Just bought a "problem" horse.. help *pic added

[J and I]

Hey Guys!
I know I haven't posted in a long time, but I have been reading to see how everyone has been

I just bought a 3 year old paint because I felt bad for him. He is still in MI waiting for his health papers so I can get him home, but here are his issues.

1) He has not had his feet done in over a year. I had my ferrier go over there and trim off some of the access to make him more comfortable and to try relieve some pressure off of a crack he has on his front right. He said the crack is not all the way thru yet but it goes right up to the skin Other than this horrible crack, and being over grown his feet are pretty healthy.

2) He has not been wormed in over a year either. He is not horribly underweight but is ribby. The thing that concerned me is his coat. It is long, fuzzy and very dandruffy. So I am thinking worms and/or god forbid, lice. I looked for lice but didn't see any, but with that being said I don't know what I'm looking for.

3) His skin is also very loose, and I don't know what this means either. It is like his skin grew but his skeleton didn't.

My questions are, what vitamins, grain, etc, should I be giving him. I want to stay as economical as possible, and I don't want to overload him.

I was reading the supplements thread and you's seemed to favor the Omega Horseshine, do you think that with a good grain and unlimited hay (as well as some pasture) would be enough for him? Or should I use a weight builder as well.

And what kind of grain do you suggest? I was thinking of performance senior or DuMor Senior. He is quite spunky so I don't want to make him hot but I want him to have the nutrients he needs. He will be working a little as long as he is feeling ok.

I will post pics as soon as I can get some. I hope he will be home next week.

Sorry it is so long, any suggestions would be awesome!

[kristineandtai]

wow you have your work cut out for you! Congrats on your new horsey!

I would power pack worm him. Triple crown complete feed is really really good. It has lives cultures in it and that is the only supplement type thing i would suggest.
then just feed good hay and feed. will grass be available to him?
He may just fix right up with supplements, just good care and diet should do the trick. paints should be easy keepers.
good luck

[J and I]

Thanks. I am so excited to see how he turns out. He seems really smart and I think he should be cute once he loses some of this horrible hair! He is a tri color too, which makes me melt!

He will have some grass but probably only about an hour or two a day. There is no grass in out turnouts but I am can let him out in the hubrail to graze as long as he is supervised.

[filly]

I know this is going to sound crazy, but be careful in your new feed program, especially if he has been underfed. Maybe consult your vet with feed programs as some horses, who are severe, can actually die. I'm not sure if that is the case here though, but I thought of it with the ribby...Maybe have the vet do a blood test to make sure he's ok on the inside?

Good luck and good for you!

[Big Tee©]

No more than a handful of grain at first, and no free choice hay either. Start him slowly and give him what hay he will clean up in a reasonable time, several times a day so that he is getting 15-25ish pounds per day with more given overnight feed than any day time feediing. You want him to eat and digest rather than eat and eat and eat and impact on you. He will probably be fairly dehydrated too. Gradually, over the course of a month, build up to larger feeding and by the end of 4ish weeks, free choice hay. Make sure he is well hydrated. If it were me, I would get him on beet pulp as well, more for the water intake than calories at first because that way you are force feeding water. Work him up to 8ish pounds in 2 feedings, the larger as night ration. Add your grain to that as well as any supplements.

If he hasnt been really starved too badly, let him have at grass hay, and maybe some limited alfalfa for the added calories. but keep an eye on him so he doesnt overeat. If you have pooirsh pasture, boot him out on that as well....nothing too lush and thick, just pickings.

good luck with him

no such thing as tri colour, that is dogs. He is a bay

[TeachU2Ride]

I suggest having your vet out as soon as he arrives for a physical, including a check for lice - ick! I'd keep him totally separated from the other horses and use a set of brushes just for him until you know for sure. Scurfy skin can be a result of poor nutrition, but lice does create the kind of coat you're describing. The looseness of his skin could be due to dehydration, or a sign that he is actually much thinner than you can see under his nasty coat.

Worming needs to be done carefully, as does initial feeding. Your vet will be the best person - after putting eyeballs and hands (and stethescope and thermometer, etc.) on the horse - to guide you through the right steps to bring him back to health without incident.

I'm betting you will also need to make a dental appointment asap.

Finally, be prepared to give him plenty of time before starting any work. Soft tissues take a real beating when a horse is malnourished, and the possibility of injury goes way up. Again, your vet will help guide you on an appropriate timeline after examining him.

Good luck!

[J and I]

Thank you for your input
This poor little guy, all this waiting for the boarder stuff to clear is KILLING ME!

My vet (he is also the dentist) will be out as soon as Cosmo comes home. I'm just trying to get an idea of what I should have for him right away. The first time I went to see him I noticed he was thin but didn't realize how thin untill I got a chance to pat down all his stupid hair.

Thanks again for your suggestions

[J and I]

This is the pic they sent me when I inquired about him. It was taken when he was 2. He doesnt look like that now

[Pam]

Having worked with rescues for quite awhile, I do have extensive experience dealing with undernourished and neglected horses. Until the vet can get there to give Cosmo a complete workup, I would not give him any grain at all. Give him as much grass hay as he will eat though. That's the safest way to restart his proper diet.
As far as worming, your vet will probably recommend starting with a fenbendazole product such as SafeGuard or Panacur, followed a month later with an ivermectin product. The newer, stronger wormers (quest, equimax, zimecterin gold) are not recommended for debilitated horses, so those are best saved for later on, once he is on a regular rotation.
The coat is pretty common for an undernourished horse. An undernourished horse often won't shed the winter coat properly and the dandruff could be as simple as not being groomed.
The skin issue does concern me though, depending on his breeding. Is this a registered Paint and does he have Poco Bueno in his pedigree? I'm thinking possibly HERDA, a disease that affects young adult horses, mostly those with Poco Bueno in the pedigree. While mostly seen in QH, the outcrossing of Apps and Paints has allowed it to appear in these breeds also. Basically, HERDA (also known as HC) is a genetic abnormality of the collagen that adheres the different layers of the dermis together. It usually shows up when a horse is first started under saddle and affected horses are often humanely euthanized due to the fact that the horse can't be ridden and shouldn't be used for breeding in most cases. If you don't know the breeding of Cosmo and suspect that he might be affected by this skin condition, you can get him tested at UC Davis. It's a simple test that requires only a hair sample, no blood draw, and costs only $40.

[ZenRider]

Lots of good advice already. I certainly back following your Vets advice before all others. I bet you get him looking and feeling great in no time.
As for HERDA, since he's been backed and is over 2yo it should be very apparent whether he's got that affliction. If you have any doubts, $40 is not that much to make sure. Here's hoping his skin issues are only due to poor care.
www.thehorse.com/images/content/hc_herda/hc_herda2.html
www.vgl.ucdavis.edu/services/herda.php

[J and I]

Thank You for the wonderful responses I got a call from the owners yesterday that the health papers are in and I can pick him up ;D Unfortunately I rented my trailer out for the long weekend so I have to wait until Tuesday. I have the vet lined up for Wed to give him a check-up.

I've never heard of Herda before. I look at the links from Zen, it looks like a horrible disease!! Scary. Cosmo (registered name is Star Diamond Boy) does not have Poco Bueno in his lines that I could see but he does have Poco Velvetine. Poco Velvetine is his great grandmother on his dam's side (sorry about the non horsey lingo! lol).

I can't wait to get him home and see how he comes around. Please keep your fingers crossed that he trailers safely.

[sariditty]

Good luck with the move & congrats on bringing him home to you!!! My fingers are crossed for a healthy boy!!

[Lis]

I'd have to look at AQHA to know for 100% sure..but I'm guessing Poco Velvetine is a descendent of Poco Bueno. QH people are pretty traditional regarding the aspect of only naming it Poco if it's actually got the "big name" bloodline. Although, it's not unheardof to do..it's just not common at all. Hopefully that makes sense..it's early.

Good luck with your new guy, he looks cute.

[J and I]

Thank you!! He is home now. He is such a sensible boy. The trailer scared him but with about 15 min of letting him investigate he got on and stood like a good boy.

He is not as thin as I thought he was but after closer investigation he is totally infested with lice. I will start a different thread about that tho.

Again than you for all of the wonderful responses!!