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You are here: Horses > Horse health > Helping Starved Horses |
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Feeding a Rescue Horse to Survive Abuse, Being Starved &
Unhealthy Weight Loss with Proper Nutrition, Love and Care
For years experts have always been mesmerized by the fact
that horses can lose 30 percent of their body weight, or
more, and still recover and survive. They are the ultimate
survivors! |
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However, when a horse is in an abused or starved state of
being, they are not very strong. In fact, they will have
little muscle mass and be at more risk for breaking bones.
To help a horse recover from a horrible experience such as
this, there are several things they need. First and most
importantly, they need loads of attention and love.
Secondly, they need a good nutrition plan to help them gain
back their lost weight and build muscle. As the horse begins
to trust again, he or she will successfully be able to live
a normal life. |
To start, offer a horse that is
suffering massive weight loss some good
quality hay. Quality of hay is important
since you don’t want the horse to have
any additional digestive problems. A
good way to know how much hay to give a
horse is to remember to provide hay that
equals 2 percent of the horse’s body
weight, each day. For an 800 pound
horse, this would equal about 16 pounds
of hay daily.
 If your horse is elderly, old or cannot
chew properly, you may need to turn the
hay into mash. Specialized feed for
geriatric and mature horses may work as
well. In addition, adequate water is
necessary at all times. A good mineral
or vitamin supplement is also helpful in
rebuilding proper strength and health in
a malnourished horse. You can get the
supplements in block or granular form.
After two weeks of the hay diet, you can
try to introduce grain again. Grain
should not be forced and should be given
slowly. The reason it is important for
the horse to be slowly re-introduced to
grain is because their digestive system
must re-adjust to eating grain. You can
start with one pound of grain, two times
a day. Once you think your horse can
tolerate that amount, you can increase
the grain by a pound a day. At the end,
you should be feeding your horse grain
that equals one percent of their body
weight, each day and continue feeding
hay as well.
You must be patient when you are trying
to put weight on a horse. It can take up
to six months to see normal results. Be
in regular contact with your vet and
monitor the horse closely. Be sure to
give the horse extra attention as well.
Extra TLC can really help a horse
recover quickly! The horse may be
reluctant to trust humans, if he or she
came from an abusive situation. So, give
the horse time to adjust and be careful
not to upset him or her.
When your horse has gotten some of its
strength back, you can start planning
your next health care move for your
equine. A vet can tell you exactly how
much dewormer you should use the first
time you treat the horse. In addition, a
vet will also recommend a dental checkup
when necessary and can check the horse’s
hoof care.
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Read the next horse health tips article on Keeping Your Horse Cool. |
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