Underweight mare

[NewToMini's]

Do you get them from the vet, or someplace else?

 

[Jean_B]

You can get the vaccines from Tractor Supply, or some local feed store. They do require refrigeration, so make sure they have them adequately stored in their store. Or you can get them online from a number of places that will ship them with an ice-pack. Just 'google' Jeffers equine, United vet equine, etc.

 

[NewToMini's]

Thanks

 

[NewToMini's]

I got some senior feed for her yesterday. Right now, about 1/8th of each meal is the senior feed. How much of the mini feed should I replace with it?

I was thinking giving her 1/2 And 1/2 would be good, so she's getting the easily digestible senior feed for weight, but still getting the high amount of nutrients from the mini feed ... but I'm not sure if my logic is correct.

Does the senior feed have enough nutrients in it for a mini, even though she will be eating much less of it than a full sized horse? Or is my plan of giving her 1/2 good, or should I take her off the mini feed entirely and add a ration balancer or supplements (ration balancer are supplements, aren't they?). She's really shiny right now (even when she's dirty), and I don't want her shine to go away (why I think I either want to start her on a ration balancer/supplements, or keep her 1/2 and 1/2 on the mini and senior feeds)

Also, I probably will change the filly's feed, too, she doesn't seem to like the mini feed. Does she need a junior feed, or is one that says that it's for all life stages good for her?

 

[chandab]

Move them both completely over to the senior, it'll be good for the youngster, too. Then once the mare has regained her weight reevaluate and see what adjustments need to be made. Since I can't readily get growth formula, I spoke with a nutritionist, and she told me the senior would be just fine for babies.

 

[FurstPlaceMiniatures]

If what is working for the baby is working - keep her on it. Remember she may drop just a touch of weight with weaning - so she might need to be bumped up.

I would go 100% onto the senior feed for the mare - read the back of the bag and actually measure how much is supposed to be given, dont just guess. Remember thats usually expressed in lbs fed per day per 100 (my dyslexic butt had issues with that lol!). For example my filly's feed says to feed .7lbs per day per 100 for a horse in 'hard work,' she weighs 450 lbs, so she needs about 3.5 lbs per day of feed - thats about a full bag in a week and a half! For a 12.2hh pony! Would have never guessed that, however she is looking phenomenal on it.

 

[FurstPlaceMiniatures]

Im also going to go a bit against the grain here and reccomend waiting just a little bit until she is a more acceptable weight to do any vaccines. If she were to have a reaction to it, on her already very stressed body, it could be horrible. It doesn't sound like you have horses coming in and out frequently, and she should not be traveling in her condition anyway, so a couple of weeks to gain condition and settle in probably would be a big help before vaccination.

You've mentioned money is tight, which i completely get. I think a wiser investment at this stage would be some kind of way to keep them seperate, maybe some wormer, and more feed! You'll be surprised just how much these little munchkins can consume! Vaccines for horses can be obscenely overpriced and there arent many options (as opposed to cattle vaccines which i am more used too).

I think the 'cool calories' weight builder Ive got from tractor supply has been the biggest help to my hard keeper - its $22 a bag, which is lasting her quite awhile. It smells really good and I havent had an issue with her turning it away. Its pretty much just powdered vegetable oil. I've also added a Dumor vitamin supplement too - just in case.

 

[Jean_B]

The senior feed is meant to be used as a COMPLETE feed. Any hay fed or pasture would be in addition to. If this were me, I would give her free-choice hay, and at least a couple pounds of the senior feed both morning and night and make sure you feed the yearling separate. Tie them up if necessary while eating their grain. Remember....it has roughage in it, so in fact you should be feeding MORE of it in order to get the nutrients and fat into her. Read the label. I'm guestimating your mare at optimal weight would be around 350 to 400 pounds. So give her as much as the label calls for if feeding nothing else but the senior feed plus as much good clean hay or pasture as she wants. So.....for instance and I don't have any label information in front of me....if the label says to feed 6 pounds each feeding for a 1200 pound horse if feeding as a complete feed, give her at least 2 pounds each feeding. Adjust according to the label.

 

[NewToMini's]

I don't know if she's gained weight or if her neck has just straightened after getting her mane cut off. Her spine is still up above her back.

Also, what color is she? Her papers say she's black, but she's shedding out to look a bit lighter. I'm thinking brown, or bay?

 

[NewToMini's]

Today on top, May 7th on bottom.

 

[JMS Miniatures]

I think she has improved greatly in a short amount of time. What have you done with her since then?

As far as color goes she could still be black but not a true non-fading black, whereas the other blacks get sun bleached and turn a brown color. Her color may come back in better too now that she is getting better nutrition.

 

[NewToMini's]

I've just been leaving her out to graze all day and bringing her in at night with 2 flakes of hay (I still haven't separated her and her filly, so they share the hay and usually still have some hay left in the morning), she gets grain twice a day 4 cups each feeding, started switching her over to senior feed last week (she eats some of the filly's grain, too, because the filly won't finish hers), and I take her for walks/jogs 2-3 times per week (with some jumping over logs and across the ditch).

The grain her previous owners had her on before switching her over to the mini feed (which was right before I got her) didn't have any copper in it, so that could be why she's got light areas.. Will I have to wait until next spring to know if she's really black, or will the increased nutrition show in her color before then?

 

[NewToMini's]

Update

New pictures on top, old on bottom (in the collages. All single pictures were taken today). Also, is she still a bit underweight, or does she just need to build muscles over her back?

And she has so much more energy now, she trots and canters around the field to get to her favorite grazing spots

 

[chandab]

looking good, still a tiny way to go, but looking good. Yes, exercise will help her topline, a little bit of stepping over low poles to start would help, just at a walk for now, perhaps eventually a little trotting over poles. A little more time on her new diet will also help fill in her topline more.

 

[NewToMini's]

The dentist came and floated her teeth today (she didn't enjoy it too much, she started rearing... any tips to help her do better next year?)

He said she had some sharp points on her teeth before he got her floated, so I'm hoping it won't take long for her to gain that last bit of weight, and then I can reduce her grain (I feel bad giving her 8 cups per day, it feels like way too much for a 31" mini)

 

[chandab]

Perhaps a little sedation for next year. Manual or electric floats? My equine dentist will only use manual, most of mine are fine without sedation.

 

[NewToMini's]

Manual. I might try sedation next year; could I just buy calming supplements from TSC (I don't think the dentist has any sedatives)?

 

[chandab]

My equine dentist works with a vet when sedation is needed. You might have to see if your vet would be on board for helping with sedation next time, some don't like dentists and won't work with them and bringing in both does increase the bill.

 

[NewToMini's]

Thanks