muscle atropy

Question
i have a rescue horse that when the humane society called me to take could hardly stand to eat and lays down for long periods of time. she has been here since October 2008, she has picked up about 200lbs. she is 15.2 hands and weighed about 550 to 600lbs when she came her hind quarters have muscle atrophy, you could every bone and the ligaments holding them together. she will now trot she is getting all the hay she can eat and alfalfa and is up to 8lbs. of gain 2x a day. i want to start to work her in the round pen walk and trot to try to start building muscle. she also gets corn oil and vitamins. and a daily wormer. but is still laying down all the time. she has been veted and he says its going to take time. but im concerned about her laying down all the time. any help would be appreciated
thank you

Answer
Hello Cari,

She may have foundered on all that grain you are giving her.  16 lbs a day is way too much for amy horse and much, much too much for a small horse that is not in heavy work.  Also she does not need alfalfa hay.  Free choice, good quality grass hay, all she can eat, is all she needs, plus a vitamin mineral supplement. A handfull of oats won't hurt, but should not be the main part of her diet. You can kill a horse with kindness, you know.  So don't feed so much high protein or grain, hand walk her for at least an hour a day, 30 minutes at a time.  If you are riding her make sure that you walk 30 minutes before any trotting and keep the work to 45 minutes at a time until she is strong.

Have the vet check for navicular disease in her feet also, or problems that may have resulted from founder.

Be careful what and how much you feed and give her quiet easy work.

Best wishes