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 I'm Cooler Offline
Posts: 6387
   
Location: Pacific Northwest | My dad's 22 year old rope horse has been retired for about 2 years. He was diagnosed "navicular" by two different vet clinics when he was 14 but no x-rays or anything were taken so I'm doubtful if he was really navicular. He hasn't gotten worse, he's just slightly lame at the trot. If you bute him the lameness goes away. Every navicular horse I know has gotten progressively worse, sometimes to the point they have to be buted just to be comfortable in the field. This horse doesn't even get corrective shoeing and he's sound at the walk and never points his toe or anything. Anyway, point is my dad has his own health issues so he pretty much just stopped riding him and I have my own horses to ride.
He's typically an easy keeper, but in the last few months his topline has deteriorated dramatically. You still cannot feel his ribs whatsoever though, he just literally has no muscle along his back and top of his butt. I've upped his feed intake (he gets beet pulp, alfalfa pellets, Horse Guard multivitamin and timothy hay) but I think lack of exercise is why he's losing it. He just got his teeth done yesterday and when talking about his lameness the vet recommended having some body work done on him, she's curious if it's actually some sort of pinched nerve. He hasn't been chiroed in years, and I have a much better massage lady now than I did years ago, so I'm going to try that.
He's sound for light riding and exercise. What are some easy things I can do with him? I have ground poles, and a lunging surcingle. Trying to think of things I can do at home instead of having to haul him to the indoor to ride because I only have a two horse trailer and 3 of my own horses I rotate between. Will just regular riding, such as riding on easy trails (slight hills, nothing crazy), help build a topline, to some extent? I've never had a horse lose their topline. I would imagine that getting him moving and using his body correctly would help build those muscles back up, but I don't know if he can handle being schooled for over an hour without getting sore. |
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| Do you have a walker? We put our old retired horses on the walker 3 times a week at slow speed. 1 hour each direction.
We also feed a senior feed and high fat supplement plus alfalfa.
The gelding picture is a very hard keeper, he chews up hay or grass and spits it back out. It's so strange. But we've been able to keep his weight up, he's 23. (retired calf horse)
Edited by GrahamKayleigh 2016-11-02 3:22 PM
 (dan.jpg)
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Veteran
Posts: 268
| We have an old boy like this too. We just started adding rice bran pellets to his feed....hoping this helps. We also give him calf manna and a couple pumps of Healthy Coat. He is fed whole oats with this stuff in it. He is not thin but right along his spine it seems there is not the muscle on either side like the other horses. He has had his teeth done and body work all done...he gets whatever he needs. |
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Expert
Posts: 1207
| I have my 28 year old on Bluebonnet Omega Force with Purina Amplify. Plus he gets THE MM. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 999
Location: Sunny So Cal | Muscle Mass has helped my 21 year old horse. Also I try to do some trail with smaller hill work. |
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 Expert
Posts: 2013
Location: Piedmont, OK | definitely a senior feed, walking on a walker or ponying from another horse. Lots of backing. and Foundation detox by Animal Element really helps them fill in their topline. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 543
Location: Where the animals rule | Purina Super Sport helped my horse. Noticeable top line changes in 2 weeks |
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 My Heart Be Happy
Posts: 9159
Location: Arkansas | GrahamKayleigh - 2016-11-02 3:21 PM
Do you have a walker? We put our old retired horses on the walker 3 times a week at slow speed. 1 hour each direction.
We also feed a senior feed and high fat supplement plus alfalfa.
The gelding picture is a very hard keeper, he chews up hay or grass and spits it back out. It's so strange. But we've been able to keep his weight up, he's 23. (retired calf horse)
Is his name Dan? |
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