Depressed horse - just don't knw what to do anymore?

Continue with the cushings meds, it took mine a few months to settle on them not just a few weeks. See how the results come back for the blood test, she might need the tablets increasing. It has definitely given mine his spark back, though even now he is still fussy with food and not particularly interested in it though I have managed to find something he tolerates!
 
Jericho said:
Her appetite is HUGE even with the pergolide ... She eats anything even a straw chop which most other horses turn their nose up at! Food seems to be the only thing that perks her up. Her acth reading was v high over 500 but bear in mind this would be affected by seasonal rise anyway. It will be interesting to see if this has come down 8 weeks on, so far it hasn't made any difference at all nearly 5 weeks in.
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If you haven't already...try this site for brilliant advice re Cushings and anything associated with it
http://www.thelaminitissite.org/

They have a very good Facebook group called EMS, Cushings (PPID) and laminitis UK. It's a scientific group and therefore will only give proven and scientific well researched advice but they also have a lot of hands on advice and will answer any queries you may have .
It could well be that your mare has been suffering from Cushings for a long time and that you need to give the pergolide longer to work or perhaps ask your vet about adjusting the dose
 
I would suggest that this is very much a pain issue and I would get your horse referred to one of the equine centres of excellence hospitals so that they can determine what is exactly wrong with your horse.
 
It's not something I've ever tried and although I'm sceptical about it, it's not massively expensive, so maybe an animal communicator is worth a try?

I also agree with the Bute trial or maybe thermal imaging to give your vet an idea of where to start if it does identify hotspots?
 
Just been reading through these posts as I, too, have a seemingly depressed horse. I don;t know alot about his history, but I have had him nearly 6 years and he is 19yrs old now (holsteiner) I bought him barefoot from a barefott rehabber and was asked to please try keep him that way - shoes kept causing lameness apparently. I am happy to keep him this way as the feet do help to indicate other things going on in the body. I just put hoof boots on him when hacking out.

But I digress. I also suspect mine has underlying pain issues as he has days where he just seems to be vacant and sighs alot. Unfortunately he is a cribber - so he pacifies himself by that nasty habit. I have to be careful what he eats as his gut is very sensitive, etc etc ..

He's in very light work and on days he looks depressed i don;t work him, but instead i massage him. Horses are programmed to not show pain and weakness (or they'd be eaten by preditors) so they tend to store alot of stress and pain in their poll - and forgive me if i am wrong here, but i assume they suffer headaches like we do. So I have learnt to do some gentle massage in the poll area and very quickly he relaxes and does the typical 'release' things such has sighing, yawning, snorting, licking and chewing, etc - once he has done that he seems to perk up.

So my point in this long-winded response is maybe you can ask your physio to show you how to do a bit of poll massaging - i know you said your mare hates her ears being touched, but maybe you can work towards them - try not touch them while massaging behind them? It's worth a shot ... i still don't know exactly what causes my lad to have these depressed episodes, but i do suspect pain and as i say, any release like this really does help him.
 
All-Things-Natural said:
Just been reading through these posts as I, too, have a seemingly depressed horse. I don;t know alot about his history, but I have had him nearly 6 years and he is 19yrs old now (holsteiner) I bought him barefoot from a barefott rehabber and was asked to please try keep him that way - shoes kept causing lameness apparently. I am happy to keep him this way as the feet do help to indicate other things going on in the body. I just put hoof boots on him when hacking out.

But I digress. I also suspect mine has underlying pain issues as he has days where he just seems to be vacant and sighs alot. Unfortunately he is a cribber - so he pacifies himself by that nasty habit. I have to be careful what he eats as his gut is very sensitive, etc etc ..

He's in very light work and on days he looks depressed i don;t work him, but instead i massage him. Horses are programmed to not show pain and weakness (or they'd be eaten by preditors) so they tend to store alot of stress and pain in their poll - and forgive me if i am wrong here, but i assume they suffer headaches like we do. So I have learnt to do some gentle massage in the poll area and very quickly he relaxes and does the typical 'release' things such has sighing, yawning, snorting, licking and chewing, etc - once he has done that he seems to perk up.

So my point in this long-winded response is maybe you can ask your physio to show you how to do a bit of poll massaging - i know you said your mare hates her ears being touched, but maybe you can work towards them - try not touch them while massaging behind them? It's worth a shot ... i still don't know exactly what causes my lad to have these depressed episodes, but i do suspect pain and as i say, any release like this really does help him.
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has there been any investigation into what causes this behaviour in your horse?
 
I would rule out pain then personally would try doing groundwork with her again. I highly recommend Warwick Schiller who has amazing videos online and who has helped one of mine no end. I have an older eventer who has been stressed and totally miserable and who has thrived on groundwork because it has mentally stimulated him. He was described as "mentally fragile" by a trainer i hold in high regard and the groundwork has really helped address that. Look at the work of people like Buck Brannamen, Ray Hunt and Martin Black and maybe try it with your mare.
 
Few ideas spring to mind..

First test for pain something underlying- so both a bute and blood test.
Second- companion maybe something different, thinking outside the box... alpaca/donkey/shetland, goat, ram (my pony was best friends with a ram! )
Third- might be worth going down the alternative route, such as Reiki for horses, natural horsemanship, horse healer. To see if they pick anything up? :)

I really hope she picks up and becomes happy and content again :)
 
Zoopharmacognosy if there's anyone in your area that does it? Or just buy a bunch of herbs and see which ones she selects then look up what that can mean. If she's spooky wonder if she's tight around the poll? there's an acupressure point above the eyes that some horses enjoy being massaged. As she enjoys food look into clicker training to get her interested in life. And maybe look for a companion for her? The droopy bottom lip can be a sign that there is pain going on somewhere though, maybe try a different physio/body worker. Myofascial release could be something else to look into.
 
I would def think there could be pain associated with this, but if nothing comes up, or whilst you're trying to find something, what about Equine Touch? I've done level 1 and 2 and its minimally invasive and I haven't found a horse that doesn't like it. You leave them to process and it might help you to bond with her in a different way. Worth a go maybe get a practitioner out and then if it's good take the level 1 yourself.
 
Have you spoken to you vet about adjusting the doseage of the Cushing meds? The reason I ask is because we going through the same thing with a friends mare at the moment. Spoke to the vet and he has said to take her off the meds for 3 days and then introduce her back to it on half the dosage and then see how she goes. It is a very common side effect.

Take a look at the FB page HP suggests, it is really helpful and because of the way they run it - very factual.

Good luck and hope she improves soon.
 
OP you have my sympathy! Your post made me sad :(

I would have to agree with the others who said she is in some kind of low grade pain. If it were my horse I would get bloods& full body work up (apologies if you have already done so) also agree with giving her plenty of bute to give you a 'pain diagnosis'.

I really feel for you. 17 is not old at all, she's younger than my mare who visibly 'enjoys' her exercise routine.....particularly hacking & jumping. I'm really tuned into my horse & feel it's really important that she enjoys our time together as much as I do- I would be really upset if I thought my horse was unhappy- if this was the case I would definitely suspect pain.

Hope you get to the bottom of it, keep us posted :)
 
Could you ask for a selenium deficiency blood test? My boy (14) went through a period where he just didn't seem happy I can't describe it other than that. He's been through a lot medically so I was worried that there was something else underlying, vets who knew him well said he wasn't himself, he was also very lethargic in ridden work, just not interested hacking or schooling. Initial blood test was for cushings which came back negative so we did the usual liver, kidney functions etc but back negative, tried the selenuim which came back as considerable deficiency. I've had 2 months on a selienium supplement and he's a different pony. Fingers crossed you can find something which helps.
 
Thanks all for your replies. Vet has been to take bloods again. She did a cursory MOT - trot up, sharp turns to get her step under, stretches, breathing rate, eyes, heart, felt various pressure points. Nothing stood out and as usual mare just stood (or suffered it!) quietly through it all. Vets opinion was that she is showing her age along with muscle wastage due to Cushings due to lack of work and advice was to do more with her before giving her bute to see if I can make her life more interesting. Not really happy with that but for the four days I have done this and done more groundwork, spend more time with her and really make her life lovely and comfortable and stress free), take her on short hacks and walks, some simple schooling, over poles (she loves jumping but we don't do much) to see if it helps. Can't say it's made much difference - she still stands with a dead look in her eye, sighing, getting nervous unnecessarily, moving away and flinching when touched or groomed. The only time she has visibly looked happy is when the hunt came past, when she is waiting for her feed and when I held a lick for her and she let me touch all round her ears without any reaction - something she never does.

For those oho mentioned NH she is totally submissive, does everything asked, never argues, again she never shows a flicker of interest in 'games' or thinking through something - everything is oh well I'll just get on with it, get it over with and then will be left alone.

I have booked a vet from a different practice who is coming next Tuesday as a second opinion and I will carry on with the more attention regime - not overly comfortable riding her still until I am 100% sure she is not in pain) - until then (unless any pain does become obvious). I personally don't think its a lameness or back issue pain but something head related, am starting to think she has a tumour on her brain, that the pituitary gland is enlarged to a point that it is affecting her mental state. Someone in their posts mentioned tightness in poll and this seems very possible. Her reactions can be so bizarre - she rushed through her stable door yesterday as though she had been smacked or caught herself - nothing of the sorts had happened - and then stood at the back of the stable trembling and breathing heavily. Twice she has also panicked when I went to put head collar on. It's so random...
 
our 11.2 little pony has cushings and has been depressed for years..not wanting to be caught, looking miserable ...we got the vet out to even consider PTS this year ....he suggested we started giving her bute - a tiny sprinkle every day and guess what? she now jumps over the electric fence, chases the other horses , bucking and farting tail high! she guzzles her food and we can catch her easily....only regret is we let her suffer as she was so obviously miserable due to pain....
 
Kate2323 - thank you, that's it. I am insisting on a bute trial now. I wish I just been stronger with first vet and not ignored my instincts.
 
good luck..just one more thiing our pony always looked nervouse and shied away from any contact..wouldnt let us stroke her..looked terrified...now she loves a cuddle...she is 21 but at last she can have a few moths, years happy and pain free
 
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