Depressed Pony :(

jaspejoo

jaspejoo

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Pony has recently swapped to overnight turn out and coming in during the day and I have noticed he seems really depressed. He is eating hardly anything and is really really fussy with hay. He acts normally in the field but when he is in the stable he sulks at the back which is TOTALLY out of character for him. He is slightly lethargic when riding but nothing that summer doesn't bring...he's just not himself. Has anyone noticed the same thing or knows what it might be?
 
Maybe with being turned out at night he's staying on alert a bit more after dark and so not eating as much (which is I guess why you want him out at night) so he's tired? Is he one of those who won't lie down in his stable during the day? Or maybe if he's in by himself with no other horses around he's a bit fed up? On the other hand he may just be eating well at night and be feeling stuffed and full during the day?!
 
yeah he has 2 horses out with him and 2 horses in with him so he had friends...and i think he sleeps in the day sometimes, but i'm not really sure! lol sometimes we have body marks in the bed but i never know if thats cuz he rolled or slept. i'm leaving him out all weekend this week to see if he will perk up a bit when he might sleep in the night when he isn't cramming grass.. It's just really upsetting to see him like it :(
 
Could he just be tired? A friend's horse used to come in and sleep for hours in the stable during the day. They had blood tests done, nothing showed at all, and they were really confused.

Came to the conclusion that he was staying awake all night eating as much as he could, then using the daytime to doze and catch up on his sleep.

Is he very old? Could be cushings if he is, they can get depressed with that, but otherwise I would wait and see if he gets used to the change of routine.
 
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