Changing body condition of a rescue horse and why it is important to monitor... Monitoring a rescue horses body condition is important for a few reasons. 1) consistent monitoring makes it possible to judge the rate of weight gain, you dont want a rescue horse to regain weight to fast as this can cause serious issues. The aim of the feeding regimen is to provide a good clean forage to regulate the function of the digestive system and to find the proper balance of concentrates to encourage weight gain without over doing it. 2) you may spot a lameness/chronic illness as the animal stabilizes in condition. These issues can be overlooked at the onset of the rescue process if the horse is in severe shape. 3) The absence of weight gain, if after a period of time the horse is not gaining sufficient weight there may be a health or dietary issue that needs to be addressed by a vet or equine professional How to incorporate monitoring of condition into your routine. I find that establishing a weekly routine or schedule really helps most people stay consistent in the care they are able to provide. Rehabilitating a horse is way more work and tends to be emotionally stressful, once fatigue begins to set in it can be easy to miss or forget tasks, which can set the whole process back if there is an issue that is not noticed early. So when I have a new rescue case in I follow a simple routine, after the initial assessment I will check the horse for changes in the overall body condition every three days, with daily checks of feed ingestion, manure passage, water intake, movement at liberty. By establishing a routine that is realistic I can ensure a consistent level of observation from day one to day 91 which will help me gauge when and if changes need to be made...
Posted on: Tue, 22 Oct 2013 05:23:54 +0000
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