ate his mix before anyone else could, maybe not a good idea with your older horse but it really helped with mine.
Good luck, I know it is hard to see if like that.


----------



## CJBegins (Nov 20, 2009)

I have an old girl that looks similar. Early spring she always looks the worst. Then she will pick up some weight. I have tried it all. She has 8 world grand champions in her background and the lady that owned her before I bought her bred her every single year. I bought her just so she could stop having babies. She is 28 this year. She will live out the rest of her days here. It hurts my heart to see her so skinny but she is happy hanging out on the fringe of the herd, eating green grass.


----------



## wolffeathers (Dec 20, 2010)

Has he been tested for Cushings? He really reminds me of my childhood mare, she had cushings and had that same wooly coat.


----------



## Tiempo (May 22, 2008)

He's wormed on schedule, my vet doesn't think ulcers are a concern. I feed him separately from my other boys as they will just run him off his food.

Doc says he is just losing muscle mass like crazy from extreme old age, just as old people do, but she is amazed by his attitude and energy level.

He gets good quality timothy hay, with alfalfa when I can find it but it's so scarce here right now. He never tires of eating hay, doesn't self limit with hay at all and eats it round the clock, but it's just not enough. I've tried pretty much all the pelleted feeds available, he just doesn't care for them, I do the sweet feed as he likes it and will eat at least some of it, I've played with the ratios to squeeze as much pelleted feed as I can in with it..too much of pellet feed to sweet feed ratio he leaves it.

I'll try the carrot pulp tomorrow, that's a great idea.

ETA I give him Smartpak lysine, he will eat that.


----------



## Tiempo (May 22, 2008)

wolffeathers said:


> Has he been tested for Cushings? He really reminds me of my childhood mare, she had cushings and had that same wooly coat.


Nope, no Cushings. 

He has always grown a very, very thick winter coat and sheds it out fully right on schedule.


----------



## wolffeathers (Dec 20, 2010)

I would be tempted to try that EQ8 and just mix some molassis in there, since the ol'man has a sweet tooth.


----------



## Tiempo (May 22, 2008)

wolffeathers said:


> I would be tempted to try that EQ8 and just mix some molassis in there, since the ol'man has a sweet tooth.


I will


----------



## wolffeathers (Dec 20, 2010)

I hope he makes some improvement for you. He looks like a kind sole. 

I think Jeffers has vitamin B paste, flavored like strawberries, might help with energy and absorption.


----------



## Tiempo (May 22, 2008)

wolffeathers said:


> I hope he makes some improvement for you. He looks like a kind sole.
> 
> I think Jeffers has vitamin B paste, flavored like strawberries, might help with energy and absorption.


Thank you, he is wonderful  I'll check that out too. also, I found a Buckeye dealer just 15 miles away 

Here he was just 2 summers ago, he had been thinner than this before, this was during a several month period when he inexplicably decided that oil in his feed was ok. 

I keep trying to see if he'll accept it again.

He was soaking for a suspected abscess.


----------



## where I want to (Oct 28, 2008)

Making a suggestion just because I really want you to succeed in this. I have no experience with such a situation. 
Maybe a different kind of oil? I know some oisl don't really agree with me while other types do fine.
How wonderfully lucky he is to have someone like you to help him. Bless you and Norman.


----------



## dkrabec (Apr 5, 2012)

I would recommend Amplify it is a fat supplement made by Purina and they also make a senior feed that has amplify in it, I know you said he is a picky eater but I would recommend no sweet feed or alfalfa they are both high in sugar, and you want to get fat into him. Timothy is good for putting weight on. I had an old horse who did have cushings and that is what I fed him he still had muscle waste but we were able to keep weight on him. I also feed a mineral supplement and sea salt which helps to absorb nutrients from the feed. Good luck


----------



## DaniR1968 (May 24, 2008)

What kind of test has the vet run? I know they say old horses just get thin but that's often not the case. There is usually some underlying problem. 

You might consider reducing his hay so he will eat more senior. I know the vet said his teeth were good but it could be he's just not processing hay like he should. 

Good luck with your old man.


----------



## GrannyCarol (Mar 23, 2005)

Would he like a hot bran mash? (If that would be suitable.) I mention it because my horse loved them and I think bran is high in fat (though my senoritis may be speaking).


----------



## Teej (Jan 14, 2012)

I give this to my 27 year old gelding and for some reason it helps him keep weight on.

horse pain relief, horse inflammation

No obvious signs of arthritis so my best guess is he just has old age aches & pains and this helps relieve them enough that he doesn't worry his weight off. He's a picky eater too so I buy it in the meal form which uses an alfalfa base and he scarfs it right up. I tried another (cheaper) brand that was just straight devils claw & yucca ground into a powder and he could eat his grain and leave that in the bottom of his feeder. Funny how they can do that.

You might also try adding some cracked corn to his ration. Don't know for sure that it would help but it might since he won't go for corn oil added to his feed.


----------



## Irish Pixie (May 14, 2002)

Are you anywhere near a Blue Seal feed dealer? They make a extruded nugget called Vintage Gold that is fantastic way to add fat. I had a foster mare years ago that was like your Norman and after a summer of the VG, grass and extra rice bran she was looked good. 

Here's a link to the Vintage line of Blue Seal feeds, I like them because they incorporate rice bran, oil, beet pulp etc... right in the feed. Most of them are on the sweet side so they should appeal to Norman's sweet tooth and many extruded so it's easier to digest. 

Extruded Horse Feeds &ndash; Blue Seal Feeds

I hope Norman fills out and animal control stays off your back.


----------



## Irish Pixie (May 14, 2002)

Teej said:


> I give this to my 27 year old gelding and for some reason it helps him keep weight on.
> 
> horse pain relief, horse inflammation


I've used BL Solution for years (since it was called Buteless) and it's good stuff:

B-L Solution Equine America (Equine - Supplements - Pain Management)

BL has won Horse Journal's product of the year over 5 times, and is better than any other yucca and devil's claw product on the market according to their controlled testing.

*Never feed any product containing devil's claw to a pregnant mare it is an abortant.*


----------



## sandsuncritters (Nov 18, 2011)

Tiempo, your Norman today is what my Sugar looked like when she came to me 4 years ago at 26. Vet called her a 1 on the scale. We tried lots a things which she mostly rejected.

Finally, we were find a combo that was acceptable to Her Loveliness and very, very, slowly positive results were achieved. She is now 30, happy, healthy, and she looks like the pic you posted of your Norman several years ago. She will never achieve fattiness, however her ribs and top line don't look like wide-wale corduroy anymore.

What worked was 
4 meals per day consisting of Purina Ultium w/Amplify, 
1/2 cup of added Amplify,
1 quart scoop of thoroughly soaked (4 hours) beet pulp w/molasses in apple cider vinegar and water, then squeezed slightly before adding to the feed bucket,
3 soaked as above alfalfa CUBES (not pellets)
1/2 manuf scoop electrolytes
1/2 manuf dosage B-L liquid
1 tablespoon applesauce
1 cup canola oil (started with tablespoon then added up to 1 cup) poured over above ingredients and allowed to soak into the mixture.
Mix it all together thoroughly and serve with love 

We started with 4 feedings daily till she felt and looked perky and had gained 150 pounds of the 400 or so she needed  , then cut to 3 feedings per day.

Also, I bathed her eyes daily, added Eye Clear, and a fly ask. Did wonders!

Please give Norman muzzle kisses from me, and here's a big (((((HUG))))) for you! Thank you for your efforts on behalf of that special old guy 

In His Love
Mich


----------



## DamnearaFarm (Sep 27, 2007)

Aw.... Norman reminds me of Justice, our 36-37 year old mare we just lost. Her last year of life was like that. No matter what she was given to eat, no matter what tests/meds/supplements she stayed uber thin. She was fiesty to the other horses when needed (boss mare until the day she laid down and died), still trotted around the field and came runnin' at dinnertime.
One day her body just gave out and she lay down in her stall and died. 

<<<hugs>>> for working so hard with Norman.


----------



## Work horse (Apr 7, 2012)

Is there another vet you could consult with? Hard-keepers/weight loss and picky eating are common symptoms of ulcers. I would try treating for ulcers right away. Age alone should NOT cause a horse to look like that. Best of luck with him.


----------



## Rogo (Jan 1, 2006)

I ride with quite a few folks whose horses are in their 30's. We do tough mountain riding. My mount is 24. None of the equines are thin; they're quite filled out, including mine.

The only thing that comes to mind is does your horse have a job? Riding, driving, hauling stuff around your place, etc. Or is the horse retired to doing nothing. Not talking about doing hard work, just doing something. I've often heard that horses die sooner when they don't have a job. 

Hope things improve for you.


----------



## Tiempo (May 22, 2008)

My vet is by far the best around here, (or anywhere for that matter) and I work with pretty much all of them, she is outstanding, we have checked for everything, trust me. He has been a hard keeper for all the 12 years I've had him, it just gets harder and harder every year to keep weight in him.

I do take him for lead line walks to keep him entertained.

I was able to find some EQ8 yesterday and he has been eating some of it. Even tried him with some Guinness last night....he does NOT like it!


----------

