| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Nacelle |
Posted - 21 Mar 2011 : 8:36:33 PM
We had to move last saturday as where i kept my arab mare previously is being sold.
She has hardly eaten anything since we moved. I have had to keep her in for a bit as she managed to bruise a sole a couple of days before we moved.
She was previously kept with a little shetland that she was very attached to.
Could her not eating be because she misses him a lot?
The shetland is moving to london with his owners.
She didnt output anything today probably because she hadnt eaten and was empty.
She had her teeth done last week and was eating fine before the move. There are no signs of colic.
She is very bright and just doesnt seem to want to leave the door.
She can see other horses in the field and theres a horse in the stable next to her.
She is 24 and has cushings and arthritis. I took her for a walk to see how her foot was which does seem to be healing.
She did eat a little this evening so i hope shes starting to settle a bit more and will eat the rest of it.
Otherwise if she doesnt im not sure what to do.
We moved from a great stable to a less than ideal situation.
She was seperated from the shetland with a tape fence, and had a small area of a big field fenced off around her stable, so she had access to her stable whenever she wanted.
She seemed to like to stand in, in the afternoons, but she was shut in at night. She does not like the wind, rain or cold.
If i had the money i would have bought the field we were in previously but i just dont have that kind of money.
I am struggling as it is, as she has so many supplements and pills and is on danilon for the arthritis as well.
The yard we moved to has a couple of other liveries and the owner has a few horses and gives lessons. The fields are seperate from the stables.
I really didnt want to move her at this age and put her through this kind of stress but we had no choice.
I feel about 50 years older from all the stress and worry.
Helen |
| 19 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Cinnypony |
Posted - 01 Apr 2011 : 1:39:38 PM
If she won't stand on a tub (having made the mistake of a soaking boot woth Cinny) - I find a large Fairy Liquid wahing up bottle (or something similar) filled with salty water works well - squirt it into the hole.
Good luck! |
| pinkvboots |
Posted - 01 Apr 2011 : 12:16:09 PM
My last horse trod on a nail and had to poultice for ages so have a few tips for you, only cut a small piece of the animalintex just big enough to cover the area of the abscess, if you use the whole foot piece they supply it tends to make the whole foot soft which you don't want to happen, will also save you money as you wont go through so much of it.
I also used Hifi bags and duck tape over the vet wrap so I could turn her out, you just need a razor blaze to cut it off though nothing else will cut through it. |
| saddlebred |
Posted - 01 Apr 2011 : 10:31:14 AM
Generally horses with Cushings heal slower so you'll have to expect it take a bit longer. Foot abcesses are a pain to get rid of as well and they probably dont drain as well if they are kept in. I used to turn Fayre out in the menage with her poutice and a plastic bag on her foot but I think it still took over a month to all drain out.
Fayre would never stand with her foot in a tub either. Syringing with warm salt water into the hole when you change the poultice really helps because it gets all the persistent bits of gunge out. I found that with a helper at the front end stuffing her with carrots to keep her occupied she soon took to the syringe being inserted into the cavity.
It will come right in the end but you will need lots of patience. The warm poutice will draw it eventually even if you are arent able to syringe or tub it.
I hope it heals soon.
best wishes |
| Nacelle |
Posted - 31 Mar 2011 : 10:21:17 PM
I tried to put her foot in a tub of warm epsom salt water and she was having none of it.
She hates her feet getting wet at the best of times! I am taking the poultice off twice a day and sponging it with warm epsom salt water. Some objections but nothing like trying to keep her foot in a tub!
Have to do everything quick. Shes not the most patient horse! Its an ordeal trying to get her to lift her foot as well.
She has cushings as well, so does that mean that it will heal slower than usual? Shes on a daily dose of pergolide for it and seems to be doing ok on it. |
| saddlebred |
Posted - 31 Mar 2011 : 8:50:37 PM
The only thing I can suggest is tubbing it in warm salted water and using a syringe to flush out the abcess. That worked with Fayre and she has Cushings so is slow to heal. I hope it starts to heal soon for you. You have been through the mill. |
| Nacelle |
Posted - 31 Mar 2011 : 6:22:49 PM
Havent been online for a while.
D managed to abscess through her heel, so have been poulticing twice a day for the last few days and its still oozing out. Dont know how long this is going to go on for.
Thanks Fee, I guess it is a stepping stone as we managed to find somewhere else, although we cant move until her foot is better.
For so many horses in my area there are a serious lack of stables!
Has anyone here had an abscess through the heel before? Apart from poulticing is there anything else i can do? |
| Pheebs |
Posted - 24 Mar 2011 : 9:21:51 PM
What lovely advice Fee! So glad to hear it worked out for you 
Pheebs x |
| Fee |
Posted - 24 Mar 2011 : 8:46:07 PM
Chin up Nacelle, things will turn for you both soon, just keep looking.
I moved my mare from a livery we both liked to another with better facilities. I had seen a field around the same time as well but was really too scared to take the plunge to go out completely on our own. So although I had a little nagging doubt about this new yard I ignored it (which I don't normally do) because I thought the doubt could have been because I was leaving the yard I'd been on a while and settled in.
Anyway, the move turned out to be a disaster! Wont go into it, but like you I was so down about it all, as was Po. However, that short move (6 weeks) was really a blessing and I view it like a stepping stone, it made me take the plunge and lease our own field and I've never looked back.
I'm sure the right place for you and your girl is right around the corner 
Fee |
| Nacelle |
Posted - 24 Mar 2011 : 8:19:27 PM
I have no idea. I guess because of her health problems or so she doesnt get injured by one of the other horses.
By white tape i mean electric tape. White nylon with strands of wire in it that can be electrified, although mine is quite old now and some of the wire strands are broken.
I am trying to find somewhere else that would be more suitable. We went out stable hunting yesterday and didnt have much luck. I just need her to be safe and happy which we were before the move.
If i had the money i would buy the field we were in. We are both miserable and depressed at the moment.
|
| pinkvboots |
Posted - 24 Mar 2011 : 2:00:24 PM
Why does she have to go out alone? because of her age what does that mean, and what do you mean by white tape to turn her out in?, is there not one other horse she can go out with many horses don't like being alone.
It is a big change for her I would get her out as much as possible pref with another horse, is there really nowhere else near you that would be more suitable for her. |
| Nacelle |
Posted - 22 Mar 2011 : 5:38:46 PM
She seems a bit better today. She ate most of her speedibeet last night but didnt touch her fibre cubes.
I put her out for a bit and she nibbled at the grass a little but mostly stood staring. The yard owner wont have her with the other horses though because of her age so shes in a fenced off area.
When i got her in this evening she seemed more interested in eating next doors straw than her hay!
She was eating her speedibeet when i left so i hope she eats her fibre cubes as well.
Unfortunatly we might have to move again. The yard owner isnt happy that i had to put up white tape to turn her out in, and really didnt realise what type of horse she was. Shes not a docile riding school pony and because of the kids that come there for lessons means i cant take her out when there are kids around.
I will rant about the fencing in another thread.
I really should have checked out all the angles before we moved there but theres just nowhere else to move to. The other lady wanted us out so she could put her house on the market. The yard i wanted doesnt have any availabilty till may, and costs too much anyway. Expensive or not i have a little voice inside my head that wont go away telling me to move her there.
Well will see what happens i guess. Just need some money! |
| Pasha |
Posted - 22 Mar 2011 : 09:28:41 AM
Do you have an Equi Boot or similar that you could put on to protect her sole? If not, pad her sole out with gamgee and bandage the foot, like you would with an absess and turn her out.
You could also get her a stable mirror and she can become her own new best friend then - best bit about this is if you have to move, the best friend always comes too 
I really hope she settles and starts to eat... it is such a worry and lots of people dont realise what a wrench moving can be! I swear it's taken Shesky a year and a half to get over being sold and moved, poor thing! Then I moved him 6 onths after I got him and it's took a while to get over that, even though both my boys moved together and had eachother!
He is like a different horse now |
| saddlebred |
Posted - 22 Mar 2011 : 07:09:33 AM
I agree with everyone else. Haynet by the door is a good trick which helped one of ours who stresses to be out. She is in "somebody elses house". She needs to go and find out who the boss is there and check that they are OK about her being there. Once she has been out and met her knew companions I am sure that she will settle. It does take a few weeks. I hope she is back to normal soon.
You had no choice about the move so dont beat yourself up about it. They are tougher than we give them credit for.
Big hugs |
| barbara.gregory |
Posted - 21 Mar 2011 : 11:17:52 PM
Try putting a hasynet by her door so that she can look out while she is eating. I had a stallion who hardly touched his hay at night as he wanted to be at the door looking at "his yard". I put a haynet by the door as well as one in his stable and he loved to stand eating his way surveying his territory.
Barbara |
| Kharidian |
Posted - 21 Mar 2011 : 10:58:18 PM
I thyink she'll be better off turned out - I think that potentially aggravating a bruised sole is the lesser of the problems, compared with not eating or dunging.
I hope she settles soon.
Caryn |
| arabesque |
Posted - 21 Mar 2011 : 9:52:12 PM
Hi, Nacelle, I can sympathise with how your mare feels! I moved recently and the horses have settled, but I havent! She probably will be better out and hopefully able to make friends. I have an equi-boot in the tack room which I used often on a mare who was prone to bruising, It meant she could be turned out, but it gave protection to the damaged foot. May be worth a thought. I'm sure she will be fine in time, but it is stressful for you - don't feel guilty, you're doing your best. |
| Cinnypony |
Posted - 21 Mar 2011 : 9:44:11 PM
I had that after I moved Cinny at Christmas when we moved house.
She picked at everything for first couple of weeks, inc haylage and it was really worrying. Then she started eating haylage and is now woofing her feed like normal.
The hardest thing is trying to chill about it - as I found the more I stressed about her eating the worse it was.
Good luck and give her time  |
| Nacelle |
Posted - 21 Mar 2011 : 9:36:27 PM
She was so attached to the little shetland. He used to escape his fencing occasionally and go rampaging round the woods, she would charge up and down her field and scream her head off till he came back.
They both had sections of a big field fenced off because they are both prone to laminitis so they had to have limited grazing.
She will eat pieces of apple and carrots and any other treats, she just doesnt seem to be interested in eating any of her hay and feed.
Yard owner thinks she wants to go out. So will put her out tomorrow and see how she is. I am worried she might aggravate the bruise on her foot as the ground there is a bit stoney and she doesnt have shoes on. I put arnica cream on it.
I thought she would freak out at the chickens as shes not seen them before but she just ignored them!
Helen |
| Fee |
Posted - 21 Mar 2011 : 8:58:51 PM
Poor girl, she really sounds depressed. When I moved my mare from a yard she was with only one other horse and they loved each other. She was depressed for a few weeks, but it gradually got better. Such a worry though and you feel so horrible for doing it, but somethings just can't be helped.
I hope it's the same with you and she gradually feels better. Keep tempting her with 'nice' food. Have also pm'd you.
Fee |
