Hello everyone, I thought this topic could be useful as an educational tool, especially with the current economic climate and more and more horses being left to fend for themselves. It is a sad state of affairs that hundreds of horses fall into such a poor state every year. This topic is designed to help you as a compassionate horse person should you ever find yourself with an emaciated horse to care for to know what to do and how to go about rehabilitation.

DISCLAIMER: I am not an equine nutritionist, nor a Vet and I have no qualifications in animal management whatsoever. The information herein is purely from the collective experience gained in rehabilitating starved horses since Second Chance Horse Rescue Inc. began, along with advice and tips learned from the Vets, farriers, dentists and other professionals in the WA equine industry that we have called on for our horses and worked alongside.

And now to begin.

Identifying the emaciated horse:
First of all, how thin is emaciated? From our experience, any horse under a body score of 1.5 is emaciated. Equine Body Scoring has been developed and used by animal welfare authorities for quite some time now and is the recognised way to describe horse's body condition for all equine professionals and welfare authorities. If you are unfamiliar with Equine Body Scoring feel free to download, print and use SC's body scoring chart which may be found here: http://www.schrar.org/conditionassessment.pdf

Should I take on this starved horse?
Everyone needs to be aware that this incredibly rewarding experience of rehabilitating an emaciated horse back to full health is very time consuming, and can be incredibly expensive. If you choose to take on an emaciated horse yourself you need to be prepared to go all in, give the animal 100% and spend a lot of money on its recovery. You also need to be prepared to have the animal humanely euthanased at your expense if your Veterinarian recommends this. From the minute you take ownership, this horse and its health, welfare and future is entirely and solely your responsibility.

A note on ownership:
If you take possession of any horse, it is vital that you have a receipt of purchase. If you come into the ownership of a very underweight horse and do not have any form of receipt or transfer of ownership there is nothing to prevent the previous (and usually the neglectful) owner taking the animal back once it is looking fit and well and this does happen. To be safe, it is best to pay money for all horses even freebies - even if that payment is just $1.

On a piece of paper, you will need to have the following information: The date ownership is transfered, the horse's name, colour, approx height, breed, brands and distinguishing markings; the seller's full name and address; acknowledgement of the seller that they are transfering full ownership to you; your full name.

EG: Date up the top
I, (seller's full name), of (seller's current residental address) hereby sell the horse known as (horse's name) to (your name) for the amount of ($price) on this date.
Horse's full description.

Signed by seller, followed by their name again printed.

This will give you a rock solid position should a previous owner choose to try and take back 'their' horse. Remember to keep this receipt in a safe place along with receipts of anything you spend on the horse which can be used if necessary to futher solidify your rights to the animal.

Should an owner prior to the person you bought the horse from come calling, saying that the horse really belongs to them (eg if they claim they only leased the horse to the person you bought it from or any simular story) you are in no way obligated to give the horse to them. It is best for you to tell the person that you bought the horse legally and in good faith, and if they want it back they will need to provide you with a court order proving the horse is rightfully theirs. The affair and any court proceedings will be between them and the person who sold the horse to you.

Transporting the emaciated horse - point to remember!:
It is very important to remember that starved horses are very weak. If you find something in very poor condition it may not be strong enough to stand a journey to safety right away. You will need to look out for signs such as the horse being very reluctant to move, unable to balance well or if the animal is so weak it lies down a lot of the time.

It is against the Animal Welfare Act (2002) to transport an animal if it is too weak and if you are concerned it is best to have a Veterinarian attend and clear the horse for transportation. You may need to either 'agist' and feed the animal on the property of the seller for a few days or walk it to a neighboring property for a few days to allow the animal to get enough strength up to be safely transported home.


SC's Topaz soon after arrival into care

Good read... thank you

Initial Management:
For this topic, I will use SC's Topaz as the subject horse. He is typical of many starved horses in that he is a Thoroughbred, he is in his teens and has come from a more or less unknown background.

When the emaciated horse first arrives into care it is imperative that before all else, it is given a start back into feeding. Starved horses are very weak, and very fragile - you need to be very careful when feeding them. Often if the horse has had no feed whatsoever for 24 hours or more their digestion system begins to all but shut down. With very underweight horses, they will need to be fed tiny amounts and often.

First and foremost you need adequate facilities for such an animal. A well built yard with horse-safe fencing and a well latched gate is required initially - these animals are not strong enough to fend off bullies in the paddock! You also need a well built, safe shelter, and a nice big water trough that is scrubbed daily. It is very important to ensure that fresh clean water is provided for the horse 24/7 as underweight horses are very easily dehydrated which in turn can lead to colic or death through thirst.

You will need to have a good Vet attend immediately. It is best to call them to arrange for them to come and see the horse the minute you know you are accepting ownership of it. Do not worm or vaccinate the horse before the Vet has seen to it.

Your Vet will need to assess the animal's condition, check heart-rate, temperature and gum colour. They should check the horse over for any signs of illness or parasites and they will also need to take blood to test for liver function (which is very often comprimised when a horse has been starved), as well as white blood cell count and any signs of viruses or other problems.

Some horses that are not too badly off will do well to have a worm and paraffin oil drench, some will be too weak. It is common for emaciated horses to be too weak for worming and dental work initially, your Vet will tell you if this is the case and may instruct you to wait up to three or four weeks for the horse to put some condition on before it can be wormed. We have also found it is common for Vets to tell you to just give the horse a half-dose for its weight when it is ready for worming and then another half dose 2 weeks later before putting them on a full dose on the usual 6 week cycle. This is because if the horse has a bad worm infestation, a full dose immediately may kill off too many at once and the horse is at high risk of a bad impaction colic if the body tries to pass all those large worms at once.

Feeding:
With Topaz (and another, thinner horse SC has worked on rehabbing) he was given just 300g of dampened chaff every 3 hours around the clock for a week. For those of you who have had children, it will be reminiscent of having a new baby all over again. It is imperative they get this care, and are checked on this frequently as without it they can easily go down or colic and could go unnoticed until the next feed which in cases of fragile animals like this can be too late.

He was also given a very large bucket full of soaked hay cubes around the clock to pick at whenever he wanted. Most horses in this sort of condition have very bad teeth. With cases like this feeding hay is useless as they cannot chew it up properly and risk an impaction if they swallow unchewed pieces, so hay cubes are the ideal solution. It is important that the cubes are well soaked and that the chaff is thoroughly dampened as this helps to raise hydration levels also.

Do not start giving the horse pellets, grains or vitamin suppliments for at the very least a week. You will need to get the body used to eating again, starting with the basic roughage their bodies were designed for before introducing additional feeds. Your Vet will help you work out when to begin introducing other feeds but you do need to be very careful when altering their diet so that it doesn't give the horse's body a shock which could lead to colic or in extreme cases, Refeeding Syndrome.

Refeeding Syndrome:
Another thing to be aware of is Refeeding Syndrome. In a manner similar to humans, the feeding of concentrated calories to a starving horse can lead to a condition called ‘Re-feeding Syndrome’. This syndrome can cause kidney, heart and respiratory failure 3 to 5 days after the first feeding. If you introduce concentrated calories too quickly back into a horse's diet after a period of starvation, you risk an elevation in the insulin. When insulin increases; it starts an electrolyte shift that ultimately can cause a respiratory compromise. This causes red blood cells collapse and with that, the patient doesn’t have adequate oxygen transfer and the horse goes into this irreversible condition that can lead to death.

When a starving horse is fed a high carbohydrate meal, insulin is released in response to the high starch levels. Insulin is a hormone that stores carbohydrates in cells for use as an energy source. At the same time, the released insulin pulls magnesium and phosphorous out of circulation and into the cell. During starvation the horse’s electrolytes have been depleted and the starved horse doesn’t have additional stores available for normal functioning. During the course of the next several days a cumulative effect occurs during each feeding of high carbohydrate feed. The continued depletion of these electrolytes can lead to death by respiratory, cardiac or kidney failure. In such cases, death usually occurs within 3 to 5 days.

Again your Veterinarian can assist you with outlining the required care going on your rescue's condition and the results of the blood-tests. Get used to seeing your Vet, you'll likely have them visit quite often for the next few months.

Keep A Diary:
It is a good idea to keep a diary of your horse's progress. Take photos from each angle of the horse standing reasonably square on level ground (both sides - each time with the mane out of the way so the neck is clearly visible, from directly behind, and also from the front looking back over the rump) on day #1 and every week (or every day if you choose) from there on in.

Other things to include in your diary are horse's weight (weight tapes are reasonably accurate even in poor condition), body score, how often and what and how much the horse is being fed, how many manures in a 24 hour timeframe, consistancy of manures and horse's overall appearance and demeanour.

EG
SC's Topaz
Approx 16hh chestnut Thoroughbred gelding. 18 years of age.
Stats on day 1:
Demeanour: Topaz is wobbly on his feet, and cannot walk in a straight line. He has to have 2 or 3 tries to get up after a roll or a nap. He is mildly interested in his surroundings, but is reluctant to move much at all. He spends a lot of time dozing on his feet.
Other problems: A stinky, heavy yellow discharge from his left nostril and rain scald over back and rump.
Body Score: 0.5
Weight: Approx 448 kilos
Feeds: 1 kilo of soaked hay cubes, 300g dampened oaten chaff
Feed Frequency: Every 3 hours
Manures in 24 hours: 5

and another tip - once you have it home - put a rug on it ! !

whether it is summer or winter cover it - not only will it help the horse while putting on weight Winter keeps heat in - horse may alsohave trouble regulating its own temp Summer keeps flies off and can keep horse cooler on hot days

...but it also stops neighbours and passers-by reporting YOU to the RSPCA for starving the horse.

i drove through Bunbury on the weekend and there is a horse in a padock on the entry road near the old riding school that was about the same as the horse above - the other horse with it was well fed and there was a hay roll in the padock - but it looked TERRIBLE and i am sure the RSPCA must be sick of getting calls about it.

when i lived at home mum would only let me take on horses like that on the condition they got a rug on the minute they stepped off the float !

Yep absolutely, hadn't got around to putting up the bit about rugging yet

Rugging:
In summer months, an emaciated horse would do well with wearing a cotton at night and on the cooler days, and on really hot days a good quality fly sheet as they're much cooler to wear. As Atreal stated, this not only helps the horse but helps prevent you being reported as the neglector.

Another reason to keep your receipt of purchase and all bills paid in a safe place, so you have instant proof the animal is being rehabilitated and is in good hands should the animal welfare authorities come calling.

In winter, you will require a waterproof, lined rug. Horses loose a lot of energy trying to keep warm and with a thin horse, this will effectively keep them thin or prevent them gaining condition. For the warmer days, it is also advisable to have an unlined shell to throw over the horse when it rains so that if a wind springs up they are not cold and shivering off the weight you're trying to put on them.

Ongoing Management:
The Veterinarian has been, given you a guideline on what the horse needs and when, you've had it about a week and so far so good. You will still need to keep a close watch on the horse and if it is very poor in condition, night-time feeds will still be required (again your Veterinarian will be able to confirm if this is needed). What else can you do to help your rescue along?

Feeding; week 2 - 4:
Now you should be able to start very slowly introducing additional feeds and suppliments. If you are particularly concerned, do this just one at a time. It is best to work out what you want to feed beforehand, and then on paper work out the amounts you will lead up to over the next few weeks.

Lucerne is very good for emaciated horses - again it must be introduced very slowly on top of the chaff feeds you are already giving it. Lucerne chaff is easy to chew, and will provide the horse with a source of calcium as well as a little more energy.

Feeds often recommended for emaciated horses include weaner and grower pre-mixes, senior horse premixes, feeds such as pollard, rice bran, par boiled rice, full fat soya meal, speedi-beet etc as they have a lot of essential goodies and also are mushy foods, easy to chew for those horses with bad teeth which most serious neglect cases will suffer.

Try to steer clear of performance horse premixes and horse pellets or cubes and anything with a high sugar content. Feeds like sweetbulk could do more harm than good as they are laden with mollasses and this could upset the horse's stomach particularly if it suffers from ulcers or other such common problems with starved horses.

There is also a large range of natural remedies which have proven successful to assist with rehabilitation. Celery Seeds brewed into a quick tea and mixed in with the feeds will encourage the horse to drink more, and is also a natural anti-inflammatory which is useful in the event of an injury, irritation or arthritis. Apple cider vinegar is good for arthritis also as well as the coat, a touch of garlic now and again is also very beneficial for many reasons. Rosehips are good for coat and hooves as it contains natural biotin and many natural herb remedies on the market have had remarkable results.

Vitamin and mineral suppliments are a must, as they will help to get the body back on an even keel. Kohnke's Own products are very popular as are generic vit/min supps such as Equilibrium. Instructions on dosage are on the packet.

How much difference in 4 weeks?
By week 4 you should have been able to worm the horse at least once and you will be seeing a definate difference in the horse's condition. Keep up with the diary and taking photographs to help you see this. They should have put on some weight - often through the flanks, quarters and possibly in the neck. The horse's demeanour should be more bright, taking an interest in its surroundings and some horses begin to feel well enough for a trot around their yard. If you have a quiet paddock companion that will not bully them they would do well to be turned out for some green-pick and a change of scenery. It is advisable to continue with day feeds which means you will need to ensure the horse is separated from its companion for these.

If you are not seeing much of a difference, the horse's demeanour is still poor and they don't seem to be getting any brightness or spark back in their attitude to life please get your Veterinarian ASAP! It is always better to be safe than sorry and better a false alarm than something fatal being missed. (see, told you this rehab business was expensive, didn't I?)

Be sure to check with your Vet if they believe the horse is ready to have its teeth done and any other necessary treatments that had to be held off initially until the horse was stronger.

To check in with Topaz, in 4 weeks he has come up an entire body score which is good progress for a rehabilitation job. You can see the difference in his eye, his body and his brilliant coat which has really come up with a strong sheen.







Stats:
SC's Topaz
Approx 16hh chestnut Thoroughbred gelding. 18 years of age.
Stats on day 1:
Body Score: 1.5
Weight: Approx 480 kilos
Feeds: Ad Lib Hay Cubes, 600g oaten chaff, 600g lucerne chaff, 900g speedi-beet, 450g Rice Bran, 450g Full Fat Soya Meal, 3 tablespoons of celery seeds, 110ml Equilibrium - divided up into 3 feeds per day. One pinch rock salt and one pinch garlic in evening feed.
Feed Frequency: At 4 weeks, 3 feeds per day, extra hay cubes at night to see him through till morning.
Manures in 24 hours: 24

At 4 weeks Topaz was moved to 3 feeds daily. Leading up to this in week 2 he had his feeds at 4 hours apart, week 3 he had 4 feeds per day and 2 overnight, and now 3 feeds per day with enough roughage to last him through till morning.

Thankyou for the great ingo SC, it is very interesting and i hope i NEVER need the info but if i do i am armed at least...

Dental Work:
It is very important that all horses receive adequate dental care throughout their lives. Good regular dental care can help prevent colic, helps keep weight on a horse, makes a horse easier to ride and of course means a lot less pain for the animal.

You need to arrange dental work by an adequately qualified professional dentist as soon as possible for the horse. Even if the horse is too emaciated to be safely sedated for any major dental work that may need to be done, your dentist will be able to at least rasp off any sharp edges and make the horse a little more comfortable for the time being until it is fit enough for more intense dental work.

If there is a more major problem requiring sedation and more intense work, you will need to wait until your horse is cleared as able to be sedated safely for this work to be done by your Veterinarian. The sedation (If sedation is required, your Veterinarian and/or dentist will be able to tell you if this is neccessary) not only ensures a much safer and calmer experience for the horse and the dentist but is essential so the dentist can fix the big problems that are most likely to be affecting the emaciated horse.

Dental problems are one of the major causes of weightloss (next to poor nutrition and sand in the gut) so if you are rehabilitating an emaciated horse it is almost a guarantee that there are some teeth issues going on.

There are - unfortunately - a lot of 'dentists' out there that are either not qualified at all or are poorly so. A proper equine dentist will have studied for years to achieve their qualifications and will walk you through the process, showing you where the problems are in the mouth and encouraging you to see for yourself. Often power tools will need to be used for the worst of problems as rasping down a 6-inch hook is not going to be possible by hand alone! Remember - as with most things - you get what you pay for. Getting a more expensive but highly qualified dentist the first time could save you a lot of expense and inconvenience.

Once your horse has received the dental work it requires you will see a dramatic difference in its overall wellbeing and condition within the next few weeks. After the second or third dental visit it will be a whole new horse.


5 weeks after arrival and as soon as he was cleared by the Veterinaran, Topaz receives some much needed dental care from Mick Field, WA's only Master Dentist with a Veterinarian attending


Half-way through his appointment - Topaz's upper teeth, showing the untouched right side (viewer's left) with uneven teeth causing him a lot of chewing problems, and the left side (viewer's right) that has been corrected.

After 9/10 weeks:
At around the 9 to 10 week mark you should be seeing a real difference. The horse should be showing a lot more condition, hips should be rounding and poverty lines in the rump starting to lessen. Ribs will begin to disappear and the horse should start actually feeling better and more active. It is essential that you are careful when handling a horse as it comes into this stage as some that were delightfully quiet and obliging when they felt awful will now start to be their normal selves and any behavioural or handling problems will begin to surface.

It is time to stop being too nice and lenient and insisting on good manners, the horse respecting you as its leader and learning how the horse copes with various things in the environment. If you feel the horse's behaviour is escalating more than you can deal with get a reputable horse trainer immediately to assess the horse's behaviour and help with the retraining and handling on the ground so that you remain safe.

Topaz has retained his good manners and obliging nature which we are very pleased with. He appears to have no baggage emotionally and is content and calm at home. When taken for walks along the roadside for greenpick he isn't at all concerned with dogs or vehicles which is a very good sign.

Stats:
SC's Topaz
Approx 16hh chestnut Thoroughbred gelding. 18 years of age.
Stats on day 63:
Body Score: 2.5
Weight: Approx 530 kilos
Feeds: Ad Lib Oaten and Meadow Hay, 600g oaten chaff, 600g Lucerne chaff, a kilo of soaked speedibeet, 400g rice bran, 800g full fat soya meal, 800g gumnuts, pinch of rock salt at night, 3 tablespoons of celery seeds, 110ml Equilibrium and a cup of sunflower seeds - all this split into 2 meals a day
Feed Frequency: At 9 weeks, 2 feeds per day and Adlib hay
Manures in 24 hours: 24

Oh I didn't even notice that you have posted a thread about Topaz, only got around to it now !!

He is looking so much better Nice work !