A Holistic Approach to Horse Rescue, Part 1

Treating the immediate needs of neglected horses with a holistic approach

by Hannah Evergreen, DVM www.evergreenholisticvet.com

Five years ago, many rescue horses were geriatric, lame, sick or otherwise not "useful" to their owners. When a young, sound horse came in through a rescue, it was easily placed into an adoptive home. Now, we are seeing greater numbers of sound, young, even well-trained horses end up in neglect situations; they are staying in rescue organizations for months, even years, before finding adoptive homes.

The first thing that needs to be done when a horse is rescued is an intake exam by a veterinarian. A blood sample should be taken for a routine CBC/Chemistry screen, and a fecal sample should be taken for ova and parasite float. These samples help the veterinarian determine the best treatment plan for each individual horse. The veterinarian will also assign a body condition score (BCS) to the horse (a 1-9 scale for objective determination of how fat or thin the horse is) check teeth, look for lice, and diagnose any other immediate medical conditions. The potentially toxic de-wormers, insecticides, antibiotics or other medications are unavoidable in most cases. Limiting their use and using natural treatments to detoxify and support the horse during this treatment period and to maintain the horse afterward are part of the holistic physical rehabilitation process.

The rescue horse should be immediately quarantined for at least one month, during which time feeding, parasite control and addressing immediate medical needs are essential. This quarantine is both to prevent the rescue horse from spreading disease, lice, and parasites to other horses in your barn, and also to prevent the rescue horse from getting viral infections or other diseases horses in your barn may be carrying. Rescue horses are at high risk of disease because they are often immune-suppressed due to emaciation or other illnesses. Don’t forget to disinfect your trailer after hauling a rescue horse.

Nutrition

All rescue horses are at risk of colic from diet changes, so changes should be made slowly, over a one- to two-week period. Probiotics should be given to help maintain beneficial bacteria in the horse’s GI tract and to decrease the risk of colic. Horses that score a 1 or 2 BCS are considered emaciated (ideal BCS is 4.5-5.5) and are at risk of re-feeding syndrome, which occurs when the horses’ metabolism suddenly changes from weight loss to weight gain. Severe metabolic disturbances and organ dysfunction can occur that can quickly lead to death.

At-risk horses must be fed small, frequent meals of grass hay only, slowly increasing to free choice grass hay. Salt blocks or loose salt and vitamin-mineral supplements can be given from the start, as this can help decrease the risk of re-feeding syndrome. Higher concentrate feeds can be added in only after the risk of re-feeding syndrome has passed. The ideal weight gain diet at this point in rehabilitation consists of forage first, low carbohydrate nutrition: free choice high quality grass hay or pasture, up to 30% alfalfa, beet pulp/hay pellet mash (soak all pelleted feeds), fat source (such as 1 cup vegetable oil), and a good quality vitamin-mineral supplement. Other concentrate feeds can be added in to make the mash more palatable. Be sure to work with your veterinarian to formulate the appropriate diet for your rescue horse.

Lice

These pesky external parasites are easily spread and seem to be on the rise in the Pacific Northwest. They are species specific, so you and your non-horse animals don’t have to worry, but you can spread the lice to other horses by not following strict quarantine protocol. There are three main treatment options for lice, the first being the most effective: Permethryn Horse Lice Duster, Carbaryl lice duster, or Fipronil (Frontline). Lice dusters should be used at seven- to ten-day intervals for a minimum of three treatments. All exposed horses should be treated on the same day and stalls should be stripped and disinfected. Blankets, halters, and tack should also be disinfected. Wear a mask, gloves, and long sleeves and avoid inhaling powders. Natural treatments such as tea tree baths and body clipping (weather permitting) can help in mild cases, but are not strong enough to treat most rescue horses.

Worms

Rescue horses often have heavy parasite loads because of neglect/lack of routine deworming and immune suppression. There is risk of colic (impactions, colitis) when a horse with a heavy parasite load is dewormed, so wait one to two weeks for the horses to be out of the immediate risk of colic from re-feeding syndrome, food change, and the stress of moving.

Horses that are loaded with adult and encysted parasites require extensive treatment before they can be put on a routine or natural deworming program. Consult with your vet about the best program for your horse. Since a negative fecal float does not guarantee the horse is parasite-free, rescue horses with few or no parasites seen but questionable backgrounds should be dewormed with Ivermectin, then a Panacur power pack two to four weeks later to help prevent unknowingly exposing your pastures to heavy parasite loads. A recheck fecal float should be done in two to three months. Wait until the horses are through this initial deworming before turning them out on your pastures. It is best to use a small pasture or sacrifice area that can be disinfected or rested after quarantine. Picking manure up daily and composting are also essential to decreasing parasite loads.

The first month of rescue horse rehabilitation is the most critical and requires experience and knowledge to be successful. First-hand experience can be gained by volunteering at local horse rescues or fostering horses for rescue organizations.