Does anyone have a NORMAL horse?

[deltawave]

Only half kidding--I realize this is a place to talk about horse care issues and problems, and that there's a "squeaky wheel" phenomenon going on with problems in horsekeeping necessarily being represented here. But still, I sometimes wonder, does anyone else have healthy, normal horses with no major issues, no chronic problems, who eat regular old horse food without difficulty? :uhoh:

I'm sort of afraid to ask because I might jinx my healthy, normal herd. :lol: But it would be nice to hear from some people who have just regular horses. :) :)

[Raleigh's Mom]

My QH is one of those (well, he does not have the best feet). He thrived on pasture board only for two years. The BO did put out round bales in the winter. Other than that, it was just grass and a little occasional grain for a treat.

I also recently found a home for my Standardbred mare. She was quite the hardy horse, athough she benefits from some sort of "grain" product in the winter. She did have a crooked front hoof, but was never lame once in the 7 years we had her.

Now, I think my Arab makes up for the those two. (Although.... knock on wood... .no major illnesses or injuries).

[Equilibrium]

I now have normal horses eating basic rations of grass pellets, flax, and vit and min supp. Also, a good grass hay. Most live out, behavoir isn't an issue, and I don't seem to have any problems. Although now that I've written that, I'm sure I will! Seems as soon as I went "old school" things got much easier for me, my horses, and my wallet!

Terri

[KatieD]

Well, my appendix QH is one of those...he does not get any grain all year round (except for catching him, occasionally) he eats hay, he gets a salt block and water and that is it! I ride him all during the spring/summer/fall to round up and move cattle down hard roads WITHOUT SHOES and after 10 years he has never been even remotely lame. He had a short bout with west nile which he recovered from with flying colors. He can be a total dink, but he is full of life and normalness.:lol:

The other horses that I often use at the feedlot I work at now are the same; very tough, very VERY low maintenence and working a lot harder than some of the horses 'working' on these forums. Some horses can just be horses.;)

[grayarabpony]

Define normal....;)

I have two normal healthy horses. They are only 8 and 9 years old, on minimal concentrates. They do get a multi-vitamin because our soil is copper and selenium deficient, and the big gelding gets an amino acid supplement to make sure he gets enough lysine.

The concentrates, such as they are, are whole oats and alfalfa pellets. The pony gets just enough to mix in the supps.

[Melissa.Hare.Jones]

My three are currently "normal", though each has had some sort of health or soundness issue in the past.

They live in a large field with a run-in, eat hay and Triple Crown Complete and are supplemented with Vit. E/Selenium and Quiessence. Get trimmed and/or shod every five weeks, get their teeth done once a year and see the vet for vaccinations. Nobody cribs or weaves or walks the fence, everybody loads, clips and minds their Ps and Qs.

I count my blessings every day. :yes:

[Bayou Roux]

I think we've got a barn full of normals-- Morgans of all ages, from 1-26, who live on grass/hay and a pelleted supplement.

Barefoot. No blankets. No vices. (Okay, they are obsessed with chewing their leadropes, but that's not much, and if you hang them out of reach, you're okay.)

One with selenium tie-up issues if she doesn't get enough extra supplement, but other than that, normal.

Amen, it's a blessing, and we are thankful for it!

[SarahandSam]

Mine, though I'm knocking wood. (: Barefoot, blanketless, is fine out 24/7 or stalled at night, eats hay and BOSS and a little regular grain, is fine if I don't ride him for a month and then hop on him, is fine in new places, is fine on trail, just basically says, "Okay, let's go." He did manage to crack a tooth trying to eat a Himalayan salt block, and he ate a wooden stall decoration, so he may not be entirely normal though...

[FlashGordon]

The horse I had growing up was never lame, never sick, never sore. (or, maybe I just never noticed!) I dunno if his saddle fit, I never gave him any supplements, he was on a standard pellet and grass hay. He didn't get as much turnout as he should have. He was not fancy, but he was a superstar!

The barn I board at now has a plethora of horses that do "fine" on a locally milled grain, grass hay, and not *quite* as much turnout as I'd like. Most have been there 15-20+ years. It is mostly grade horses, QH types, good feet and good legs.

I chalk it up to a to-the-minute routine, a great farrier, and good basic care-- very clean stalls, fresh water, good hay, decent turnout schedule. Could some of the horses look better? Yes. But half the barn is late 20s early 30s and they all do ok. They've not had a major colic, injury or health issue in the 20 years I've been familiar with the place.

I will admit they do roll their eyes at me and my "high maintenance" TB, who is 21, on a special diet and a handful of supplements, and who needs as much turnout as he can get.

I think this forum has a lot of foot/metabolic/etc. issues being discussed because people are on here seeking info. Typically you end up in the Horse Care forum because you have a question or a problem.

I'll admit to being mildly neurotic. But lately I've learned to just let go of some things.... Sure I want my horse at optimum health, but heck it is always going to be a process and a learning curve and sometimes you just gotta be ok with the fact that perfection is not always achievable....

[Tree]

I've got 15 normal equines. Number 16 is in the process of returning to being normal...if possible.

Only 3 of them get Equine Sr and their ages are 31, 30 (horses) and 29 (pony). The 31 yo can still eat hay while the other 2 quid hay so I stopped giving it to them. The rest are 21 and under with the youngest being 7 (which is the abnormal one).

Tree

[luise]

I think my horse would qualify. he's a 17 y/o QH/Belgian draft cross. Gets 2 quarts of senior grain twice a day. The only supplement he gets is Glanzen with Vit.E and selenium. He has never been injected, had a massage, chiro, etc. Had clean x-rays when I got him almost 2 years ago. He loves the cold, so usually just wears a thin lightweight sheet in this weather. He'll also eat any treat you give him--peppermints, apples, carrots, donuts (!), etc. The only time he was ever lame was after an event when we think another horse kicked him in the hoof in the trailer--a few days of bute and rest and he was fine.

[Katy Watts]

I've had 3 horses could eat anything or nothing and stay on pasture. I would throw them all out to pasture for summer while I was busy working, with nothing but a salt block and never had any problems. Then I bred my 'best' mare, nearly killed her and her daughter feeding by the book, and my whole life changed. If I ever get another horse after these are gone, it will only be one of those 'easy keepers' that can eat anything and might need grain if they worked hard.

[Popularity]

I believe one of mine qualifies as a "normal" horse. i've had him for about 12 years, he's 20 years old, quarter horse. when we tried him he'd been sitting in a stall for about 3 weeks, and i'm sure the stall hadnt been cleaned in a looong time :no: in the past 12 years, he hasnt been sick, lame, etc...just perfect (knock on wood!). he walks himself in from the paddock for evening feedings, and takes himself out in the mornings haha he's lived everywhere from a nice 'A' show barn to my barn when it only had a roof and a couple 2x4s to make a stall. One year i didnt have a horse to take to an 'A' show so we took him out of the lesson program (yup, he was a lesson horse for a couple years too!) and started working on his jumping. He ended up getting fantastic ribbons and jumped soo good (doesnt do lead changes tho, had to get them over the jump). his only fault now is if you know how to ride and try to ride him w/ a saddle, more often than not he will throw you off. however, if you are completely clueless he's perfect! he's the perfect horse! and i see a trend that a lot of these normal horses are quarter horses!

[turningpointequine]

I think my guys are normal. Nobody has any vices and nobody's had any injuries since I've owned them (okay, I made my stallion sore by giving him a chiro visit but that wasn't the horses fault and he was fine the next day after bute). Nobody's a hard keeper, everyone gets along alone or in a herd. I don't have to deal with buddy or barn sour. No special maintenance or treament issues.

Thank you for reminding me how much I love my barn. :)

[ddashaq]

I am knocking on wood as I type this. My horse is pretty normal-- eats a pelleted feed, hay, no supplements, has no problem keeping weight on, and is mostly sound. He is very easy to handle on the ground even at his most ornery and is generally an uncomplicated ride. He is good for shots, worming, farrier, and gets along well in a herd or by himself. Pretty much all the horses at my boarding barn are the same way with the exception of one big goofy TB who is highly accident prone.

[JSwan]

Well, at the risk of jinxing myself...

None of my horses suffer from obscure, exotic disorders. They are generally able to walk without assistance, see in the dark, and I do not have to purchase goops and potions in order for them to breathe, chew, and defecate. They are able to eat and drink without supervision, too.

They clip, tie, load, stand quietly for the vet and farrier, and are easy to work around. They don't bite me, kick me, strike at me, or run over me. They appear to be amiable, good natured animals that generally get along with each other and any humans they come into contact with.

:winkgrin:

[AEM74]

Knock wood, but I am the grateful owner of a "normal" horse - physically and emotionally. I had myself convinced this summer that he was IR (he's a draft cross), so I had a blood panel run and that came back normal, too. He's sound, sane and for the most part, no trouble at all. I don't have him at home but I think my BO/trainer would agree with me as well. All in all, he's a pretty easy guy to live with (now that the farrier demons have been exorcized), thank goodness.

Now, my last horse... He was a PITA attitude-wise and has had lameness issues on and off with his current owner. Oh, and as I understand it, he's still a PITA. Don't miss him at all...

[LMH]

Well, at the risk of jinxing myself...

None of my horses suffer from obscure, exotic disorders. They are generally able to walk without assistance, see in the dark, and I do not have to purchase goops and potions in order for them to breathe, chew, and defecate. They are able to eat and drink without supervision, too.

They clip, tie, load, stand quietly for the vet and farrier, and are easy to work around. They don't bite me, kick me, strike at me, or run over me. They appear to be amiable, good natured animals that generally get along with each other and any humans they come into contact with.

:winkgrin:

Freak.
:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:

[citydog]

At the risk of jinxing myself, I have one who's as "normal" as can be.

Lives out 24/7 (although is perfectly fine in a stall and relatively neat in a stall if need be), no blankets, barefoot (and when he wore shoes, they were plain keg shoes), easy keeper on hay, gets literally a *handful* of grain for his supplements (selenium poor area, and the BO gets hay from a variety of sources, so a multivitamin just to make sure). Great in turnout, for vet, farrier, clips, loads, ties, babysits, in seven years has had *one* non-routine vet visit (bifurcated his tongue--like a snake!--somehow a week after I got him), but that's it. Plain bay, very shiny and dapple-y, will try anything I ask of him, go through/over/under anything, was easy to fit for a saddle. Sound, sane, personable and pretty darn cute. Not a QH. ;)

[cosmos mom]

At one point, I could have answered this question: "Yes- I have two normal horses". Now I would say that I have two normal horses that unfortunately live in an area were lyme disease is indemic. My gelding and mare have had it twice over the past 3 years. When they are not "lymey" (which luckily isn't that often) they are great!

[Daydream Believer]

I now have about 22 perfectly normal horses too that eat a forage only diet, are sound, sane, barefoot, blanketless, and almost never need a vet for anything. I do have one appaloosa colt who recently arrived that seems abnormally friendly and sweet and totally lacking in appytude so time will tell if he is normal or not!

[secretariat]

Yep. Right now, I've got a TB, a TB/ApHC cross, and an ApHC (weanling to 2 year old) -- we run all of our babies here when they're weaned and/or when we buy a young OTTB. They're fat, dumb, and happy, just like me. In summer, they run the side of an eastern Kentucky hillside that's an old unreclaimed strip mine. If they survive the first month, really makes TOUGH, healthy horses with lots of scrapes but great legs and feet. And it's so rocky in places that they rarely even need farrier work. I make sure we have a "sighting" at least once a week just to make sure they're OK. I bring them down to the paddocks in winter for my convenience, not theirs.

[EqTrainer]

Oh yes :)

My personal horse is about as normal as a horse could be. Handsome, too :)

My three year old is normal, in fact, not just normal but fabulous in every way.

The 32 year old horse who lives here and has Cushings is so normal it's amazing other than having Cushings, and who can blame him for that at 32? FWIW he doesn't even get Pergolide, he's that normal.

My daughters pony.. normal.

The ones who come here to get fixed? Not normal! You can really tell when they get here, too, and get compared to all the normal ones :lol:

[Hey Blondie the horse]

My horses are all ex barrel horses that have somewhat blown minds..very high strung and nervous when you ride them usually. One I can not catch to save my life, One will "corner" her paddock all day long, One paces and windsucks, and one has no bad habits but is attached to his girlfriend for 11 years (I got them together) They are so attached to each other one will die trying to get to the other. Nope, maybe mine are not normal? LOL

They are out to pasture 24/7 as I only have a 3 sided shelter for them at the moment. Mine are all reg/branded/tatooed AQHA horses. They are 18,19,20,21 years of age. You would never believe their ages to see them, see them being ridden etc....3 of them would still run 1D barrel times if I were to want to get killed trying to get them into an arena! lol..Two of my four have gastric ulcers, one is a MAJOR Windsucker with no top teeth(20 yr old), one (21 yr old) was foundered at 5 yrs of age but still had a barrel racing career and he has the ugly hooves to prove he foundered! One mare, the 18 yr old foundered before I got her as a broodmare off the track and gets sore feet if ridden on gravel, otherwise all are SOUND, somewhat sane and eat Perennial Peanut hay and 10% Sweet feed I get at Tractor Supply for less than $9 a bag..none are rolly polly fat but they are in good shape. 3/4 of them need their teeth floated at the moment. All are barefoot but 3 of them rarely get ridden.

I got them all over the age of 15 yrs..all retired, 3 of them due to gate issues in barrel racing. They were all used up, Burnt out..So I just trail ride them and they seem very happy. I rode the 20 yr old 10 miles yesterday and you would never guess he is 20..acts like a 3 yr old most of the ride. Gives me a workout!

Nope, I would say mine are not normal. But I do believe their issues are man made. They worked hard for years running speed events, just no longer wanted to do that and were all givn to me to trail ride.

When I was a kid my horses got a Flake of hay and a bit of grain morning and evening...never fed supplements..never heard of a gastric ulcer in my life until this past year.

Horses are animals that really need only PASTURE but with no rain in GA I have little grass even though I have 25 acres of "pasture". I do sometimes put out grass rolls but once your horse gets peanut hay they will not like grass..so I give each about 1/2 a bale a day of peanut hay at the moment. Sure wish the droughts would go away. I prefer to have grass 9 months of the year myself!

Oh, as long as they have a salt/mineral block I believe horses need no other vitamins/minerals, never had a colic case, never had a founder case except given to me that way. I do not believe the HYPE that horses need so many supplements etc..None of mine have arthritis, none have any lameness even having been ridden hard most of their lives..I think being OUT to pasture is part of that reason they are still smooth moving even when aged.

[LMH]

Oh yes :)



The 32 year old horse who lives here and has Cushings is so normal it's amazing other than having Cushings, and who can blame him for that at 32? FWIW he doesn't even get Pergolide, he's that normal.



How do you control his symptoms? Just through your diet program? Even the long curly coat?

If so, that speaks volumes.

[JER]

My 6 horses are all normal. Even my mule is pretty much normal now. No joint supplements, just some MSM for the mule as it seems to help his skin issues.

We're pretty low-maintenance here. I guess that's something to be thankful for.

[EqTrainer]

How do you control his symptoms? Just through your diet program? Even the long curly coat?

If so, that speaks volumes.

When he got here, he had been starved. He was a body score of 2 :cry: He was so thin, he had rolled and split open his croup and withers. Where is the angry sad icon?!!

So of course I dewormed him.. and dewormed him.. and then I dewormed him some more :lol: he is now finally on the less intensive program.

I had known him for a long time and knew that he was originally an easy keeper, so no excuse other than he had not been dewormed, had not had his teeth done in 8 years or so and he was in a field with no grass and 8 other horses.

His teeth had really gone to hell and he is missing quite a few, so my dentist did what she could. We review them every six months but of course she barely touches them.

Regarding forage, he can only eat very fine hay or grass. Last year during the drought my hay man "found" 28 bales of orchard grass that were buried under some fescue... between that and alfalfa, he enjoyed the drought just fine.

Winter, he gets 1 1/2 lbs. of diet balancer and 1 lb. of oats, about 2 cups of beet pulp. MagOx, Equi-min, salt. In the summer he gets just a handful of oats and enough BP to get the MagOx and vitamins/salt into him.

He does have the long hair. Actually longer in the summer than in the winter. I clip him 2x in the summer. He doesn't have any other symptoms. Actually.. you know.. we have always assumed he was Cushingoid but who really knows, maybe he is just hairy like an old man :lol:
Whenever I ask my vet she says DON'T CHANGE A THING, HE'S STILL ALIVE

His feet are fantastic and he eats grass from the minute it pops up until it dies off. I kept two fields to weather over for him this year and it worked well, he just finished the last of the grass.

I will add a big sloppy bucket of warm soaked alfalfa cubes for lunch to his diet soon.

He is so senile, I don't think he remember that he had breakfast 15 minutes later. I think, I hope, he will live forever. He is an icon!

[4whitefeet]

I have 2 (both 10y/o) horses and as of right now (knocking on my head) they are great and we have no problems. :) Both have great feet, are barefoot, load fine, will ground tie, stand for trimmer and vet with no problem and only get minimal feed just 3 months a year in Nov, Dec, and Jan. They are on a 10 acre pasture with a run-in and when the weather is really nasty, they each have a stall that doesn't have a wood carving in sight. They are easily handled and are just as happy with kids crawling over them as they are being loose in the pasture. I can ride them 3x a week or 3x a year and they still are the same, so I guess I do have pretty "normal" horses.:yes:

I take my horses to the vet twice a year for their shots and checkups and I usually have to remind the vet of who I am because he forgets the ones he doesn't see that often.:winkgrin:

[twofatponies]

I agree about not wanting to jinx it! But my second horse, the 13 yo Morgan mare, is pretty darn low maintenance. Despite years of hard use and some old scars that imply some rough experiences, she is sound as a bell, easy to catch, thrives on a few pellets and hay, goes wherever I point her, never bites, kicks, or runs away, and has no other bad habits or unpleasantness about her. She's needed a touch of retraining to steady some headshyness and to change her way of going to the way of going I like (head down instead of up, etc.) but she tries hard and has learned fast. She's been courageous with new things, like baths, broom polo, or going fox hunting, and she's gentle with children. She'll stay in the barn alone, she'll pasture alone or in company (mares or geldings), and she just waits wherever you put her. She'll wear any tack you put on her, and go bareback, too. You have to be a little attentive, because if something does bother her she'll pretty much just grin and bear it, rather than protest in an obvious way.

I've become a fan of low maintenance, tolerant horses!!

ETA: wait, wait = I forgot to add, she's barefoot, too! ;)

[LMH]

LOL...love that story.

Senile can be good.:lol:

[JSwan]

:
Whenever I ask my vet she says DON'T CHANGE A THING, HE'S STILL ALIVE



That reminds me of the time my neighbor took is 102 year old grandmother ( who still lived independently, just didn't drive) to the doctor for a checkup. After the doctor performs a thorough exam, he finds nothing wrong. He then looks at the bloodwork and says, well, her cholesterol is a little bit high.

My neighbor starts fretting and starts peppering the doctor with questions about diet, exercise, medication.

The doctor looks at my neighbor and says, "If I were you I'd eat what she's eating."

:D


Granny died quietly in her sleep just shy of her 105th B-day, I believe.

[jn4jenny]

If you're talking about "normal at this exact instant", then yes, mine is totally normal.

If you're talking about never ever sick, lame, problematic, high maintenance, or otherwise drama-riffic, then I know VERY few folks who can claim that. Even *your* herd is not normal according to that definition. ;)

[Gayla]

I am too superstitious to post here...:winkgrin:

[2Horse]

No, I don't own a single "normal" horse. LOL:lol:

[JoZ]

Our barn currently has 29 horses (just three owners... so WE are definitely not normal, or even sane!). Almost all of them are normal. We have a few that can't have unlimited access to pasture in the summer. One has EPSM. One is on a joint supplement. A few need oil to keep their weight up in the winter. But otherwise, they get soaked pellets (grass and beet pulp), flax and a vit/min supplement, plus grass hay. All are barefoot. Only the hard keepers are blanketed.

The best thing? We are going through a bad cold snap. We don't usually get weather this cold, maybe one week each winter. So far it's been more than a week, and earlier than usual. But as long as we break the ice in their water buckets, all of the horses -- weanlings, older horses, hard keepers, easy keepers -- drink their normal amount of water. Even if it has ice floating in it. That is such a relief, and saves us a lot of time and energy. It's hard enough getting icy water to them, without having to heat it or use other tricks to lure them into drinking.

[whbar158]

Other than needing some joint stuff and doesnt sweat enough (but its very mild) usually hes pretty simple, but when he decides to have something happen it can be a little weird but nothing ever serious! We joke its part of his personality as hes a little weird in that area :)

[amdfarm]

This better NOT jinx me, deltawave!! :winkgrin: So knocking frantically on wood just to be safe.

My herd of a dozen are relatively normal, if there is such a thing. Ages are from coming 23 to long yearlings w/ ponies, drafts and lights of varying breeds.

The ponies are by far the easiest keepers, they gain weight on air, etc... Drafts, lights, including the "old man" are all fairly easy keepers. They're
out 24/7 on round bales of alfalfa/grass mix, getting pellets/grain as a group once a day, and free choice vit/min. No blankets, barefoot and no supplements for joints or otherwise. They all have wonderful dispositions and all are halter broke, tie, stand, vet and trailer. That might change in the spring when I start a couple of the youngsters and an older broodmare, but for now, all is well in our happy little herd despite the -20's windchill factors and our low tonight is -4. They deal w/ it a whole lot better than I do!!

[PNWjumper]

Depends on what you mean by "normal."

Mine are all relatively maintenance free.....eat free choice timothy, are turned out 24/7, shod "normally" (and several barefoot), don't get a bunch of supplements (though I do supplement for deficiencies in my hay), etc. But I have several high level jumpers and I treat them accordingly with preemptive and post-horse-show body work (chiro/acu/massage) and occasional polyglycan injections.

But really? I always find this to be such a ridiculous thing to discuss. Even human athletes take care of themselves differently than a "normal" human being. And I would guess that if you were able to poll the majority of the board you'd find that a lot of the "not normal" horses are show horses of one type or another. In other words, horses that have a higher-than-"normal"-demand put on them.

[Simbalism]

I think my horse is pretty "normal". 13 yo chestnut TB mare. She lives out 24/7 with access to a nice run in shed. She does get a little grain, about 2 lbs am and pm with a few supplements(joint, mineral salt, moody mare type, and BOSS once per day) In the winter she gets an alfalfa mix hay. In summer grass from the pasture and an orchard grass mix hay when we go somewhere. As a treat when I have her tied to trailer to groom/tack up she gets 1-2lbs of alfalfa forage. She has not had any problems in years until a recent feed change at boarding barn(bad batch of feed) and she and several other horses choked. Let me knock on wood here.... She gets shod front and rear with steel shoes, and gets hocks injected once per year. She trail rides mostly, but we also take hunter lessons and do different type clinics in whatever interests me at the moment.

[goeslikestink]

Only half kidding--I realize this is a place to talk about horse care issues and problems, and that there's a "squeaky wheel" phenomenon going on with problems in horsekeeping necessarily being represented here. But still, I sometimes wonder, does anyone else have healthy, normal horses with no major issues, no chronic problems, who eat regular old horse food without difficulty? :uhoh:

I'm sort of afraid to ask because I might jinx my healthy, normal herd. :lol: But it would be nice to hear from some people who have just regular horses. :) :)

dont worry i do i have healthy herd part from old age everyones fine

[laskiblue]

My almost eight year old Appy mare does fantastic on alfalfa and grass hay and a salt block. Neither she nor her needs are at all complex. :) She is night blind but has a big safe area to be in at night.

[twofatponies]

And I would guess that if you were able to poll the majority of the board you'd find that a lot of the "not normal" horses are show horses of one type or another. In other words, horses that have a higher-than-"normal"-demand put on them.

That's true in my experience. I think it has partly to do with the higher than normal demands put on a show horse, and partly to do with the value of a show horse. I probably would pamper & fuss over my horses a lot more if they were worth tens of thousands of dollars, produced valuable foals, were making a name for me as a trainer/breeder/etc. by winning in the show ring, etc.

[deltawave]

I agree that "normal" mandates definition. My theory is, and part of my point is, though, that it is often at least in part a mindset on the part of the owner, too. Very much like you'll have people that are very stoic and minimize things about their own health, you will have the same variety among horse owners. (One person will cough twice and start thinking pneumonia, while another will cough for a week and not even notice, etc.) Nothing wrong with either extreme, it's just an observation. I guess one's idea of "normality" in a horse is partially selection (QH's seem to be very sturdy!), partially luck, partially environment and partially perception. :)

I've never had a horse worth tens of thousands, so I don't know if I'd treat them much differently. I don't really "pamper" much.

[Calena]

I'm trying to decide if the princess qualifies as normal or not. A full set of digital xrays last spring shows she has a grand total of zero arthritis. She insists on eating a diet of grass/alfalfa hay and plain rolled oats. She doesn't like medicine, it's yucky; runs away when I attempt the killer goopy/wet stuff on her legs explaining that "it will make you feel better". She turns her nose up at any wet food in her feed tub; has let me know that birds eat BOSS, not horses; I do believe she would kick me if she doesn't get at least 1-1/2# of carrots daily; runs out to eat fresh apples off the tree in the fall; loves trail rides, pasture and turnout with her buddies, getting her itchey spots scratched; hates her blankets and would prefer we lose the girth strap and velcro her saddle directly to her back; she's more concerned with rider ability than saddle fit.

At 25 yo, she isn't as much of an 'easy keeper' as she was a couple of decades ago, but I think that's normal too. All in all, she's basically a horse.

I've known hundreds of 'normal' horses and a few that have/had real metabolic problems or hoof problems. Along with those horses, I've known hundreds of neurotic owners (myself included) and a few 'normal' ones that take horse ownership in stride and just ride their horse without any drama.

[LMH]

When I didn't know anything and just fed Buckeye Gro N Win and oats (cause someone did that where I boarded) mine WERE normal.

When I started learning about all the diseases that can happen from not doing things 'right' then my horses suddenly were not normal.

NOW that I have had my farm over 12 years, *I* am over 40yo and just plain tired, I have dropped everything back to basics again and they are now 'normal.'

Polo has Cushing's/IR-but as a lifelong card carrying member of the Easy Keeper Club, now 23yo, well that is 'normal.'

Julian is retired with KS-just like his sister-so that is 'normal' I guess...things happen.

I have had this conversation with several people, one person in particular-we have changed diets from one fairly decent diet to another over the years, changed a little of this, a little of that and nothing really makes much difference. Julian still has KS, Polo still has Cushing's and so on!

I DO however look at them more like I do myself depending on my 'athletic mode'-I think EqT sums it up as simply as possible...protein for muscle, fat for weight gain, carbs for energy...just like you would adjust a diet for a human athlete.

Here is an interesting side observation-I have been slowly changing my dog diet and my diet to a 'clean' diet-meaning whole foods, less processing and preservatives (I am not extreme but eat that way more than I did)....anyway....I know I feel better and my dogs coats are AMAZING.

No supplements or mineral balancing for either of us.

I keep wanting to created a rotating whole food diet for my horses but have not made it that far yet. Close but not quiet.

[twofatponies]

You get a bit of self-selecting here on a forum, too - people are going to talk about their horses on a forum more if there's something wrong, so that makes it seem like everybody has high maintenance horses. It's less common to start a thread about how your horses just had their hay and everything was normal as usual - what's to talk about?

[matryoshka]

I've got normal horses. Still, I put them all on a low-NSC diet because it is better for them.

[texang73]

I do! I have two...

8 y.o. OTTB, who, except for the occasional accident, is very healthy! And a 25 y.o. OTTB who is also very healthy lives out 24/7, no problems except the occasional extra teeth floating needed due to his age... They both get a complete pelleted feed with the addition of Source and plenty of hay... That's pretty much it!

[touchstone-]

One normal, one not normal, so I what does that say about me?

My normal guy has some arthritis from years of jumping, but gets an ordinary diet with no supplements and gets no medication aside from some periodic adequan.

Horse number two has a chronic eye problem, a history of severe ulcers and is recovering from a suspensory injury. He gets a "special" commercial grain type recommended by his vets and eye medicine every day. He also gets adequan and has his hocks and coffin joints injected about twice a year. Until recently he also needed a very regimented exercise plan, though that's begun to relax.

Both of them know their jobs and are a joy to work with under saddle and on the ground.

Of course, compared to the rest of my barn, my horses both tend towards the high maintenance end of the scale, where I've been at other places where mine were the easy ones--everyone else had oodles of supplements, special support wraps that had to be applied just-so, medicines, tack hooks bursting with equipment, special "training" techniques, etc.

I agree with Deltawave that these things are often--though not always--a reflection of the owner more than the horse. But I also agree with Twofatponies that horses with greater athletic and competitive demands often require more maintenance to keep them happy and healthy.

[pattnic]

I think we've got a barn full of normals-- Morgans of all ages, from 1-26, who live on grass/hay and a pelleted supplement.

Barefoot. No blankets. No vices. (Okay, they are obsessed with chewing their leadropes, but that's not much, and if you hang them out of reach, you're okay.)

One with selenium tie-up issues if she doesn't get enough extra supplement, but other than that, normal.

Amen, it's a blessing, and we are thankful for it!

I'm pretty much like Bayou Roux, only I don't have that many horses!

2 Morgans, out 24/7, very easy keepers, minimal pellets (TC 30%) to balance out pasture/ensure nutrient requirements are met, mostly barefoot (mare is shod on front due to a big chip growing out), and blankets only to appease to BO. No vices.

And ditto BR - it's a blessing and I'm thankful for it!

ETA - I would like to add that these are "show" horses

[yellowbritches]

I tend to agree with the "what is normal?" thought. What I consider normal for my horses would make others consider them extremely hard keepers and high maintenance. While others would die to have horses as "easy" as some of mine. For my three very own horses (Neigh, Paco, and Vernon) I would say Neigh and Paco are "normal", or there abouts. Neither one really "needs" anything special (well, Paco could use a lobotomy, but healthwise, he's easy). They all three get TractGuard, but that's just because I'm obsessive about ulcers after nearly losing Neigh one time, so since Paco and Vernon are in decent amounts of work and competing, and Neigh is "prone", they all get it to hopefully prevent them. Otherwise, Neigh and Paco are healthy and easy to take care of. Neither needs anything special to get by and are happy with hay/grazing, water, and a some amount of supplemental concentrates. Neigh is barefoot (and, according to my mother, doing better than ever), wooly and fat. Paco's shod, but pretty basic, and is clipped, so wears blankies. And, really, other than the fact that he can be a lunatic at times, he's physically very normal (we won't talk about the mystery three-legged lame incident!).

Vernon I can't classify as normal. :no: You look at him funny and he breaks out in hives and his feet, while not horrible, are a project. I have to be very careful what I put in his belly and often times consider taking him off processed stuff (though he's doing well on what he's on), and I have to be very mindful of what grows in his field and that he's covered if he gets caught in the rain. That's a hassle.

[carrievalentino]

About 75% of the 30 horses I have daily contact with are normal as you described and range from 2-29years old. However 95% of them are pleasure or retired - makes a difference.

[Tree]

My idea if "normal" describes horses that don't require micro mangement. While I do give Senior feed to the 3 oldest, that's it. They're not on any meds to keep them going. They just need more "groceries" to maintain a good body wgt condition. They grow nice hair coats so no blankets and they have their shelters to come and go from as they see fit....pretty low on the maintenance scale, IMO. They are still able to lay down, get up on their own and, knocking on wood, have stayed healthy so the Vet only sees them once a year when it's time to pull blood for coggins and get their vaccinations. I certainly appreciate all of this when reading what other people go through.

Tree

[matryoshka]

Yeah, reading about serious problems others are having with their horses gives one perspective.

[Auventera Two]

Deltawave - I think that people are MUCH more into adopting OTTBs, or other types of rescue horses, rather than spending mucho $$$$ to breed their mare to a top dollar stallion and raise their own. Equus has been running those articles griping about how much registration numbers are down year after year on all the big registries.

With the increase of second hand horses getting a new lease on life, I think we'll continue to see evidence of their "problems" also.

Two of mine are second hand rescues and with them came the associated mental and physical baggage, and I've posted about it here because its important to me. If the good trimming and diet programs we have today weren't available, Libbey would just be put down and that would be that. But since I have the tools to keep her healthy and sound, she keeps on tickin'.

With slaughter being shut down now, we're going to see even more rescues or "throw away" horses getting new homes. Horses that have lived in feed lots, or were abandoned, or thrown out on the back 40 with some cows are probably more likely to have mental or physical issues than horses who have lived the cushie life with the same owner for 20 years.

But also, who just posts a thread to say "Hey my horse is healthy and sound and hapy. Just thought you should know." I don't. :confused:

Also - I agree with the "what is normal" question. Every single human I know has had "something" go wrong with them - arthritis, broken bone, influenza, reproductive problems, you name it.....so why should horses be exempt from these ocassional mishaps or illnesses? Anything that is alive, eventually gets sick, injured, or dies.

And, don't forget that this is a sporthorse forum with sporthorse disciplines being showcased so a lot of the horses here are high performance animals that are ridden fairly hard, and they compete, live in stalls, etc. This isn't a forum dedicated to ranch ponies that live on 3,000 acres with 400 other horses. Most horses owned by people here live in stalls, or some type of boarding barn, or at least on small acreages.

So it makes sense to me that the dialogue is appropriate to these types of horses, and situations.

[yellow-horse]

i have 3 horses, one is cushings but doing well, never foundered but does require a dry lot
one is kinda normal, she gets tc lite, hay. barefoot, blanketless and lives out 24/7, her only abnormality is her wide back and saddle fitting issues
3rd horse is perfectly normal, 14h mustang, no shoes, no blanket, out 24/7, sound, tc lite and hay, wears a regular tree saddle, rides in a side pull, gets routine vet care for regular horse stuff

[Mia412]

I have a barn full of horses that can untie knots, unlatch doors, unbuckle blankets . . . I swear they hold clinics at night to teach any new guys!

;) Oh wait, you didn'd mean that kind of normal . . . :lol:

[caffeinated]

Mine isn't perfect, we've had some lameness issues to sort out, and a major girthing issue. But otherwise... he doesn't need special grain (in fact gets very little grain), he only gets some basic supplements, and since we figured out what his problem was, he's only had his basic vet visits for basic care stuff like vaccinations and teeth.

Riding wise, well, there's the girth issue, which I'm avoiding by riding bareback. But he's easy as pie to ride, super fun, and you can get on him after two weeks off and he acts as though he's been in work the whole time :)

As for "normal" though... if we're equating normal with "no maintenance, no issues" the horses that most fit that description are the off-trackers I have the pleasure of riding and checking on. Most are on field board and get no supplemental grain, and doing just fine (in fact a few are looking like they'll need a grazing muzzle). Most are barefoot and doing just fine. Most don't wear blankets and are doing just fine. :) And so far every one I've actually been up on to ride has been pretty good right from the get go as far as other horses in the ring, going on trail rides, etc. They're easily the most straightforward horses I've ever dealt with :)

[jetsmom]

Well, at the risk of jinxing myself...

None of my horses suffer from obscure, exotic disorders. They are generally able to walk without assistance, see in the dark, and I do not have to purchase goops and potions in order for them to breathe, chew, and defecate. They are able to eat and drink without supervision, too.

They clip, tie, load, stand quietly for the vet and farrier, and are easy to work around. They don't bite me, kick me, strike at me, or run over me. They appear to be amiable, good natured animals that generally get along with each other and any humans they come into contact with.

:winkgrin:

Ditto. Just gets hay (alfalfa/grass) and Eq Senior. Great feet, easy keeper. Dispels a lot of the TB stereotypes.

[Huntertwo]

Hand full of grain, Quiessence, hay and water. Thats it! :yes:

[foursocks]

Hmm....I'm with PNWJumper- "normal" is in the eye of the beholder, I think.

Mine is a little high-maintenance, but we've mostly figured him out. He tends to knock patches of skin off regularly because he likes to throw his legs around and act like a jerk. Tack that doesn't fit exactly right or is too rough-sided or even is *perfectly fine* will rub his hair off instantaneously. And then it wont grow back unless I swathe him in sheepskin fuzzies. :lol:

Putting and then keeping weight on took some experimentation. Re-shoeing him behind once his track feet were reshaped made him much happier and more balanced. He gets a supplement to soothe his tum because he is a little high-strung. I ended up buying a custom County because both of us were having horrible back problems with my old saddle- and I ask too much of him (he's a jumper) to not want to protect his back.

Other than that- he's a horse. A pissy drama queen, granted, but a horse nonetheless. He eats (a lot!), he poops, he plays with his BFF outside all day, and he gives me a hard time when he is feeling cocky. Pretty normal!

[GallopingGrape]

12 year old Hackney.... 1/2 handful of grain, free choice hay.. never, ever ever needed a vet.... Funny as heck, the farm comedian... Only 12 hands high and thinks he's 12 feet tall. Love my little bug.

[rainechyldes]

Very normal. It's almost boring.

all 6, - outside 24/7 all working horses.
Hay. water. beetpulp.

Yawn. :)

[Lori B]

6 yr. OTTB mare, hay, a little grain 2x, probiotics & a hoof supplement, really no issues. The occasional cut or bump, but not a story problem on the vet final. :-)

[easyklc]

I have a super easy keeper mare who gets grass hay, a ration balancer and hasn't had a lame or sick day in her 5 years with me. A bit of a crooked rear foot that has never bugged her (just me, the vet, and the farrier). She has phenominal feet in regards to heartiness; holds a shoe, blah, blah, blah. She's "normal" in the sense that she's just a pleasure to be around, jumps right on the trailer, stands quietly for all of my grooming demands and always wants to socialize. I LOFF her!:lol:

Now, this is after owning the textbook hard keeping TB who had terrible feet, spooked at odd things and seemed to get bumped up doing the simplest of activities. Oh, and did I mention the shark fin withers and saddle fitting nightmares? I had him until he was 29, and even though he kept my stress levels high with worry I wouldn't have had it any other way. He was my once-in-a-lifetime gelding!

[enjoytheride]

Got a normal horse. I'm sure if I posted a list of what he eats and what his feet look like I'd get jumped on by the same people that see the same problems in every single horse no matter what the question but it works for me!

[JSwan]

I have to change my post.

One of my horses is officially "abnormal".

I bought him a new blanket today.

It is a 90".

He's 4 1/2 years old.

I thought you oughta know.

[deltawave]

WOW, that's a lot of real estate, JSwan! :eek:

[deltawave]

I'm sure if I posted a list of what he eats and what his feet look like I'd get jumped on by the same people that see the same problems in every single horse no matter what the question

:lol: :lol: :lol:

[grayarabpony]

I have to change my post.

One of my horses is officially "abnormal".

I bought him a new blanket today.

It is a 90".

He's 4 1/2 years old.

I thought you oughta know.

Good Lord, what is he??

[mhtokay]

You're right, after reading all the care issues in this topic, it does seem like no one's normal. It's a relief figure out they are the exception.

I'd say I'm lucky to have a pretty normal bunch. I do enjoy the occasional magic powder, but I doubt any of them would do poorly without them. I let them out as much as possible depending on mud and shelter situation. no shoes until sliding plates are called for, no blanketing unless I'm extending a show season, no chronic soundness issues, etc. phew!

[Guilherme]

Only half kidding--I realize this is a place to talk about horse care issues and problems, and that there's a "squeaky wheel" phenomenon going on with problems in horsekeeping necessarily being represented here. But still, I sometimes wonder, does anyone else have healthy, normal horses with no major issues, no chronic problems, who eat regular old horse food without difficulty? :uhoh:

I'm sort of afraid to ask because I might jinx my healthy, normal herd. :lol: But it would be nice to hear from some people who have just regular horses. :) :)

I'd regard 7 of my 9 as "normal." Of the remaining two, one has Cushings and other is getting elderly.

The best way to get and keep a "normal" horse is not buy somebody else's problems. Of course following that line of reason would mean no rescues, OTTs, BLM horses, "back yard grades", etc.

G.

[matryoshka]

Actually, after reading COTH for a while, one could think the problem-free horses are abnormal.

The most abnormal thing about my horses is their owner. Sad but true.

[dressagerose]

To me, normal is not high maintenance. Of the 4 I have now, I would consider 2 of them normal. One is older and I do give him some supplements but nothing out of the ordinary. The mare is high maintenance to get along with under saddle, not so much for feeding (poor Rose, she eats whatever thing I'm feeding everyone else, but she absolutely won't eat anything powdered).

Just to debunk the QH thing. I bought a 3 year old QH a couple of years ago as my fun, uncomplicated horse. He is currently the most difficult thing on the place. He really should have to turn in his papers :eek:. He is a hard keeper. He doesn't grow much hair so I have to blanket him. He is a PITA to me and everyone around him. My trainer doesn't believe his papers can be right he is so untypical :lol:.

So go figure.

[shakeytails]

Well, at the risk of jinxing myself...

None of my horses suffer from obscure, exotic disorders. They are generally able to walk without assistance, see in the dark, and I do not have to purchase goops and potions in order for them to breathe, chew, and defecate. They are able to eat and drink without supervision, too.

They clip, tie, load, stand quietly for the vet and farrier, and are easy to work around. They don't bite me, kick me, strike at me, or run over me. They appear to be amiable, good natured animals that generally get along with each other and any humans they come into contact with.

:winkgrin:

I've got a similar low maintenance herd. Being mostly Saddlebreds, they aren't really easy keepers but they don't require anything special either, just more. They don't get $$$ supplements, most aren't blanketed or shod, they eat plain corn, calf feed and un-analyzed grass hay. They very rarely hurt themselves or get sick or lame. They're just a happy, healthy, sound bunch of critters, all 18 of them!

[county]

We have 32 head here and 31 are normal they live outside 24/7 and eat only hay or the young stock get some oats.

[Milocalwinnings]

My gelding is pretty normal, IMO, compared to some other horses I've cared for.

He's 16, lives out 24/7 (blanketed if it's cold and wet), gets fed a normal amount of grain (soaked since he is a choker), is barefoot, and aside from our 1-2x a year vet visit to get his teeth done and vaccinations (unless I do them), he's very rarely had to be seen by a vet.

IDK... he seems pretty normal to me, but maybe that's because the first farm I worked at was full of accident prone horses- working there, I learned that if anything can go wrong, it will:no:

[EqTrainer]

I have to change my post.

One of my horses is officially "abnormal".

I bought him a new blanket today.

It is a 90".

He's 4 1/2 years old.

I thought you oughta know.

:eek: Would this be John Peel? What is HIS nickname if my big baby's name is *Dinky*?!!!!! Teeny?