Horse tired and drinking a lot - should I be worried?

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Nikademus

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I'm probably being paraniod but my 4 year old seems very tired at the mo....

I ride him for at least 20mins a day, with one or 2 days off a week, usually early in the morning or around 6 o'clock in the evening. Only thing is I've noticed when I get there at 6pm, whilst all the other horses are busy eating their evening haynets, he's often sparko or snoozing at the back of his stable. He comes in at about 3 or 4 pm and has usually eaten most of his hay by the morning but he does seem very sleepy. If I ride him he perks up fine and then goes back to sleep when I've finished...?

I'm very lucky that my Dad often skips him out later in the evening between 9 or 10 pm and at this time he is ALWAYS fast asleep, lying down with his head resting on one of the banks...

This might be comletely unrelated, but he does seem to be drinking a lot as well, but as he has automatic water drinker, it might just be he has to keep going back for more, because he has to wait for it to refill.

Am I'm being paranoid? In the summer I didn't really notice this as he was living out and I usually rode in the daytime.
 
I suppose it will be hard to tell exactly how much or if he is he's drinking more than usual if he's using an automatic drinking system,can you block this for a certain time and see how much he's drinking from water buckets, so you know exactly how much water he's drinking?

Some horses do drink more than others, is he eating more food or more hay therefore perhaps requires more water?

Are you feeding enough energy to fuel the work you doing with him, is he showing any signs of feeling tired while you are working him, are you having to push him on more? or once you have finished schooling him, for example tired legs, draging his toes a bit, tripping, stiffness the next day, yawning all the time?
 
Are you feeding enough energy to fuel the work you doing with him, is he showing any signs of feeling tired while you are working him, are you having to push him on more? or once you have finished schooling him, for example tired legs, draging his toes a bit, tripping, stiffness the next day, yawning all the time?[/QUOTE]

Ditto this. Maybe speak to a feed specialist and make sure he's having the correct food etc ?
 
He definately does yawn alot! As he's a thoroghbred and only 4, I don't feed him much hard feed as he can be very fresh and excitable at time as so I only feed him enough to keep the right amount of weight on him. He's quite 'trim' at the moment but carrying more weight than he would be at full fitness.

He doesn't trip or fell lazy ever really....

When we had the sub-zero temperatures I had buckets in there for a while and he was drinking about 1 and a half buckets a night but don't know how much he drinks out in the field, however, I caught him drinking from a puddle the other day and not from the water trough! (which is unfrozen and clean!)
 
Perhaps you should give him buckets of water for the moment so that you can keep an eye on how just much he IS drinking. A bucket and a half a night sounds quite a bit, but it just may be that he needs more than others.

As regards the sleeping, I would again just keep an eye on it. Some horses sleep for England. Sea Biscuit,the famous American racehorse, who had his own train horse box as he travelled from meeting to meeting, used to walk into his box, lie down, and zizz for most of the journey, however long it was. We have a TB here who yawns a lot (but don't forget that, like in dogs, yawning can be a stress sign).
 
Rose Folly said:
Perhaps you should give him buckets of water for the moment so that you can keep an eye on how just much he IS drinking. A bucket and a half a night sounds quite a bit, but it just may be that he needs more than others.

As regards the sleeping, I would again just keep an eye on it. Some horses sleep for England. Sea Biscuit,the famous American racehorse, who had his own train horse box as he travelled from meeting to meeting, used to walk into his box, lie down, and zizz for most of the journey, however long it was. We have a TB here who yawns a lot (but don't forget that, like in dogs, yawning can be a stress sign).
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Thanks Rose, I never knew yawning can be a sign of stress! Most of the time when he's yawning he closes his eyes too or generally looks sleepy so I thinkit probably is tiredness...

His great grandfather is Secreteriat and I think he was also well known for spending most of the day asleep and"leaning on the back of the starting gate as if it were a hammock!"

I might just get a blood test done to be one the safe side....and maybe up his feed a little and see if this makes any difference
 
Have you taken temp - that is the first thing i would do - they are normally the signs of virus - If his temp isnt right get blood test ordered asap.
 
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