Lethargic sweat-monster cob with occasional runny nose and cough

Spot_the_Risk

Spot_the_Risk

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www.animalcrackersdevon.co.uk
... as the title suggests, our 14 year old traditional seems a bit under the weather. I think this may be a bit long, to give you all some background on Echo! He lives out with our other three horses on our own land, I know that none of them have come into contact with 'outside' horses so I guess that rules out anything contagious. Echo lives out with no rug, he is a traditional (in my avatar) and has a very thick coat - if I rug him even in a light weight he sweats terribly, and on warm days will sweat profusely just standing still in the field. He doesn't do much work, and was ridden last weekend for the first time in three months, by my husband, his usual rider. We rode at walk for 1.5 miles, it is undulating but Echo was lathered by the time we got back. We do appreciate that as an unfit horse (and we think that he may never have been fit in his life, we have had him just over a year) he would sweat, but he seems unduly tired by very little work, my cob who also lives out and has had little work recently wasn't even damp on the girth on the same ride! We did this ride last Sunday and this, and my husband said Echo was more lethargic this weekend than last.

I've heard Echo cough occasionally, not a really bad one, just a clear your throat kind of cough, and I've seen (but not for a few weeks now) a white mucus from one nostril. We feed hay in the field, and to me it's good and not dusty, none of the others cough, but I've decided to give him a week on haylage instead and do the same ride next weekend to see how he is.

Generally, he looks fine, stills canters and bucks around the field with the others, not taken TPR on him.

Any opinions would be really welcome, I'm thinking of calling the vet as I feel there is something niggling that the poor boy just can't shake off. Interestingly, when we had him on loan, the agreement said that he must not be stabled, so I'm thinking COPD?

Mince pies and whisky if you got this far!
 
We have a trad cob with COPD. It's mild and he somtimes he has a white discharge from his nose, usually after exercise. This indicates an allergy to somthing (dust, pollen etc) He has global herbs Airway Plus which smells quite unusual but has actually helped him to recover from a recent cough. Could it be that because your boy sweats a lot he is also a bit dehydrated and lethargic? Try adding salt to his feed and a bit extra if he works. Clipping has helped our cob but I guess thats not practical for a horse that is only occasionally ridden.
 
Hi Blagdon, I've tried some of the Global Herbs stuff for other things, but not that one, was considering the NAF product, think it's called Respireaze, will try that after the haylage trial. Hadn't thought of salt, they have a lick in the field, haven't noticed him at it, it's generally the youngsters, will add to feed, great idea. I had thought of clipping and rugging, as you said seems a bit pointless for the work he does and he is a happier horse without a rug than with, thanks for your help.
 
StR - my rescue mare looks the sister of your avatar ned and she suffers exactly the same! She can sweat for Britain and trying to keep her comfortably dry in the torrential summer rain without her melting into a slimy pool of sweat was impossible. As far as we know, she has just popped babies all her 12 years of life so is hideously unfit. She was backed late summer and even the teeniest bit of work had her trainer very worried that she would drop dead of a heart attack! So we gave her a low trace clip and she seemed a little happier. When she was backed and in light work, we re-did the clip, moving it much higher and again, she was a lot happier. It's easier to take the hair off and rug up than help a hugely hot horse. Unbelievably, she had the original low trace clip in late August (to introduce her to the clippers), it was re-done in September, re-done and raised in October and re-done with closer clippers TWICE in November! I could start a cottage industry knitting jumpers from her hair!

If your gorgeous ned is also an Olympic standard hair grower, you might find that a trace clip will make him feel a lot, lot better. You also do need to feed electrolytes to a horse that sweats hard. I'd get something palatable and put it in a tiny feed, if he's having one. Never in water as he may refuse to drink it and the problem would be worse. Re the cough and snotty nose, it does sound as if he's had some level of COPD!

Good luck but I would defo try a clip - you can always let it grow out if it doesn't work x
 
I think it might be lime to look a little more closely at this horse, it may just be an overheated/unfit combination but check temp etc and have a look at the gums and eyelids for healthy colour - your horse might be harbouring some kind of infection
 
I would call the vet
smile.gif
 
I would call the vet as better safe than sorry hey?
It could be COPD, it could be just a big hairy cob that is unfit...
do you worm your horses regularly? as that might be causing a problem possibly? (as a bad case scenario)
he is beautiful though! my OH would be very jealous!
 
I *think* it is possibly a fitness thing,particularly with the 'heavy' types.

I have a clydie mare who was very unfit due to not being ridden hardly for around 3-4 months (even before that was only ridden occasionally).I sent her on schooling livery,and she had a lot of the same problems as your boy initially (sweating,lacking energy and the occasional clearing throat cough).
However as she got fitter these problems lessened and now although she does sweat it's not excessive (and no she's not clipped!!),she's more foreward going and energetic (although flakes easily still as not fully fit yet),and I have not heard a cough at all recently.

Sorry for waffling and hope it helps.
 
[ QUOTE ]
I *think* it is possibly a fitness thing,particularly with the 'heavy' types.


[/ QUOTE ]
If a horse is coughing at rest, this is not a fitness issue - but a health issue.
 
Vet has been, temp, mucous membranes and most importantly all inside sounds are completely normal, no weezing or any other odd signs. He has given Echo five days antibiotics to have with a small feed, and feels that it is probably his lack of fitness and heavy coat which are making him less than enthusiastic. He's said that there is no indication that Echo has COPD, and he can stay on hay, and also that he is fat which is impressive (but obviously not good) given no rug and that we are on the edge of the moors! He can also have a low trace clip and still live out naked, so he's going to look pretty weird next week trace clipped with his legs off too, and a big fat hairy body above!

I'm very relieved, at least we can continue to ride him slowly for the next few months, and hopefully he will fitten up as we come into spring, so we can go a bit faster than the 'caravan shuffle' as we've named his walk speed!
 
Ah, poor boy had very itchy legs, not so bad in winter but coming into spring he would back up to anything he could and rub his legs raw, the vet injected him (twice in the end) I think with Dectomax, and we've kept his legs clipped out since then. The occasional hibiscrub and spray with a frontline type of spray, and he's fine.

This is him 'naked'!
DSC01154.jpg


And this is how he used to be!
DSC01005.jpg
 
Thought so, coz he sounded just like my Angel! Angel also has her legs clipped when she has her trace clip for exactly the same reasons: feather mites! She had to have the double injection twice yearly but with her legs clipped, like StR says, I can keep them in check with Frontline and a scrubbing brush lol!
 
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