Senior progress thread?

[demi]

There is no X by my editing pencil. I did discover a way to delete a post but it doesn't work if the post has already been replied to

[demi]

Now I see the X. It's only available right after a post.

Kande, I am impressed that you'll get on a new horse! I will no longer get on a horse that I don't know well. But I'm glad he's working out for you. I use to love getting new horses but that's one thing that has totally changed fo me with age.

[musical comedy]

Kande, I am impressed that you'll get on a new horse! I will no longer get on a horse that I don't know well. But I'm glad he's working out for you. I use to love getting new horses but that's one thing that has totally changed fo me with age.

Ditto. Yet another reason for fearing buying a new horse you don't know. Did you read that Kande is able to mount from the right side. If someone said they would pay me 1 million dollars to mount from the right, I could not do it. My right leg and hip is so weak (I'm left handed). Actually I couldn't mount without a mounting block either and mine is really really high.

[kande50]

Now I see the X. It's only available right after a post.

I think the x stays there until someone posts again. You can always go back and edit the post and replace it with "deleted", or "duplicate post", or something like that, too.

Kande, I am impressed that you'll get on a new horse! I will no longer get on a horse that I don't know well. But I'm glad he's working out for you. I use to love getting new horses but that's one thing that has totally changed fo me with age.

If I hadn't already known quite a bit about this horse before we got him I wouldn't have gotten on him first, either. But I knew that his previous owner was older (60's) and had ridden the horse out on trail, so it wasn't a situation in which some 20 year old thought the horse was bombproof.

Not that the owner made any claims about the horse, but I knew that a couple of people had been on him recently and the horse was calm with them even though he hadn't been out of his pasture for 4 years.

So I started slowly and just walked for a short time the first time I got on him, and then gradually added more as he seemed okay with what we were doing.

And then I met someone younger who was willing to ride him and he came down and did a lot more (cantered him and took him out on trail alone) and the horse did well, so that gave us a lot more confidence.

[Josette]

MC - you mentioned being weaker on the right side. Although I'm right handed I seem to be dominant on my left side collapsing my hip and use to loose my right stirrup. So I started to mount on the right side (with a mounting block) and over time I have improved my coordination and right side. Crazy but it has helped me feel when I am not centered to correct myself.

I rode yesterday morning and it was horrible hot so I skipped today. Fans on 24/7 and horses hanging in their stalls.

[kande50]

Ditto. Yet another reason for fearing buying a new horse you don't know. Did you read that Kande is able to mount from the right side. If someone said they would pay me 1 million dollars to mount from the right, I could not do it. My right leg and hip is so weak (I'm left handed). Actually I couldn't mount without a mounting block either and mine is really really high.

The only reason I can mount from either side is because I had an instructor way back when I was in college who taught us to do everything from both sides. I get on my 14.2 hand mule from the ground almost every ride because he doesn't care if I mount from the ground, and I choose which side based on which I think is my best chance of being able to get on without turning his (treeless) saddle. And since I seldom get through a trail ride without having to get off to pee, we get a lot of practice.

I've never even attempted to get on Sting from the ground, because he'd have to stand in a very deep ditch for me to get my foot in the stirrup. He'd probably let me because he's a cookie whore and knows that he only gets a cookie if he doesn't move when I get on, but he's also very sensitive so I wouldn't ask him to tolerate that unless I could "spring lightly into the saddle", which I can't.

[kande50]

MC - you mentioned being weaker on the right side. Although I'm right handed I seem to be dominant on my left side collapsing my hip and use to loose my right stirrup. So I started to mount on the right side (with a mounting block) and over time I have improved my coordination and right side. Crazy but it has helped me feel when I am not centered to correct myself.

I even try to remember to switch the manure fork back and forth so that I use both sides more equally, although I'm usually lost in lalaland when I muck stalls, so I haven't been very successful at that. But I do think anything we can do to become more symmetrical can help our horses be more symmetrical.

[Josette]

kande - funny you should mention about the pitchfork because I've tried that but it really slows me down for cleaning. I have pain in my right elbow - I guess like a tennis elbow from mucking stalls.

[kande50]

kande - funny you should mention about the pitchfork because I've tried that but it really slows me down for cleaning. I have pain in my right elbow - I guess like a tennis elbow from mucking stalls.

I don't pick stalls fast anyway, so if doing it left handed slows me down I can't tell.

Just think, if you'd started switching sides a long time ago you'd now either have tennis elbow in both elbows, or neither!

[musical comedy]

MC - you mentioned being weaker on the right side. Although I'm right handed I seem to be dominant on my left side collapsing my hip and use to loose my right stirrup. So I started to mount on the right side (with a mounting block) and over time I have improved my coordination and right side. Crazy but it has helped me feel when I am not centered to correct myself.

I can see where that would help, but I'm not going to try it for a variety of reasons. One is that my horse's hollow side is the right and the saddle wants to slip that direction. Putting weight in that side to mount might move the saddle. And that's just one reason. I think there are many other ways to strengthen one leg, but I'm not motivated enough to do any of them.

In my truck when I unload shavings and grain, I step up on the back bumper with my left leg and hoist myself up with no problem. I've tried that with the right, but no can do. I do try to be as ambidextrous as I can. I don't use a pitchfork much, but I do use a shovel a lot to straighten up the roll spots my horse makes in the indoor (that's his stall ). I have to use a lot of strength to do that because of the type of footing/fiber I have. When he lays his 1500+ pound body on that, it takes a lot with the shovel to straighten it out. My wrists are shot with tendonitis.

I feel I do manage to ride evenly, but my right leg hurts a lot by the time I'm finished riding. It's the groin that hurts. When I first started learning to ride on school horses, the instructor had us ride in 2-point. That was the start of my problem. I strained that right groin really bad and it's never gone back to normal.

[Kyra's Mom]

I mount from the right side.

3-4 years ago when my right hip started to go, I couldn't lift it over the horse. I was mostly OK once aboard but the getting on part . So, I switched sides where I didn't have to heave my right leg up. I started with my mare when she was an unstarted 2 y.o. to 'come get me' (move over and parallel to the mounting block) and from either side. Hip has been replaced now. I mount from the left some. I can do it fine but the right feels 'right' now. When Straightforward started riding her, Kyra was a little apprehensive about somebody now mounting again from the left but she got over it quickly.

I have had people comment on how weird I am . With all my maladies, both my horse and I have to be flexible in our planning. I am getting into the saddle somehow.

Susan

[Josette]

Well the vet was out this morning for vaccines and decided to start my pony on Thyro-L. She drew ACTH to compare with previous reading which was borderline high. I already feed D-Carb supplement along with Microphase and Cosequin supplements. I will further cut down his low starch pellets - just need to mix these supplements into some feed so he will eat them. I hate this because I lost my heart horse who had metabolic problems and was on Pergolide for years. Vet felt he had cancer in his later months when he started to decline.

[musical comedy]

Well the vet was out this morning for vaccines and decided to start my pony on Thyro-L. She drew ACTH to compare with previous reading which was borderline high. I already feed D-Carb supplement along with Microphase and Cosequin supplements. I will further cut down his low starch pellets - just need to mix these supplements into some feed so he will eat them. I hate this because I lost my heart horse who had metabolic problems and was on Pergolide for years. Vet felt he had cancer in his later months when he started to decline.

My guy is on thyro-l and has been for a couple years. Also on one of those smart-pak supplements for metabolic. My guy is overweight, always has been, and it got worse during his down time. The problem is that he is also a finicky eater, has the dental issues, etc. etc. Thus, I just can't do what most people do with their IR type horses. I've put it in God's hands at this point. Interestingly, as finicky as he is, I can put the T-L in his feed and he eats it no problem.

Let's put it this way, I have more experience with IR and founder than I care to discuss. Everytime I see a horse sale add that claims "easy keeper" as a good thing, I just move on.

[musical comedy]

Josette, are you worried about Cushings with the ACTH? My guy's ACTH is fine. It's the Insulin reading that I worry about.

[Josette]

MC - Like you I've been down this road before too. Lost a pony to Cushings many years ago and that was way before these oral medications and supplements were available. So far, this guy eats supplements easy in his pellets. I just ran out and picked up a muck bucket and will try to soak hay. Fingers crossed he will eat soaked hay because some of them will not in my experience.

MC - what is the SmartPak supplement you use for IR? My feed room again is starting to look like a pharmacy. I hope I can get this situation under control because he is my last horse purchase. I really wanted us to get in a few more years ( he just turned 17) then we could retire together.

[musical comedy]

MC - Like you I've been down this road before too. Lost a pony to Cushings many years ago and that was way before these oral medications and supplements were available. So far, this guy eats supplements easy in his pellets. I just ran out and picked up a muck bucket and will try to soak hay. Fingers crossed he will eat soaked hay because some of them will not in my experience.

MC - what is the SmartPak supplement you use for IR? My feed room again is starting to look like a pharmacy. I hope I can get this situation under control because he is my last horse purchase. I really wanted us to get in a few more years ( he just turned 17) then we could retire together.

It's Smart Metabo-Lean Pellets https://www.smartpakequine.com/ps/smart ... lets--7885 Who knows if any of this stuff works, but I get afraid to stop using it. My horse hates most hay. There is no way he would eat soaked hay. Hey, wasn't it you that was getting the steamer? Was it for this pony? Do you like it?

For hay, if cost is not an issue, you could feed Triple Crown Safe Starch Chopped Forage. It has a low NSC and is easy to feed. Soaking hay has got to be a huge pain in the butt.

Last year I bought 6 ton (minimum I could get) of Western Timothy. My horse doesn't like it. This is he last baled hay I ever buy. He now eats Triple Crown Chopped Alfalfa Mix Forage.

I never had a problem with any of my TB's with weight and in those days they fed a lot of sweet feed. The warmbloods, especially mare, just blimp out at my place.

[Srhorselady]

I've also been down that road. Currently have two with Cushings on Pergolide and two with IR that are on Levothyroxine. All are on Platinum Performance Metabolic Support also. I feed a base forage of Bermuda Hay plus 1/2 pound of ration balancer mixed with 1/2 pound of Timothy pellets and 1/2 pound of Safe Choice Senior to mix the meds in twice daily. Mountain Sunrise pellets have no molasses in their binder so are good for horses with these problems, if you can get that brand. My horses wouldn't touch their Bermuda pellets, but eat both the Timothy and Alfalfa pellets. I have soaked the hay in the past, but mine are doing fine on unsoaked Bermuda.

[Josette]

Ok - it looks like that Smart Metabo supplement has more Mg+ than the D-Carb supplement I'm using. https://www.smartpakequine.com/ps/dcarb-balance-2475

I feed Sentinel Low Starch pellets and will cut back on amount. I'm just trying to feed enough pellets to get all these supplements and medication into him. Today I moved him to my dry lot paddock from his grass paddock. He is a little prince and likes to stay in the cool barn with his fan on and pick at his hay. He gets very annoyed if a fly bothers him and will leave grass to stay in the stall. The grass was minimal in his former large paddock and it was more so he could run around.

Yup - this is the guy I purchased the hay steamer for and it is still sitting in the box never used. Impulse buy as I monitored his allergies with another supplement. I asked my vet about using the steamer but she said hay should be soaked to remove sugar - steamer best for allergens. So I'll experiment with soaking his hay for a few days to see if he will eat it. I went out and rode him at lunch time. Now I'm wishing for a little rain to get the dust down.

Also, I had purchased a bag of alfalfa mix hay cubes and which I typically feed in winter to make sure they get enough water in their gut. I know he will love it. Then I'm so annoyed as I just purchased 250 # of pellets yesterday before this vet visit. Now it will last me for months if I cut back on the pellets. I only purchase about 80 bales of hay at a time from a local distributor - so the hay source always changes - sometimes NY state or Canada hay. Usually a timothy grass type hay minimal alfalfa.

SrHL - I'll look into the triple crown products too. I think it's sold by the same store where I purchase the Sentinel Low Starch feed. The vet did seem concerned for IR symptoms which is why she started him on the T-L medication. She drew for ACTH and we will see what those results are. She felt we are heading off an future metabolic problem based on his appearance. He has a bit of a neck on him and she felt he had some fat deposits. I see him every day so I'm too close to see these changes although I have cut his pellets. Both my guys are good hay eaters.

[musical comedy]

Josette, usually a horse becomes IR early on in life. At least that is what I thought. Why not get the Insulin/Glucose test and see what his readings are.
I'll bet you could sell that steamer in a heartbeat should you wish. I have never see any used ones for sale because everyone loves theirs.

SHL, Bermuda grass is not available in my area. I'll bet my horse would like it. However, isn't that the hay that is real fine and gets blamed for giving colic? Can't win. My goodness, two on T-L and Pergolide. That is $$$.

Alfalfa has less NSC /sugar than that other grass hays, but more protein and more nutrients so not a diet food.

My problem has always been this thinking that a horse should have forage available at all times, and some horses just can't handle that.

[kande50]

I never had a problem with any of my TB's with weight and in those days they fed a lot of sweet feed. The warmbloods, especially mare, just blimp out at my place.

Probably the grass, as Sting's been getting a bit chubby on grass, too.

[kande50]

My problem has always been this thinking that a horse should have forage available at all times, and some horses just can't handle that.

I've had a lot more trouble keeping weight off my easy keepers since I learned about the link between an empty stomach and ulcers, although I just realized that I have several slow feed hay nets and this would be a good time to start using them!

[Josette]

MC - good idea - I just sent a message asking if they can test his glucose and total T4 off the blood sample for ACTH. I gave him the T-L powder in a small amount of pellets and he licked his bucket clean. He does like his pellets. I just heard him call because he thinks I forgot his hay which is soaking. He has a Sheldon like personality. ok - will see what he does with this hay.....

[musical comedy]

MC - good idea - I just sent a message asking if they can test his glucose and total T4 off the blood sample for ACTH. I gave him the T-L powder in a small amount of pellets and he licked his bucket clean. He does like his pellets. I just heard him call because he thinks I forgot his hay which is soaking. He has a Sheldon like personality. ok - will see what he does with this hay.....

They usually send it to Cornell and this link says they can use ACTH plasma for Insulin. When did they pull the blood though? It needs to be refrigerated or frozen I think.
https://ahdc.vet.cornell.edu/docs/Equin ... _Tests.pdf

[Josette]

ok - you are right about a plasma sample being drawn. She was returning to the office (literally around the corner) to freeze it. So it will not work for a glucose or T4 as that is drawn on serum and separated from RBCs.

Well it looks like he is eating the wet hay but I will see when I check him again. He does like to eat.

[demi]

I so hope little Prince Sheldon doesn't have a serious health issue. I am right there with you, Josette, hoping he will continue to advance in his dressage for many more years. I had a little Arab gelding that got a cresty neck as he aged, but it turned out not to be related to any serious health issues. He lived to be 26 and was rideable till close to the end. My friend's little barrel horse had a cresty neck and buggy eyes but he raced up till 28, and lived to be 34!

We have coastal bermuda which can be fine stemmed hay as MC mentioned. I've never had a colic due to the hay, but with my two colicky horses, I used to mix it with alfalfa. None of my three now have any colic issues so I dont buy alfalfa anymore. ATM, we have so much grass that I'm not feeding any hay. I have to pull Rocky off pasture after 5-6 hours or she gets too fat. Emma can get to her 1 acre pasture 24/7 which I just started for her possible stifle condition. DH's aged ranch gelding has access to 10 acres all day and I close him up(24x24 paddock adjoined to his stall) at night for safety purposes. Twice a day they get Purina Equine Sr. Em gets 4 lbs total, Rocky gets 2 lbs total, and old gelding gets 5 lbs total.

[Srhorselady]

I have heard the stories about Bermuda hay causing colic in the southeast and wondered about them. At one time someone told me (can't remember who should investigate again) that it is not the same as the Bermuda grown in the western states??? Bermuda is grown all over (also in lawns) out here. Basically a lower protein, high fiber, low calorie grass hay. It grows very well in high heat. Bermuda and Alfalfa are the two hays grown here. We get Timothy and Orchard grass mixes shipped in, but they are quite expensive. At one time when I irrigated my pasture I grew pasture Bermuda. No colic problems from it out here. I do use Nibble nets when feeding hay when 2 horses are together.

I stopped using hay cubes since the bags of cubes were getting harder and coarser. The final bag I returned wasn't soft after over 12 hours of soaking. I was feeding it to a mini who had choked.

The Levothyroxine is not cheap, but I get it in capsule form and open the capsule into the food (very tiny dose at 3mg) from the Vet compounding pharmacy I retired from. It runs about a $1 a capsule when I buy 100. This pharmacy is one of the largest vet compounding pharmacies in the country and ships at no charge throughout the U.S. Mostly to clinics. I get Pergolide in powder form since my two need odd strengths and need it flavored. (Peppermint for one and alfalfa flavor for the other. ). It is cheaper than the Levothyroxine. It is working and keeping all of them healthy.

[musical comedy]

Gee, I am going to speak to my vet about getting the T-L compounded. He marks up stuff so high and I don't say anything because he goes the extra mile for me. I pay something like 30 dollars a small container. I'll check.

I live right in the middle of hay country here. In fact, my farm was hayed when we bought it but now the farmer plants other things. Here, the first cutting is usually late May early June depending on weather. It is usually too course. The second cutting can be nice (orchard or timothy) but then we get the horse nettle or other weeds. I used to think my horse's objection was the hay being too stemmy, but now I think it is the taste; not sweet enough.

He is a dunker and what a mess he makes. At least he gets enough water. He was out on grass a lot this spring but the minute it gets hot and buggy, he won't step a foot into the fields.

I do think there is a difference in the burmuda grass in the east and the coast. I've never seen it though. They can't grow alfalfa here because it is too humid. Some try, but it's not good.

[kande50]

Here, the first cutting is usually late May early June depending on weather. It is usually too course. The second cutting can be nice (orchard or timothy) but then we get the horse nettle or other weeds. I used to think my horse's objection was the hay being too stemmy, but now I think it is the taste; not sweet enough.

Sounds like he's got you trained.

All of mine will hold out for second cut if they think they're going to get any, because it tests out at just about double the feed value (protein, carbs, fat, minerals) as the first cut, which makes sense because it has half the fiber. But most of mine get first cut and if they don't like it too bad, because they're too fat, anyway.

[Josette]

Well I'm not surprised my little prince doesn't like soaked hay. He ate a little and then left it. The barn is near the house and faces the garage doors. So with doors open he stands to watch and wait for me to come out. So I swapped his soaked hay for dry. I think he is also confused why he is in this paddock/stall. Again, he is a creature of habit and doesn't care for change - that Sheldon personality.

So I was using GOOGLE and came across this interesting site.
http://www.equinemedsurg.com/articles/i ... in-horses/

Has anyone used this supplement? I read it is commonly fed along with the T-L medication.

http://www.equinemedsurg.com/products/h ... ay-supply/

[kande50]

He was out on grass a lot this spring but the minute it gets hot and buggy, he won't step a foot into the fields.

Does he venture out at night?

Sting can be a wimp about the bugs too, but his choices are go out to graze or eat stemmy first cut hay. So no surprise he decided that he could stand the bugs for long enough to eat grass. He does expend a lot of energy fighting them off though, and runs back to the barn as soon as he's gotten enough. But, he's gaining weight, so is obviously getting out to eat enough grass.

[Josette]

I just dug through my records and found some chemistry labs I had drawn in Jan 2017. I was starting my retiree on Equioxx (Previcox) to avoid giving Bute. Anyway both horses had Glucose results within normal ranges. Pony was 72 and horse was 87 where range is 60 - 125 per lab report.

My guy also would only go out for a bit early morning hours when cooler and no bugs. I swear he is afraid of the dark because all his poop would be in stall. Early morning best time to be on grass too as my understanding is less sugar then.

[musical comedy]

Has anyone used this supplement? I read it is commonly fed along with the T-L medication.
http://www.equinemedsurg.com/products/h ... ay-supply/

No, but I researched it a lot a few years ago and the consensus was that it was worthless.

[musical comedy]

He was out on grass a lot this spring but the minute it gets hot and buggy, he won't step a foot into the fields.

Does he venture out at night?

Sting can be a wimp about the bugs too, but his choices are go out to graze or eat stemmy first cut hay. So no surprise he decided that he could stand the bugs for long enough to eat grass. He does expend a lot of energy fighting them off though, and runs back to the barn as soon as he's gotten enough. But, he's gaining weight, so is obviously getting out to eat enough grass.

He will go out only if it is cool enough. He's very good at determining when it is safe to go out. He also will run in at the drop of rain. If I put on a rain sheet, he will go out. He lives free to roam in the barn and in the indoor. When he goes between the barn and the indoor, he trots fast because he is afraid the bugs will get him. He is that bad about it.
I have never tried tough love forcing him to eat stemmy hay, but with his aged teeth I don't think that would be fair. In the past, when feeding the second cut Western hay (which isn't stemmy) he still ate very little of it. There is no way he ever ate even close to the 1.5-2% of body weight in forage. Yet, he maintains overweight status. I do feed TC Senior, which is 1540 calories per pound, because he has to eat something. It at least has beet pulp fiber and can be eaten as a total replacement if necessary. According to all sources, a horse his size in even light work needs about 22,000 calories. He may be getting that many now with the chopped hay, but I doubt it. It's like some people I guess that maintain obesity eating very little. Still, I have yet to find any source that claims it's ok for a horse to live on as little forage as mine does.

[demi]

My two Texan horses are tough. They can handle the bugs and the heat. They have plenty of big old oak shade trees, and I completely refresh their water every morning. They the old gelding can come into his stall(with fan) whenever he wants but he usually stays out all day. Rocky would stay out all day but she'd get too fat so I bring her in. Emma, on the other hand, is a hot house flower. She is allergic to bugs and flys and has to wear a mask with ears. In the spring, I have to put leg protection on her. She is out 24/7 but can come into her stall/fan anytime, and she seems to go in and out a lot. That's good for her. She gets fly spray every day but the others don't, just fly masks. All of mine come in when it starts to rain.

So, it's heating up here, but still ok to ride before 9-10 am and after 7pm. I longed Rocky Wednesday evening and she got a good workout. I had planned to ride, but the neighbors had some dirt bike stuff going on and she was real looky so I played it safe. Today I rode her and am still working on getting my confidence back. She was good for me.

Emma will get hill work when the sun starts going down tonight. I havent noticed any changes in how she is going since the previcox, but it might be hard to pick up at a walk. I may try to "longe" her at a trot tonight, just for a little bit.

[Josette]

Well I got the ACTH result back and it has gone up from 64 last fall to 91. I'm starting at 1/4 tablet of Prascend for one week and then will increase to 1/2 tablet once day along with the Thyroid medication. So my feed room has been turned back into a pharmacy between the retiree and the pony. Include me too as I just filled a prescription for Doxycycline after several tick bites - one is nasty red inflamed. I had systemic Lyme disease 2 years ago and prefer not to wait and see. That back fired the last time for me.

[Srhorselady]

Does your vet think her stifles may be sticking? Hill work is frequently a recommendation for that. I was just wondering since that turned out to be my mare's diagnosis.

[demi]

Well I got the ACTH result back and it has gone up from 64 last fall to 91. I'm starting at 1/4 tablet of Prascend for one week and then will increase to 1/2 tablet once day along with the Thyroid medication. So my feed room has been turned back into a pharmacy between the retiree and the pony. Include me too as I just filled a prescription for Doxycycline after several tick bites - one is nasty red inflamed. I had systemic Lyme disease 2 years ago and prefer not to wait and see. That back fired the last time for me.

Sorry to hear that, but I hope the meds will help, both for pony and you.

[Srhorselady]

Josette, I have 2 with Cushings and it is fairly easily managed with the Prasend. Most horses tolerate it fairly well and don't mind taking it. A few go off their feed. Some horses still don't shed out and need to be clipped for their comfort. Avoid anything that might risk laminitis since they are more susceptible. Their immune systems may also be a little compromised. However, you can still ride and do everything you've always done with them.

Now your health sounds scarry! Lyme is nothing to mess with. I hope this a false alarm. I hope you and the horses are all doing better soon.

[Josette]

Thank you! I keep telling myself to just roll with the punches. I was at gyn yesterday trying to figure why I have microscopic blood in my urine found during routine U/A. No symptoms and no bacteria or WBC noted. So now I have to see urologist to figure out why. I'm actually hoping the doxycycline may resolve it but suppose that is wishful thinking. Sometimes the health stuff between human and animals can be very depressing but it is what it is. I have to make the best of it. Now I'm hoping to just get us all on "pharmacy" maintenance.

[musical comedy]

Thank you! I keep telling myself to just roll with the punches. I was at gyn yesterday trying to figure why I have microscopic blood in my urine found during routine U/A. No symptoms and no bacteria or WBC noted. So now I have to see urologist to figure out why. I'm actually hoping the doxycycline may resolve it but suppose that is wishful thinking. Sometimes the health stuff between human and animals can be very depressing but it is what it is. I have to make the best of it. Now I'm hoping to just get us all on "pharmacy" maintenance.

I have the microscopic blood in my urine, but then I have this ongoing UTI. My obgyn says she sees it frequently in especially menopausal women. If you go to a urologist they are going to either do an ultrasound, a cysto, or uro-ct scan. I didn't have the cysto, but did have the u/s and ct and nothing was found. It's the gross (visible) blood in the urine that is a big red flag.

[Josette]

Thanks MC! I'll get a urine culture and cytology done next week then will visit with a urologist. Gyn called it interstitial cystitis and I do have the frequent urination symptoms. I thought menopausal issue too. I'm just tired of medical appts, tests and scans. Then I'm upset about my pony because he is my 'yoga' buddy when I finally get to relax and not worry about ****.

[musical comedy]

Thanks MC! I'll get a urine culture and cytology done next week then will visit with a urologist. Gyn called it interstitial cystitis and I do have the frequent urination symptoms. I thought menopausal issue too. I'm just tired of medical appts, tests and scans. Then I'm upset about my pony because he is my 'yoga' buddy when I finally get to relax and not worry about ****.

I don't see how your doctor could think you have Interstitial cystitis. That is a painful ailment.

[Josette]

Maybe - guessing this is early stage with urine frequency symptom. I did read coffee can aggravate this condition and I just started to drink it within the past 2 years. I had been off coffee for several years until a cold winter. https://www.urologyhealth.org/urologic- ... s/symptoms

[kande50]

Still, I have yet to find any source that claims it's ok for a horse to live on as little forage as mine does.

I have a Halflinger mare whose teeth are bad enough that she can't chew hay, and doesn't even try unless she isn't getting enough calories. She can eat grass and does well on pasture, but gets 12 to 15lbs of a pelleted complete feed in the winter along with whatever hay dust she can pick up off the bottom of the feeder, and she does well on that.

When she's on pasture I give her a mineral supplement, but the complete feed is already formulated with enough fiber (25% maybe?), so I don't add other supplements because I don't want to mess up the nutritional balance by adding anything else.

[Josette]

kande50 - I agree that her feeding sounds balanced with the complete feed and supplement. Do you need to add water to the pellets to soften or can she still manage them dry? Soaked hay cubes work well too and are quick when I added hot water - then while cleaned stalls after they were ready to feed.

I've started the medications on my guy, cut his LS pellets back and he is on the dry lot now. I will say he misses his pellets as he always was a bucket licker - makes it shiny clean afterwards. So hoping I headed off a major health issue with him.

[musical comedy]

I have a Halflinger mare whose teeth are bad enough that she can't chew hay, and doesn't even try unless she isn't getting enough calories. She can eat grass and does well on pasture, but gets 12 to 15lbs of a pelleted complete feed in the winter along with whatever hay dust she can pick up off the bottom of the feeder, and she does well on that.

When she's on pasture I give her a mineral supplement, but the complete feed is already formulated with enough fiber (25% maybe?), so I don't add other supplements because I don't want to mess up the nutritional balance by adding anything else.

What complete feed are you giving? The Triple Crown Senior can also be fed as a complete feed. In that case it would require amounts similar to what you are feeding in order to come up with enough calories for maintenance and/or light work. My horse would really get fat. My point is that my guy stays fat on probably 15,000 or less calories.

[demi]

Purina Equine Sr. is a complete feed, too. They have reformulated it a few times over the years, and it has been a good feed for my horses. It has much less starch than it use too, but probably still too much for horses that can't handle it. I give it to Rocky even though she's only 10, but she only gets a small amount. Even my older horses don't get close to the recommended amount because they would get way too fat. I like the complete feed even though I feed pasture or hay in addition because I think it is just better for them.

IT'S HOT. Upper 90's and into the 100's heat index. I could have ridden this morning at 7 but I just didn't have the energy....I feel old today

[Srhorselady]

Interesting, both the variety and the sameness of what we feed. When I need a complete feed (mostly because they ALL like and will eat it and anything I put in it) I feed Nutrena Safe Choice Senior Dry (which has less Molasses). They get 1lb per day mixed with 1 lb of pellets. I also add 1 lb of Purina Enrich Plus which is a ration balancer and 1lb of beet pulp. This is divided into two feedings with individual supplements and medications. Then each horse gets from 16 to 20 lbs of hay divided into 4 feedings since we have no pasture. Amount of hay depends on the horse.

We are having a heat wave here. It is going to be 110 degrees plus for the next 4 days. We expect to break temperature records. I'm not riding and have cancelled my trainer. All of my guys have access to shade in an open air barn and I am locking my mare that is rehabbing in for the afternoons since she likes to stand out in the sun. The geldings usually seek out the shade. All will have turnout access all night. There is usually a breeze, but if there isn't ill pull out the fans and possibly the misters.

[kande50]

What complete feed are you giving? The Triple Crown Senior can also be fed as a complete feed. In that case it would require amounts similar to what you are feeding in order to come up with enough calories for maintenance and/or light work. My horse would really get fat. My point is that my guy stays fat on probably 15,000 or less calories.

I'm feeding her Nutrena Triumph Complete, but I think she'd do just fine on any pelleted complete feed. Triumph just happens to be the one that our local feed store carries.

If she starts getting too thin or fat I just adjust the amount of complete feed I give her. The feed would still be nutritionally balanced for her because the amount of fiber is a percentage of the total, and I don't believe that horses need a particular amount of fiber per lb of horse, but just need enough to keep their gut working well enough to digest what they're eating?

I don't feel that she needs a senior feed because she does well on the complete feed. She's only 26, but just lost one of her molars early. We have a 27 year old donkey and a 35 year old mule who still have good enough teeth that they could almost live on hay, but the Halflinger must have had something wrong with hers, because one float they were all there and the next one a molar had gone missing.

[musical comedy]

Interesting, both the variety and the sameness of what we feed. When I need a complete feed (mostly because they ALL like and will eat it and anything I put in it) I feed Nutrena Safe Choice Senior Dry (which has less Molasses). They get 1lb per day mixed with 1 lb of pellets. I also add 1 lb of Purina Enrich Plus which is a ration balancer and 1lb of beet pulp. This is divided into two feedings with individual supplements and medications. Then each horse gets from 16 to 20 lbs of hay divided into 4 feedings since we have no pasture. Amount of hay depends on the horse.

That is the ideal feeding regime imo.

We are having a heat wave here. It is going to be 110 degrees plus for the next 4 days. We expect to break temperature records. I'm not riding and have cancelled my trainer. All of my guys have access to shade in an open air barn and I am locking my mare that is rehabbing in for the afternoons since she likes to stand out in the sun. The geldings usually seek out the shade. All will have turnout access all night. There is usually a breeze, but if there isn't ill pull out the fans and possibly the misters.

It's a sauna here. This morning it was close to 90% humidity. The forecast has rain in it all week. The problem here is that when the temps drop, the humidity goes up. I guess I'd prefer high temp and lower humidity. In weather like this, I think about the professional trainers and how they have to ride multiple horses each day. I do not envy that.