Honey the ASB update and progress thread!

[findeight]

Maybe a little break from posting on here would not be a bad idea with all the other crap you are going through but please don’t cut us off completely. Many of us have enjoyed following you and Honey plus quite a bit of mostly civil discussion. I even learned new things, not the first time here in COTH, something I have always liked about keeping up on here.

Maybe a monthly update with pictures? You have been doing a great job trying to make informed choices that will work for you in your situation and Honey looks much improved, certainly acts much better as well. Keep it up.

And if your personal situation makes you feel a bit overwhelmed, there is always the Off Topic Forum. You are far from the only horse person on here trying to sort out a divorce or broken relationship. Much support from other horse folk who have gone through or are going through divorce or various other family issues. Fighting illness as well. Unfiltered advice and mostly supportive conversation. Try it, might help you deal over the next few months.

[SillyHorse]

@endlessclimb

Or maybe she will follow her vets advice?

What an outrageous thing to say.

Goodness, you’re easily outraged.

[SillyHorse]

@Angela_Freda

I mean, sure, but did we ever consider that not all vets are created equally?

Had a horse that got kicked in the hind cannon bone, resulting in a pretty deep laceration. I was out of town so my trainer called the vet who stitched it up and said, “Bye.” A week later, that area was filled with infection (evidently, the vet hadn’t bothered to clean the wound before stitching it up ) and the x-ray done by another vet revealed a shattered splint bone.

So no, all vets aren’t created equally. Some of them are pretty bad.

[chestnutmarebeware]

As long as the saddle pad is thick enough to keep the saddle from pressing down hard on the back, the OP’s short walk/trot rides are fine.

Shaming a caring owner who’s following her vet’s instructions is a bad look.

[SillyHorse]

You may see it as shaming (and in my opinion, that says something about you), but in reality, people are only trying to help the OP get this mare in good flesh and good muscle.

[findeight]

Offering ideas and opinions to help is one thing, judging is another and this has gone a bit off the rails lately. On top of adjusting to divorce and major changes including boarding arrangements, its not helpful to OP.

[Maria]

I have followed this thread for a while. I was not shaming or judging. I offered my opinion, just as others have. I also asked questions, to better understand the protocol Honey’s Mom is following. Perhaps I could have offered some constructive ideas.

I would hate to see anyone leave after the posts that were written today. Goodness in comparison to some other threads here, this one is sunshine and rainbows.

I hope Honey’s Mom continues to post, because I feel certain all of us want her to thrive, I do.

[chestnutmarebeware]

Telling her it’s cruel to ride Honey isn’t helping put more weight on and build muscle. Riding or not riding doesn’t make a difference. It shaming, pure and simple.

[Ambitious_Kate]

Well I have read the entire thread and followed along. My concern is the OP’s need for a cheerleading squad and threat to flounce bar that.

The photos I have seen show the mare looking much better when she first got her than she does now. “Following the vet’s orders” is not the end all and be all of a refeeding program if the horse isn’t gaining and despite the cheerleading, it doesn’t appear that she is. There is blood work, parasite and teeth consideration as well as kidney and liver fuction, to determine why the horse isn’t gaining. Also, the amounts of feed she is getting may still not be enough for the horse.

I would think very carefully about putting a horse this thin on pasture for a midwestern winter, where she will be competing for her hay and feed. I am personally not a fan of feed bags because of the respiratory risks inhaling feed or moisture. I would never put a saddle on a horse with that backbone, and certainly would not put weight on it with a rider, no matter how many cheerleaders say differently. The horse could benefit from much of the suggested ground work but the OP doesn’t appear to be pursuing that and that is a concern.

I don’t think it helps anybody, the horse or the OP, to tell her the horse looks great and should be lightly ridden, when she doesn’t and shouldn’t.

I would get all the metabolic panels and bloodwork that would be applicable to establish her baseline health, and I would put her on a course of omeprazole assuming ulcers were present from her history of stress and I would make sure she always had high quality hay in front of her at all times.

I would keep the horse indoors at night and separate during meals, on her own personal feed plan that would mean she could eat in private and without angst, given her history of having been bullied off feed in the past. I would not ask her to brave the winter outdoors so she could sleep well and indoors at night, although being out during the day in her own private small turnout would be great for her as long as she wasn’t being bullied by other horses.

I would add a third feeding of whatever she’s getting to her routine for a mid-day meal. Horses are mean to eat frequently, and three, or more, meals a day is often crucial to getting weight back on a thin horse.

And I would work about 10 minutes a day right now, no more, on ground work, lateral work, backing, carrot stretches, stepping under herself, whatever is going to get her to use her back somewhat. Its been suggested but unfortunatey the OP hasn’t shown any photos of that work, if she’s started it.

These are the important basics the horse needs, and the OP needs to work on. Hopefully she’ll continute to post and work on these things. If the horse doesn’t start to gain weight, it is really important that the OP takes a hard look at why and work to find out what may be going on, and not let herself be petted into thinking she dooesn’t need to keep looking for solutions. Many things may be affecting her health right now, just, please, don’t put a saddle on the backbone that 's there and ride her. its not fair to the horse.

[Ambitious_Kate]

@chestnutmarebeware

Telling her it’s cruel to ride Honey isn’t helping put more weight on and build muscle. Riding or not riding doesn’t make a difference. It shaming, pure and simple.

Its not a matter of riding or not riding. Its a matter of putting a saddle on that backbone then adding a rider to it. Its bad judgement, and would be an awful experience of pain for the horse, no matter what you call it. Its not shaming to tell her not to do it. Its too bad she had to be told not to do it, because apparently there are people more than willing to encourage her to do it, and apparently somebody needs to step up and tell her to stop. She just got a very thin horse that needs some serious health attention, and its not a riding horse, not yet anyway. She needs to get healthy. Stay off its back.

[chestnutmarebeware]

There are plenty of opinions here and stating them doesn’t necessarily make them right. I don’t understand why posters can’t accept that the horse’s vet, who sees Honey in person, is the best decision maker — not posters who are only looking at photos.

And SillyHorse only stated that the OP wasn’t doing what she should to add weight and muscle; neither of which have anything to do with riding or not riding.

[endlessclimb]

Where are people getting off that the saddle was sitting on this horses spine? Absolutely nothing supports that. It’s a figment of your imagination, an “assume the worst” mentality. Unless pictures were shared that I missed?

[fivestrideline]

@chestnutmarebeware

I don’t understand why posters can’t accept that the horse’s vet, who sees Honey in person, is the best decision maker — not posters who are only looking at photos.

I’m usually in the Trust Your Pros camp - but this vet did tell OP to ride the mare walk/trot when she first got her, in a condition that most posters agreed was unsuitable at that time. I think people are extrapolating from that plus their own dealings with vets/pros that might have been less than stellar, and thus preaching caution. “Get a second opinion” is a very common line here on COTH, when the photos and story aren’t matching what the IRL vet is saying, and I don’t think that’s wrong or an attack.

ETA it also means OP can take it or leave it, like everything else on the internet. But I don’t think people checking in with a “hey are you sure?” is completely unfounded

[SillyHorse]

@findeight

Offering ideas and opinions to help is one thing . . .

The OP and her cheerleading squad (including you, findeight) are ignoring the “ideas and opinions to help” that don’t comport with the OP’s seemingly fixed plans. The horse does not look good. The horse needs more, or maybe different, groceries. The horse will probably not fare well on pasture board. There is no way in hell that I would encourage her to put a saddle and a person on that back.

I hope the horse has a good outcome. Other than that, I’ve lost interest.

[endlessclimb]

I have not once but twice chided the OP for halters that were way too loose. I have also suggested back in the beginning that the horse wasn’t ready to be ridden.

It’s not all sunshine and rainbows here.

But to say “I doubt this owner cares about the horse” is 100% out of line, which is exactly what you said below.

@SillyHorse

the OP is not doing what’s best for this mare. I know she doesn’t want to hear it and it’s unlikely that she will modify her program for the horse.

Walking around under saddle is NOT hurting this mare.

[SillyHorse]

@endlessclimb

Walking around under saddle is NOT hurting this mare.

I’m sorry you think so.

[chestnutmarebeware]

So maybe stop posting instead of engaging again 20 minutes after stating you lost interest in the thread.

[Angela_Freda]

@chestnutmarebeware

I don’t understand why posters can’t accept that the horse’s vet, who sees Honey in person, is the best decision maker — not posters who are only looking at photos.

Really? You can’t?
Not all vets are created equal.
Not all of them are well versed in every area, each disease state of each species, they treat.
And many are beyond busy these days, and some aren’t great at educating their clients.
Any combination of these could leave a crack through which this horse falls, leaving her with a gap in her care.

One problem is, the OP is not an experienced horseman.
It’s hard to know what you don’t know when you’re there.

[endlessclimb]

Any in-person vet is nearly 100% likely to be better than internet armchair experts.

[Angela_Freda]

@endlessclimb

Any in-person vet is nearly 100% likely to be better than internet armchair experts.

That’s naive.