When Bub came to me, he was overweight, out of condition and coughed and wheezed his way through the hot Florida days. I called the seller as no one, not even the vets, told me of any problems he had with his health. Obviously, his coughing and wheezing were a definite health problem. The seller told me he was overweight and the coughing and wheezing would disappear with regular work. Well, regular work didn't help. I realized the seriousness of this two weeks after purchasing this 16 year old sweet horse. One morning when I arrived at the barn for feeding, I found that Bub had escaped from his stall during the night and had been gorging himself on a bale of Timothy Hay. When I first saw him, he was standing by his stall door with his tongue hanging out of his mouth. Upon getting closer, the wheezing and rales were so audible that there was no mistaking this was a very ill and uncomfortable horse. I called the vet and demanded to know what was going on. It was then that they told me Bubba had severe heaves, needed to be on daily medicine and could not eat Timothy Hay. He was highly allergic to the molds and dust. Not only was he allergic to the Hay but also to the molds that grow in Florida grasses during the summertime. I was literally killing my new horse with kindness. He had been given basically free choice hay and turned out to pasture 24 hours a day. After the vet came out to examine Bubba (about $250 later) I was given a regimen of medications to give to him on a daily basis. He also received a steroid shot and I was warned that the steroids destroy the liver. I was also told, however, that at the ripe age of 16 years, Bub probably wouldn't be living that much longer anyway so not to worry. It was at that point that I decided I would never allow Bub to go to any other home. He was home with me for the rest of his life, regardless of how long he lived.
