A week ago I recieved a free gelding, 14 yr old, roping horse. He is a delight, good nature and intelligent. Only problem. The people that gave it to me recieved it from another individual who got it from someone whose father died and then left it out in the pasture to waste away,rarely ever feed him, etc. The next people gave him all his shots, wormers and called a farrier. The next people only had it a month before giving it to us. They said, they gave him something for sand colic but, still wasn't putting on weight like they thought he should. They said, he had a runny nose and looked like he was at deaths door. He is greatly underweight, but he seems happy and content.
Being in Florida it is the first of April and he has not shed his winter coat yet. Now, he has these bald spots on his sides and is now getting them under his belly. They are doubling in size in one day. The hair is coming off in a very small cluster and in the bald area looks like dandruff but, there are not soars or anything. It is kinda sticky. This will be the first horse I have owned. I have only had him a week and I love him. His nature is good. I have not rode him b/c he is underweight but he will hold his head down for you to put the head gear on like he is begging to be rode. You can tell someone took care of and loved this animal at one time. I want to do right by him and would like to have your opinion on what I should be feeding him and what you think of the hair loss he developed overnight. I don't have a lot of money so any substitutes for name brands would be greatly appreciated. Oh, I thought about his teeth but he don't seem to have any sensitivity, salivia problem or problem chewing. Thanx.

Where are you from? Florida

How did you locate this forum? engine search

Hello Dana,

Thank you for your concern and love for this poor horse. It is going to take some time and yes, some money, but not a lot, to get him back into his original luster. He is obviously suffering from nutritional deficiencies.

Here are a few guidelines:

1. Give him all the grass hay he wants -- it should be in front of him all the time. If you can get some alfalfa, that is also good, but only 1/3 of his total hay ration should be from alfalfa.

2. Allow him to graze on pasture, if possible, 24/7.

3. Make sure he has fresh, clean water free of algae, insects, and bird droppings.

4. Provide a plain, white salt lick.

5. You can get a commercial feed such as Triple Crown Senior or Purina Senior. Do not overfeed -- limit his meal size to no more than 2 lbs per meal. Weigh your feed and feed him 3 to 5 times a day.

6. Add Nutra Flax to his meal to provide omega 3 fatty acids. This will help his skin and hair, as well as his feet, joints, and overall body condition.

7. And, finally, I recommend Ration Plus to help his digestive system regain its health so he can get calories from his forage and hence, gain weight.

These are some basic guidelines. If he is basically healthy and without disease, he will do fine on this regimen.

Keep me posted,

Dr. Getty

Where are you from? Bayfield, CO