Conditioning the rescued horse.

dianneS

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I just adopted an amazing 16 year old TB gelding, but he's in rough shape right now. There is an amazing horse in there, he just doesn't look so hot.

Besides being a bit under weight and needing to get in condition and build some muscle, he's cut, scraped, has bite marks, bald patches, a little bit of rain rot, a thin mane and tail. His hooves are good, he's barefoot. He was lowest on the pecking order in the field and got the crap beat out of him by the other horses.

He's was being schooled 3 days per week and he's got 2nd and 3rd level dressage training. I just longed him a bit and he did lovely, he's such a nice mover with a beautiful floaty trot. He's also HUGE, like 17.1 at least.

Any advice for conditioning him, putting weight on, treating his skin and wounds as well as re-growing hair and getting his thin mane and tail thicker would be appreciated! basically this guy just needs a total makeover so that he looks as amazing as he behaves!
 

ksalvagno

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NuStock cream might help him. On my tube it says for horses use for cuts, burns, bruises, swelling, soreness, loss of hair, tender hooves, etc. Prevents proud flesh, very effective for rain rot, mud poisoning, dew poisoning, ringworm, no see-ums, scratches and any other fungus.
 

Beekissed

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X 2 on the NuStock~you can buy it online and it's worth every penny. You might also add a little Shaklee's Basic H soap to his water, works to deworm and restore gloss and conditioning to a poorly animal.

When it warms up, I'd give him a good wash with Dawn and some ACV. Add a few raw eggs to his feed ration every now and again. Lots of daily brushing to massage the skin and disperse his natural oils into the hair fibers. I'd oil up that tail with a silicone smoothing oil like Citrashine.

This regimen is how I took this cow:

5_varied_pics_of_dogs_chickens_kids_horses_146.jpg


To this cow in a month+:

5_after_of_cow_009.jpg
 

dianneS

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I'm considering leaving this guy out in the pasture as much as possible too? I have a foster pony who was in poor condition because he never had much room to move around, since leaving him out as much as possible, only coming inside when weather is extreme, he has muscled up quite nicely. Being able to graze, move around constantly, walk and run hills, its all done him a world of good.

I'm thinking of getting this new horse a good quality round bale so he can have 24/7 access to hay and leaving him out all day and all night if the weather permits. Does that sound okay?
 

Karma

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We use infusium23 on our horses manes and tails. It doesn't really grow more hair but it does keep what is there really nice. Some TB's tend to have sparser manes, things like Shapelys MTG can help but make sure you read the label well before using and don't use it on a horse turned out in sunlight as it can cause sun burn since it is an oil. I like my horses outdoors, even my endurance horse is out 24/7 unless the temperature drops too low or there is a lot of ice. I don't see why it would harm him however you may want to stable him or put a turnout rug on him if it gets really cold depending on the severity of his condition, thinner horses won't stay as warm as easily as horses in good condition. I think turnout is best, especially when you put him back in work it will prevent tying up and allow him to move and stretch to prevent soreness and the round bale is a good idea to make sure he has unlimited hay to get back to a healthy weight.

As far as conditioning him, is in rideable condition or not yet? If not I'd take him on walks until he is or if he is well mannered lead him from another horse. Though, only attempt to lead him frm another horse if they get along well and are well behaved. I don't like lunging frequently as I think it is a bit straining for horses to move in such small circles. Not sure what type of area you have to ride him in or what your plans are for him but any conditioning you do should be tailored toward what that is. If you have hills, they work awesomely for fast easy conditioning as they don't require a lot of speed to get the same effect. I'd do some long slow distance work and interval training which serves two purposes one for increasing overall fitness and the transitions between gaits build balance, hindquarter strength, and allow muscle development in the back/abdomin. If you intend to do dressage with him I would also add in bending, extension/collection, and lateral work. Some lateral work can be added quite early as no muscle is really required for leg yielding and small amounts (think 3-4 strides) of shoulder ins can be done even on unfit horses as long as you're only asking for amounts at a time. Bending can also be added early if you aim for big circles or serpentines. Extension and collection will likely take some time before the horse can do them well though. Lastly I would add short bits of road/hard surface work it's helpful for developing muscles, tendons, and bones in the legs. Our horses are all barefoot and only wear Easyboot gloves durring more intense training, riding on rocks/pavement, and the glue ons for competition. If you find he gets sore off hard surfaces/rocks or want something to prevent slipping on roads try the easy boots. They are much cheaper than paying for shoes every 6-8 weeks and better for the horse than metal shoes. I would make sure you stagger your riding with time off or slower less demanding rides for his muscles to get a chance to rest.
 

dianneS

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Thanks for the input!

He is rideable and was being schooled three day per week before coming here. 15 min warmup, 15 min work, 15 min cooldown. I was told to give him a good week or two to settle in to his new surroundings before starting to work him. That's why I was thinking of leaving him on 24/7 turnout, so he could still remain active during his settling in period.
 

RamblingCowgirl

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I am a big big fan of NU-stock as well, but for rain root {and ring worm or any like that} I use head and shoulders. One or two baths and you should be good. I use neosporian {spl?} on small boo boo's, but if it is larger then a half dollor, or raw looking NU-Stock would be better.
I know Vit E is good for the skin, but I'm not sure if that will help the hair grow back faster or not.
 

redtailgal

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Have you c onsidered giving him a biotin supplement in his feed?

Would help with the coat condition, and the mane and tail.
 

dianneS

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redtailgal said:
Have you c onsidered giving him a biotin supplement in his feed?

Would help with the coat condition, and the mane and tail.
I have thought about it and may add something like that to his regimen.
 

currycomb

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the out 24/7 with a good round bale is excellent. i would also give him my favorite: alfalfa cubes and beet pulp, soaked to soften. also rice bran, pellets, powder or oil. will just do an awsome job of growing new hair, shiney hair, and put weight on without risking alot of grain. and time. it didn't come off quickly, it won't go back on quickly. a horse must fatten up on the inside before you see it on the outside. 60 days and you will have a different looking horse. (the rice bran has stuff in it that builds up muscle)
 

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