Lethargic horse

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Hannahrose

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Hi, I am quite worried about my gelding, lately he seems very lethargic, he has absolutely no energy! When i take him out to do some ground work he walks very VERY slowly and wont go into a trot, this is different for him, he usually has lots of energy. I am starting to think maybe it is just the heat that is getting to him (it has been over 40 degree celcius lately) his vital signs are all alright and he is eating healthily, so i am sure it cant be too serious, but im also wondering if i should increase his feed because grazing is quite low at this time of the year and everything is very dry and he seems to be interested in food more than usual, any suggestions on what to feed him to supplement and give him energy as well as what to do to help him?
 
Does your saddle fit well?
Is his back OK?
Are his feet OK?...could he have Laminitis? Thrush? Sore heels?
Lethargy can be a symptom of many things such as pain of all the above or arthritis or Cushing's or a virus
It could also, as you say, be that he's too warm

I would perhaps get your vet out to give him that once over and take it from there
 
Where are you? 40 degrees is very hot!

How old is he? Has he been tested for Cushings? Might he have laminitis? Lethargy is often the first symptom of both these things. Do not ride him or work him until he has seen a vet.
 
I live in Botswana (Africa) and we are in the middle of a drought here so this is the usual temperature for summer. He is eleven. His feet are fine, so is his back, the thing is that i havnt ridden him in a while due to the heat so could the case just be that he is under worked and overfed?(maybe a little underfed due to lack of proper grazing) and the last time i rode him he was perfectly fine, he is energetic when i ride him but ground work is a problem. I am very new to this whole horse keeping thing as he is my first horse ever so i really have no idea what to do. I have been doing a lot of research and it doenst look to me like he could be getting cushings or lamnitis, but as you guys say, i wont work him hard. Problem is i dont want to get a vet out here unless it is absolutely ergent because we cant handle the fees right now.
 
Well you certainly aren't in England are you with temperatures like that. There are several possibilities, first is that it could well be the high temperature that will effect the way the horse feels. We don't feel like doing much in the heat & a horse is no difference. Someone has mentioned that he may need electrolites as he will have lost a load of salts with sweating in that temperature. Someone else mentioned taking blood samples & get them tested. Your horse could have a virus & that can bring on lethargy. I know one of our horses a few years ago was lethargic, lazy, sleeping for long periods in the paddock & after the vet checked him over we found he'd has a virus.

You are from another country & some countries have illnesses that we don't have here, some are extremely dangerous.

I would get a vet out to him to check him out thoroughly & he will be in a good position to offer you an explanation. Good Luck
 
Hannahrose said:
I live in Botswana (Africa) and we are in the middle of a drought here so this is the usual temperature for summer. He is eleven. His feet are fine, so is his back, the thing is that i havnt ridden him in a while due to the heat so could the case just be that he is under worked and overfed?(maybe a little underfed due to lack of proper grazing) and the last time i rode him he was perfectly fine, he is energetic when i ride him but ground work is a problem. I am very new to this whole horse keeping thing as he is my first horse ever so i really have no idea what to do. I have been doing a lot of research and it doenst look to me like he could be getting cushings or lamnitis, but as you guys say, i wont work him hard. Problem is i dont want to get a vet out here unless it is absolutely ergent because we cant handle the fees right now.
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Some of what you say is very concerning. You cannot know his back is okay if you do not have a vet (you say you are new to horses). You don't know if he is over fed or underfed because the grazing is poor. Horses need forage to supplement the grazing if it is not sufficient. You say you cannot afford a vet. I do appreciate that things are very different in Africa to here so I don't know how the vet fees compare, but being able to afford a vet should you need one is an important consideration before even getting a horse. You should be able to guage whether the horse is over or underfed by looking at his condition. Google horses condition score and find out how to assess him yourself. I agree that he may well need some electrolytes. Has he been regularly wormed?
 
What i meant by underfed was that maybe he wasnt receiving enough electrolytes, otherwise his physical condition looks fine. Sorry for not making myself clear. He is wormed regularly and we can afford a vet, i just dont want to have one drive all the way out to the farm unless it is absolutely necessary, i will monitor him over the next few days and see what happens. Thanks for all the help :)
 
Have you taken his temperature? If not you should do so to check he does not have an underlying illness. Is he drinking plenty of water? If not enough, add some apple juice etc. to encourage him to drink more - he will need plenty of fluids in that temperature. For the moment I would not worry about back, etc. I think you need a general health check and maybe if he is not better in a day or so you will have to get a vet out, if for no other reason than to help you set up a maintenance regime and advise you of illnesses/ailments that are prevalent in your part of the world. Highly unlikely that anyone on here has that experience. I guess finding a vet in your part of the world who knows much about horses may also be difficult! Good luck.
 
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