Rescues, need advice on starved pregnant mares

[AnnaCrew]

I need specific help and would be really thankful if you would give me some advices.

Here is a neglected horse case here - long story, but the main info: there are about 15 starved horses (yearlings, 2 years old, different age adults) as owners again (!) forget about winter coming and did not prepared any hay.

My main concern are pregnant mares (maybe one I will bring home) - they are expecting in March and April (owners do not know exactly, as they did broke in with stallion on their own - what a surprise - GRRR!) and are really thin, skin and bones, age 9 - 11.

And the worst part - at least last winter they were at the same condition so we are talking about long term starved mares who are pregnant now.

They will get unlimited acces to the nice grass hay and water, in 3 days time we are planning to start adding some pellets (just a cap 2X per day) with laxseeds and rapeseed oil to help diggestive system, then will be slowly added few bits of apples, pumpkins, carrots, beets and dried black bread as treats.

I do not have experience with long term starved horses, and with pregnant mare it might be even worse. I would not worry if mares would loose foals (they are pregnant from pure Arab stallion, UK import, but with their current condition foals are just additional burden), but I really would like to save the mares - they are sweet and well trained sport horses, about 16.2 h, Holsteiner/WB mixes.

I'm looking for advices: what would be the best additions (for example, vitamins, supplements) to our feeding plan, and what to look for - what can go wrong? For what to prepare ourselves?

Any advices would be really helpful.

[TKR]

Thank God for you! I hope they can all be rescued. As far as any starved horse, it would be a good idea to feed very very small amounts many times a day and not give them free access to anything, even hay. Just give small amounts as many times a day as you can and as they get a little stronger, deworm. Are you sure they are pregnant? If they are in that shape and were last year, they may not be pregnant. Doesn't the repro system shut down when the mare is in poor condition, especially over a prolonged period of time? Good luck! If you have a vet or nutritionist, they should be able to advise you on what you have to feed them there and what would be best.
PennyG

[Tazer]

First off, do you own these horses? If not, I really would proceed with caution.

In any event, I would feed a low protein high fat feed (small quantities), with hay (nutrena has a nice 10/10, and there are also 12/12 feeds on the market, though sometimes harder to find). I've also known some people to provide a senior feed, because it can be easier to digest (see what you have available to you).

I would not pump all those various treats you mentioned in to their systems, they are simply not used to it. Once they are eating well, processing well and pooping well, gradually increase to a normal ration.

I've also added some high end alfalfa hay in to the diet once I've got them going well. They enjoy it and woof it down quickly, but don't overload them (one flake per feeding in addition to what other hay you normally give, I do tend to give free choice on grass hay). (there is an article on line somewhere, I think it was University of Kentucky, on refeeding a starved horse).

Probiotics may help with gut function, and you can pick up a tube of the gel form at your local feed store, and then order the jar of powder online inexpensively (try Country Supply, Jeffers, etc.).

Warm water will encourage more consumption during winter weather.

If they are truly emaciated, you can send them in to renal failure with too much too fast, so I will repeat.... small meals in the beginning. No over treating. As they perk up, you may see some that are food aggressive. If they do not have individual stalls, feed them as separated as possible, so each only eats what they should, and some poor horse is not outed by the alphas.

Blanket them in cold weather. They need all the help they can get to stay warm if they are underweight, don't let them shiver away those much needed calories.

Have your vet out, run some bloodwork to make sure their are no underlying causes for the condition. They can probably rectally examine the mares, and also run progesterone tests.

Have teeth examined and floated if necessary.

I've taken in quite a few starved mares, some of which were pregnant. They all responded well to this approach, and those that carried full term had healthy foals and nursed them just fine.

[AnnaCrew]

Thank you!
Horses who will go out of there will be kept inside in seperate boxes at least for 2 weeks from arrival, depending on condition (some will probably need much longer).

I am planning take in one mare, and I have free box, 12X14' - so it will be much easier to control intake and "outcame". She will be pampered as wise as possible, and it will give her calm time to adjust in new place. (I have one gelding on stall rest here, so she will have nice sweet gentleman to communicate).

Do you reccomend blanketing her inside in the box as well? My stable is not very warm, I prefer fresh air and more natural conditions (My babies are still out in pastures enjoyng life and refuses to use shelter that we had built them - but mine all have full tummies and proper meat on bones). We have about 32 - 40 F here day/night

Treats will be added only when the gut system will establish and she will be doing great on basic food. Only laxseeds and oil will be added from beginning to help dygestive system cope better with food.

Vet will be here, of course. I'm really lucky as vet lives only 2 miles away and visits me mostly without any charge :)

We discussed the deworming scheme, but probably will leave until first 5-7 days - by papers, horses had been dewormed in spring (here deworming goes March-April and September-October), so they can not be very bad with that. Results on mandatory blood tests also are on papers, but yes, test will be run again to see what's going on.

Ownership is most tricky part at current moment - gov has stepped in and out, so we are signing private boarding contracts with owner - if owner pays completely full amount for boarding fees+vet and farrier bills until 1st May, they can get horses back, if not, from 1st May horse become property of boarder. Owners already agreed on that so it might work - either will do.

People, who agreed to take these horses (me included), are not actually really keen to get them as our own property but in general these horses have quite nice pedigrees, are well trained and there are hope for them. So if owners will fail on paying for bording expences, they will have nice homes.

One mare is human agressive, but others are ok - during the summer horses were participating at shows, so people know them. The mare that I agreed on (it could change as we are still planning how to place them in best possible way) is 9 yo, 16 h. 2, jumps at shows 120 cm with children so I do hope that she will be quite easy to handle. (Owner says no vices at all and it could be right).

[LoveMyArabians]

I don't have any advice... but just wanted to share... if these horses could make it, I think any could... OMG! This rescue saved 96 (I think) out of 100 Polish Bred Arabians, some Welsh and Welsh/Arab crosses who lived to see a very happy ending. : ) Miracles do happen!

http://rescue100.com/index.php?page=happy-homes


Cindy

[misita]

http://www.completerider.com/starvedhorse.htm This should help you with feeding. Starved animals must be handled with kid gloves. They're very fragile!

I just rescued two starved 4 1/2 month old weanlings about 6 weeks ago. I've never done rescue and had planned to worm and feed the heck out of them. FORTUNEATELY....I called my vet before I did anything because I probably would have killed them. My vet had me give them a half dose of wormer and 1/2 the normal feed. ONLY straight grass hay. If you do get involved with them you should work with a vet. I ended up calling mine everyday for about 5 days. Then I became more confident and the babies became a little less lethargic.

Now, They're finally starting to look like real babies but still quite thin.

Go slow and good luck. God Bless for taking the time to care about them. It's horrible the growing number of starving horses.

[genevieveg17]

Good luck to you. I have taken in some neglegted mares over the years and fortunately have had very good luck getting them healthy again.
You have recieved a lot of good advice on this thread and it sounds like you have a sensible plan to get them on the road to recovery.

[grayfox]

Good luck with the poor mares.

[AnnaCrew]

Thank you all. I have some experience - with one starved mare so far. She arrived in August and looked very thin (It did not helped also that she is tall, 17.3h) :
http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m138/BBCedrik/10-08-08/PICT5580.jpg
With nasty wound on withers:
http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m138/BBCedrik/10-08-08/PICT5669.jpg
But at least she was starved short time - just few months, not more. And she was not pregnant.

And this is one of the latest pictures (the light bay bum - she is nearly recovered now and withers had healed - we still need wait quite long until she will be ready for saddle, but at least she is on the right track now, happy and bright, and really sweet and loving)
http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m138/BBCedrik/28-11-08/PICT8289.jpg

I'm worried about pregnancy - I do not have any experience with possible complications - The mare delivered her previous foal in January, already was thin and starved, and foal died the next day. How this long term malnutrition can affect the mares current condition and recovery? And what I can do to help mare and caming foal?

One mare probably will deliver in March already so is she at the tricky term now, transporting such mare will be already a bit of a problem (thank God, professionals will take care of that).

Anyway, next week they will be here. This waiting is just killing my nerves, knowing that horses there are barely getting any food until people are working to get them out. Time! :(

[misita]

The unborn babies are probably in much better shape than their mothers were. They got the first of all the nutrition. I bet they'll come out just fine now that their mothers are healthy.

[DeeThbd]

I'm worried about pregnancy - I do not have any experience with possible complications - The mare delivered her previous foal in January, already was thin and starved, and foal died the next day. How this long term malnutrition can affect the mares current condition and recovery? And what I can do to help mare and caming foal? :(

Anna, didn't you mention that you had bred one of your mares earlier this year? (Maybe I'm thinking of someone else!) If so, it would be good to visit some experienced breeders and even accompany your vet on rounds so that you can see what to expect when the little one(s) arrive(s). He sounds like a great resource!
All the best!
Dee

[AnnaCrew]

Yes, I have one mare who is in foal and the foal is expected on May 27-June 2. I do not worry about the delivery jet - we have planned it out: DH will sleep in box the last week so we shall not miss on our first foal's arrival, and vet will be here when the times come, that's for sure. (our vet lives very close so vet can arrive in 5 minutes if needed). Mare is not maiden, so all must go well, but anyway - we need our vet here and vet will be - 100%.

With this starved mare the story will be more complicated - we do not know when she must deliver (maybe March, maybe April) - so I'm reading all the threads about people waiting for foal arrival to be able to see the signs, and then will be time to call the vet. Good job that my vet is horse crazy and do not mind holding our hands permanently (sometimes we call the vet 3 times per day). :D

And for complete emergency situation - we have all of you - so far you were so patient with us and greatest source of info! (Mares tend to deliver at night and with 7-8 hour difference it means that many of you will be awake :D (And for the last chance if everything goes wrong I have an old farmers handbook with good drawings how to get out foal if it is in wrong position - I'm brave girl, I study it every night :D)

[sniplover]

With this starved mare the story will be more complicated - we do not know when she must deliver (maybe March, maybe April) - so I'm reading all the threads about people waiting for foal arrival to be able to see the signs, and then will be time to call the vet.

We did the milk testing for the first time this year - you measure calcium and pH levels. I was rather skeptical, since there are so many claims of 'science' in the horse world, and often they're rather unsubstantiated... but so many experienced people were chiming in, so we decided to give it a go! We used plain old aquarium strips for calcium and pH (and I supplemented with highly sensitive pH strips from my lab - can be bought through any supplier, however!). I can't recommend this enough!! :yes: :cool: :D

We bothered the living hell out of the mare, doing rectal temps, jiggling her butt muscles, watching feed, foal watching with a baby camera, testing milk at least 1x daily (more when she was starting to seem close)... She's a saint, and the baby's delivery was accurately predicted by the chemistry. Next year, maybe just the test strips and 3am foal checks... :lol:

Here's the great thread about it;

http://chronicleforums.com/Forum/showthread.php?t=140453

[AnnaCrew]

Thank You! Will dig seriously into it - I am sure I will get all needed ingredients easy and I do hope that she will let us do the job without a big fuss - my girls are good, but we still repeat procedure on weekly basic to be sure that they will let us do it when it will be such necessity.

[AnnaCrew]

Both mares have started the trip to here - this afternoon they will arrive. Other mare, it is clear now, is NOT pregnant - very good news for me - less problems to worry about. So the first pictures I will post later today. Vet is warned and will be here on the arrival so I feel quite safe.

[Alexie]

are the mares with you now Anna?

hope they and you are all well, love reading about your adventures :)