Not Rocking the Danged Boat (And a Spring Check-in)

After my misadventures in removing Butterball's hind shoes, I decided to NOT rock the boat on anything else. He has been on a sweating supplement, OneAC, every summer his owner has had him. And he's always been a decent sweater. I asked my friend who shot his foot rads if she used anhidrosis supplements prophylactically and if she had a favorite one. She said she liked Platinum Refresh the best, but that she didn't use them if there hadn't been a problem. "Okay, I'll order that one!" "Wait, I meant since he hasn't had a problem I wouldn't use one." "Yeah, I know..." 

At less than $300 for the whole hot season worth of Platinum Refresh, that was a price I was willing to pay to not find out that he had a problem if he didn't get a supplement. Of course the week I ordered it and started the supplement, our overnight temps dropped into the 40s again, but it was still getting to the 70s during the day. I've always heard that it is best to start the supplements early in the season before it gets hot enough that they have high demands on their cooling system, so that's what we're doing. 

Given a slight lack of other content currently (This is what we're working on, over and over and over again since I'm a slow learner) I figured it was time to do an update on his day to day maintenance and routine. See our October version here. 

When I did his PPE back in late August, my vet pointed out the fat around his sheath and a few other spots. And I set to work slimming down the pony. Then this winter we hit a point where he'd gotten a bit too slim. His initial ration was 1 quart of Seminole Equalizer twice a day along with 1 flake of orchard in his very small hole hay net and as much tifton as could be stuffed into the net. I think where we ran into trouble was that the grass died and even though they were getting tifton tossed in the fields, it wasn't the same as excellent pasture all day long. 

Scrolled back through pics to the start of November when he got his pre-show bath for Rocking Horse. The grass was lovely here, but the pics after this it has turned to brown winter grass. 

Our first step was adding in more orchard - he got bumped up to two flakes a day along with the tifton base. I also started giving him a flake of alfalfa for the trailer rides he took at least once a week. He was delighted by that development. 

But it still wasn't quite enough, so when Ben left, somewhat abruptly, we added in Ben's Wellness Herbal Blend. Butterball is now getting his quart of Equalizer along with 1.5 quarts of the Wellness Herbal Blend twice a day. And this seems to be packing the pounds back on. As I write this though, I realize I will have to be cognizant of not packing on toooo many as the spring grass comes back. 

March 2025 Regimen: 

- 1 Quart Seminole Equalizer

- 1.5 Quarts Seminole Wellness Herbal Blend

- 1 pump of Relyne GI twice daily

- MadBarn Biotin 1.5 scoops once daily - leftover from Ben, I don't plan on keeping him on this forever

- 1 scoop Platinum Refresh twice daily

- 2 flakes orchard + as much tifton as he can eat during the day 

- Pasture at night (occasionally tifton tossed out in the field, but not as consistently now as in the winter), solo in his pasture since Ben left. This makes me sad for him, but circumstances right now mean he can't go back out with the babies. 

Otherwise he's getting an Adequan series twice a year, September and March. Those months also happen to be when he is due for his vaccines (EWT + WNV, Flu/Rhino, Rabies once a year). Poor pony, that's a lot of needles in one month. And as noted previously, he's in four shoes with pads up front right now and got Pro Stride in his hocks (TMTs only) and stifles on March 3rd.