Could my horse be bored causing lack of energy

[Mary3050]

Hi Guys,

I am unsure what to think my horse retired form a stay away show about 3 weeks ago . I gave them time out in the field for 3 days . Then started a little amount of work stretching etc back to normal work after a week. Since the break he’s been really lacking energy and he doesn’t seem interested looking around all the time when schooled . When I ask to go forward I get no response from my initial que, stronger que it’s only after a very strong que . This isn’t like him at all . I originally though it maybe a schooling issue so have had my trainer on him I watched the other day . He got some reprimands but worked lovely . I got on the day after he felt worse even more reluctant so did the same with a reprimand and noticed I was having to use it all the time which isn’t ideal in the long run .

I don’t think there’s anything physically wrong . I very my schooling circles varying sizes , leg yield, loops etc . Today I noticed there was a little more energy when I did something a bit different ie leg yield on a circle . Which makes me think could it be boredum? Like basically had so much fun at the competition that home is boring ?

Or should I be looking for a physical cause ?

 

[vickie123]

Hi, what’s he like out hacking?

 

[Gloi]

If this is abnormal behaviour for him I would be looking for physical causes.

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

How deep is your arena? Many are at present, meaning v hard tiring work.
Are you riding in the heat?
What are physical obs? Resp and heart rate whilst being asked to work?
As mentioned above, how is he going outside the arena?

 

[JumpTheMoon1]

Stop the schooling and take him out on a hack.Maybe put him through his paces canter and a gallop.Im sure he will soon return to normal if you vary things.We all got bored with school at times so horses do also.

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

Stop the schooling and take him out on a hack.Maybe put him through his paces canter and a gallop.Im sure he will soon return to normal if you vary things.We all got bored with school at times so horses do also

REMEMBER though, I'm a blithering rude idiot and post a lot of drivel - as per my second sentence above - so to get an off colour horse galloping is not to be recommended, particularly in much of England at present where much of the ground can be treacherously hard.

Corrected again for you poppet ?

 

[Mrs. Jingle]

Corrected again for you poppet ?

I know I probably shouldn't but your quirky sense of humour has really given me a very welcome chuckle just lately! ???

 

[Arzada]

Which makes me think could it be boredum?

I agree. Go hacking, happily.

 

[Michen]

I would also consider diet. My horse did this a few years ago and I ran bloods- nothing. He was well covered but just felt flat. I started feeding him some hard feed (he was on basically none) and he perked up extremely quickly.

there’s not much in the grass at the moment. Bloods could be worthwhile- I do them yearly.

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

I know I probably shouldn't but your quirky sense of humour has really given me a very welcome chuckle just lately! ???

Happy to assist, Mrs J ?

 

[Pearlsasinger]

If he was retired from a show, I can't imagine his problem is boredom. I would speak to the vet and have some bloods run.

 

[Lucky Snowball]

Could he have picked up a virus at the show?

 

[MuddyMonster]

I'd be speaking to a vet, personally.

I've never regretted assuming it's physical discomfort or pain first but have regretted assuming it wasn't.

Hope it is nothing too serious!

 

[ponynutz]

Agreed, go out hacking and if he's better try some poles in your flatwork or even in hand obstacle course type situation. That way you can know if it is arena depth/boredom that's causing the problem.

If neither are better or you start seeing symptoms outside of his work I'd check the saddle yourself, if you find any issues, get the saddler out. If problems persist call the vet.

In an ideal world I'd get the vet out to look straight away but that's probably not the best financial decision when it could just be boredom.

I'd try all these things in the same week so he's not struggling too long without the vet if he does need one.

Good luck! x

 

[MuddyMonster]

I've re-read your first post and missed the mentioning of 'reprimands' - if he was worse the day after your trainer all but forced him forwards, please listen to your horse. You've already said it's not like him to not go forwards so I'd trust him on this one. Your horse sounds like a sweetie for still trying to go forwards to the best of his ability. Mine would (quite rightly) tell me where to stick it if I tried that approach.

If you do decide to try to hack please be very, very careful. Not sure where you are but in the SE the ground is absolutely rock solid and if he's reluctant to go forwards on a softer surface, the ground may well make things worse if he's uncomfortable in his body somewhere.

I have a dodgy knee that intermittently flares up and there is no way I'd want to run on hard ground especially with someone 'reprimanding' me every time I trued to tell them it hurt, after trying to tell them it hurt when I ran on a softer surface.

 

[Cortez]

If your horse was reluctant to go forwards after a show far from being “bored” (bizarre idea), I’d be thinking he was sore and/or tired. It’s why we tend to rest horses after exceptional effort.

 

[SEL]

What's your ground like? What's your grass like? Concrete with no grass in the south east. I'm giving hard feed to a native and got one on light duties with bruised feet from just a walk hack. Vitamin E all round too.

 

[MissTyc]

What's your ground like? What's your grass like? Concrete with no grass in the south east. I'm giving hard feed to a native and got one on light duties with bruised feet from just a walk hack. Vitamin E all round too.

^ This
I'm not supplementing mine and they have all gone a little "flat" over the last weeks, so was about to start! Have never ever had to give any feed at this time of year (they do get a lo cal chaff with Vit E and joint supplement but nothing with energy), but the grazing is scorched. My cob absolutely loves jumping and he flew around a training course yesterday with his usual enthusiasm, but as soon as we were done, it was like he was totally drained. So looks like I'm off to buy a bag of feed.

That said, the big red flag in the OP is that the trainer forced the horse to go forwards and that the horse was even worse afterwards.This horse doesn't sound bored or just drained to me, but sore.

 

[Red-1]

If he appeared sound, I would simply turn away for a couple of weeks, hack at walk a couple of weeks and see how he felt.

If he was still unenthusiastic, I would take to vet hospital for a performance workup, making sure that the farrier had been in the intervening time.

Was the show on grass and hard? Was it on a soft arena? Has the horse become less happy to be groomed or grumpy generally?

 

[splashgirl45]

I know it’s a long shot but the first symptoms of cushings in my horse was lethargy which was so unlike her normal buzzy self I called the vet and got them to do a cushings test.. sounds to me like your horse has a physical problem and if he is still the same on a hack the vet is needed. Please listen to him.