depressed horse?

Amy567

Amy567

Well-Known Member
Joined
29 June 2009
Messages
526
Visit site
So, that's exactly how I'd describe my mare. She has a glossy coat, she's putting on weight, but she seems sad and depressed, her eyes are sad and quite frankly it'd making me sad. I can no longer ride her as I'm too heavy for her, and so a little girl is riding her for me and I now have a new horse. Nothing could ever replace her, but I think she might feel like she has been replaced by this horse, I still groom her and hug her and fuss over her, but in the paddock he pushes her off of me. She's also in season, which doesn't help, but she's not been like this in the 4 years I've had her. This winter wasn't her winter and she lost all condition and gloss in her coat, so we brought her back.into work and she blossomed again. She's one to get unhappy when out of work, she's put a lot.of weight on and she's getting more muscle. She's.also been pushed off of top spot.in the pecking order by the.new one too, which doesn't help either. She eats all.of her hard feed, but not all of her hay, barely any, so we're getting her back and teeth done.

I.just dont know how to.make her happier
 
Do some in-hand stuff with her. My unbacked youngster loves it and I also started with in-hand stuff when my riding mare was coming back into work after a long recovery. She loved it too, especially when I took her on walks down the lanes and let her have a little graze on the verge.
 
My mare gets the same way, especially over the winter when she is kept in she gets really down and sad. Not nice to have to watch, she gets really clingy too, like she just wants hugs till she cheers up! Only thing I have found that cheers her up is a hack, she always seems much better after!
 
Definitely do some inhand stuff with her. You could take her for "walkies" :D

A change of scenery will also do her the world of good. My pony was fully retired for about 5 years, before, at the age of 32, she came "out" of retirement for the odd, gentle hack when I was home from university. The first time we passed the back lane (where her stable was), she lost about 20 years! (And she wasn't a depressed pony). Everyone commented on the photos that we both had massive grins. You could see in her face how much she loved it!
 
How much weight gain and how old is she ? I don't want to cause upset but there is a free cushings test offered by Talk about laminitis until the end of june. Hopefully it's nothing and she is just adjusting to her new life.
 
It might be worth getting a blood test done. My gelding seemed depressed and run down and we couldn't seem to pick up his mood, he also was still eating his hard feed but hardly any hay-which was very unusual for him, eventually we got the vet out and had bloods taken, turned out he had viral hepatitus. Vet guessed he had got a virus, fought it off, but had caused his liver to swell and start to degenerate. 3 months down the line and lots of steroids and anti-biotics and a biopsy and he's perked up lots and is back in work and enjoying himself. I'm sure your mare won't have this, as it seems the new horse and a bad winter has effected her, but it might be worth getting a blood test just in case- I wish I'd done it sooner.
 
Thanks for all the replies. I took her out hand grazing in the village yesterday and she loved it! Perked up for riding last night and pung over the jumps like she used to! I'm so happy, she even got up the currage to fight back at the new horse, who kicked the gate and scrapped the fur and top layer of skin off (silly boy!) so it seems she's perked up, also think she's come out.of season now, which could have been the reason. To answer the person abpve about cushings, tbh she looked like an RSPCA case ove winter, we were close to.putting her down in all honesty, she's now slightly ribby (can feel them but can't see them majorly) but she hasn't got a thick wavy coat, which is what I thought the main sign was? She's also 16, so going into her veteran years!

Issue about me riding her is that she's now being ridden by someone else, and I fon't want to.make them feel like she is just her rider and nothing else if you know what I mean? I was thinking of taking her for a hack myself one day next week if the weather allows, but need to make sure the girl doesn't want to ride that day haha
 
Aaw yay :) Glad to hear she's starting to stick up for herself, girl power!

Well, the thick coat is only one sign on Cushings. Is she drinking and weeing a lot? Is she hanging onto her winter woollies? Quite sweaty?

Here's the laminitis trust's page on Cushings, might be worth her tested if you think she fits the bill on a few points? Then you can hopefully rule it out. http://www.laminitis.org/cushings.html
 
From my recent experience and reading up on the subject I would say have her tested for cushings. My boy has been getting depressed and has lost weight and condition over the winter when the vet was out recently one of the first things she said was 'how long as he had cushings?' So I'm now going to take advantage of the free blood test next week. He doesn't have the typical curly coat either - just looks pointy and a bit ribby where he has lost his topline.
 
Im another to say get her checked re bloods. it probably wont be case but depression being lethargic can be a symptom of a number of things but def to do with liver. correct if wrong but belivie its to do with toxins building up hence my pure and utter hatred of ragwort . but hope its just a feeling of needing extra cuddles from her mum :) x
 
If she is needing her teeth done and is uncomfortable in her mouth to the degree that she wont eat hay, this could be a factor. I would get the teeth checked as a first priority (which you have said you are going to do). If this is not the problem it would be worth getting the cushings test done. My mare tested positive this time last year - she's only 15 and had no obvious symptoms other than lethargy and depression. It's not something you would want your horse to have, but their quality of life can be greatly improved with the correct daily dose of prascend/pergolide and careful management.

Hope you get to the bottom of it and she is soon back to her old self.
 
3OldPonies said:
From my recent experience and reading up on the subject I would say have her tested for cushings. My boy has been getting depressed and has lost weight and condition over the winter when the vet was out recently one of the first things she said was 'how long as he had cushings?' So I'm now going to take advantage of the free blood test next week. He doesn't have the typical curly coat either - just looks pointy and a bit ribby where he has lost his topline.
Click to expand...

I'm doing this next week for my gang, better to know and manage accordingly.
 
We took her to a small competition.last night and she.most drfinitely isn't lethargic, in any way at all! She got way too strong for the rider (not me) and started jumping everything in her path in the first round (first ever competition and it was 40cm) rider then got more control for round two haha. I'l get teeth and back checked and look into cushings. the only thing she has is the weight loss, and I'm sure that was due to us rugging late and not feesing her correctly. But, then again, it's better to be safe than sorry
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top