Molly..my adopted Thoroughbred Filly

[muddybanjo]

I am new to the forum…so bare with me. I adopted Molly when she was 3 days old.My neighbor/farmer/thoroughbred horse man…called me one morning in June and said that his 20 year old blind mare had a baby.She was totally dry…no milk.She was kicking, biting and stepping on the baby.I had no experience with foals at all but the farmer being 83 years old could not care for her.Oh…and he had his mare and his 28 year old stud out in the pasture for 4 years.He thought he was sterile.Anyway…Molly was a pitiful looking filly.Bag of bones but I fell in love with her.

I had a vet come out and Molly had to have a plasma infusion right away because she didn’t get colostrum from mom.

She is 7 months old now and having trouble getting up.A vet came out and did an exam along with bloodwork…urine…and parasites.The vet found NO lameness in her physical exam.Bloodwork came back good…except one of her muscle enzymes were a little elevated.Her bloodwork was sent to Lexington Ky…Rood and Riddle.Molly has been to them before so her vet from Lexington was the one I talked to about this.

The farrier comes once a month.He checked her and she had a hoof abscess in her back right hoof.Its been 5 weeks now and she still is having problems getting up.

Only on her right side.She can get up if she lays on her left side.

She acts stiff in her back right leg but when I call the vet …they say growing pains.The vet in Lexington put Molly on Purina Junior feed this past Sept.because he said she was too small for her age.She grew fast!! So since this has happened with her not being able to get up…they switched her feed to Excel…Animate.

I was wondering if anyone else has had this problem with an adopted baby…or just a foal who has their mom.

I have asked the vet about supplements for the joints and I get no answers.She has pasture…good hay…and I feed her Excel…Animate.She has been on Foal Lac milk pellets along with her feed for sometime now and still gets a handful once in awhile.
Any advice would be so helpful.She is a sweetheart and has been through so much more I haven’t even hit on yet.Health wise.Mainly ulcers and her digestive system and she is small for her age. But her not being able to get up when she lays on the right side is a worry.That is not normal.Once she gets up she stretches and walks a little stiff for maybe a minute or so and is fine after that.Thanks in advance.

[Livid-Silver]

A filly I knew who was having trouble getting up ended up having OCD chips in her stifle. Might be worth x-raying all joints?

[Nootka]

Hope it isn’t Joint ill but something to think about so I am throwing it out there

https://www.horseandhound.co.uk/horse-care/horse-breeding/first-time-breeders-guide-to-joint-ill-57741

[muddybanjo]

@Nootka

Hope it isn’t Joint ill but something to think about so I am throwing it out there

https://www.horseandhound.co.uk/horse-care/horse-breeding/first-time-breeders-guide-to-joint-ill-57741

Thank you and Molly was checked out and because of her breed and her feed…the vet says she is growing too fast and eating too much feed.I feed her 6lbs of feed daily so I’ll be reducing it and getting her a different feed.I use the brand Excel so the vet at Rood and Riddle in Lexington has suggested Excel Enrichment.Hoping this is all it takes is reducing and changing her feed.She has grown so much!! Thanks again for your comment.

[TKR]

I had a filly that also grew too fast and had soreness in her stifle joint. I worked with my vet, my Purina rep, their vet at their research farm in Missouri and the gentleman who formulated Progressive. They put her on a very strict diet. I had to actually weigh her feed and hay and keep her in an area without grass (dry lot) or in the barn. She also got Rejuvenaide, a supplement for young horses and their joints - the man who formulated the Progressive suggested it and most breeders use it to circumvent such issues. I cannot think of the name of it just now, but it is a GREAT product. The gentleman who was with Progressive is now retired, but posts on some of the FB pages related to breeding and is super nice and helpful. His first name is Don, I’m pretty sure. I had to tape weigh my filly and check her height weekly. If you don’t get this under control she could be crippled for life. Google the Purina (now Land 'o Lakes owned) research farm in Missouri and see if they have a nutritionist and know a vet to help you with this. Good luck! You need x-rays of the joints in whatever leg is showing lameness. Whatever you do - do it soon - like ASAP! Get some Rejuvenaide!

[muddybanjo]

@TKR

I had a filly that also grew too fast and had soreness in her stifle joint. I worked with my vet, my Purina rep, their vet at their research farm in Missouri and the gentleman who formulated Progressive. They put her on a very strict diet. I had to actually weigh her feed and hay and keep her in an area without grass (dry lot) or in the barn. She also got Rejuvenaide, a supplement for young horses and their joints - the man who formulated the Progressive suggested it and most breeders use it to circumvent such issues. I cannot think of the name of it just now, but it is a GREAT product. The gentleman who was with Progressive is now retired, but posts on some of the FB pages related to breeding and is super nice and helpful. His first name is Don, I’m pretty sure. I had to tape weigh my filly and check her height weekly. If you don’t get this under control she could be crippled for life. Google the Purina (now Land 'o Lakes owned) research farm in Missouri and see if they have a nutritionist and know a vet to help you with this. Good luck! You need x-rays of the joints in whatever leg is showing lameness. Whatever you do - do it soon - like ASAP! Get some Rejuvenaide!

Thank you.She was xrayed and it showed nothing.Normal.The vet thinks this is growth plates growing too fast.I’ll try and get a hold of these people.Nothing wrong with getting opinions about this.Molly was on Purina Junior feed and grew fast and quick.I took her off of that and went to Excel Animate…trying to slow her down a bit.Geez!! Always something.hah I have never raised a baby and I learn something new everyday.I took early retirement Jan.2019 and thought …What am I going to do?? I have played a banjo for 40 plus years and thought I’d just give more lessons.Someone said…get ya some chickens and I said I don’t want any chickens.Well then Molly was born in June of 2019 and I got her.I think chickens would have been easier hahahah but not as much joy! And I haven’t had time to give banjo lessons.lol She is my fulltime job now.Thanks again for your advice and I’ll take it and run with it.Take care…Cathy

[TKR]

We used Ultium Growth (Purina) plus the loose minerals they make (20/20) and grass hay. VERY strict feeding program, all weighed every meal and she had no access to grass or exercise. It took several months and we re-xrayed twice and by the second time she was all good and has been - now coming 3 and 16.1 1/2H.