Depression in horses?

[almrc]

Can horses get depressed and if so what experience of this do you have...and any remedies or what did you do?

Thank you

 

[Carlosmum]

I'm sure they can for all sorts or reasons. Perhaps feeling a little unwell, or lonely, or bored. I'd look at what might be causing the problem & then tackle it accordingly.

 

[almrc]

Has anyone seen a horse depressed (after being removed from its previous situation which made it depressed) that it gets better for a while, riding etc, then going backwards literally seemingly for no reason than a psychological one? Sorry to seem so vague.

 

[wattamus]

I believe my horse was depressed after her operation. She ate around 10lb of hay over 10 days and barley drunk anything. She wasn't interested in feed or attention and just stood in the back of her stable. Needless to say i became very concerned- vet assured me that it was nothing to do with the drugs etc. After the 10 days she perked up herself and got over it. I think it was just that feeling of being violated, she's quite a proud mare and doesn't like anyone seeing her laid down etc. so for her being knocked out and waing up in pain with a plaster cast on her leg in a padded room was not the most pleasurable of experiences. Like people though they soon get over it, i just gave her lots of hugs/ attention and nice warm rugs and lots of treats. Just make them feel secure and they'll come round

 

[almrc]

Thats an amzing story thank you But I wonder....what if due to very bad previous circumstances (that the horse is now away from) the horse will always remember it and keeps going on nice for a bit then dips back for no reason. I always think this side will be there affecting the horse sometimes

 

[wattamus]

Oh definitley, i agree. But most humans feel like that, where they feel a little insecure or if they have unfortunatley had a bad past, sometimes the past comes back to haunt them. You just need to make them feel positive and happy. Whether that be spending more time grooming your horse and speaking to it (I'm a strong believer of talking to your horse constantly, it improves your friendship and also ca help relieve stress ) I'd just spoil them and make them feel as secure and loved as possible and youll probably find these times of insecurity/ depression soon appear far anf few between x

 

[Rainbow01]

Hi almrc...

I do believe horses can be depressed, I have seen it in a friends horse. She had 2 horses, they doted on each other. Her younger one became the older ones 'blind horse' when he went blind, he led him everywhere and cared for him everyday. When she lost her eldest one her other horse got very detatched and depressed, he lost the spark in his eye and didnt really know what or where to put himself. His character changed completely until my friend made the decision to move yards as being where she was was a constant reminder. As soon as her horse moved yards, new surroundings, routine etc he changed back to the horse she knew. I guess horses/animals can grieve and get depressed just as much as humans can.

 

[tallyho!]

There are remedies, like flower or homeopathy you could try but if a horse is depressed, it's depressed. A friend of mine years ago moved yards, then moved back within the month as her mare became sullen and wouldn't eat or leave the stable very easily and napped like hell. As soon as she came back, she was herself again.

 

[woodlandswow]

I think my first horse was depressed when i took him to boarding school!
he wasnt himself - lost a lot of condition and also a bad virus didnt help!
lots of TLC and vets were required but he was fine after that!

 

[madgeymoo]

my TB was very depressed when we lost her all time friend 'Charlie' she saw him go on the wagon and neverreturn as he was sadly PTS whilst in surgery for colic. After this she was not her self sad, gloomy not wanting to do anything, grumpy and developed seperation anxiety so much so that would not load on the wagon, we took her to a show and she point blanked refused to load rearing up and falling backwards, the best thing we found was time and lots of TLC, many people think we were made but even had a Reiki healer and animalcommunicator to see her (serene spirit) she has now coming back to her old self as now palled up with the cob, loading touch wood has not yet been an issue after some perserference of persuwasion (only been on to go for ultrasound scan on ligament damage after rearing backwards though ).

 

[Beausmate]

A friend of mine rescued two very old, poor ponies from the knackers. One seemed to perk up quite quickly, but the other one just stood at the back of the stable, not eating or drinking or taking notice of anything, we didn't think she'd last til the end of the week. Friend had a reiki woman come out and after a couple of sessions the pony perked up a bit, started to eat a bit of hay and take more interest in her surroundings. The more she ate and the more she got involved in life, the better she got. She went on for another year, out in the field with her friend having a nice life until she was PTS. Vet reckoned she was at least forty.

The two had been the family ponies, family grew up and ponies were just left in the field for years, reiki woman said the pony had just given up on life.

 

[jodie3]

My normally very happy cob went on loan to local college and became very depressed. I don't think he could cope with being in 24/7, only being ridden in the school and being ridden by total novices. He became very quiet and subdued and disinterested in life generally. I tried taking him for a hack and he just wanted to amble slowly along. Usually he was the sort of 'TB in cob clothes' who would like a good gallop and pretend to be scared of rabbits and killer leaves. I got him home as soon as I could and with lots of TLC and several visits from Roy Cole he returned to normal. Roy said his shutting down was the equivalent to the cage walking you see tigers doing in zoos, his way of coping with stress.

 

[cptrayes]

Vitamin D deficiency will also do it. Vitamin D is in hay made in good sunshine, and they can make it for themselves out in the sun, but in winter, fed haylage, in an American barn indoor stable I reckon there are probably a lot of horses with vitamin D deficiency related depression.

 

[MiCsarah]

I'm sure there has been a thread on here about somebodies hose having S.A.D. They had a light in their stable (the special ones) and gave a supplement

 

[PitPony]

I think they can suffer from depression...I have seen it in my horse and another one - very specifically.
My horse was a rescue when I got her...very difficult to handle and aggressive/defensive. Gradually I got her to trust me and to realise whatever she did i would be back the next day!!
I had her at a yard for a while - lovely people who handled her beautifully and she adored the guy who 'did' her. We found she was rather good at dressage and so did uite a bit of work on this and the hacking wasn't great...not on my own anyway as it was a bit of a nightmare road to get past on your own and even in company it wasn't particularly great. She had improved to handle but we suddenly hit a plataeu(sp!) and then she started bucking me off and becoming very introverted and flat for want of a better word. Had her all checked out...she went out in a field all day with friends. It got to the stage where I was losing my confidence and feeling that if this is as good as we can get it was still such a struggle!
So a friend who I had known for years got her own yard again and offered me to take my horse there for a holiday - a month or two - with the plan that I just hack her out as the hacking was fantastic. So I took her and overnight she was different. I just hacked her out and the bucking ended...and she got better to handle gradually...
Unfortunately, it wasn't until I took her away from what i thought was a good place for her that I realised her environment is everything, she needed to do different things, she didn't like being in an indoor stable and she didn't like pressure!
the other horse that I saw with depression was when my previous horse was pts and he was her mate and they had been together for a while...he stopped eating...nothing would encourage him...the vet was having to treat him and he just didn't want to bother anymore...until they found a herb that they gave him and he started to eat and pick up again.
They are emotional animals...they act on instinct and are sociable creatures..

 

[muffinmunsh]

I agree totally. They are very sociable creatures and can feel the whole range of related emotions.

 

[almrc]

Thank you all for your stories they are very interesting and it is nice to know you are not on your own! I will never give up on this horse no matter what is thrown at me, 2 weeks ago everything was fab but like you say just sometimes they react to many things including very slightly, too much pressure that wouldn't usually affect your average horse...thank you all!

 

[spike123]

I'm fairly certain my horse had depression when I first owned him. He wouldn't interact with people at all and was very aggressive and defensive towards everyone. It took me 6 months to build a bond with him and 3 years on he is one of the most sociable affectionate horses I have ever known. I can post a couple of pics if you like which really show the difference

 

[almrc]

I have been through the highs and lows with this horse, it took me over a year to even make him rideable again, he has just gone back again now just too much change and too much pressure, just want the old boy back. Will perhaps look for reiki/animal communicators down here I just dont know what to do

 

[caramel]

I'm pretty sure my boy's depressed. He's hardly eaten his hay over the last couple of days yet he eats his dinner. Been lying down more than usual too.
He's on box rest because he had an abscess in his foot which is now poulticed. He's hopefully going back out in the field monday after farrier (can get very muddy and have a run), he's got apples in his water buckets, treat ball, warm rugs.
Have got a bowen appointment booked for him which I know will help.

 

[jaquelin]

My horse definitely got depressed on box rest.

Horses are herd animals and their position in the herd can affect the chemicals in the brain that control mood - same ones as in people. In the herd situation, males lower down the pecking order have lower levels of serotonin, which is the result of them being picked on by the more dominant males. (Read this in Understanding Prozac!) I am sure situations that mimic the herd type stress - separation from a companion, etc, affect the brain chemistry, hence depression.