Honey the ASB update and progress thread!

[candyappy]

@Ambitious_Kate

Wow. I really have to say I see very little difference. More of a belly, hay, possibly. Same spine and “shelf” off her backbone, same lack of condition top line and haunches. I’m not saying that to be mean, but I’m not going to ooh and ahh at the Emperor’s new clothes. I’m saying it because that’s what I see. A better coat, but I wouldn’t be happy, i would wonder about the hay belly, and I still wouldn’t put a saddle on her back. But thats me.

If she were a cow I would say she had better rumen fill.

Her belly is fuller and she has filled out a bit along the bottom , I see less ribs and she looks to have a little more flesh right behind the " elbow" where the girth would go. Topline , croup and area above the stifle look the same. Her neck may be a bit thicker but the pictures are not the same so it may be deceiving.

Her coat and color looks fantastic. I sure do wish she didn’t have to work for the hay so hard. I think that is what is holding her back. Not enough easy access to high quality forage. She either isn’t fed enough or she has to work too hard to get what she needs.

@trubandloki

Instead of just talking about the latest Honey photos and her new boarding place and such.

I really believe that it is in Honey’s best interests to be honest about what we may see. It isn’t directed at @AdultEmmy personally but we are trying to help her get Honey back to where she needs to be.

[Gardenhorse]

I think it would be easier to see if the pictures were from a different angle but I think she has definitely improved. Her croup and haunches have clearly filled out. She’s always going to be a high-withered horse and I’m not sure how much her topline is going to improve unless she gets some consistent exercise focusing on that.

[ThreeWishes]

Hello OP! So glad you’re back. Honeys coat is LOVELY. And indeed she has made gains. It is something perhaps to figure out why it’s been at a slow rate. That is no knock on you. Can I ask a few questions? Forgive me if they’ve been addressed… this thread is long.
Have her teeth been done ?
Has she been pregnancy tested ?
She does look bright and happy.
And lastly …
Because you are her person. Her caretaker. And trying your best.
How are you doing ?

Thank you for sharing your journey with this forum.

[ThreeWishes]

My super skinny rehab horse had after a dental about 10 total teeth left. What brought him back was soaked alfalfa cubes 3 times a day. And soaked senior feed twice a day. He just really couldn’t masticate hay or even grass. Although he enjoyed alfalfa hay shake and grass. He just didn’t chew either well enough to gain calories. He kind of sucked both and chewed and quided both. He went from a 1-2 on the scale to a 5-6 in 7 months. And lived 8 more years to the the age of 35. Know there are people here who want only the best for Honey and for you. Best wishes.

[Libby2563]

@paintedpennypony

Proper assessment of progress needs pics taken in the same setting, camera angle, lighting, horse position otherwise the differences you’re seeing could be a fact of her standing differently or the camera position.

I’m almost scared to post photos of my horse on this thread (haha), but just to illustrate this point…

I took those two photos 24 hours apart! The lighting/shadows alone made a huge difference to how his condition looks IMO.

[Bogie]

You are making progress and she looks so much happier. Keep doing what you’re doing and adjust as necessary.

I got this gelding mid-June. First photo is when I went to look at him in North Carolina. He’d been turned out in a field for over a year and basically fed a scoop of Strategy 3x/week [yes, that’s per week, not per day]. His owner was very ill so she hadn’t done anything with him – just left him turned out on 10 acres in a small herd. He’s an 8 year old 17H TB, so that and coastal grass wasn’t really cutting it.

I started by feeding him 3-4x/day, starting with 1 quart (1.25 lbs) for each feeding, then adding Purina Amplify as a fat source. He wouldn’t eat anything soaked, so I added a flake of alfalfa to his timothy hay instead of soaked cubes. He preferred hay to grain, so I gave him as much as he wanted.

I’m lucky enough to be in a co-op barn that’s 7 minutes from my house and about 6 acres of grass turnout. If it wasn’t so close, it woul have been difficult to feed him so often and since I buy my own hay/grain I could tweak it as needed.

Currently he’s eating 4 quarts of TC Senior (about 4 lbs) per day, although I still feed him an extra quart when I’m able to stop by. He was reluctant to finish the Strategy, so I went with what he’ll eat. He gets 25-30 lbs/day of timothy and 8-10 hours on grass. I’m kind of surprised (in a good way) that he’s holding his weight with this amount of feed as my last OTTB needed six quarts of TC Senior/day plus amplify, plus soaked alfalfa cubes, plus free choice hay to stay looking good.

I started handwalking and long lining him as soon as I could so that he would start using his body better. He had basically no muscle and his spine was protruding so far I didn’t think it was possible for him to carry a rider or even to put a saddle on him.

After about 2.5 months of ground work and refeeding, we started him back under saddle. We’re still mostly walking, adding in some trotting. I ride him in the fields and we have some gentle hills which is helping him build muscle. We took him out on the trails this week and he was great. I have a pro helping me as I’m too old to take risks but after she’d ridden him a few times, I decided he was safe to get on. He did start testing us a bit as he started to feel better, but again, he’s not my first OTTB, so I knew what to expect.

Finn in June:

Finn in July:

Finn in August

Finn in September

Finn Today

[Angela_Freda]

He looks fantastic!

[luvmyhackney]

Here is my giraffe (ASB) that works(ish) 3 days a week. They can bulk up, but not the same as a stock horse.

He eats 15 lbs alfalfa and unlimited 2nd cut orchard, plus 8 lbs Ultium Gastic Care and a couple lbs of beet pulp split into 3 feedings. He’s 16.3, wears a 52” girth, and 78” blankets for size reference.

[ASB_Stars]

He’s wonderful! What is his registered name? I love bloodlines!

[ThreeWishes]

I adore his build. Such a lovely horse !

[Ambitious_Kate]

Nobody was going to ask about Honey’s BooBoo?

[firecracker]

@Ambitious_Kate

Nobody was going to ask about Honey’s BooBoo?

No? She got a cut on her leg that is being treated. I don’t see anything out of the ordinary there.

[findeight]

@AdultEmmy

Before anyone panics, yes, she cut her right front. She is sound, we are just trying to wrap it to make it heal faster.

Think OP adequately covered the boo boo figuratively and literally leaving no need to discuss it.

[Alterrain]

I think @Ambitious_Kate was making a joke? (Honey BooBoo)

[Angela_Freda]

@Ambitious_Kate

Nobody was going to ask about Honey’s BooBoo?

[SillyHorse]

@Alterrain

I think @Ambitious_Kate was making a joke? (Honey BooBoo)

Of course she was. Some people, though, have no sense of humor.

[Ambitious_Kate]

@firecracker

@Ambitious_Kate

Honey’s BooBoo?

No? She got a cut on her leg that is being treated. I don’t see anything out of the ordinary there.

It was a play on words used. I know horses will find all sorts of things to die on. The baby words ( booty, boo boo) the OP uses have made me roll my eyes and giggle, and Honey BooBoo is an obvious laugh.

I can’t belive I had to explain it.

[Ambitious_Kate]

@findeight

Think OP adequately covered the boo boo figuratively and literally leaving no need to discuss it.

Find some humor.

[firecracker]

@Ambitious_Kate

I can’t belive I had to explain it.

Been a long week. Didn’t make the connection.

[OnAMission]

It flew over my head at first but once the light went on it was golden!