REINS: A Haven for Horses and Horse Lovers

Merideth · Joined: 06 Jan 2008 Posts: 269

Okay, so here's the scoop. We were on spring break last week and I was gone all week in Colorado. About halfway through the week Britt started to not eat. She got to the point where she wouldn't eat any of her grain. She'll eat her hay but she wouldn't eat her beet pulp and grain. The night I came back she ate about 3/4 of her beet pulp which wasn't too terribly surprising. She's been doing great eating all her food recently but she's not a big eater so sometimes she won't eat all of her feed. Well, last night I couldn't get her to eat anything. I tried beet pulp mixed with grain (she won't ever eat it plain), I tried my 2 different kinds of plain grain that I mix for her, I tried one of the other lady's senior feed, nothing. I couldn't even get her to eat it out of my hand. She ate....maybe.....three bites.

When I was first told that she had sort of gone off her feed while I was gone I was kind of worried but the people out at the barn all said that they thought it was because she missed me.....I don't know if horses really do that but our dog does. So I wasn't too worried since she ate that evening for me. The next morning she ate pretty well but about the same as she had Saturday night. Sunday night was so-so and Monday night was not at all. She had only barely picked at her feed Monday morning too. All her gut sounds are normal, she's bright eyed, she's happy to see me, she'll eat her hay...but she won't eat her feed.

I checked her mouth last night and nothing was wrong with it. She is due to have her teeth floated but she's been having them done once a year with no problems ever. Before me she wasn't getting it done that often and she was doing great.

I would love to call my vet and talk to one of them over the phone but unfortunately it doesn't work so well. I had enough trouble talking to them when Britt was sick and in their freaking facility.

Should I be really worried? What can I do to make it more appetizing to hopefully entice her start eating? I really cannot afford another vet bill right now, I am still recovering from Christmas and her leg. Obviously if I need to though I'll call the vet but I kind of want to try other things first. Could she possibly have an ulcer or something?
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Proud owner of Britt~ 16.2hh OTTB mare

sienna · Joined: 06 Jan 2008 Posts: 394 Location: British Columbia

hmmmmmm....whats going on with the sweetie this past year.. she sure has gone through some rough times ....

*scratches head* I am not sure it is because you were gone (im not trying to hurt your feelings here); it would have made more sense if her surroundings had changed? a herd mate had left or she was turned out with differerent horses? her pattern changed??? etc.. that would make more sense to me as to why she went off her feed???

did you take her temperature??? is it normal?? could something have gotten into her grain??? water??? hmmmmmmm gosh Merideth, I cant think of any other reason other then the above or that she is not feeling well. first thing i would do is take her temp and go from there .
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Certified Natural Horsemanship Trainer\Instructor
Saving and Helping One Horse At A Time!

Merideth · Joined: 06 Jan 2008 Posts: 269

don't worry Tracey, you're not hurting my feelings at all. I had thought that was a little far-fetched but I know our dog does that so when people suggested it I wasn't going to immediately rule that out.

A horse that she used to be pastured with but then left has now come back but he came back after she had gone off her feed.

Nothing is new about her feed or her water. All the other horses are drinking the same water too and they are all fine. They are all more than ready to eat any grain Britt decides she doesn't want. haha

Today is finally a perfect day to ride but I don't want to ride her when her system is apparently not doing well. bummer.
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Proud owner of Britt~ 16.2hh OTTB mare

beanie211313 · Joined: 06 Jan 2008 Posts: 130

Did you take her temperature?? There are usually only two things that will cause a horse not to eat one is colic and the other is if they have a temperature. Even if it's slightly elevated. Maybe she has an infection somewhere that you aren't aware of that her body is fighting off. hmmm. check her respiratory rate, heart rate TEMPERATURE gut sounds ( i know you have checked the gut sounds but i don't know about the others) does she eat her grain on from a bucket? does she eat on her hay on any sand or what? When she is not exercised or worked up and you watch her breath do her nostrils flare at all?? If they do there is some discomfort somewhere. I wonder what's going on with her... Keep us updated and let us know.
Oh and i don't know if you have much experience taking her respiratory rate and heart rate, but count the beats/breaths for 15 seconds and then times that number by 4 and that will give you your beats/breaths per minute. Let us know what they are.

Merideth · Joined: 06 Jan 2008 Posts: 269

I'll try and get that done tonight. Her breathing is no labored and she is her normal bright eyed crazy mare except for the fact she is not eating properly. Yesterday morning she didn't eat anything but last night she ate all her feed. So hopefully she continues to eat and stops this nonsense!
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Proud owner of Britt~ 16.2hh OTTB mare

smshorses · Joined: 08 Jan 2008 Posts: 77

A few things come to mind... she's attached to something or someone in her environment that has disappeared. Some horses can be that way.

Something else in her routine has changed.

Ulcers. Sometimes a horse w/ulcers can be so excited about his grain time, yet he knows it's going to hurt him as he eats it. That horse will kick and pin his ears and get MAD when eating... but he's GONNA eat. :) Maybe Britt has ulcers but is smart enough to NOT eat!

?? I hope you find the cause and she clears up soon. sylvia

Merideth · Joined: 06 Jan 2008 Posts: 269

nothing in her routine changed except for me leaving.

I am thinking ulcers possibly too but I really just don't know. She ate 3/4 of her meal last night but she's not getting annoyed or anything, she just plain old ignores her feed. Wants absolutely nothing to do with it.

Hopefully I am going out to the vet's tomorrow to pick up Cherokee and I am going to try and talk to someone about it.
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Proud owner of Britt~ 16.2hh OTTB mare

moonpi11 · Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2008 12:52 am Post subject:

I would guess that ulcers may be the cause of this, too! First off, she is a hard keeper to begin with, and a lot of people with TBs think that is just the way they are but often times there are underlying physical issues at hand. Ulcers are a troublesome for TBs and she may very well be suffering from this condition.

Given her history of weight problems, I would serisously consider yet another vet bill to sort this out. Unfortunately...

HUGS to Britt... and keep us posted!!!
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Merideth · Joined: 06 Jan 2008 Posts: 269

well, the last few days she has been eating like a champ for 3/4 of her meal. Then she is done. NO amount of coaxing will get her to eat more. So....its a start at least. I am going to go to Theisen's this morning and get some ulcer treatment stuff, Gastrogard I think is what it is called, and some high fat feed to help her maintain her weight until this is all sorted out. We don't sell Amplify which is what everyone has suggested to me, no one in the vicinity does but we do have Nutrena Empower which is really high in fat.
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Proud owner of Britt~ 16.2hh OTTB mare