Hey!! Let’s meet Skippy! DD: picture warning

CallyKats Dachshunds · May 2010

BO means barn owner No. just flat out no. This is ridiculous..I really can't believe it.. Well lets see..this here is Skippy, I just took these two pictures yesterday. <img src="http://i47.tinypic.com/2u9ki11.jpg"; alt="http://i47.tinypic.com/2u9ki11.jpg"; class="bb-image" /> <img src="http://i46.tinypic.com/zojl3l.jpg"; alt="http://i46.tinypic.com/zojl3l.jpg"; class="bb-image" /> This horse is not healthy. He's probably almost 500 pounds underweight, if not more. I mean, yeah-he’s 27 years or so, he’s up there now, but last year, you could’ve mistaken him for late teens/early 20s..and now he’s down to this. I really can’t believe it. And another thing that gets me even worse? Erin wants to ride him in a novice show this Sunday instead of her TB. She doesn’t want to ride her TB because he’s high strung. Alright, I can understand that. I can understand her being a little hesitant to ride him in a show. He tossed her dad (who already has back problems) when he jumped at the desensitization clinic last week, he prances around, spooks at jumps (he was jumped before, never raced though) and she’s not the least bit confident. She’s always holding on to the horn trying to stay on instead of handling him. Personally, I don’t think she should be anywhere near her TB, she’s the one that makes him horrible, because she’s beyond nervous on him, which makes him worse than he already is. I know Erin has seen what Skip looks like..I’m not sure she understands that a horse shouldn’t look like that though; probably because she’s use to seeing her TB’s ribs when he flexes or moves out. I’m rather disappointed in my BO and Skip’s owner though, above all. Erin asked to ride Skippy for it during the 4H meeting last night, and my BO actually contemplated it!!! O.O;; I looked at her, Erin and Drew shocked, speechless. Then my BO was like, “Well, you’ll have to tack him and warm him up first and then we’ll see.” I was still speechless. Like…What!? Have you seen you’re horse lately? He is not fit to have a saddle anywhere near him! Let alone on his back! And I won’t even start on having a rider that’s 150+ pounds on him! DD: This disgusts me to no end… I’m actually embarrassed to say that I haven’t talked to her in private about this, or reported her for animal cruelty for that matter. If you’re wondering why I haven’t..it’s because I really can’t afford for her to hate me. All her other horses are in good health (minus Soxx..but they’re actually working on that, he’s getting another half scoop more than he was before the winter for his 3 meals). But yeah..you can’t even think to tell me that horse is fit to have a saddle on or be ridden… If I see someone saddling or riding him..I will say something, because that’ll be too far. Hopefully she grabs some common sense, if not even compassion, and tells Erin she can’t ride Skip..I’m not sure that I’d even try to stay at this barn if she went through with that, even if that means that I won’t have a barn to board at, ride at, etc until I move somewhere else..

/

ImportsandLines · May 2010

What did he look like before? What happened? Nobody should be allowed to ride him, he could snap in half. :evil:

Minx · May 2010

=O MY GOSH! Femme... that horse is sick!!! You can see the poor boys backbone! What is WRONG with the BO? idk if id WANT to board any horse there or ride for that matter because she seems to care about the money more than the horses. He would be SUCH a georgeous boy if he were filled out

CallyKats Dachshunds · May 2010

I don't have a good picture of him before...(i didn't take any because I didn't ride him) but he looked like a healthy horse before the winter. Couldn't see his ribs, hip bones, and his withers didn't look like a damn mountain.

His muscles don't even feel like muscle anymore..I was coddling him because Izzy was dirty (you can barely see him in the first picture, he's walking away) and his muscles felt like..flab. There wasn't a hardness to them like any other muscles I've felt on a horse. o.o;; He's getting 3 scoops of senior feed a day, but my BO hasn't spent extra money on supplements, etc etc for him. It really surprises me that someone could see him and not think he ought to be put down. I know..I'm probably going to be like.."I'm not trying to be disrespectful or anything but...." and then just go off on every reason he shouldn't be kept alive, let alone ridden!

Garnet · May 2010

No one should be allowed on that horse. He looks WAY to weak for anything to be on his back.

CallyKats Dachshunds · May 2010

I know Vampy! D; The only reason I haven't decided I won't go is because every other horse is in perfectly fine condition.. I mean, if he was only a bit underweight, then I would understand, because he is 27..but that's not just a little.. He was pretty before/through the winter..He was only a bit skinny (probably 50 lbs tops underweight) over the winter/right after, but he's just gone downhill since then.. I think he might have a sickness that isn't really showing other than the weight loss..but I'm not sure how I would bring it up without sounding like an arrogant thing thing.

I feel bad..so I am thinking that I'll talk to her sunday about it...

Minx · May 2010

femalevamp14 wrote:

I know Vampy! D; The only reason I haven't decided I won't go is because every other horse is in perfectly fine condition.. I mean, if he was only a bit underweight, then I would understand, because he is 27..but that's not just a little.. He was pretty before/through the winter..He was only a bit skinny (probably 50 lbs tops underweight) over the winter/right after, but he's just gone downhill since then.. I think he might have a sickness that isn't really showing other than the weight loss..but I'm not sure how I would bring it up without sounding like an arrogant thing thing. I feel bad..so I am thinking that I'll talk to her sunday about it...

I wouldnt even worry about her anymore... id say SOMETHING. And if she gets rude threaten to report her for animal cruelty. Animal safety is the MOST important thing.

CallyKats Dachshunds · May 2010

I know..I'm worried that she -could- be trying to do something and I'm not aware of it though.. which is probably the actual reason I'm scared to say anything.. I'm only there once or twice a week..so I'm not sure. I know, Vampy.... *dies* I feel so bad for not talking to her about him when I started seeing his hips just a bit.. He was so nice during the winter...and then he went..ugh. D;

BuffyBoarding · May 2010

So my opinion... If you have something rude to say, keep it to yourself.. Disclaimer: I am NOT a horse expert and don't think I am, so that being said... If he were a young horse, i would be extremely worried. Or if more horses on the ranch were that way, i would be worried but... He's OLD. I mean look at people when they get old, they start looking like that. So it's probably not the BO's fault.. You said he's getting extra food, she just isn't buying supplements that you know of... So she's at least trying to do the right thing. Maybe she just doesn't want to put him down yet, it can be a hard choice to put an animal down even when you see them slipping... (That is as far as his weight/condition) As far as thinking about letting someone ride him, NO. That IS the owner's fault. Noone should be allowed on that horse... That's like knowing your dog is old and dying and taking him out into the middle of the lake to swim back with you because he used to do it when he was young... No. I would ask her about him, nicely. Just say... "Hey it seems like Skippy is getting worse, Is there anything we can do for him?" See what she says, maybe she is trying things you don't know about? Can't hurt to try. I would NOT threaten to file animal cruelty charges... How many horses does she have? and only one is bad off? It's his age...

CallyKats Dachshunds · May 2010

I was thinking that it's the age Buffers..but I've seen horses 30+ that look like they could be 18-20. There's *counts* Izzy, Toby, Super, Teabird, Lucky, Illusion, Skippy, Poco, Dude, Soxx, Tunie, Comet, and horse-I-don't-know-the-name-of.. 13 horses total, and he is the only one that's not healthy.. I think I might say something along the lines of how he seems to be losing weight and not in very good shape at all.. The only thing is-he was fine less than 6 months ago, I've never seen a horse that was healthy lose that much weight, that fast. And he's not getting the extra food since he's been losing weight, they're still getting the same amount, she just added an extra scoop to all of their's, and then he started getting worse..which is odd..

RoyalRaccoon · May 2010

Buffy wrote:

 If he were a young horse, i would be extremely worried. Or if more horses on the ranch were that way, i would be worried but... He's OLD. I mean look at people when they get old, they start looking like that. So it's probably not the BO's fault.. You said he's getting extra food, she just isn't buying supplements that you know of... So she's at least trying to do the right thing. Maybe she just doesn't want to put him down yet, it can be a hard choice to put an animal down even when you see them slipping... (That is as far as his weight/condition)

I agree with this. Old animals can easily loose a lot of weight. I've had all kinds of animals(dogs, cats, ponies, mice, etc) go from looking great the prior year, to looking were thin and sickly during their last last year, and every time the vet has told me it's just part of the natural aging process for some animals. If it is like my animals, then he probably won't last long(mine lasted about a year at most in such a condition). It just comes down to whether or not you don't want him euthanized, euthanized only when it gets real bad, or euthanized now. It's something that you have to judge on an individual basis, and it's never easy. I don't think it would be appropriate to report her for animal cruelty(at least not yet) when this could easily be a case of something natural. Reporting it to animal services could get you in a ton of trouble with her over something that's not as bad as it looks and then you won't get to be around her horses and use her facilities. Even if it was a mistake I personally would be very upset if someone reported me to animal services. I personally don't think anyone should be riding him either, but it's her horse and her barn. If they are riding him at shows then someone(an official or judge or something) is bound to say something. For now I'd do what Buffy says about asking, or wait to see if anyone says anything at the show.

Erra · May 2010

I don't think he should be taken to that show, to be honest with you guys. My concerns are with his ability to handle stress at this point, as his lack of a fat layer will have stripped away his organ's protection from surges of hormones in response to the changes in his environment, etc. If he were to travel, I would have to say he should be seen by a vet first, and that is to travel, let alone be ridden in a show, This is from a common sense perspective, please understand, I'm not trying to sound like a Big Time Horse Person.

Jayden123 · May 2010

That is ridicilous! My horse is 21 now and he look like a 10 year old plus he acts like a foal , haha

He loves plastic bags strange!

CallyKats Dachshunds · May 2010

Xae, that's another thing I was thinking about.. Someone I was talking to brought up about how my BO could have just said something so that everyone else that was there didn't get on her about his weight/condition/etc etc. Before and all during the winter he looked about 16, and as soon as winter was over and they were getting an extra scoop of feed (she cuts the sweet feed over the winter down to 2 instead of 3 I believe, with extra hay). But anyway-I'm really hoping that she was just trying a bluff or something when she thought about it and was just acting like she was thinking about it..I'll know when I go up saturday/sunday if I go the the show with Dude..I'm deff going to ask though.. Prince, I was thinking about that too. I was like..why would you want to have people see him in that kind of condition? for whatever reason(s). If I go to the show on Dude (I'll introduce him and Toby in the other section sometime soon...) I'll deff ask her on saturday when I go down to ride Dude and bathe him. (since I haven't ridden him for 2-4 months DD: )

Alabama · May 2010

Horses are like people. There are some people who age into cuddly grandparents with ample padding and look healthy until the day they pass away. Others seem to get thinner with age, even though their diets may actually be getting better, turning them into a person you feel you have to be very careful with, until in the end, their bodies aren't able to convert anything into muscle, let alone fat. Average lifespan of a horse is 22 years. So at 27, that horse has lived a long life and his living that long is evidence that he's been cared for. I'm thinking the barn owner was just giving herself some time to come up with a diplomatic answer that didn't throw everyone into an uproar. Or force her to explain something that might bring her to tears in public if she's close to the horse. It may also be that a vet has already looked and perhaps the horse has something incurable that isn't necessarily painful, so is being allowed to live his life out where he's happiest. If you are really concerned about the horse, I'd try talking to the owner privately and just ask if there's anything you could do for him. Her answer will tell you whether she's aware of the condition or not, in which case, you might politely point out you'd noticed he's lost quite a bit of weight. Calling animal cruelty at this point would be out of line, in my opinion. If you saw them starving the horse, or beating it or something along those lines, yes, animal cruelty would be a place to start. If she allows the horse to be ridden at the show, make an anonymous call, if you feel you must. But as you say, he's being fed and it's something that happened rather quickly. Horses don't drop hundreds of pounds within a couple months if they are being well-fed (as he seems to be) unless there is something medically wrong and you don't even know if it's been seen by a vet or not. If the horse has seen a vet and there's nothing that can be done, calling animal cruelty will be a waste of every one's time, the vet, the cruelty officer(s) and the barn owner, as well as yours.

Jayden123 · May 2010

Thats not true Alabama , i have a chesnut gelding newforest pony named Nico and a x-Race horse named Topps (Race Name: Topp Trumps) and he is 27 and he is quite a meaty horse. All horses should have some meat on them even the oldest of them. That horse is clearly undernurished and needed a bit more vitamins and food in him.

Alabama · May 2010

It may not be true for your horses, but as I said, different horses can age differently. I've known 2 older horses that were fed the best of feeds and supplements, given monthly vet care sometimes weekly, if not more, covered with blankets anytime the temp got under 50 or they showed signs of being cold and still they continued to lose weight. Vets telling us it was simply old age, that their bodies couldn't turn the food and vitamins into stored energy or muscle. Other horses I've seen have subsisted almost exclusively on pasture grass, no grain or supplements and never had a problem maintaining weight even up until the day they died, well into their 20's. I'm just saying you can't judge an individual horse on your own personal experiences. That horse may have a medical problem. However, the OP doesn't even know if it's been seen by a vet. It may have been seen and it's taking the horse time to recover. It may have been seen and has an inoperable cancer. There could be any number of reasons, besides not getting adequate nutrition, that an older horse appears or is skinny, including normal body metabolism as the horse got older.

kitty_kat · May 2010

I agree with alabama alot of horses do have problems keeping wieght on. I had a 27 year old mare that started to drop wieght like crazy and i just felt so bad becuase she looked like she was starved to death. She was wormed, had the vet out to check on her and do her teeth, The amount of grain i had her on cost me a arm and a leg. Yet she didnt improve much at all and with the extreme heat we had that summer she passed away.

CallyKats Dachshunds · May 2010

well..that does seem logical. ;-; but-I ought to update y'all since I bothered you guys with it.

Erin plans to rode him in the show on saturday. ;-; his ribs are barely showing anymore, although his hip bones still show, and his topline is still crappy, but I'm betting it's because he doest have any muscle, since no one does ground work or anything with him until this week ;-; he gets doubled pads, no if ands or buts. and he's not allowed past a trot (minus the one time when he just took off after the other horses on the trail ride because no one figured he'd go o.O) oh, and Monday-he ended up rolling at the top of the hill, slid down some, coninued to roll until he got near the fenceline, and then wouldn't get up and kept lookig at himself like he was stuck and gonna die ;-; we had to roll him away from the fence and push him back up, because he would have gotten stuck in the fence again if he got up that way. *headdesk* anywho-if he gets huffy, Erin has to stop and rest him, she can't canter him or trot for too long (no longer than a barrel/poles/stakes pattern and has to make sure he's not lame before or after.. I still don't agree with him being ridden, but I'm glad she's not letn Erin run him into the ground. ;-; I'll try to get updated pictures soon..I'm going out the next two days, and I went out all week, didn't take pics of anyone though...

Howdy, Stranger!

Hey!! Let’s meet Skippy! DD: picture warning

Comments

Howdy, Stranger!

Hey!! Let’s meet Skippy! DD: *picture warning*

Comments

Hey!! Let’s meet Skippy! DD: picture warning