Horse lacking energy/no stamina suddenly

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KINDMARE

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I actually don't know where to start to discover what the problem is. Vet is booked for next week....but in the meantime...
This is background:
Cob mare, 13 years, forward going responsive ride. No temperature, no change in pooh, wee, eating, drinking. Seems her normal self. no lameness, no heat in feet (farrier out shortly - feet done every 5 weeks)
But on being ridden she will walk ok - but very reluctant to trot and canter, once she gets going she seems to enjoy it but runs out of steam long before she usually does. it is as if she wants to go but then 'dies' quickly.
Mainly hacked which is her 'thing'
She is out all day and in at night - fed fast fibre and min/vit supplement and ad lib hay.
this is totally out of character for her, she has been like this for a couple of weeks. at first I put it down to the heat but its much cooler now and she is still the same.
I am thinking possibly back teeth saddle? all of which are now booked in for checking, although back and saddle have been done recently.
Could it be mild laminitis????
Any ideas please?
 
As it has occurred to you it may be laminitis then I would treat her as if it is, better to be on the case early than to wait until it is obviously the issue, soak hay and reduce it to an appropriate amount for her weight, take her off grass for the next few days and you may find she is looking better by the time the vet comes.
 
thank you - BP - forgive my ignorance but wouldn't she be lame if it was lammi -- or am I just deluding myself lol?

thank you P - I did fear it may be cushings but there are no other symptoms?

x
 
They are not always lame as such especially if it is both feet, they can just be a little 'careful' which can show as reluctance to move freely and increased puffing from the effort involved, my sec a has the odd day where she just looks off and slightly less free moving so immediately goes onto laminitis watch, reduced rations, for a few days which is enough to turn her round before she ever looks lame.

Heat in feet is not always there either, increased pulses may be but again not always if very mild.
 
I’m going to get quite a reputation on here for being a ‘stuck record’. But please don’t overlook ulcers. It really is painful for them in trot and canter with stomach acid splashing on the ulcers. Hence why we should always feed a scoop of lightly dampened chaff before riding. Just something to consider that’s all - hopefully it’s just the weather causing the lethargy. Mine too can be a bit slow in the summer, especially as she always put a few too many lbs on.
 
thank you MW - i have considered ulcers (considered everything imaginable) she certainly isnt thin and ALWAYS has hay before i ride her. But i will definatly mention to the vet about my fears.
 
amymay said:
Have you done a pinch test on her skin to test for dehydration?
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Thank you Amymay - i havent but will do tonight. she is drinking her normal amout. But i see where you are coming from with this recent hot weather - she may need some electrolytes.
 
If like a lot of cobs she sweats a fair bit & uve not been feeding electrolytes that can result in sluggishness
Ours had similar last summer & it was a virus so I would run bloods
As with anything horsey it can be a multitude of things & its like piecing together a jigsaw puzzle, so I would start with the basics of adding electrolytes.
 
blitznbobs said:
Pain can present like this - usually hind limb damage but can be other kinds of pain - you need a vet she’s telling you something is
Not right
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Yes you are right - the more i think/look at internet/ask people the more i know there is something wrong. Such a worry!
 
It could be a virus, if so a few weeks rest should/may sort her out, however my lad presented with being very lethargic and then slightly footy (we were on cobbles and then rough tracks on our hacks in those days) so I had a ppid cushings rest, he was borderline but trialled prascend and not looked back, in fact he was livelier than before once he started pills. Have a look at the laminitis site as they don’t always present with all of the the symptoms .
 
A blood test wouldn't be a bad place to start. It could be something as simple as a bit of a viral infection that's making her feel a bit rubbish. A horse at my yard presented with similar symptoms - feeling a bit flat, but otherwise normal. Bloods revealed raised liver enzymes indicating that his body was fighting off something.
 
My boy (10yo IDx) was reluctant to trot / canter prior to be diagnosed with bone spavin in both hocks. He didn't look lame but didn't look/feel right either - awkward choppy trot stride and reluctance to go forward.
 
Horse where I used to work suddenly became very lethargic to ride. Ok for a few minutes exercise then very tired. Blood tests revealed liver damage. Back in the 60's so can't remember details. He was sold and apparently made a full recovery or so I was told.
 
Something similar happened to my boy...the first thing we did was a blood test. Turned out he had a virus. He had some 'Red Cell', vits and mins and a good rest, and was fine after that.
 
She might just be unfit or just lacking energy it not allways Heath related . Is your horse overweight most fat horses get lazy . you should rule out Heath issues first but if vet can’t find anything wrong then maybe look into these things.
 
When my boy was like this, we now think it was very mild lami so I would reduce her grass intake if you can. As the vet is coming out, running bloods would be a great idea to rule out things like a virus, lack of protein or salts etc.
 
It's very good everyone throwing in their ten penneth but there are plenty of reasons why your horse could be having these issues. It may be something that's someone has mentioned but it may be something that has not been mentioned. In short have your horse examined by a vet, preferably one who specialises in 'Lack of Performance' & they will be able to give you a professional diagnosis on the problem & treat your horse appropriately.

Please do not 'google' the symptoms, you'll end up with 'do I have a headache & therefore take an aspirin or have I got a brain tumour & need an operation. Get your horse seen by a vet, don't leave it any longer.
 
Toby_Zaphod said:
It's very good everyone throwing in their ten penneth but there are plenty of reasons why your horse could be having these issues. It may be something that's someone has mentioned but it may be something that has not been mentioned. In short have your horse examined by a vet, preferably one who specialises in 'Lack of Performance' & they will be able to give you a professional diagnosis on the problem & treat your horse appropriately.

Please do not 'google' the symptoms, you'll end up with 'do I have a headache & therefore take an aspirin or have I got a brain tumour & need an operation. Get your horse seen by a vet, don't leave it any longer.
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The OP has booked a vet, it did not seem to be an emergency so was not treated as one, they then asked for advice on here mentioning the possibility of laminitis which to me suggested the horse may well have mild symptoms which made sense to treat immediately by reducing grass in case it was and could be caught before it did become serious.

People come on here to ask for advice, often after a diagnosis sometimes when a vet has failed to give one, and we all give suggestions, or not, based on experience, it may be the 'wrong' advice but usually will do no harm when a vet is either already involved or booked to come out, no one has diagnosed and treated the OP's horse they have made sensible suggestions which may help when the vet does attend, being better informed and having a few ideas to put forward may help the vet get to the root of the issue faster than if the OP had no suggestions to put forward or had not thought one symptom was relevant so failed to mention it which often happens.
 
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