Re: RC: fat horse problem plus hocks

[Bette Lamore <woa@stormnet.com>]

Hi Karen
Are you sure his name isn't Summiteer? I have the same gelding and I
have tried everything from the panacur purge to psillium. Summy only
gets ridden every few weekends and is out on the pasture--- only one who
is THAT fat and with THAT cresty a neck.
I would also be interested in feedback.
Oh, BTW he was moving stiff behind so I had him checked at Dr. Charlie
Boles (my guru). He said that he had hock syndrome (? I forget if that
was the exact term he used) caused by inactivity during the winter.
Instead of all the fancy and VERY expensive treatments, he recommended
that we try this first before bringing out the "heavy artillery of
Adequin etc: 
You give 4 butes/day for the first week, 2 AM and 2 PM AND you have to
work them HARD for 20-30 minutes at least 6 days/week--- trot or canter;
next week 3 butes, 2 AM and 1PM and again the 6-7 day workout; 3rd week
2 butes, 1AM, 1 PM and the workout; and the last week 1 bute in the AM.
He said most times that will solve the stiffness in the hocks.
I just took Napadki into the arena now that it is no longer flooded.
After weeks of being cooped up in a stall with paddock (you can't
exactly let a stallion run with the gang in pasture unless you want to
be foaling full time the next year), I noticed he was moving like a
hooker after a hard night ;-) Since the video I saw of him earlier had
him moving like Halynov, I knew the boy must be stiff. I'll let you know
how this works on him. 
Just thought I'd pass this little inexpensive tip on... At last a vet
who is NOT putting his kids through college at my expense!!!
Bette 
Bette Lamore
Whispering Oaks Arabians, Home of 16.2hh TLA Halynov	
(Yes, really 16.2!)
http://www.arabiansporthorse.com


> Sullivan's wrote:
> 
> I th ought I would throw this out in hopes of helping my friend with
> her perplexing problem.  She has an 8  or 9 year old gelding that she
> just cannot get the weight off.  He is some sort of Appy/QH cross, and
> is ridden regularly on hilly and hard rides several times a week.  He
> has seemed to, over the past several years, to have added continually
> to a layer of fat, that shows over his croup and is now causing a
> cresty neck.
> He has done several 50 mile rides, is very fit in terms of climbing
> steep hills, and can keep up a steady pace with my big Arab/walker
> cross.
> 
> He is ridden about twice as much as my horses, and keeps adding
> weight.
> 
> The problem may be partly that all her horses are on irrigated
> pasture, but even the ones that aren't ridden as much aren't this
> fat.  He is now pulled off the pasture into a dry lot (which really
> pissed him off), and given some grass hay. He gets no grain.
> 
> Does this sound like any kind of a thyroid problem or something
> similiar?
> 
> Because of all his extra weight, he sweats profusely, and has problems
> cooling.  I see the kind of riding she does compared to me, and it
> just does not make sense.  At this point, with my big mare being
> ridden LESS, I stil have her currenlty on green pasture, give huge
> vats of soaked beet pulp and corn oil, alfalfa and grass hays......in
> the effort to keep the weight on her......and I can see she is
> dropping slightly.  If my mare is a condition 5 right now,  this guy
> would be pushing an 8......
> 
> Any ideas?
> 
> Karen

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