Re: Thin Horse

["Susan Garlinghouse" <suendavid@worldnet.att.net>]

Stasia, I have a few suggestions about the thin-horse-with-runs.  There are
alot of tricks we can try in just upping his calories, but first I think you
should rule out medical causes.  The one that springs to mind is the
possibility of sand in his hind gut.  That sand creates a physical barrier
to the two primary jobs that the hindgut has to do---one, reabsorb water so
the feces is relatively dry (or at least not the runs); and two, absorb alot
of the volatile fatty acids produced through microbial fermentation that
provide alot of the nutrition he's relying on.

My suggestion before you try anything else is to collect a few samples of
poop (you'll need to catch it preferably before it hits the ground so it's
not contaminated by ground dirt) and put it in a bucket of water.  If you
can, collecting it after exercise is more likely to get a good sample, since
you'll have stimulated some gut motility to stir things up.  Slosh it around
until the poop is dissolved, slowly tip the water out, refill the bucket a
few times until all that's left is whatever sand that was in the poop.  If a
shovelful of poop produces more than a teaspoon or so of sand, then I'd say
that's the first problem to overcome.

Check it out and let us know if that might be the problem, and we can go
from there.

Susan G
----- Original Message -----
From: a hurley <juno501@yahoo.com>
To: <ridecamp@endurance.net>
Sent: Wednesday, March 28, 2001 3:13 PM
Subject: RC: Thin Horse


> hi,
>
> I have a question about a horse that I have written
> about before. I am still having trouble keeping weight
> on the horse. He has occasional trouble with runs and
> is getting 11/2 flakes morning and evening of alfalfa
> (I can't feed him grass hay or oat hay - makes runs
> much worse. He also has the same problem with oil) He
> also gets 5 big scoops of Complete Advantage, with
> added probiotics - it works out to be about 1 (40 lb
> bag) of Complete Advantage a week.
>
> I worm every 6 weeks (strongid/zicmecterin). I did the
> the Panacur Purge and his teeth last fall. He does 1-2
> (3 mile ride)during the week and a couple of  longer
> rides during the weekend. The horse's attitude is fine
> (bright eyed but quiet) but he is a little ribby and
> his hipbones are a little prominent. I guess that I
> can't believe how much food is going into a 14.2 hh
> horse without having him explode. I am wondering if
> there is a non-oil addition or something less
> expensive and/or higher calorie than the Complete
> Advantage. He eagerly dives into eating his food
>
> None of my other horses have trouble keeping weight
> on. He lives with another horse but this thin horse is
> definitely in charge.
>
> Suggestions?
>
> stasia
>
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