Anybody else struggling to manage?

[anastasia55555]

Hmm im forever trying to cut back, cant say i can really afford them but they arent going anywhere so have to make sacrifices and im also looking for a better job (to tye in with moving oy of area too not just for ponies). I would be tempted to just buy speedi beet and just use that, doesnt matter that its not got fancy bits of nice smelling stuff in it, its still fibre. I shud think a bag would last you a good while. What about bedding, are you restricted on what you can use? if not what about home made shredded paper? Also some offices have to pay to have it taken away so would prob give it you willingly! also do u have rubber mats as can reduce how much bedding there is especially if he doesnt lie down in it. Another thought, i was using straw for our field shelter but it was getting smelly and gross so i went to countrywide and bought some split/damaged bags of easibed for half price, majority of it is dry as bone, some wet bits but its effectively going outside anyway. Also could you mix any straw in with haylage to make the bale last a bit longer? guess depends how expensive straw by you is and if good quality enough to eat and if he will eat it or not. Also have you tried any bute alternative like buteless? or has he gone past the stage of it being effective? also is danilon cheaper and does it give same effect as bute?

[peppertop]

Sorry I didn't want to sound like I thought you should PTS, just not to feel guilty about making that decision if you had too. My pony was with me till the day she said" enough" . My horses I have now will be too, unless there is a reason to change that.
There is some good advice above, think I might pinch some ideas!

[milo]

kate, keep your chin up, once your monthly have come and gone you'll be back to your normal self and look on the bright side.ive got wormer if you need some,pm me your address and i can send you it.i'm feeding my lot just good quality hay this year and theyre looking very well on it, ive cut out the cchaff and the nuts except when it was snowing and frosty when i did feed it, but if gordos got adlib haylage then he should be fine, rather than bute have you tried buteless for the arthritus , you can buy it on ebay at cost and i found it very good for milo, keep your chin up and dont listen to the doom mongers telling you to put him to sleep, every one has theyre bad days.

[eden]

Hi gordo,

Was lovely to see you again on saturday, I know alot of people sent the horses somewhere in Taunton they have loads of land to graze and they check them, I think its like 15 pounds a week including hay? I know one lady I can get you the number, she has had her unridable gelding there for 4 years now and he loves it, she goes and sees him once every 2 weeks.
I have only heard very good things about this place let me Know if you want the number.

Kate xxxx

[Yann]

Danilon is twice the price of bute. To be honest I'm not sure a big horse like Gordo would get much benefit from 1/2 a sachet of bute a day, you say yourself it's not making any apparent difference to him. The herbal alternatives don't work out any cheaper at full dose, I know you've said he doesn't like turmeric but it would be worth trying to introduce it slowly, especially if you're feeding plenty of speedibeet. It's really cheap but something has made a huge difference to my two this year and it's more or less the only candidate.

[anastasia55555]

Oh i have found danilon to be cheaper when friends horse required it, maybe i got it wrong or regional differences. I would be reluctant to continue with bute if you cant see any difference to where its required

[Yann]

Maybe not quite twice the price but I think it was something like 50p a sachet for bute as against 90p odd for Danilon when I bought some last year.

[anastasia55555]

Il have to bear that in mind if ever in that situ :-) thanks!

[gordo]

Milo and Kate, bless you both as always. Kate, that number would be helpful thankyou.
Yann - vet told me to feed that much and he knows more than I!!

[sandy]

Just wanted to say that I'm thinking of you and sending my best wishes. It is a difficult time and you'll do your best for your horse. xx

[nestle]

Hi.. Yes me too.. a £3000 vet bill for colic surgery!! I am lucky in that i am the YO.. But its hell out there.
I have a very good friend in Williton, she keeps her girls out all winter and the grazing is top notch. The place she keeps em is a piece of ground privately owned, only her own there now, the other gal left a couple of months ago. Jaki keeps moaning her gals are too fat. Maybe I could call her up and see if you may be interested in putting him with hers?
Also, the colic case i mentioned.. Well i had her on Speedibeet for the last 6 weeks, never used before, and she is back up to weight. You can imagine the weight she lost with the op and starvation afterwards. It is damn good stuff to keep the weight on. Let me know if I can be of assistance. C x

[gordo]

Thanks nestle, I am open to suggestions so that number may be of use thanks x

[nestle]

Okies I will call her up tomorrow. Il post on here tomorrow eve.. cx

[rosemaryhannah]

Don't panic, Cpt. Mainwaring, don't panic.

Been there, done that, got the T shirt, and unless a miracle happens, I will be there again in a year or two.

If you can get a cheaper place for him to live out - fine.

Chaff is not cost efficient in my opinion - Alfa/grass nuts or speedy beet strike me as better - oil is great. If you were not giving him enough he would be stick thin, you would know. Buy own brand, the cheapest you can, and if he needs calories, feed the cheapest oil the supermarket has. This is a bad year as hay and haylage is so dear - next year might be better. All cereal feeds are up for ever I fear.

I might ask the vet if the half sachet of bute is really doing him much good. He is a big horse, and the dose is so low, I do wonder if it really has much effect - was it prescribed while you were still riding, and might he not need it now you are not? Ask the vet to be totally up front. But I suspect it might be rather like taking an aspirin a day - not something you would really notice.

[Dragonmaster]

Hi Kate, Just to say I'm understanding your pain. Same boat here as well. Luckily mine live out 24/7 and very cheaply but we wont be giving much in the way of Christmas presents this year!
The real difficulty is when panic and emotion set in as everything feels 10 times worse. Bad feeling creates more bad feeling and you end up thoroughly miserable. If you were able not to feel emotionally drained then an attitude of 'just for today we are OK' makes everyone happier. And happy feelings create more happy feelings.
Obviously do what you can on the financial front and there are a lot of good suggestions here, but you need to take care of yourself on the emotional front. Just develop an 'attitude of gratitude' and notice and say thank you for EVERY little nice thing you see. Get a notebook and every evening jot down 5 / 10 things that you are grateful for that day. You have lots in your life to be grateful for.
You will be amazed how doing this makes your mood lift, and when you feel better things have a way of just working out .
Love
K