# horses lose weight over winter



## farmgal (Nov 12, 2005)

I see many folks horses turn into a bag of bones over winter. I know older ones do this. I have had my share. I am not talking about them. 

Recently, I went by a neighbors and their horses are bones. From fat and sassy to bones. I mentioned last spring to them, quite bluntly, "Wow, winter hasnt been good to your horses huh". He said, why they look good. :umno:

So this year they started to feed round bales. As they see I feed rounds. I have mine on a constant, eat all you want system. Sometimes, when its really bad outside, I bring them in the stalls and pitch fork it to them. I have weighed a pile and it takes a lot more of the round bale hay to make 2 flakes. As it looks like more than it is, because it fluffs up. I told my neighbor about this phenomena, because I knew he is trying to cut corners and will pitch fork it. They never fed round bales and are pitch forking them a small amount outside. 

They have 7 horses. They are on bale 4. I have 2 horses, who have eaten 8 bales already, right on schedule. And none is wasted, as I have the bales behind a wood plank inside the run in. They can eat all they want but cant get at the bale to bust it up and waste it. I feel bad for them horses. Back bones sticking out and ribs. They have eaten dozens of trees. Big trees. When you drive by they are digging and searching for food. I watched the pile they laid out and it would feed one horse. It takes about 6 rounds per horse, per year, I make sure I have 4 extra per horse. Some winter are longer and colder. and you never know when a straggler may show up. 

Another friend last year did the same thing, started feeding rounds but pitch forking it, in one month her fat QH was back bone and ribs. She asked me to come see whats wrong with him. At first I though his teeth were bad, then she showed me her round bale, hardly any taken from it. 

I want to say something to my neighbor but am afraid to butt in. They are having troubled times and responsibility is going to the wayside. I did ask why the horses are eating the trees. Kinda making hints. But you can see when they dump some hay out just the meanest horses get some and the rest have to eat tree's, apple branches and dig in the snow for roots, not just a little like horses do, but constantly. 

My hands are tied, I guess i have no say, kinda sad.


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## Chixarecute (Nov 19, 2004)

Sad, yes. No say with the owners, true. Can you tip off the local police/animal rescue?


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## farmgal (Nov 12, 2005)

SPCA is a joke here. As long as they get hay and water once a day, that is all they need required by law. You know that gray area. 

Today we had a wicked snow/wind storm. Tons of snow fell and snow drifts 8 foot high. I bet, no food in a belly and no wind shelter, made for a very cold horse.


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## mink (Feb 10, 2005)

i let my horses out every day to free choice round bales then at dark they go back inside to a 40 pound bale each. mine are belgian drafts though. a horse needs at least 3 percent of their weight in good hay or they will need grain to hold weight in the winter...mink


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## beccachow (Nov 8, 2008)

Awww...I am so sad for them, and for you watching it.


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## neal68 (May 29, 2005)

our Freedom gained weight this winter she is looking real good. 
i know what you are saying about the gray areas about the feed and water. 
i hope your neighbor will come around and realize what is going on with his horses.


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## 6e (Sep 10, 2005)

Awe. :-( Yeah, our neighbors horses are like that too.


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## farmergirl (Aug 2, 2005)

See, I'd be frank and upfront about the problem with the owners.
Not rude, but to the point since the horses' lives are literally hanging in the balance.
I would ask if they need to cut down on the number of horses so that they can keep them in better weight. If they said yes, I'd do my best to help them find suitable placement for the horses.
It is our duty to speak up for those who cannot, be it horses, dogs, humans, no matter. Those of us who see mistreatment and do nothing are complicit in the abuse.
Your neighbors are STARVING their horses. That is tantamount to torture and is not something that should be taken lightly by anyone else who observes the situation.

Yes, I know times are tough for alot of folks, but that doesn't mean that abuse is any more forgivable.


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## wintrrwolf (Sep 29, 2009)

Pitchforking the rounds I get would be physically impossible for me so I let mine have at it. Sounds to me like they need to downsize a few. The little rescue pony I took in was an eating machine and I realized there was no way I was going to be able to keep up with her, and thankfully I found a wonderful placement for her. After reading your post I took a good look at my Snick and my goats, and think yeah we made it through winter good! Even my landlords 2 horses here look in good weight and all he does is put several rounds out for his cows which his horses share.
During the worst part of winter I had a round of grass hay out for free feeding and every morning I would toss out a bale of brome with the breakfast grain mix. And seriously beginning to think my goats are looking slightly chunky. Oh and with warm weather coming in I wormed Snick as well, no ribs or backbone sticking out but I think she could still use some more padding over her hips. Do you know if he deworms at all?


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## jennigrey (Jan 27, 2005)

There's a big difference between balers, but the rounds that I've disassembled weren't nearly as tightly baled as the 50 to 125-lb rectangular bales that I usually use. I could see where someone who is used to feeding by the flake or the bale might not realize that the visual "volume" of hay they are peeling off the round is not as dense as the same volume when measured off in flakes or bales. 

Rounds tend to peel off much fluffier than bales. Easy to misjudge how much you are feeding if you don't know that you need to compensate for it.


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## Rogo (Jan 1, 2006)

=== I see many folks horses turn into a bag of bones over winter. I know older ones do this. I have had my share. I am not talking about them. === 


Fortunately, I've never seen this. Of course, our winters aren't as harsh as some. I free choice feed as do most horse folks I know.

My 23 and 25 year old mounts are well filled out. So are the many horses in their 30's of folks I ride with. A friend buried her 45 year old horse last year and that horse was well filled out until the end.

Unfortunately, there's little that can be done with folks like your neighbor, at least here and in other places that I know. One area had a home where the horses were living in manure up to their knees. The livestock dept. would do nothing since there was feed and water. The neighbors in an attempt to help the horses, called the health department with the complaint that it wasn't healthy for all the humans living in the area. The owners of the horses were given a fine and ordered to clean up the place. We couldn't believe what they did -- they ordered tons of dirt and covered up the manure!! They keep that up and the horses will be able to walk over the fence! All the horses had hoof problems. Forget what they call the condition from living in that mess.


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## farmgal (Nov 12, 2005)

wintrrwolf- yes they do worm (or so they say), they were using that cheap stuff, I told him it doesnt kill tape worm, so now they do switch back n forth. 

I sure hope things have changed there since I visited last. I hope he is giving them more since my hinting...lol Seems in todays society people dont want to learn things or hear they are doing something wrong. That causes me to not say anything or if an animal is suffering I can only tell what I do or what I have learned. Am I making sense...? lol People today can not take any constructive criticism. And thus in the end they learn nothing. And they pass this on to their children as they dont want to teach them anything for fear of hurting their feelings, give me a break. 

Its like another friend of mine, he has a dog full of flea's. I told him get the advantage. He keeps insisting he baths the dog a lot' so it dont have flea's...I even gave him some advantage and he wont put it on the dog. He states, oh I will soon. 6 months later I still see the box of advantage sitting on his table, full. And the dog itching his fur off...Like whatever, a flea jumps on me at your house and you dont have flea's. I give up...poor dog... there isnt any more anyone could do but put it on, when he isnt looking...lol

ROGO- Those people will have a mountain in the end...lol Not every old horse has had a life of luxury and care. There are older horses that have no teeth from poor care during their life. We used to take in about 8 rescues a year here. Many were abandoned when the person sold their home. Many found in pastures eating roots mixed with rocks. thus they had no teeth left. and others were so malnourished or chips in their teeth, so they couldnt eat, their intestines were damaged. Hay isnt that easy for an older horse that has been through Hell and back, to take in. We have even put a few down that after 2 years of winters were just too hard on them, even inside of a warm barn and practically on a liquid diet. We all know that not every older horse loses weight. But I was stating, I know from experience, some do. I didnt want to ruffle anyone's feathers who has one of these type of older horses....lol


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## farmergirl (Aug 2, 2005)

farmgal,
I don't think it's true that 'people today' won't take constructive criticism.
I seek it out myself, else how will I learn about things that I am only just trying for the first couple of times?
Some people are just selfish and ignorant. And I've found that folks like that have to be hit over the head with the proverbial 2 x 4 before they make a change.

Please don't stop insisting that the neighbors take good care of their horses. Do it for all of those neglected horses that are hidden from view, that right at this minute wish there were someone like yourself who could stand witness for them and help them.


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## reicheru (May 16, 2008)

Call your state's dept of ag. 

That said, maybe you can suggest a complete feed or a beet pulp/alfalfa pellet/cube mix. I've used bp/a pellet mix when I've had problems finding good hay or had to stretch out what I had.


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## farmgal (Nov 12, 2005)

they called me a few hours ago, seems the one horse has gone completely blind. This is a horse that was perfect this summer. His best riding horse, my horses boyfriend,,, total bummer...


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## Irish Pixie (May 14, 2002)

Sudden blindness can be a symptom of central nervous system diseases- swelling of the brain, etc.


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## farmgal (Nov 12, 2005)

Irish Pixie said:


> Sudden blindness can be a symptom of central nervous system diseases- swelling of the brain, etc.


Can you elaborate? What can bring this on? Is it treatable? I guess the vet has been called.


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## Rogo (Jan 1, 2006)

=== Hay isnt that easy for an older horse that has been through Hell and back, to take in. === 


Even older, well cared for equine will lose teeth. I started feeding the older equine Mountain Sunrise pellets. I use the all Bermuda with nothing else in them. They're tiny and soft enough to be easily gummed. I went to feeding them to all equine some time ago.

My present 23 year old mount can still handle hay, but with my present temporary living conditions, bags of pellets are easier to keep than bales of hay. And with the 35-40+ mph winds we've had lately, the pellets don't blow away! The mount is still well filled out.


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## Irish Pixie (May 14, 2002)

farmgal said:


> Can you elaborate? What can bring this on? Is it treatable? I guess the vet has been called.


Any disease that causes swelling of the brain can cause sudden blindness.

Here are a couple links to CNS disorders:

http://www.greenhorn-horse-facts.com/horse-diseases.html

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/pic/article.cfm?aid=1571

I googled "central nervous system blindness horse" most are infectious diseases.


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## Mare Owner (Feb 20, 2008)

If they are going thru tough times, stop by with a pie or homemade loaf of bread or cookies for them and offer to help do chores, ask how the horses are doing. You have the perfect excuse right now with their horse going blind, get over there and look at them in person, offer to bring over some hay if they don't have enough (say you bought way too much) or are afraid they'll run out and pitch the hay to the horses yourself while you chat and they'll see how much you give them for one feeding. Offer to take a couple to your place and feed them until pasture is good, just to help them out. You CAN do something.


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