Any advise would help.

[Rene]

I'm fairly new to the mini horse world. We have had a couple class A's for several years now. But we just got two new ones that we rescued. One Stud 1.5 years old. One Mare 2 years old Both Class B. They are both thin, look wormy to me. I would like to start them on a healthy diet. We give our other mini's pellets and they are easy keepers and healthy. I want to feed them beet pulp as well. We have no idea what they were fed previous (other than very little and could be crappy feed) We gave them Alfalfa pellets (which is what we feed our horses) and they both got diarrhea and so then we gave them probiotics which is helping to firm up their stools. I want to worm them but don't want to do to much at once. However, I would like to give them beet pulp as well. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. This is our first encounter with rescue, horses. Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[dalvers63]

Thank you for taking these guys in and working to get them healthy again!

My personal preference would be to have a fecal float done before you worm them. In their condition having the help of a vet that has dealt with malnutrition will be invaluable. I would not want to take their systems any more than is needed right now.

If their issues stem just from lack of food then feeding a good orchard grass or timothy hay should show some noticeable improvement pretty quickly.

 

[plaid mare]

I use diatomaceous earth to worm my mini. It's cheap, natural, and will not overload a weak system. A few years ago we found a kitten at the side of the road. The vet said it was to young, sick, and thin to worm. We looked for alternatives that would get the job done and found the earth. You add it to their food, and it evicerates all the worms. The worms can never build an immunity, and it's safe. My horse is always worm free. The vet even asked me how it was my mini never had any worms.The local feed, or tractor supply should carry it. I get mine at tractor supply. It's usually down the chicken row. My kitty is now 7. Don't breathe the earth in! I wet mine and add to the food, or hay. I never use beet pulp. It's just a filler that can cause choke if injested to quickly. I would also get a vet check. I hope I have been helpful! Thank-you for taking on a rescue. We need more people like you!

 

[Cayuse]

I also would have a fecal done before you worm them for a baseline and then I would have their teeth checked to make sure that they are able to chew and process their vittles. Dental issues are not uncommon in minis and can cause them to be unthrifty. And I would ask the vet about the possibility that they may have ulcers, another thing that can be common and cause weight problems if they have been through any stressful events.
If you can get a weight on them it will help you to figure out how much hay they should be getting. The rule of thumb is 1.5 to 2 lbs hay to every 100lbs of horses weight. That is for an adult horse though and it may be a little different for the youngsters.
I am another who doesn't like beet pulp. I almost lost a horse to "choke" because of it even though the beet pulp was soaked.

Good luck with the little guys, it was nice of you to take them on.

 

[Ryan Johnson]

I also recommend having a fecal done. This will give you a good idea what you are dealing with. Good on you for taking them on

The only other thing I wanted to add to the great advice you have been given above is - " What ever you are adding or subtracting to their feed , should be done slowly"