Horse gone 'flat'

[Rambo]

Hi everyone...

After a bit of advice really.

Over the past few weeks Bo has started to feel very 'flat'. I know it's been hot, and he does suffer a bit more than others when it is like this, but i'm worried that it might be something else

He'd been jumping pretty well, and we were starting to pick up some decent placings, then last weekend it all came to an abrupt end when he completely switched off at a show. I don't mean he didn't win....he completely refused to participate

He was okay in the warm-up area, but as soon as we got into the ring, he would start napping and generally playing up. Quite simply, not himself. This occurred over all 3 days and in all range of class heights. We gave him a thorough check over and could find no obvious signs of pain so put it down to naughtiness and dealt with it as such. However, in light of his lethargy at home this week I wonder if there is something more to it. He does not nap or play up at home btw...that was just saved for the ring.

I had planned to take him to jump a small class on sunday to try and get him round a course of fences and see if last weekend was a one-off. If not, was thinking of bringing his holiday forward a few weeks and extending it. He was due to have a 10 day break at the end of August, but thinking perhaps he will have a whole month off instead

Has anyone else experienced problems like this ? Am I worrying unnecessarily ? What do people think ?

Thanks

 

[Mistyrocks]

If he keeps feeling off, how about getting a blood test done, it could be a virus.

 

[Alibear]

99% certain he needs a break, if youa re a worriere (like me) it may be worth getting the vet to do a blood test to see if he has a virus.
But vet told me he's was getting loads of call outs to horses who just aren't coping so well in this heat and his advice was to let them rest.

 

[ihatework]

If he has been jumped a fair amount recently it might be worthwhile just bringing his holiday forwards a bit. Perhaps get your vet to run a blood sample. I've found that sometimes giving a redcell suppliment can also help.
Also, i know you will have thought of this already, but he's not getting dehydrated in this heat is he?

 

[_jetset_]

Could be the heat... my mare is feeling a little like this at the moment. Even though she is pregnant she has been very lively up until the heat came. Now she is so chilled I think someone has swapped her!

 

[Noodlejaffa]

I would give him a break and let him chill out for a bit. If you're still worried, go down the blood test route. Our big lad started playing up August last year and it turned out he had a virus. You know what horses are like - if they're not being themselves, they're just trying to tell us something. If only they could talk!!

 

[AmyMay]

Certainly sounds as if he's telling you it's time for a break and change of scenery.

Competing every week on them can certainly turn them right 'off'.

 

[Rambo]

Blood tests are definitely worth considering. Thanks.

I'm sure there is a certain amount of dehydration coming into play, although he is given regular showers in the heat, and has plenty of fresh water at all times.

He is also spending much more time out in the fields than he used to.

AliBear: Interesting to hear your vet reporting a rise in cases like this due to the heat.

Whilst he is jumped regularly at the moment (well, a show most weekends anyway), he is rarely jumped at home...usually just hacked out in the woods of an evening...and did virtually nothing competition wise from June 2005 until April this year, so wouldn't classify that as 'heavily' competed

 

[Madam_max]

I would give him a break. I have just given Corroy a few days off sun-thur and believe me she was much better last night. After all you can jump all winter too. I brought some SP equine health Nutonic supplement which is really good for hard working horses as a general supplement or 'pick me up'.

 

[AmyMay]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm sure there is a certain amount of dehydration coming into play, although he is given regular showers in the heat, and has plenty of fresh water at all times.

[/ QUOTE ]
Do you feed electrolytes routinely??

 

[Rambo]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I'm sure there is a certain amount of dehydration coming into play, although he is given regular showers in the heat, and has plenty of fresh water at all times.

[/ QUOTE ]
Do you feed electrolytes routinely??

[/ QUOTE ]

He is on full livery, but I don't believe they add eloctrolytes to the water, no

 

[Alibear]

Could be worth buying him a tub , they can be added to feed as well as water.

 

[AmyMay]

[ QUOTE ]
He is on full livery, but I don't believe they add eloctrolytes to the water, no

[/ QUOTE ]
Well that would be the first thing that I would try. However, don't add them to the water - always to a well soaked feed.

I use the NAF one - but my horse is not competing, so not sure if these would be sufficient enough for your horse.

Even happy hackers need a bit of extra help in this weather - and I have always fed electrolytes routinely.

 

[Weezy]

I would give him a lay off - I always gave mine the whole of August off (In Spain) due to heat and TBH it has pretty much been as hot here as there - I have totally wound Chico down now and wont pick up full work again until September now I dont suppose - you dont need to completely lay off, hack a couple of times a week for example but I would steer clear of jumping and I am sure that he will come back with a big spring in his step!

PS - Electrolytes - deffo!

 

[H's mum]

This was how I first realised that H wasn't "right" last year - she wasn't lame - she just wasn't herself - I persevered for a few weeks but realised that her napping was getting worse and she just wasn't forward anymore - My last BD on her was horrific - I was working like buggery and she just didn't have any petrol in the tank - Turns out she'd torn her annular ligament - a few weeks later she started to show lameness which progressively became worse - If I'd said to anyone last year at the MW weekend that a group of HHOers did "would you have thought H was lame?" it would've been a resounding "No" - and yet she was!

I'd get the vet to check him over to be on the safe side - including bloods.
Kate x

 

[Rambo]

Hmmmmm....sounds like i'm missing a trick with the eloctrolytes / supplements then. Things have changed a lot in 18yrs....we never used to feed any supplements at all back then

Weezy: August is the peak of the season for us

How do all the other SJ'ers cope ? Is it down to the individual horse do you think ?

 

[dieseldog]

My horse felt exactley the same as yours, and wasn't that interested. He's a big warmblood, who puts on weight easily. I had him out all day in the sun and he was stuffing his face and feeling absolutley dead to ride.

He now comes in during the day, he's lost weight - I can do his stud girth up again, and he feels like his old self. We competed all last week and he was normal. I think standing in the field in the heat just sapped him.

 

[Kelly1982]

Vicky feeds her horses electrolites through a syringe before a show.

Think i would put them in feed though so they can benefit from them day to day as well in this heat

 

[Rambo]

Bo's a big horse height wise, but as WB's go he's got a lot of 'blood' in him. Probably what we would have described as 3/4 TB in the old days lol! Although he's going out a lot during the day, he's not getting fat (we have very good 'starvation' paddocks lol!), but I guess it could be contributing to taking the edge off him. It wouldn't really explain the napping though

 

[Santa_Claus]

This is exactly what Fleur did down to the fine in warm up then not going near a fence in ring about a month ago just in time to make me give up chances of competing in the BN regionals and the novice final at Bicton typically!

Anyway I have taken her back to basics with her jumping (literally doing 1ft 9-2ft6) when we had been jumping newcomers and working on rhythm and balance (the two magic words) but I have only jumped her once a week in a group lesson so its hopefully more fun for her. Also I have expanded what we do the rest of the week. Over the winter she hadn't hacked at all as she can be very nappy unless with company and sometimes even with company. But we have been getting her out and she really seems to be enjoying it although its has to be with a horse who is 100%! also we have had a galloping field so been taking her in there so again.

Now hopefully all this doing other things is going to have helped as I'm taking her out to a local RC show this weekend for some dressage and SJing.

I do think horses can get bored and stale very easily especially when its so hot. some horses can compete weekly and do it all year long. others need regular breaks to just 'chill'.

Also to add if you are not already feeding electrolytes you really should. Makes a major difference in this weather. Friend rode her horse (too hard in my opinion) and it came back in a lather last week. First thing it did on going back in the stable was attack its salt lick which it doesn't normally do as proof it had lost all those salts. As she didn't have electrolytes I gave her a large scoop full! in this weather have actually even been giving Dan who is out of work them!

Katie

 

[Rambo]

Interesting ! I had been thinking about taking Bo for a bit of (v.small !!!!) x-country by way of a break, but wanted to wait until the autumn when the ground is hopefully a little softer.

Bo was a complete s*d to hack out during the winter months as he was completely ott and spooky. Now though, he's buckle-end

 

[Weezy]

Would be interesting to know what you do as your weekly routine - I think you have come a long way in a short time with him, he has done really really well, I would think unfortunately he is choosing his lay off period for himself!

Start upping his salt and see if you get a positive reaction but I wouldnt be suprised if some downtime doesnt bring him totally back to normal x

 

[PapaFrita]

I've been informed by my SJing farrier that he gets his horse blood tested for anaemia every month as a precaution, and all of his (they do get jumped quite hard this time of year though) get mineral and vitamin supplements.
In summer horses really do suffer from the heat here. Electrolytes are a very good idea

 

[Rambo]

My weekly routine.....okay....

Usually compete on a sunday (3 weekends out of 4 in the summer...2 classes per show). He takes very little time to warm-up...say 15 minutes.

He will (nearly) always have a day off the day after a show. If not, he will have a different day off in the week following.

He is ridden on the saturday before a show, usually a light hack of say 1hr.

The other 4 evenings, at this time of year, he will be hacked out in the woods for between 35 minutes and an hour. Occasionally one of those hacks will be changed for a session in the school....flatwork and a bit of jumping.

Very occasionally, he will have an extra day off in the week.

Most days of the week, he is out for at least 4 hours a day, often more. He is stabled at night.

He does sweat a lot in this heat...even if standing in his stable....but will get a couple of showers a day if this is the case.

He has a salt / mineral lick in his stable which he definitely uses as i've had to replace it once already

The difficulty is understanding whether there is a physical problem that is preventing him from performing to his best, or whether he is just trying it on

I don't want to punish him for something that he is finding physically difficult. Likewise, I don't want to pander to his every whim, as he is the sort of horse who will take advantage

 

[Kelly1982]

Hi Rambo

I really think that he needs a break by the sounds of it as i said to you the other day.

If he comes back and he is his normal self again then its all good, if not then its time to call the vet.

If he sweats a lot as well then i would definatly get some electrolites into him as well.

You could also try, lunging a few nights, schooling a couple of nights and hacking a couple of nights as well and leave the jumping for the shows and see how he goes then.

 

[spider]

Mine did the same last Sunday. Usually loves jumping, but refused at first fence and the second. Took him to clear round (around 18") and he had a go at refusing every jump there too. I just put it down to the heat as there was nothing obviously wrong with him.

 

[Rambo]

Well, i'm more confused now, than I was before

Decided to take the boy out to a small show on sunday and just jump a 90cm Am qualifier....give him a chance to redeem himself after the previous show, and see if it was just a one-off. Well, he jumped a fantastic clear in the 1st round....no hint of a nap or anything, just totally focused on the job and a very nice round

Mind you, he could step over them at 90cm lol!

So, into the JO, and he's fine over the first 3 fences...in fact he's better than fine, he's going really well

Then make a turn to 4, and the little s*d naps, and before I know it has gone up on his back legs a bit, catching me unawares, and i'm in the dust before I could do a thing about it

Came down square on my back, and hit a stone too I think, so feeling pretty sore this morning

Don't know what's going on with him now. Brilliant one minute, little s*d the next

We're off to Pyecombe on thursday for a couple of small classes. If he doesn't improve after that he's having the rest of the month off and we'll bring him back in September.....