DISCLAIMER: These posts contain hints, tips and ideas from folks that have had some experiences dealing with this. It is NOT meant to be legal advice here - just related experiences. Please consult with a reputable professional if necessary. From: BDAY850@aol.com Date: Thu, 20 Aug 1998 09:55:44 EDT To: equinerescue@MyList.net Subject: EQ-ResQ: Rescue Diets and First Care Chris posted the following <<< We put all incoming horses on a balanced, pelleted feed. With a balanced feed you don't have to take into consideration what the horse was subsisting on, whether pasture or hay or feed or whatever, and the gut flora are less disrupted. Always watered down to mush at first no matter the age of the horse. We use Bonanza Pellets here but this is a Southern States product and probably not available in CA. Talk to your feed dealer, your vet, other local horse folks. And whatever you feed, start with a small amount and gradually increase over weeks - 4 or 5 feedings a day of small portions will be better for him. Good luck. Cris May Days End Farm Horse Rescue >>>> This was interesting to me as I am now trying to rescue horses. What are some of you other rescues doing as to feeding regiments and what other medical care do you do first-shots,wormings,farrier,teeth? Any supplements that most of you use or none at all. Do they stay in a stall or a pasture or some time in each? Hay-what type is better for a rescue. Thanks Bonnie ============================================================ Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1998 11:13:36 -0800 From: Fairwind To: equinerescue@MyList.net, quarterh Subject: Re: EQ-ResQ: How do you know? quarterh wrote: > When you get a horse in the following conditions: > you have no idea what there feeding background is. How do you know what to > feed it? We start ALL horses who's history we don't know out on free access to clean grass hay that has little or no legumes (clover or alfalfa). Electrolytes are often administered as a precautionary measure or in the event of obvious dehydration. Grain if offered at all in the first 48 hours is literally by the handful,, some specifics below: >nice healthy horse, Most of these animals are put on a 10% or 12% ration for grain, depending on their age and growth needs. We start then at 1 lb per feeding 3x's a day for three days and increase to the appropriate level over about a three week period. > pregnant mare, Most of these animals are put on a 12% ration for grain, depending on their age and personal growth and gestational needs. We start then at 1 lb per feeding 3x's a day for three days and increase every 3 days to the reach appropriate level over about a three to 5 week period. Alfalfa is added to the hay ration in small amounts until the mare has ended up on a 50/50 ration of grass hay and alfalfa hay. If she needs to be on a richer diet to gain weight we will allow increase of the alfalfa as her system can handle it. ( My personal brood mares are on 2nd cutting alfalfa ( about 10 lbs a day) as their ration with free access to grass hay in round bales for "munching" through out the day.). We use calf manna as a supplement, however it is seldom introduced to the diet in the first several weeks, usually not until the mare is on her full "normal" ration and we have a chance to see how she does on it alone. > weanling/yearling, Most of these animals are put on a 12% ration for grain, depending on their age and personal growth and gestational needs. We start then at 1 lb per feeding 3x's a day for three days and increase every 3 days to the reach appropriate level over about a three week period. Alfalfa is added to the hay ration in small amounts until the weanling/yearling has ended up on alfalfa hay as it's primary ration. We will allow increase of the alfalfa as their system can handle it. ( My personal weanling/yearling are on 2nd cutting alfalfa free access in round bales with a grass hay in round bale also available for "munching" through out the day.). We use calf manna as a supplement, however it is seldom introduced to the diet in the first several weeks, but they all end up on it until they reach age 2. > and very thin (emaciated?); This question can't be answers in generalities,, but they often end up on pelleted feeds as the "pre-cooked" aspect of the feed allows greater digestibility. Mashes or gruel's are offered to try to keep moisture in the system. Carbohydrates and fats are added SLOWLY and each change monitored to see the results before another change. A soft clean, bright grass hay is offered free choice, we seldom transfer them to the alfalfa until they are stabilized then they fall under the above categories and are feed in the manner described above. > What do you start it on? How much? How long do > you keep it on this feed? When can you start making a transition to what > you want or need to feed it and how long should that transition take? > > > Keri > Hope this helps,, please keep in mind, this is the GENERAL guidelines,, every hors is an individual and therefor subject to be the exception to these outlined feedings. -- Beverly Whittington President OHAHS URL http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Valley/2887 NEW URL http://www.ohahs.org ============================================================ To: equinerescue@MyList.net Date: Mon, 9 Nov 1998 21:33:55 -0500 Subject: EQ-ResQ: Re: How do you know? From: lisaviger@juno.com (Lisa A Remi-Viger) <> I think you'll get a little different response from each person you ask. We all seem to have our own preferences for feed and feed programs. However, starting any feeding program with all of the above would have to be done fairly gradually, but *much* more so with the emaciated horse. Here's what *I* would feed the above horses if they landed on my doorstep. Nice, healthy horse: Grass hay and a grain mix. Starting with a very small scoop of grain 2x a day, and a half flake of hay 2x a day. Then increase until the full feeding is given over a period of a week or two. And that full feeding, which may be 2lbs. grain 2x a day and a flake of hay 2x a day, might either be too much or not enough for that particular horse. I know I made Ricki into a little butterball fairly quickly by giving him hay and grain and senior feed. Free choice hay and a very small scoop of grain/sr. feed. He could live quite well on pasture, I believe. Our older mare who came to us underweight, however, was getting 2lbs of senior feed/grain mix and about 1/2 cup of oil, all the grass she could eat, and free choice alfalfa gained weight *very* slowly. Adding about 1 lb. of soaked beet pulp didn't make a significant difference. She still just slowly gained weight....but Ricki plumped up in a matter of days. So I'd say every horse is different. Like people, the pregnant mare would need extra calories, but without a feed history you'd still start slowly with anything that may be new. Then you'd have to figure out what were the right amount of extra calories for that particular horse. The emaciated horse would need the most consideration and the first order of business wouldn't be feed but water and electrolytes. Then several (5-6+) small feedings a day, gradually increasing the quantity of each feeding. This is the one horse of all the above that starting with small quantities would be most important....even though it seems it would be the reverse. Hydration and very small but very frequent quantities of high calorie feeds and oil is what I would start with for an emaciated horse. I'd also replenish any intestinal flora with Probiotic Paste plus....20 ccs a day for 4 days, repeated once every two weeks for 3-4 courses. The weanling/yearling would probably do OK on what the healthy horse was getting, or a feed formulated for "babies" (this is what I would choose) and grass hay. Again, it would be started gradually and then adjusted for that particular horse. Also, if you're studying nutrition, I'd have to point out there are no real hard and fast rules for horses like for people. No formulas for caloric intake based on weight, etc. But like with people, there are some vitamin and mineral deficiencies in the soil and hence the hay that need to be figured out. Here in Michigan, our soils have been completely depleted of selenium. So, the grain mix I buy is from our barn owner who has it made up especially for this area. Selenium is one of the things added to the mix. However, selenium supplements for a horse that gets enough from feed and hay can result in an ill or dead horse. So, I guess the short answer to your question is it all depends, but any diet change has to be started slowly. Someone correct me if I'm wrong in anything I've said. And, after all that, when I moved Cricket from the "mean lady's" house to our barn now, he went from grass hay and sweet feed to the grain mix and pure alfalfa and, except for a few bright green manures, adjusted and was up to his regular intake within a week or so. Lisa Viger Cricket (12 yo STB gelding, Sadie (20+ ASB mare), Ricki (21 yo Appy POA) ============================================================ From: N2Akitas@aol.com Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1998 17:12:19 EST To: equinerescue@MyList.net Subject: EQ-ResQ: Tips on putting on weight? We have a rescue THW X that we are having an incredibly hard time getting weight on. He is an older horse (approx 19), but not so old that I would think he would be so hard to recover. We have tried minerals, supplememts (Nat. Glow), veg. oil, etc.... any help would be appreciated. Stacey ============================================================ From: ARose46054@aol.com Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1998 21:25:32 EST To: equinerescue@MyList.net, N2Akitas@aol.com Subject: Re: EQ-ResQ: Tips on putting on weight? Try Senior Equine formula......... ============================================================ From: lizmc@pacifier.com Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1998 19:10:58 -0800 To: equinerescue@MyList.net Subject: Re: EQ-ResQ: Tips on putting on weight? >Try Senior Equine formula......... -This is a very good tip, also we add Rice Bran to the feed, with some warm water to soften. I have a very old Miniature mare with bad teeth (she is scheduled for surgery to repair them this winter), and she eats this no problem, and boy, what a difference from when we first got her, she went into heat and had a filly that Summer after a Winter/early Spring of conditioning her...problem free pregnancy also, easy birth (ate lunch at 11:30am and baby was out and breathing on her own by 12:15 pm!). I can't say enough about the Purina Equine Sr. she's been on for 3 years now. She can't swallow her grass or hay, so it's really the only feed she gets, though she tried with the other stuff (we call her the mulching lawn mower, since the others are called expensive lawn mowers...*LOL*). Good luck with getting weight on your horse. Liz M. Please visit the link below-STOLEN MINIATURE HORSES http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Prairie/1806/stolen.html ============================================================ Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1998 23:23:28 -0500 From: ice To: equinerescue@MyList.net, Lisa A Remi-Viger Subject: Re: EQ-ResQ: Re: How do you know? If you want you can call Manna Pro and request their "How To Build A Better Horse" Booklet...Very helpful....1 800 749 7784 ============================================================