lethargic pony on and off. not sure why. long one, sorry!

Firehorse

Firehorse

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my boy is 18/19 yrs old. lives out all year, basically used for hacking 2/3 times a week. he's always been fizzy and excitable and up for anything. i've had him almost 6 yrs now so we know each other inside out.

since the end of last summer, i noticed he wasnt quite so bouncy on occasions. he always knows where we canter and cant contain himself and ends up dancing lol. this seemed to lessen and he didnt hve the oomph to tackle some of our hills and went off jumping (i only do little 18 inch pops). it was so intermittent that it didnt worry me. at the same time, we had a new pony in the field who was constantly chasing and bullying, so i thought maybe my boy was jst worn out from that.

anyway, he had 2 weeks off at xmas. all seemed fine when i rode again. but then mid jan he became like a kick-along riding school plod. he'd barely trot. this was worse when we were on our own. he had a bit more enthusiasm out with his friends. the vet saw him for his jabs and took blood to test for cushings. two flipping weeks i had to wait for the results. i was so stressed out and worried. anyway thankfully, he's all clear. his heart is all good, he's not lame, jst has the tiniest bit of stiffness in a hind leg now and again, that he walks off easily. another worry is that he also has oedema on his belly. not huge, but noticeable. vet said not heart related as his heart is fine. cud jst be from lack of exercise. he's not dropped weight this winter, but has lost a little muscle and isnt as fit as he cud be.

i have a saddler coming out nxt week to check him and will book a physio to check his back. give him a bit of an mot ready for spring. his teeth were done in nov. the vet suggested doing a full blood test if he doesnt perk up. i want to do all i can before i go down that route, hving jst paid for the cushings test. there cant be anything seriously wrong with him as he looks amazing for this time of year and some rides, like today, he's really up for it and his normal silly self. i jst cant put my finger on it. if he was feeling off jst over winter i cud understand, but it began last autumn and thats often his silly season as much as spring is.

any suggestions greatly appreciated. at the mo he gets haylage in the field, fibrebeet with a veteran balancer and i give him boswellia for stiffness. i hve jst started to introduce happy hoof which he gets in spring/autumn. previous summers i hvent fed him anything other than his balancer but last summer as he was sluggish i carried on with happy hoof. maybe he needs a bit more energy from his feed as he gets older, but i need to be careful it doesnt make him go the other way as he has that tendency!!
thanks guys :)
 
You have described what happened with my horse (also a veteran) last autumn exactly.

Would it be worth making sure that the the vet does a liver-function test when he next visits? That turned out to be the problem with my boy. Hope you get him sorted
 
Hi your post sums up all my worries about my horse over the last 18mths, he is usually so keen and interested in life that it is a struggle to get him to involve his rider in the conversation, but the last 18mths he has had on and off lethargy most unlike him. I will list the findings just it case it rings any bells with you.

Bad foot balance caused limited forward movement/stuffiness. Took him barefoot seem much improved, then stuffy again, bone scan showed up suspected spavin on right hind so injected. Seemed to improve his movement but still lethargic so thought needed an immune boost, so switched to a new feed company with pure organic lucerne products thinking better quality would help and gave him red cell. Within a couple of weeks massive breakout of scabs from ear to tail like hives but not on his legs, very low and sluggish, very itchy, ripped his face open itching and had to be stitched back together on a Sunday of a bank holiday weekend ( vet clearly making serious profit now!). Switched feed back, seemed happier and stopped itching but still lethargic, worked brilliantly one day and could barely trot the next. Put him on a course of global herbs restore & bingo old horse back, cantering sideway on a hack & generally showing off. Finished the Restore, sluggish horse back.

Called vet - full range of blood tests, major organ function all fine, but raised fibrynogen levels in blood indicating inflammation, no clue why but either fighting allergy from feed or virus - vet said, there's definitely something going on but we will probably never know what! Now convinced Cushings as lethargy won't sort, he has lost fitness but gets loads of turn out, weight is good and on a good day can doing 40mins in the school with plenty of trot and canter and manage just fine. Am struggling to get muscle back on, bloods tested for cushings result is that ACTH levels good - apparently hasn't got cushings. Last week retested bloods, inflammation gone, horse definitely perkier in general but not able to work at a reasonable level.

So the upshot is I've spent a fortune, I still don't really know what's wrong but I have bought some more global herbs restore as the vet said to retest using it as it had helped so much, he is then going on to their Old age supplement which can be used for younger horses to as it combines Restore and an immune/gut booster. I suppose I am saying for the sake of £20 give the Restore a go as after nearly £3k of vet bills it's the only thing that seems to have helped. Some decent spring grass will seriously help you and perhaps check his worming programme is working. Good luck, I feel for you!!!!
 
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thankyou that's all really helpful. i clipped him last week and this seems to hve perked him up a bit. i've had two rides in a row where he was his normal self. he does feel stiff going downhill tho, even tho the vet was happy with him. he gets his saddle checked on thursday so will take it from there. may well give the Restore a try if he goes ploddy again. like u say, the spring grass will hopefully help. and a bit of warmer weather. im keeping a diary now so i can record exactly how he is each time i exercise him. they may be a pattern connected to weather/grazing/coat/ etc. he doesnt like the heat of summer so i may clip him again then to keep him comfortable, i dont show him so it doesnt really matter what he looks like lol. i jst want him feeling well and happy. :)
 
My boy goes a little 'off' when he's changing coats too OP. I picked up on this 3/4 years ago. He goes a little grumpy and touchy while he's pushing his summer coat through, then he's back to his normal self!
 
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