grumpy old man

[dawnsuth]

my old boy -22years- has gradually become more and more grumpy with other horses and when stabled kicks his neighbours' walls and bares his teeth. he is never like this to people and always puts on a happy face to us.
is this normal? he is in very good health otherwise.

 

[Box_Of_Frogs]

Hmmmm. My lad is 22-ish and he is intolerant of neighbouring horses when he has his dinner. It might be just the Victor Meldrew effect or maybe he is feeling less able to stand up for himself so he uses attack as the best form of defence. My other horse developed a devastating hoof disease and eventually had to be pts and in the weeks and months that led up to his death, he got less and less happy in with the field gang and more and more dependent on his best buddy to protect him. Fingers crossed that the spring will cheer him up.

 

[Theresa_F]

Is there a possibility that his sight is not so good?

Is he in pain? Cairo recently was turning into a grumpy old bugger - you can image how bad I felt when it turned out he was in pain with his joints, though initially not showing lameness.

Eventually he also managed to do an injury in the field playing like a 3 year old and it all came out. He is now on a little bute and though still very stiff, is back to his happy old self and grooming Chancer and far more bright and alert.