Okie saved from Slaughter on Jan 26/02 fo $20.00 Who was his Savior...........Spirit(Bev) Here is Okie's story of recovery in  Bev words      Well, I did it, I went to an auction and saw him. His name is Okie, he is a bay, grade gelding, and he is 27 years old. He looks as if a strong wind would knock him over. He is a bag of bones. They brought him into the ring, and no one would bid on him, so I did. I paid $20.00 for him. He loaded up in the trailer like a gentleman and hauled like a champ. ( Had his head down in the hay most all the way home. Stepped out of the trailer like the ride was nothing, and proceeded to munch on the grass showing. He got his mouth sooooo full that it formed a large cud that he couldn't swallow and he spit it out after he was done chewing on it. My husband cautioned me that I shouldn't expect him to last long, and I told him that I was bringing him home to be as comfortable and happy as he could be for whatever time he has left. Well I have been all over the place with this, and still haven't gotten to the point. I don't know what he has been fed, so for now Okie is just getting grass hay. I will be calling the vet to come out during the week. I want to worm him, and give him something to help him put on weight and give him energy to keep himself warm. I know I can't start him out on much, I don't want to colic him. I have been told to get him senior feed, because of his age and nutrient requirements.                                                    From: HorseWitch. Hi Bev ,congrats on saving Okie.First off watch him eat and make sure he is still not spitting out wads of chewed hay as that is generally a sign of little or no teeth.Do not worm him until the vet has seen as it may be too much for his system to take.I will dig up some sites that have feeding rehab info on them for you. I would start giving him a bit(1cup) of beet pulp soaked in warm water as well as some senior feed if he is realy skinny then he will need to be feed 3 or 4 times a day until he can get his tummy stretched back out.Make sure the vet checks his teeth also as that may be his weight problem.I would also blanket him to help him keep warm.Make sure he is drinking plenty of water also. I will post some links for you on beet pulp also as some ppl think its a waste of money but i know a couple horse who live on nothing but because they have no teeth.The grass hay is what i would feed as it will not over load his system.I hope I have given you some good ideas and feel free to question further if nessasary.but best bet would be beetpulp 1 cup water 4 cups 1 cup senoir feed start small with a few small feedings a day. Also i would get him a mineral block like equest or something like that ,but use the small block and monitor how much he is getting .As colic is a concern as well as over loading his sysytem with love. From: horsesnmor Hello,Read your posts since you have written about the "Okie".  It was great that you brought him into your care.  By what you have recently written, you are on the right track.  I have been rescuing horses for over 20 years and have a learned alot from listening, and the beet pulp is a good idea.  I also have used soy meal. From: RoyalsMom Hey I have an 18 year old mare and she is fast as lightening. I am so glad to hear that you took a horse that nobody wanted. Right now since I have an 18 year old mare I give her a lb of wheat bran. a lb of senior feed  and a teaspoon of msm(it helps keep the bones strong and the rest of the body but it is expensive costing about twnty dollars a pound.)That what she gets every night plus half a flake of bermuda and half a flake of alfalfa every morning and not. Maybe that will help him stay healthy. From: Wildfire Spirit...   You are on the right track, I totaly agree with HorseWitch about the beet pulp. The proportions for soaking it are 1:4... that is 1 dry amount of beet pulp to four of water. I use hot water to soak with as it goes faster. The best way to tell if ready or not.. is to stick your hand in there and feel for any lumps, if they're there it needs more time if not, then it's ready...  don't be afraid to have too much water, much better than not enough. The other thing I would suggest for weight gain is rice bran, start with adding about half a cup to his feeding and increase slowly from there. It goes great with the beet pulp as beet pulp is high in calcium and rice bran is high in phosphorous, they balance out. I would get some normal complete horse feed instead of the senior diet, the only difference in the two is the 2% protein and the price. Here the price diff is almost $6.00 per bag. You will save money there, and the extra 2% you will easely make up with the beet pulp and rice bran. Right now I'm in the process of trying to put weight on an older horse that we bought in October. He was a mess, I have never seen such a malnourished, startving animal in my life. He is doing much better now  plus all the grass/timothy hay he can eat. I also mix in pure molasis into his feedings, he seems to like it and it has the extra b vitamins. Good luck..  Wildfire      Bev asked some very good question as well great info on Okies beahvior  and eating problems.She had already arrangemnts for the vet to see Okie.What did we know?? He spit out his food in wet wads ,which with an old horses indicates teeth problems.So below you will not only read about that but the advice on feed as well as his care.From the many caring members here at Madi's    I talked to the man who sold him. It was his sons 4H rodeo roping horse (that explaines the front knees). His son is away at college, and he noticed the horse losing weight last fall and had the vet check his teeth then. He said that they were fine and that he might have cancer. I was told that he was given good hay and oats ( with pig feed mixed in), and he just didn't know what to do, because the horse just kept loosing weight. I did get him a blanket, well it is a canvas sheet. He looks like he has on a Carhart jacket. I didn't dare get the winter blanket, it weighed so much I wasn't sure it he would be able to stand with it on, let alone get back up if he layed down. I just came in from the pasture, and he is still hanging in there. I took Okie his afternoon snack, a little senior feed and a hand full of oats, softened with warm water. Wanted more when he was finished, had to check the bowl I brought it in to see if it was really all gone. He is trying to talk to me when he hears the chain on the gate when I open it. I think he has a problem with his vision though, as he tends to stay close to the fence so he can find his way toward my voice. Okie waits at the gate for us now. Know where the food chain is.Well Okie is missing teeth and the opposing ones are overgrown, (for at least a year this way) He will have a visit with the dentist within the next month. Says I got good advice on how to compensate for his lack of chewing ability and that the way I am going is good. Told me to worm him with strongoid first, milder and less chance of colic, and then in 3 weeks use an ivermicin. Wait until about march to give him his shots, unless he cuts himself and then give him a tetinis, so I think I will just get a tetnis now and I won't have to worry. Okie has a slight heart murmmer, but due to age mostly. Bowed knees will stay that way, so stay on top of his feet. He might have Cushings disease, long curlly coat, but it could be due to malnutrition.       click here for the rest of the story