Cindy...

Thunderous applause to you!!!!!

There are good people in the world and you are one of them.  You will be rewarded in the end.  I hope your Shining Star brings you lots of joy. Sounds like you are on the right track with his rehabilitation.

I'm with acy, be very careful giving wormers to a weak/starved horse...you know he's infested.  A massive kill could be too much for him.  Follow your vet's instructions and watch him like a hawk.

As for the lice, flea and tick shampoo will help with this problem but you'll need many applications and try clipping his leg hair to reduce hiding spots for the little buggers.  Bathing him in Iodine shampoo is also good as it will kill other things living on his skin, and yes you'd feel horrible if another member of your herd caught something from the new kid.

I took in a starving cow and can tell you working with them while they are semi-weak is best.  Teach him to stand tied/lead/pick-up his feet etc. BEFORE he gains his strength and can put up a fight!

He is still doing good after speaking to many rescue people and friends we gave him about 1/2 c Sr. feed and some steamed oats. He lapped it right up....it was so hard to not give him more but I know we must go very slow....my vet thinks I can worm him now but I am really scared to....We got some dog shampoee but the wind was really cool so I didn't bathe him today. The spray killed a lot of the bugs but he needs a bath. He is very well mannered I understand he is very doscile due to his nutrition but when I put a halter on him he drops his head into it, stands tied picks up his feet and only moved a little when we cleaned his sheath. He will stop with a loud whoa....He has saddle spots so he has been ridden. He has high withers but not sway back from his teeth he appears to be about 14-15 years old. He has a cloudy eye but he can still out of it.....And we have no information on him other what we see...Ic an tell you this, it is ery rewarding to be able to help him. This has brought me tears a few times and I just hope everything keeps going well...

Good job Cindy. Your consideration and generosity are an inspiration to all of us, who greatly admire your efforts. The world is a better place because of people like you.

BOL  Gard

It was warm over the weekend and we bathed him and OH MY GOSH he is covered in lice......I mean thousands. My son and I felt like we had bugs on us all evening...LOL! I know he still has lice in his mane and every where I am sure but there was tons of dead ones so we did some good. I will bathe him again in 10 days. He is eating good and seems to be doing really well. He seems to become more perky each day. We were seeding the pasture and the other horses were running along with s and he could see them and he would just whinny to them...and he perks his ears up and comes up to us when we go out there....I just can not wait to see what this guy really is...... 

If I knew how to post pictures I would because you can not believe how thin this poor guy is....

My old mare was emaciated and very close to death when I got her.  She was too weak to stand and her teeth we so bad they were falling out.  We gave her free choice hay but she couldn't eat it so she is on a sr. feed.  We started like you were told and now she is up to 10lbs daily.  Here in the last 2 years she is now able to pick the leaves out of alfalfa and eat them.  She still can't eat the stems or hay unless it is extremely fine stemmed.

  The first time we wormed my old girl we used a 1/4 dose.  For a month once a week we dosed at 1/4, then the next month we dosed at a 1/2 then the next 3/4 then the fourth month a full dose.  Each month using a different type of wormer.  My vet only gave her a 10% chance of survival and said if I gave her a full dose she would most likely colic and as weak as she was she wouldn't survive.    We tested and scoped her and so we knew she was full of worms.  Her intestines are in horrible shape because of them!  Her droppings look like cow patties.  Even after 5 years, and she must be wormed every month or she starts going off her feed, she can't stand any type of wormload so watch your guy for similar problems.

Wow, Terri that is great. Thanks for the wormer information. I have wormed him with ivermectin for a 500# dose.

I would say his body score is a 1 but for that I guess he is in pretty good shape. His teeth are not loose and he eats good doesn't drop very much food and he eats hay good and his hooves are not bad. I just wish I had an idea how long this will take...I guess the mom in me comes out and I just want him to be better. I know it is going to be along time though.

It sure makes you feel good to see him get perky whenhe sees the food coming....

It is just sad to think there are horses eerywhere just like him, starving...

I'd have put my mares score at a .25.

Your horse doesn't sound as bad as my mare so hopefully he won't take very long to be fat and healthy again.  How old is your guy?  My mare was estimated to be 16 when I got her but her teeth were so bad that she could be much older or much younger.   I've had her for 5 years now.  She isn't fat enough to make me happy but I (and my vet) think she is as fat as she will ever be, but she is healthy again.   You can still see the very top of her hip bones and there is a 'hollow' along her spine.  I use a special saddle pad on her so the saddle fits right.  My husband 'complains' that I spend to much on her because she takes so much work but it's paid off.  She is a great childs horse and is very mistrusting of strangers so I don't have to worry about someone approaching or pulling my daughter off her while we are out riding.  I've told my daughter that if anything ever happens just to hold on to her mare and she will take her home.  This mare has a built in GPS.  She ALWAYS knows where home (or the trailer) is.

It will take about a year for your horse to come around.  Don't expect it overnight and don't try to make it happen over night.  First horse wife and I got together was a rescue horse. We had him for about a year, got him in decent shape, and gave him away. As soon as we got him eating good and in better shape he turned into a psycho horse from.  Well, you get the picture. Poor fellars mind was just gone, he must of been severly abused also.  We gave him away to someone that would take care of him and even told them everything we knew about him as far as attitude and such. Sorry, but we won't do it again. Hope you have better luck then we did.

Spooler that is my biggest fear that he will get fat and be the horse from H--L! But I have a real good feeling about this guy.

From his teeth I think he is around 14-15 years. I am in Texas and we don't see many horses with lice unless they are in with the cattle. My thoughts are his system was weak and he got the lice and has just gone down from there. That many can drain a system very fast. Good news is we see no more live ones just eggs....YUK!!!! I hate those little critters too!!!I was so glad we got him when we did because we had a little cold spell with lots of rain and I really don't think he would have made it throught it.

It has been a week today and he is sure getting more pep each day. He paced the pen with his head over the gate this morning....

I don't think I have told ya'll the rest of the story.....this horse trader wanted to sell this horse for $300. I threw a fit and got him out of there for $175, I would have paid the $300 if would of had too! Some of these guys make me so mad....

I wish everyone could do this....

Spend the time with him while he is weak. Make him mind.  Don't let him get away with things because you feel bad. And, don't be heavy handed.  I can guarantee he will be a very sensitive horse.  Won't take much to hurt his feelings. Give him a fair shake on it.  He may be a very good horse and love you to death. I just didn't have that luck, but we tried. Good luck to ya.

Oh yeah, be on time with his feed at a regular schedule for a while. Then feed him early and late.  He will learn you will always be there to feed him and to be patient.