Horse is a glutton...??

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Jager
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Horse is a glutton...??

Post by Jager » Thu May 21, 2009 1:05 pm

My father owns a quarter horse. Basically, just a pasture horse. She's 14. Every year when the spring grass comes up she just eats & eats & eats! Sometimes she lays down and we have to make her get up, as if she was coliced (sp). We put her in the stable, off of grass completely. Just water, hay, mineral block, & 1/2 scoop of corn a day. Her eye sockets (above the eye) are swollen. Not sunk in like our other horses. Her forelock area is swollen and tight. She even acts like her feet hurt some times. It was suggested to me that she may have an allergy of some sort and needed an allergy shot. Haven't called the vet yet. She gets like this every Spring and sometimes in the fall too. Any suggestions/ideas?
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ACooper
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Re: Horse is a glutton...??

Post by ACooper » Thu May 21, 2009 1:46 pm

A horse can founder on spring grass, you may want to limit access to grazing with the remaining time in a dry lot or stable.

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Re: Horse is a glutton...??

Post by ezzy333 » Thu May 21, 2009 2:39 pm

Sounds like founder to me. Think I would limit the corn or do away with it completely and feed oats or some type of fiberous grain. and limit her exposure to new green grass.

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Re: Horse is a glutton...??

Post by Jager » Fri May 22, 2009 7:41 am

Foundered, that's what I originally thought too. We have taken her off of grass completely and are feeding her dry hay from last years cutting. I will try the oats instead of corn. He has another horse, 26 years old. He's doing well. Never had a problem with him. Although they go crazy when they are separated. He is thinning out a bit since he is being pinned in with her. We have been trying to let him out as much as possible in the pasture, but after eating a while he'll come back up to the sable area where the other horse is locked into and just stand there. Maybe the oats would help him too? Separate question, anything special to feed an elderly horse? Thanks for your help!
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Re: Horse is a glutton...??

Post by lightonthebay » Fri May 22, 2009 7:48 am

I agree its founder! The symptoms and conditions are classic. This can be very serious. I would not feed grain but I would give the horse grass hay (alfalfa may be too rich) and unlimited water. Gradually introduce it to pasture, if you must, but once a horse gets a serious case of founder the damage may be irreversible and they will be prone to get "foundered" again with less exposure to the cause. (new grass)

If it is a serious case of founder (horse cant' stand or is in constant pain when standing) you will need to get quick veterinary attention to reduce inflamation or your horse may become permanantly crippled.

I wish you luck.

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Re: Horse is a glutton...??

Post by kninebirddog » Fri May 22, 2009 8:07 am

http://www.ultimatehorsesite.com/info/founder.html

actually I would refrain from any grains and get horse on a serious diet feeding a grass alfalfa mix hay and prevent from free grazing
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Re: Horse is a glutton...??

Post by RayGubernat » Fri May 22, 2009 8:53 am

Sounds like a borderline case of founder to me as well. I have always heard that grass hay only, no feeds of any kind is recommended along with exercise, when the condition permits.

There are muzzles available that can limit the amount of grass a horse can eat if the pasture is mowed down and there are muzzles that can completely eliminate the horse's ability to graze. i would expect that a horse that cannot graze at all might not be too happy about that.

Sectioning off a small area of the pasture and keeping it closely mowed down can help also, I am told.

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Re: Horse is a glutton...??

Post by kninebirddog » Fri May 22, 2009 9:16 am

Depending on how bad the founder is and more important if it has happened before as each time it is worse then more grass hay is warranted for sure ot all grass if it is a slight case then a limited amount of mix ...but that should be determined by the vet

No grains period

biggest thing to tend too also is the feet

Rotated coffin bones will do a horse in i know some people who tried to have some fancy surgeries to stop the horses pain ...All I can say it was selfish on the owners behalf
"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
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Re: Horse is a glutton...??

Post by R-Heaton » Sat May 23, 2009 6:45 pm

I'm with you guys on the founder,, soon as he mentioned the feet problems,,,, what does the swollen eye sockets have to do with founder,,, is this a tell tale sign also?

I actually heard that that older a horse gets the more sunken in those holes get,, so old time horse traders would inject peanut oil in there to make them look not so swollen,,, and trade the horse off as a young'n instead of an old nag.

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Re: Horse is a glutton...??

Post by shags » Sun May 24, 2009 6:54 am

Filled-in eye sockets could mean that the horse is too fat. Could be just the way his head is built, too.

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Re: Horse is a glutton...??

Post by High Roll-N-Angel » Mon May 25, 2009 6:15 pm

if you have a senior horse that loses weight....feed equine senior...or feed 1/2 corn and 1/2 sweet feed....you can also add vegetable/corn oil to the grain....you can also add rice bran (which is expensive) to the grain.

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Re: Horse is a glutton...??

Post by Jager » Wed May 27, 2009 8:22 am

Thanks for all of the advice. I didn't know that there was a muzzle for heavy eating horses. I looked at them this weekend and am considering getting one for the 'glutton'. We have also been keeping her in the barn yard with nothing more than dry hay, water & salt block. The furrier is coming today to shoe my two horses and will be trimming the two pasture horses. We'll see what he thinks about her condition too.
Last edited by Jager on Thu May 28, 2009 7:40 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Horse is a glutton...??

Post by YELLERDOGS » Thu May 28, 2009 5:12 am

They actually make a "muzzle" for horses that hooks onto the halter. The horse can still be out with the others horses, get a little grass but can't stuff themselves sick. I would get a vet out though to see how bad the feet are. There is some corrective shoeing that can help. As far as the older horse, I like Buckeye Wrangler or Purina Strategy. Depending on where you live and what one is easier to get. The prices are bad and they are well worth it in the long run.

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Re: Horse is a glutton...??

Post by TEX-X » Thu Jul 16, 2009 12:15 pm

the heartbar shoes you're referring to...i've seen them used a few times and it always worked out for the better...a good farrier is a must for the fitting of the heartbars... our farrier makes them from scratch....we then Xray and adjust them...and Xray again until they are perfect

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