Hope This Doesn't Sound Silly...

M

MosMum

Well-Known Member
Joined
8 August 2010
Messages
443
Location
Swansea, Wales
Visit site
I have a 14hh yearling (rising 2) arab x cob who lives out 24/7, rugged, with a cob filly and cob gelding, both 2 yr olds. He's on pasture mix, sugarbeet, linseed oil and adlib haylage and shares 10 acres with the other two, has a field shelter he never uses.

He's been there since June and settled nicely, nothing obviously wrong with him, had the vet out about 2 mos ago to geld him and did a health check, all was well. Up to date on injections, wormer and feet.

Even through the horrible mud in august/sep/oct he was a happy, ears forward, what have you got for me? type of lad.

All the sudden yesterday at feed time and today, he just seems... depressed? Nothing major and nothing I can put my finger on, he's warm enough, not lame or anything but just snubbed his food (although ate it eventually) and walking with his head down a bit and just seems to be feeling... dull.

What would you do? I rang his vet who said if nothing obvious give him a few days and see if he perks up, maybe mild colic etc. Do you think that's best? I just have a gut feeling he's not right, if that makes sense.

Thanks, and sorry for the essay!
 
I agree with your vet, although I know what you're feeling. Keep a close eye on him over the next few days and hopefully he'll be fine. Unfortunately, without something more concrete for the vet to go on, he won't be able to do much right now anyway.
 
If he's a little reluctant to eat and seems down, you'll be right that there's probably something wrong with him. He could just be feeling a bit under the weather. But again, all you can do is keep a close eye, like CAT and your vet say. Here's some vibest that it turns out to be nothing.
 
MosMum said:
I just have a gut feeling he's not right, if that makes sense.
Click to expand...

Of course it makes sense! NEVER ignore a 'gut feeling' - it's usually right!!

As suggested, check his temperature - and check that he's drinking enough (or do the 'pinch' test.)

I would guess he's like the rest of us - bloody fed up with the damn weather!

Even my psycho b**ch is walking to the field like a 20 year old pony; mares who normally guard their haylage and chase others off are sharing with every mare and her foal because the ground is too awful to do more than walk carefully on! And my stallion went around the manege (loose) today in walk and a grudging trot instead of his usual buck, f**t and gallop from end to end.

Watch him closely - but try not to worry too much! I suspect he's like the rest of us - just damn pi**ed off with the weather!
 
Thanks guys for the vibes and reassurance.

I haven't checked his temp, but checked gums are pink and pinch test was fine, he does seem to be drinking (running water in his field so although its freezing cold its not frozen). I will check his temp tomorrow, I should have done that to start with now you mention it.

If he's fed up of the weather, I can always put him and his filly friend indoors for a day or two? Does that tend to help if they're just tired of the cold and ice? I could keep a closer eye on what he's eating that way I guess, although he did eat his food eventually so assume he is also eating his share of haylage...
 
Doesn't sound silly to me....owners often note that horses "aren't quite right" way before obvious clinical problems come to light!
Keep tabs on things and you can always get the vets out to take blood and see if there's anything subtle going on....
 
MosMum said:
If he's fed up of the weather, I can always put him and his filly friend indoors for a day or two? Does that tend to help if they're just tired of the cold and ice? I could keep a closer eye on what he's eating that way I guess, although he did eat his food eventually so assume he is also eating his share of haylage...
Click to expand...

If you can get them in - and out - safely, then it might be worth giving him a couple of nights in if he's normally settled when in. It would give you a chance to monitor his feed/haylage/water intake - and - more important - the volume and consistency of his droppings (an early start of impaction colic can show up as depression, loss of appetite - and harder, smaller and less frequent than normal droppings!)
 
As others suggest, I'd bring him in for a few days so a) you can monitor feed and water intake more closely and b) you can watch him a like a hawk! Owners always know their horses best and if he's not right, he's not right. Just in case it's something serious brewing (colic?) he needs to be where you can act fast if need be. Fingers crossed.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top