I think my horse is depressed....

J

jaynedoc

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Hi my second question of the afternoon

My 15 year cob has just come sound again, and under vets instruction I am slowly bringing her back into work trouble is there is no energy in her at all, it could be lack of muscle tone or fitness but she walks so slow with her chin on the ground that any slower and we would be going backwards.

I am constantly after her to get impultion. (I am only allowed to walk her for 10 - 15mins max at the moment).

same for turning in and out of the field I am practically dragging her around by her lead rope, no energy or interest in anything at all.

(I must add the hunt went by last week and she was a all pumped up for 2 days then fell flat again.)

I feed her happy hoof a joint supliment, a carrot and apple as a treet and 3 times a week a swede to munch on in her stable, the rest of the time she is at grass.

Do I need to feed her something to fizz her up a bit? oats or something.

She is in a field with about 7 other mares together no issues there seems purely an energy/depression thing.

I thought maybe she had gone lame again, but after trotting her up she is definately sound.

(she hasn't been ridden properly over the last 12 months due to intermittent lameness)

what the flippin heck is the matter with her?? any ideas ?

cheers
 
Hi Sorry to hear that your Girl hasnt been herself lately... i know how that can get you down aswell!

Has she been on box rest for any length of time or just out of work?

Is she acting normally when she is in the heard?

My boy is at the good end of a recovery from some cancer treatment which meant a 2 week isolatation period while he under went radiation treatment with no horse contact and little to none human (other than feeding and watering he had no attention)

He came back very depressed... i was really concerned about him.
He was indiffernt to everything and like your girl just plodded about either undersaddle or when being led. it really gets your down doesnt it!

Anyway after some weeks of not knowing what the hell to do with him i spent more and more time grroming him and genrally reminding him that i still loved him... and he hadnt been abondoned! (sp!)

... it helped a little but what really did it for him was the first time i was able to point him a jump again... well since then he has been back to his normal happy chappy self!

So my advice to you is (within the relms of what your able to do with her leg) try and do the things she enjoyed... can your hack for those 10-15mins? or maybe ask her favorite riding companion to join you.. make it more of an event for her?

It may be a case that you just have to wait out the down period and have faith that she will pick up again once she is feeling happier and healthier...

... i know it took a while for my boy to come back to me... but its worth the wait when they do!

Good luck with her! and sending happy vibes your way! x
 
My horse went through a similar phase to this, turned out he was mildly anaemic, think we fed Red Cell (or similar) for a while, or a vet prescribed supplement. Might be worth having your vet run some bloods, there might be an underlying problem. I assume all wormers/vaccinations are up to date too? Hope it's nothing too major!
 
Do you have a mineral lick, those Himalayan rock salt ones are brilliant, they provide all minerals and trace elements, may not be this, but just a thought, wondered if it may be a deficiency or chemical imbalance
Best wishes
 
Are you sure she is 100% pain free. I ask this as Cairo was the same - he was not showing lame but his joints must have been aching. He was also rather grumpy for him. Put him on some danilon and the change was very rapid.

No more Mr Grumpy and far more active and enjoying life. I used to put him on a low dose of danilon every winter when it got cold and damp as a matter of course which did the trick.

Cobs and heavies often don't show pain until it is very uncomfortable.
 
I would get vet to check her out, do a blood test and see if anything underlying. might be anaemic or have picked up an underlying virus.
 
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