I'm worried about a horse
Discussion
My daily cycle to work takes me partly through some countryside where I often see a small white horse grazing in a grassy field, sometimes with other horses, sometimes with a few sheep.
However for the past several days - probably nearly a week, the white horse has been confined to a small (say 20 yards square) muddy paddock. He's been there every morning and afternoon that I've cycled past. I can't see that he's got anything to eat or drink, there's certainly no grass growing in the paddock. There are other horses and sheep in the field as usual.
I'm concerned for this horse. I must confess I've sneaked him a few carrots on my way past. I assume he's in there for a reason but the lack of food and water worries me. I've been tempted just to open the gate of the paddock and let him back into the field, but I haven't done so (yet...)
Should I just mind my own business? Should I contact the RSPCA?
Any advice gratefully received...
CofB
However for the past several days - probably nearly a week, the white horse has been confined to a small (say 20 yards square) muddy paddock. He's been there every morning and afternoon that I've cycled past. I can't see that he's got anything to eat or drink, there's certainly no grass growing in the paddock. There are other horses and sheep in the field as usual.
I'm concerned for this horse. I must confess I've sneaked him a few carrots on my way past. I assume he's in there for a reason but the lack of food and water worries me. I've been tempted just to open the gate of the paddock and let him back into the field, but I haven't done so (yet...)
Should I just mind my own business? Should I contact the RSPCA?
Any advice gratefully received...
CofB
With some small greedy ponies, come Springtime with lots of lush grass around, can eat themselves ill. It's called equine laminitis, they can eat so much that their feet swell, they get lame and unable to walk.
They need to be isolated and put on a strict diet or they will kill themselves with over eating. We had a couple like this, it's the kindest way of dealing with them.
They need to be isolated and put on a strict diet or they will kill themselves with over eating. We had a couple like this, it's the kindest way of dealing with them.
Fishtigua said:
With some small greedy ponies, come Springtime with lots of lush grass around, can eat themselves ill. It's called equine laminitis, they can eat so much that their feet swell, they get lame and unable to walk.
They need to be isolated and put on a strict diet or they will kill themselves with over eating. We had a couple like this, it's the kindest way of dealing with them.
He's struggling to walk, that's for certain.They need to be isolated and put on a strict diet or they will kill themselves with over eating. We had a couple like this, it's the kindest way of dealing with them.
Also I'm sure in the past I've seen him wearing(?) some kind of cloth muzzle over his mouth whilst in the field, would this also be to stop him eating?
Thank you
CofB
Fishtigua said:
I've not seen a cloth nosebag used before, but it sounds like he's one of the greedy ones. Some go lame just at the smell of new growth grass.
Just have a quick look, on your way home, to see if he has plenty of water and a feed bucket.
I'll check, I obviously haven't been looking for the right things.Just have a quick look, on your way home, to see if he has plenty of water and a feed bucket.
Should I stop giving him carrots!
CofB
Fishtigua said:
No, you'll have a friend for life instead. 
Ok!So, to summarise - it sounds like he's been overeating and he's isolated from the field for his own good. I can probably safely assume someone's turning up some time during the day to let him graze for a little while only, or providing him with some other feed of some sort.
I'm relieved that it doesn't sound like he's just being neglected, I hate animal neglect more than anything, I think...
Many thanks for your advice!
CofB
p.s. I'm not going to call the RSPCA...
Laminitis, very very nasty and painful for some equines and can be extremely serious. Its caused by the new lush rich grass and sugars found in it.
Leave well alone and don't let it out, you'll be doing far more harm than good. His owners are being responsible and doing the right thing for it.
The grazing muzzle limits intake of grass but still enables them to drink freely. Friends went away for a week and left someone they thought was responsible and knowledgeable looking after their horses with strict instructions to not increase the grazing and feed adhoc hay and feed. Needless to say they came back to a horse that could not stand because of laminitis and it ended up being stabled for three months solid whilst it recovered because the carer decided to open the gate into a very lush field.
Leave well alone and don't let it out, you'll be doing far more harm than good. His owners are being responsible and doing the right thing for it.
The grazing muzzle limits intake of grass but still enables them to drink freely. Friends went away for a week and left someone they thought was responsible and knowledgeable looking after their horses with strict instructions to not increase the grazing and feed adhoc hay and feed. Needless to say they came back to a horse that could not stand because of laminitis and it ended up being stabled for three months solid whilst it recovered because the carer decided to open the gate into a very lush field.
Granville said:
Laminitis, very very nasty and painful for some equines and can be extremely serious. Its caused by the new lush rich grass and sugars found in it.
Leave well alone and don't let it out, you'll be doing far more harm than good. His owners are being responsible and doing the right thing for it.
The grazing muzzle limits intake of grass but still enables them to drink freely. Friends went away for a week and left someone they thought was responsible and knowledgeable looking after their horses with strict instructions to not increase the grazing and feed adhoc hay and feed. Needless to say they came back to a horse that could not stand because of laminitis and it ended up being stabled for three months solid whilst it recovered because the carer decided to open the gate into a very lush field.
Will a few carrots be ok?Leave well alone and don't let it out, you'll be doing far more harm than good. His owners are being responsible and doing the right thing for it.
The grazing muzzle limits intake of grass but still enables them to drink freely. Friends went away for a week and left someone they thought was responsible and knowledgeable looking after their horses with strict instructions to not increase the grazing and feed adhoc hay and feed. Needless to say they came back to a horse that could not stand because of laminitis and it ended up being stabled for three months solid whilst it recovered because the carer decided to open the gate into a very lush field.
I'm no expert but is a muddy paddock really a good environment for a horse with laminitis to be confined to?
What's the general condition of the horse/ pony is it's coat clean does if look bright does it have a companion, unless it is being visited regularly it's going to get lonely.
Does it's environment look like it's being attended to daily?
I do agree that the confinement sounds like it's for it's health but I noted you said you couldn't see water which is obviously a basic need.
What's the general condition of the horse/ pony is it's coat clean does if look bright does it have a companion, unless it is being visited regularly it's going to get lonely.
Does it's environment look like it's being attended to daily?
I do agree that the confinement sounds like it's for it's health but I noted you said you couldn't see water which is obviously a basic need.
Edited by bexVN on Monday 29th April 12:29
bexVN said:
I'm no expert but is a muddy paddock really a good environment for a horse with laminitis to be confined to?
What's the general condition of the horse/ pony is it's coat clean does if look bright does it have a companion, unless it is being visited regularly it's going to get lonely.
Does it's environment look like it's being attended to daily?
I really don't know. I don't know anything about horses, I just felt really sorry for this one which is why I've slipped him a few carrots.What's the general condition of the horse/ pony is it's coat clean does if look bright does it have a companion, unless it is being visited regularly it's going to get lonely.
Does it's environment look like it's being attended to daily?
I think it may be the best of a bad job. He's overdone the grass and needs to be kept out of the field. At least there's a paddock available, I really don't know any more than that.
Is the pen muddy or just chewed clean on grass and a bare patch?
Don't feed it unless you have cleared it with the owners first. He's on a restricted diet for his own well being. As long as he has clean water he'll be fine, seems harsh when they should ideally be out in the field grazing during the summer but you really do need to be what will appear to be crueller than kind when they have laminitis.
Don't feed it unless you have cleared it with the owners first. He's on a restricted diet for his own well being. As long as he has clean water he'll be fine, seems harsh when they should ideally be out in the field grazing during the summer but you really do need to be what will appear to be crueller than kind when they have laminitis.
Granville said:
Is the pen muddy or just chewed clean on grass and a bare patch?
Don't feed it unless you have cleared it with the owners first. He's on a restricted diet for his own well being. As long as he has clean water he'll be fine, seems harsh when they should ideally be out in the field grazing during the summer but you really do need to be what will appear to be crueller than kind when they have laminitis.
It's just chewed clean on grass and a bare patchDon't feed it unless you have cleared it with the owners first. He's on a restricted diet for his own well being. As long as he has clean water he'll be fine, seems harsh when they should ideally be out in the field grazing during the summer but you really do need to be what will appear to be crueller than kind when they have laminitis.
Poor little fella. Hope he gets well soon
Is this where the term 'lame' comes from?
I know a farrier who has said that this can happen to horses that spend too long walking on shoes on hard surfaces as well, the inside of their hooves swell and literally de-laminate from the outer walls. I've seen him drill a hole into an unshod hoof and flush what he just called poison from it, it smelt pretty bad but the horse didn't even notice.
I know a farrier who has said that this can happen to horses that spend too long walking on shoes on hard surfaces as well, the inside of their hooves swell and literally de-laminate from the outer walls. I've seen him drill a hole into an unshod hoof and flush what he just called poison from it, it smelt pretty bad but the horse didn't even notice.
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