Feeding Starved Horses

As more attention is focused on the issues of equine neglect and abandonment, more horse owners are tackling the task of cleaning up other people’s messes and trying to rehabilitate starved horses. Many times, the first instinct is to give a starved horse all the food it wants. Too much too quickly, however, can kill the horse with kindness. While there is no “one size fits all” rehab diet, the basic principles are the same. Start small and build slowly. The protocols outlined in links below may need to be modified for elders or other dentally challenged horses. Consult your veterinarian for guidance on meeting your specific rehab needs.

For more on “Refeeding Syndrome:”

From University of Minnesota, College of Veterinary Medicine
http://www.cvm.umn.edu/newsandevents/facts/rescuehorses/home.html

"Q: When a starving horse is first admitted, is it true that its system can only handle a small amount of food at first? Why is that?
A: We feed the horse only a small amount of food at first because we’re concerned about a metabolic crisis called refeeding syndrome, which can happen when severely starved animals receive nutritional replenishment too rapidly. Refeeding syndrome was first described in Far East prisoners of war after World War II. When the prisoners started eating again after a period of prolonged starvation, they suffered heart failure. Fortunately, the pathophysiology of refeeding syndrome has now been established. As fat reserves are consumed, starvation induces metabolic changes that allow protein (muscle) to be burned for energy. Body mineral stores, particularly phosphorus, become depleted, which can lead to respiratory failure, heart failure, arrhythmia, seizures, coma, and sudden death. Slow refeeding prevents refeeding syndrome.

Q: How much food and water do you initially give a starving horse? How often? How long does it take for the horse to get back to eating normally?
A: If the horse has had no food for 24 hours or more, it is offered handfuls of good quality grass hay on at least an hourly basis. It gets all the water it wants. After the first day, restricted hay access is provided by placing hay nets outside the bars of the stall. If the horse has had some feed prior to admission, it is permitted full access to grass hay. Within three days, most horses are back to eating all the hay they want. Concentrated horse feed is very gradually introduced on day four, using a half pound twice a day for average-sized horses."


For a technical description of what may happen during “refeeding,’ see:
Metabolic responses of chronically starved horses to refeeding with three isoenergetic diets
Christine L. Witham, DVM, MPVM, and Carolyn L. Stull, MS, PhD

http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/vetext/animal_welfare/docs/eq-isoenergetic-javma212-5-691.pdf

What's that tiny pen for?

An addition to the FAQ page:


First time visitors to TREES almost always ask what the small pen at the far end of the front field is for.

That little pen is our Groundhog Paddock. When the front field was first fenced for horses, we tried to encourage out little friend to move on, filling the holes with everything from plain rocks and dirt to used cat litter (which we were assured would be a foolproof deterrent.) Time after time, though, Madame Groundhog re-dug and meticulously cleaned her home and stayed put.

After months of battling, we agreed to a compromise. We would fence off her hole so it would not be a danger to the horses, and she could stay as long as no new holes appeard outside of her paddock. Six years later, no new holes.

Last summer, we noticed that our little groundhog seemed suddenly very old. Her coat was a dull silver rather than the shiny sooty brown it had been. She became quite thin, moved very slowly and seemed to become hard of hearing, not noticing when a lawn mower or tractor approached. Sadly, we have not seen the determined old girl since last fall.

Last week, however, a new resident surveyed the field, perched on the side of the Hole in the Paddock. A descendent of her Highness? We can't be sure, but no matter. For now, the Groundhog Paddock remains in place.

Notes and Thoughts from the “Green Horse Seminar”

On May 17, Traveller’s Rest attended a seminar in King George, VA, called “The Environmentally Friendly Horse: Caring for Your Land.” The program focused on keeping horses healthy while also keeping farms and pastures “healthy” through proper management.

One of the most interesting aspects of the seminar was the discussion of how modern horse owners try to force horses into a particular management style rather than molding a management plan to fit the horses’ natural requirements. Developing a “natural” management program is becoming more difficult in Virginia as farm sizes shrink and stocking rates increase. Poor management and crowded farms are leading to less healthy horses. Of particular note is the increase in unfit, overweight and obese horses. A study by Virginia Tech determined that 51% of horses surveyed were overweight or obese (only 5% of owners surveyed felt their horses were too fat.) Surprisingly, grain-based feeds do not seem to be the problem.

(This little butterball now wears a grazing muzzle and has lost ~ 75 pounds since February)

Horses evolved to graze “scrub” plants, ranging 8-15 miles a day to meet their nutritional needs. Even though, in the wild, horses would spend most of their time eating, they were constantly on the move while they ate. Today, in many areas, horses are grazing lush grass pastures or eating rich grass or legume hays, often standing in one place or walking over very small areas. Both the food and the method in which it is presented are contrary to the way equine species evolved. Richer pasture + less exercise = fat horses!

Many of us with overweight horses try to manage the problem by restricting grazing time. Guess what? That doesn’t work, unless by “restricting” you are talking about limiting grazing to only an hour or two a day. Horses, if healthy and left to their own devices, will eat the amount of forage their body says it needs in any given day. During 24-hour a day turn out, a horse may consume 0,8 – 0.9 pounds of forage (dry matter) per hour. A horse on pasture only part of the day, however, may eat up to 3-4 times that amount per hour to “make up for lost time.” Simply cutting back on hours spent grazing will not necessarily reduce total calorie intake. Instead, consider turning out on a dry lot with hay, or using a grazing muzzle when turn out is on pasture. Oh, and ramp up that exercise program!

For more on the “Fat Horse Study,” see “University Researchers Lead Pioneering Study in Equine Obesity.”

Goin' Green (literally!)

Even though, by May 16, we'd received twice the normal monthly rainfall, we're not complaining. Look at all this green!

To understand the celebration, take a look at this from last July.

We need proof(s)!

Send TREES the Proof of Purchase seals from your Triple Crown, Reliance, or Legends feed bags. We can redeem them through the Southern States SHOW program for cash!

Total Collected as of 5-17-08: $166.25


Traveller's Rest Equine Elders Sanctuary
PO Box 2260
Spotsylvania, VA 22553

In Search Of Hay for toothless wonders!

Searching for second/third cutting grass hay for dentally challenged senior horses. If you still have some or know of a supplier with some for sale, please call or email Traveller's Rest Equine Elders Sanctuary, 540-972-0936 or info@equineelders.org Needed in Spotsylvania, VA 22553

//

Elder and younger companion need homes

Warrenton, Virginia


These two boys could not go when their owners had to move to a smaller property. They are currently being cared for by the property's new human resident who is helping the owners find a permanent new home. She may be able to offer transport if new home is within 100 miles of Warrenton. The boys do not have to go together to one home. If interested, please email TREES for contact info.





From current caregiver:


The older gelding is named "Agenda" he is 27 years young, is a quarter horse and looks very good for his age. He seems to have a hitch in his rear left hind leg I guess from a previous old injury, but according to his owners he is sound for light riding. He doesnt have any health issues I am aware of other than needing his teeth floated. He drops his feed everywhere. He is a very sweet boy is easy to halter and lead and loves to be brushed, he is used to wearing a fly mask but doesnt like blankets or being stalled. He is current on his shots and wormings as I have been doing them since I got here. He feet were done just prior to my moving in and I believe the owners are going to get them done again next week when the farrier is due out here.

The other gelding is a Thoroughbred his name is Jubilee he is 14 years old. He is also very sweet with an inquisitive personality. He is a bit more pushy of the two and could use a little work with his ground manners. I dont think this is an issue of teaching him, but rather reminiding him of his place. He does appear to have an old injury to his rear left ankle it has a hard bony growth on the outside. This doesnt effect him running in the pasture, but I am not sure if it would with the added weight of a rider. He too is up to date on vacs and worming, but needs a coggins. His feet were also done before I moved in, they were not able to be trimmed enough as they were so overgrown so he could use a good farrier and more frequent trimmings. The owners were willing to get them a coggins before they left here, I am sure if proper placement is found this would still be the case. I can transport within 100 miles of Warrenton if this will help with placement.