Mental illness

[lubuzz]

Do horses suffer from mental illness in the same or similar way to humans?
Has anyone had any experiences of this?

Would this be covered by my insurance? Thanks 😥

 

[Buddy'sMum]

Do horses suffer from mental illness in the same or similar way to humans?

No reason why horses couldn't suffer from mental illness.

Would this be covered by my insurance?

Very much doubt it. Unless maybe if the horse in question has had a traumatic injury to the head or an illness which was, beyond any doubt, linked with the onset of abnormal behaviour.

 

[fatpiggy]

A friend of mine had a gorgeous ex-racehorse (he came out of racing at about 14) who was a bit prone to hissy fits. If he didn't want to go in the ring for example he would just go backwards and nothing else. Everyone accepted this as not unexpected TB behaviour. When he was in his early 20s he suddenly went really weird. He would not settle in the field, just paced and hung about by the gate, but if kept in was just as bad. My friend and her very experienced mum used to share the riding between them and one day the mum was out on him and he just legged it down the road and she ended up having to jump him over the low barrier into a superstore carpark, just to get him off the road. At this point she managed to dismount and led him home. After a couple more weeks of this clearly unhappy behaviour in the field/stable, they asked the vet to look at him who said he had seen ex-racers go like this previously and he likened it to a mental breakdown. He was PTS the same week. I suppose it does sound a bit unlikely but I knew a lovely lady who had the most difficult life, from childhood on. She never ever complained even though she was in dreadful pain throughout her later years. She had a major operation which transformed her life in that she was completely mobile again and out of pain but within 12 months she suffered depression and died not long after. It was as though the sadness and stress from her earlier life had caught up with her. A sad end for a wonderful, strong lady.

 

[SadKen]

Yes, I think cribbing, windsucking and weaving could be considered examples. I doubt your insurance would cover unless what's presenting is the result of a physical injury though.

 

[khalswitz]

I've met a horse I swear had dementia. It was about 18/19 and suddenly started randomly shouting and stressing for no reason, pacing the fence line not long after being turned out (as though she didn't understand what time it was), getting half way trough a feed and almost forgetting it was there and banging the door for more (if you showed her the bucket again she'd eat again). She also started panicking out hacking as though she'd forgotten where she was and would shout as if she were on her own when her friend was out with her. Very strange.

 

[turkana]

I have personal experience of a horse developing a mental illness; I have a horse who was happy & healthy (although rather highly strung & hot headed) until she suffered a serious illness at the age of 19, it was touch & go for a few weeks. While she was ill it was like handling a wild horse, she totally went to pieces & could actually be quite dangerous at times. She pulled through but she has been left physically & mentally fragile, she is still a happy horse but she needs careful management to keep her that way.
I don't know what her issue is but it seems similar to post traumatic stress disorder.

 

[Caol Ila]

There was a fascinating article in the Guardian a few weeks ago about mental illness in animals -- it was from a book by someone who did her PhD on this. They didn't specifically mention horses, but it surely happens. I was intrigued and thought I would like to follow up with research into this in an equine context.

 

[fburton]

Neurological problems, for sure. Mental illness is also likely, though not all of the possible human disorders may have direct parallels in horses. What are the 'symptoms' (or signs, if you want to be clinically pedantic)?

 

[MrsNorris]

Dogs can suffer from a form of dementia so I wouldn't be surprised if horses could get something similar, loss of cognitive function in older animals is certainly not unknown.

 

[Boxers]

My rottie def had depression at times. When he was 3 he tore all the tendons in his foreleg. It was in plaster for 3 mths after having a metal plate fitted. Once the plaster was off, he would often lick the foreleg til it was raw, the plate obviously hurt/ached.

Anyway, he would go into depressive spells where he could barely get out of his bed and would mope around and not eat for 3-4 days at a time. Nothing could being him out of it, not even going for a walk. Then he would perk up for a while and be relatively normal til once again sinking into a depression.

He died when he was 12 and overall had a happy life I think, but he def had depression.

I don't see why animals can't suffer mental illness. Compare the romania orphans of the 1980's, rocking and head banging, with polar bears kept in tiny concrete captivity without stimulation, same symptoms.

 

[Illusion100]

Depression is a clinical description used by vets for animals, including horses, so I think yes, they can suffer from mental illness, so to speak.

Definitely believe my youngster suffered a traumatic experience, had a mental breakdown and post traumatic stress disorder. It's taken him nearly 4 yrs to start to act like a 'normal' horse again.

 

[oldie48]

Vets say horses on prascend for cushings can become depressed, we have horses with separation anxiety and a whole host of stereotypical behaviours. So Yes, I think they can and do suffer from mental illness.

 

[Cortez]

I think it is reasonable to assume that animals, including horses, are susceptible to mental illness as we are. Certainly there are character differences, and therefore perhaps some are more prone to certain behaviours than others (highly strung horses per example). I have had a rescue horse which I believe had irreparable mental damage due to his treatment; he was not a happy horse and his life was very difficult.

 

[Luci07]

Interesting post though I would not place cribbing in the same bracket. Cribbing nearly always has a physical reason to start with before often then becoming a habit. Animals feel emotion and anxiety. Stands to reason they could stress from this as well.

 

[Crazy_cat_lady]

I got mine due to him having to come out the riding school I was working at due to him having a kind of mental breakdown (probably wasn't but I'd liken it to that) he hates change and needs routine so think he couldn't cope with all the hustle and bustle/ different people faffing. He needs clear rules and fair handling but you can't mollycoddle him as it makes him more nervous. I'd almost liken him to being autistic.

Very interesting question would be worth a study.

 

[FinnishLapphund]

Yes, I think that animals can have mental illnesses, but in general, I think that it is less likely for an animal to have a mental illness, than a human. However, I find it very difficult to believe that a horse would know human diagnosis terminology, e.g. I've heard a horse communicator say, that a horse told her that he thought that he had ADHD. Such things makes me very sceptical.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

I had a mare who became psychotic because of unrecognised food intolerances. She behaved very oddly for apparently unexplained reasons. We eventually realised what was causing the problems and changed her diet. Her behaviour changed.
However I know a young woman who had treatment for serious mental illness and again, the cause was found to be food intolerances, which changed the chemicals in her brain. When her diet was changed (quite dramatically), her behaviour changed and she became well again. If it can have that effect in a person, it must be able to have a similar effect in horses.
It is quite fascinating.

 

[Frumpoon]

My horse definitely had a nervous breakdown when he came to live with me....I like to imagine the two things aren't directly linked ☺️

 

[Paint Me Proud]

i dont see why horses cant suffer with these sorts of problems.
One of my dogs I call my autistic dog, going by a list of human symptoms the condition suits her perfectly, she was delayed developmentally, needs ridig routine otherwise she has a stress meltdown, she doesnt know how to interact properly with the other dogs, doesnt get the subtle hints of their body language, is obsessive about walks to the point of completely losing it.

 

[NZJenny]

Interesting discussion - I have been involved with a couple of horses that have displayed really troubling behavoiour. The story of the ex race horse bolting on the road definately resonates. The horse I was involved with was only a two year old, but would bolt around her paddock quite blindly to the point of crashing into fences. Conversley she would get "stuck" in a corner and be reluctant to leave it - her eyesight was fine, but eventually she was PTS due to the bevaiour which became dangerous and quite self destructive.

 

[EstherYoung]

My old cushingoid mare definitely used to get depressed when she was bad. In fact it was one of the first signs that she was unstable - the depression would appear before any other symptoms.

A bit chicken and egg though. She also perked up no end once we got her a little friend who she bonded with and then coped much better with the cushings. So was it the low state of mind making the cushings worse, or was it the cushings making her unhappy? Our vet said that he thought her general state of mental wellbeing was key to her physical health, and that there's probably a really interesting study worth doing on the subject.

 

[turkana]

Interesting discussion - I have been involved with a couple of horses that have displayed really troubling behavoiour. The story of the ex race horse bolting on the road definately resonates. The horse I was involved with was only a two year old, but would bolt around her paddock quite blindly to the point of crashing into fences. Conversley she would get "stuck" in a corner and be reluctant to leave it - her eyesight was fine, but eventually she was PTS due to the bevaiour which became dangerous and quite self destructive.

That's interesting - the horse I have who seems to be suffering from something similar to post traumatic stress disorder used to gallop around the field when she was ill, she didn't crash into fences but would run up & down the fence like a trapped wild animal. She would be grazing, then just take off & gallup flat out across the field for no apparent reason.
She would also stand in the corner of the field & be very reluctant to move, if I took her to the other horses she would gallup straight back to her corner - she still does it sometimes but a lot less than before. If I see her standing in the corner I bring her in for a few hours which seems to help.

 

[pennyturner]

Interesting thread.

I had an Arab with an erratic response to being saddled / girthed. (Back checked). He got better with consistency and routine, and usually he was quiet, dopey even, so when it happened it was always a bit of a shock. It sometimes manifest as a normal horse might - tensing and perhaps pulling back - but from time to time he would just black out as the girth tightened, or your weight went into the stirrup. A few seconds later he would come around, get up and be absolutely fine.

I gave up on him the day he blacked out as we were just riding along. Just fell out from under me. I thought he was dead, but again, a couple of minutes later he was up and grazing quietly. Never did find out what was wrong.

 

[fburton]

I had an Arab with an erratic response to being saddled / girthed. (Back checked). He got better with consistency and routine, and usually he was quiet, dopey even, so when it happened it was always a bit of a shock. It sometimes manifest as a normal horse might - tensing and perhaps pulling back - but from time to time he would just black out as the girth tightened, or your weight went into the stirrup. A few seconds later he would come around, get up and be absolutely fine.

Could that have been narcolepsy?

 

[pennyturner]

Very possibly, but 'narcolepsy' is more a description of the symptom than an explanation of the cause. A bit like saying 'he has a fever'.

 

[SadKen]

PT - That sounds like a vasovagal response, I wonder if a nerve or essential blood vessel was restricted by the girth resulting in loss of consciousness? like pressure points in humans? Poor chap.