[Eeyore]

Hi Scarlet.Dragon,  he has stopped eating completely now - just stands in the field sleeping.  We have tried everything to get him to eat.  His favourite thing is grass and even this isn't helping.  I do have problem where I don't have any grass in my field at the moment - I was hoping to move them to livery this weekend so that he has grass, but as he is very poorly again I don't know what to do for the best. 


I have asked most local land owners if they could sell me hay or haylage but they don't respond and I have also asked if I could rent a couple of acres but again they never reply.


I'm finding this all quite hard right now.  I have rubbish health myself - I am on a lot of morphine for pain and my gp gave me a new drug to try last weekend, it turned out it wasn't strong enough.  I had 2 days of horrendous pain and withdrawl.  To add to this the winds at the end of last week ripped the roof of my little hay store so it's all wet now. 


If it wasn't for my little dog I don't know where I'd be - she's my ray of sunshine 

[waterbuffalofarmer]

I am very sorry to hear about this. Whereabouts in the country are you based? Here are some ads on preloved I found, I hope they help. http://www.preloved.co.uk/search?keyword=haylage+for+sale+&orderBy=&location=&lat=&lon=&distance=&sectionId=&minimumPrice=&maximumPrice=&advertType=&advertiserType=&promotionType=
Some land here too, but I am not sure whether this would help? :/
http://www.preloved.co.uk/search?keyword=fields+for+rent

[Eeyore]

Thank you waterbuffalofarmer.  I have never looked on "Preloved" before.  I will go and check out your links.
Thank you for taking the time to do this for me.[size=78%] [/size]

[waterbuffalofarmer]

Thank you waterbuffalofarmer.  I have never looked on "Preloved" before.  I will go and check out your links.
Thank you for taking the time to do this for me.[size=78%] [/size]

It's ok it's a pleasure to help I hope you find something soon! Also try farmingads, they may have something. Another few good websites are gumtree, freecycle (for haylage you never know, only be very careful!) fridayad, ukfreeads, Facebook, farmers weekly, farmers guardian, agri trader, monthy advertiser. That is all I can thing of at this time
This may help.... Depending on your location?
https://www.gumtree.com/p/short-term-rent/2-acre-paddock-field-for-rent-good-grazing-land./1193716159
https://www.gumtree.com/flats-houses/aberdeenshire/land

[waterbuffalofarmer]

Also I forgot to add this link which I found just now
http://www.horses4salescotland.co.uk/folder-3556-hay-haylage-suppliers
All the best with it all and do let us know how you get on.
This link in particular might be what you are looking for....
http://www.horses4salescotland.co.uk/item-906-hay-and-haylage-suppliers

[clydesdaleclopper]

Eeyore I get my hay from a lovely chap near Huntly. He sells small bales and will deliver. If you'd like his number drop me a PM

[Eeyore]

Thank you waterbuffalofarmer & Clydesdaleclopper.  We have a round bale of hay we haven't opened yet as I've been using up the poor hay with rich haylage (mixed together).  Where I used to stay our local farmer was great and he would bring us a bale of haylage when we needed it and we had a big shed to keep it dry. 


Clydesdaleclopper, I will drop you a pm if this round bale isn't good.  I did buy some small square bales form a man near Huntly.  It smelled good and looked ok but when we got it home and opened it up it was all dirty inside.  There was another guy who advertised round bales near Huntly but he didn't reply back to me arranging to have a look.


I was hoping to find someone very local with haylage or really good hay - for my poorly horse to keep him eating through the winter.  He is really fussy with hay and it has to be really good before he will look at it.  Sadly at the moment he won't eat anything.  We don't have a tractor and therefore would have to buy small haylage bales which I am going to get a small amount of but they are so much more expensive.


Thanks again for all your help, x

[clydesdaleclopper]

The stuff I get is very good quality - it has to be as my goats are so fussy 

[Eeyore]

Thanks Scarlet.Dragon for your suggestions etc.  My boy is on medication for his cushings and he has had a few of these episodes where he stops eating - usually brought on my stress.  It started after he had 2 episodes of colic caused by stress from nearby fireworks.  He got his annual vaccinations a few weeks after this and the very next day he was poorly - stopped eating and it took 2 weeks for his appetite to return.  Him loosing his appetite started just under a year ago.


We know that the tiniest little thing can stress him and he looses trust very quickly.  Trying to give him Zylkene in his food last Thursday (to help keep him calm during the fireworks weekend) made him loose trust in his bucket.  He won't take anything from me - or in a bucket.  He is nibbling some grass from time to time.  From experience there is nothing the vet can do just now.  Getting the vet out would only make him more stressed and less trusting.  I can't get his little cushings table in him as he won't eat and If I get it in his mouth he just spits it out.  So he is drinking a bit more than normal, but not as bad as he has been in the past. 


We went back to my old hay supplier and got one of this year's hay bales which is quite good.  Yesterday the local farmer that I wrote to got in touch and said he has hay and haylage I can purchase from him.  I'm hoping to go and see what it's like at the weekend.  This is great as he is really close by. 


Because of my rubbish health etc, I have been looking for hay or haylage close by as I find it hard to have to soak or mix not so good hay.  Before this new bale, I was mixing not so good hay with rich haylage and because of the time and effort it took I did most of it on my knees and it took me hours.  I'd make a pile and give it to the horses and by the time I had made another pile they had finished the first lot.


Before my boy got poorly I was trying to find a good home for them both.  I have had them 18 years and they are the only horses I have ever owned.  Life is a struggle, but I love them soo much.

[waterbuffalofarmer]

Could he have developed a growth or something inside of him which is making him lose his appetite more this year?
I am sorry if I have worried you by this comment, truly this was not my intention... It could be old age (although horses can live for 30 years) but it could be something either external on his body or internal, maybe an underlying problem?

[Eeyore]

In July this year the vets did lots of tests and they came back with a diagnoses of Kidney Failure and Cushings Syndrome.  I am scared to get the vet out as I know this will stress him greatly - even the sight of a vet.  He has been fine since the last episode in July - apart from his poos are really runny which I believe is part of having Kidney Failure.


The vets have said there is nothing they can do for kidney failure but the Cushings we are treating with tablets.


I just wish I had a big grassy field I could give him and a large barn to put him in when the weather is wet.  Need to win the lottery first! 

[Eeyore]

Thanks Scarlet.Dragon.


I say "bad hay", it's not actually bad in any way - just my horses turn their noses up at it.  It is dirty in places and has big clumps of dirt mixed in.  They just waste it and tramp it into the ground.  I suppose they are spoilt - but it's only because I am always trying to make sure my gelding is eating well.


I have thought about the horse charities etc.  Sadly, once you've signed them over you are not allowed to know what happens to them, and this I don't think I could cope with.  I think the term is "being stuck between a rock and a hard place".   

[LeanneR88]

Hi Eeyore,

Did you ever find anywhere for last year?

If you are struggling at all this November then give me a shout we are out beside Huntly and would have spare grazing should you be in need.  We do not have stables but looking to build a field shelter before Autumn/Winter this year.