is my horse going into depression?

Joined
30 December 2011
Messages
5
Visit site
i honestly dont know if this is in the right topic im sorry if it is.

some details on my mare;
My mare is a 15.2hh standy who has a abusive history and has cut her leg multiple times almost to the joint of her hoof. She is a girly girl (hates puddles like wont go in them will jump over instead) she is pushy and great with foals when shes not in a mood. She is a bit anti social to other horses but is the leader of the group if that make sence.

What has happened and why i think she might be getting depressed;
My horse is agisted, so please remember that there is nothing i can control with what happend.
my horse is agisted with other ponies and another standy, most of the female ponies were in foal. Two gave birth on wed-thurs and the horses were ronded up with my mare. I have been told one foal was born blind in one eye and the other born had broke its leg some how. The owner of the paddock shot the foal (not sure if infront of my mare or not) and moved the mum into another paddock with a stallion (ergh!), my mare is a very mummy horse. I went down thurs night (yesterday night) and my mare usually gobbles her food down in a sec but that night she wasnt as keen had a mouthfull then walked off and let the others eat. I spent all day down with her today she was at the fence with the other mare just hanging out with a fence in the way. she wasnt as interested in her herd today and was quite moody with the other horses, she refused to leave the poor mares side.
Lilly (my mare) ate all her food today but if another pony got about 3m away she would literally attack them. It took her a long time to eat to like she was forcing it down because i was there. she wasnt bossy at all today either so im worried shes a bit upset, she stayed away from her herd alot today too and usually she just bosses them around. Im quite concerned as usually;
she is bossy - not today
is alert - not as much today
refuses to leave her herd - left them with ease
never walks up to greet me without me having food - did last 2 days
lets the 2year old foal eat out of her bowl - not taday
tollerated other ponies - not today
stayed away from the fenced off stallion(has poor mare in paddock with him) - not today.
she ate rocks today to i think shes needing more supplements.

these may not seem to depressing to you but i know my horse really well and she is quite upset she likes to tease me when i go to catch her she is a problem horse, but has only ever been like this with her old abusive owner. it isnt to the extream where she was then tho. Im not certain its depression maybe she is coming into season altho she has plenty of times and never reacted like this.
she has also been fenced off from certain parts of her paddock (its like over 100a) but only due to the round up. My mare is a mummy horse tho hasnt had a baby since iv ownered her or from what iv been told.

im sorry itts so long but my horse has had alot of issues!
she chews on wood due to anxiety not windsucking. :/ can you help me? i hope so :(
 
Last edited:
No offence intended, but it sounds like a godawful setup -herd mares giving birth, foals being shot,herd mares being moved, I'd be ruddy depressed too. No wonder she is off her food. I couldn't let my mare live in that sort of environment and I don't think she would cope either!
 
Im guessing the OP is in Australia.
Agisted or agistment is livery, and a standy is a standardbred horse.

OP, it wouldn't surprise me if your mare is getting depressed... It would depress me, and I think that horses do can affected by seeing death and suffering.
If she doesn't pick up though, it would be worth getting a vet to run some bloods.
Kx
 
Is it possible your mare could have ulcers? If she has come from an abusive background she will have been very stressed and the recent upset with foals dying etc. will not have helped. Wood chewing, lack of appetite and depression can all be signs. It might be worth having her scoped when the vet comes out.
 
Thanks for all your replys, lilly my mare is agisted where she is because shes difficult to float and it was the closest place to my home.

Im fairly sure lilly doesnt have any mouth problems as the vet comes over alot due to her feet also she woodchews due to anxiety and has only come off her food after the foal incident :)
 
Hey there, I'd agree with Tammytoo. It may be gastric ulcers. If your mare has had a stressful time in the past and has been a victim of abuse this can contribute to ulcers. If a horse has gone through any prolong periods without food then there is a very high risk. Horse digestion is designed for grazing for long periods of time and produces acid all the time to digest. If the stomach is empty then the stomach acid will start to damage the lining of the stomach, causing ulcers.

Symptoms can be chewing things, behaviour can seem bad tempered and unhappy also tetchy around the stomach. Its easy to diagnose, your vet can scope her by passing a camera down the throat and into the stomach, they will see either yes she has them or no she doesn't. Its also very treatable with medication. Then with proper management they may never come back.

Look at Gastric ulcers on line and talk to your vet. They should be able to advise.

Best of luck :)
 
Like i said before she chews wood due to anxiety and she only does it when in different situations this is the first time she has ever gone off her food in the 3years iv owned her ill get a vet out to check her fully ovee when i can afford it. (just paid for a large vet bill due to her hoof)
 
I haven't seen her since i posted this due to hot weather but important hopping to see her soon and see how she's doing before i get the vet out as they cost a fortune lol
 
Top