Old horse and changing weather

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Flowerofthefen

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Any one else's oldie not liking this constant warm/ cold/ warm weather? It seems to be knocking my old lad for six. It's been 13 degrees here today after minus figures a few days ago. He is being very quiet so I'm keeping a close eye on him. I've upped the water in his beet and grass nuts. He is eating well, pooing etc, just seems lethargic.
 
My horses are ok but I had a very poorly elderly rabbit a few days ago when the temperature plummeted overnight. It was the bunny equivalent of colic and I'm pretty sure it was caused by shock at the temperature drop and subsequently not drinking enough.
 
Yes! My Shetland isn't ancient, but he's been quieter than normal for him this week. It's very mild and damp here, so I wonder if he's just feeling like I am about the weather. As usual, we've gone from summer to winter quickly, without time to get used to it gradually. I'm sure if the sun comes out he'll feel happier, as will I.
 
My Old Lady seems to be doing rather well, though the effect of her cataracts is getting more obvious (she went through a fence when I changed them fields after dark - lesson learnt, won't be doing that again). However, I have recently turned the lot of them out on to a rested 1 hectare field and having grass seems to be the best thing for her. I'm more worried about when I have to bring them on to the hard standing because she doesn't eat as much hay as I would like.
 
30yo is doing ok but I moved them onto the rested field 2 weeks ago so they are happy while they work their way through the grass. I've noticed he is struggling to regulate his temperature with the sudden and dramatic temp drops though and I'm rugging up a lot more than I usually would - he normally does well in a 200g rug for most of winter unless it gets drastically cold, but I have had him in a 400g recently as he wasn't keeping warm enough. Then stripping them back into 0g rain sheets as it was 15'c here yesterday 🙈
 
KikiDee said:
30yo is doing ok but I moved them onto the rested field 2 weeks ago so they are happy while they work their way through the grass. I've noticed he is struggling to regulate his temperature with the sudden and dramatic temp drops though and I'm rugging up a lot more than I usually would - he normally does well in a 200g rug for most of winter unless it gets drastically cold, but I have had him in a 400g recently as he wasn't keeping warm enough. Then stripping them back into 0g rain sheets as it was 15'c here yesterday 🙈
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Mine is not as old as yours, but I’ve noticed that on the temperature side. He’s had thicker rugs on in 5 to 10° weather than he would normally have had, but then last night we went light on the rug front. that said he still got less clothes on the most of the other horses in the yard!
 
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I have two oldies here, they are a bit quiet but I think that's because they are getting a bit more to eat as I'm slowly opening up the foggage area. I just opened a new patch this morning and they both galloped off to eat it. If they are still excited about food then I think they are OK.

Yesterday was a miserable day here, they spent a lot of time in the shelter.
 
My old pony was sweaty yesterday morning as it’s been so warm.
Also trying to navigate him not wanting to wee in his stable. He has a big deep bed but I made a rod for my own back by taking him for a wee on the grass on late check and now he expects it 🤦‍♀️.
He does have cushings so need to speak to the vet about getting his bloods done again to see if that’s a factor
 
meleeka said:
Yes! My Shetland isn't ancient, but he's been quieter than normal for him this week. It's very mild and damp here, so I wonder if he's just feeling like I am about the weather. As usual, we've gone from summer to winter quickly, without time to get used to it gradually. I'm sure if the sun comes out he'll feel happier, as will I.
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As predicted, the sun came out this morning and I arrived to find them having a lovely zoom around the field, just for fun. The mud though! 😩
 
I knew at start of 2025 that my 32yo wouldn't do another winter because of his teeth, his body weight and his arthritis. He had a lovely last summer this year with his two paddock buddies. He had his teeth done 3 times, twice at home, once at the vets, but to no avail as the teeth were just end-of-life. He had various sloppy feeds, all of which he'd quid and eat for a while and then decide he didn't like them anyore. And these were calorific feeds so his two paddock buddies were desperate to do the washing-up each day and each get fatter! He enjoyed eating grass and fruit and carrots. On the eve of the equinox in late September we had the first cold night of this end of 2025 so I rugged him. The next morning I found him standing still, seized up and refusing to move. I called the vet and dear old Choccy left this world at 5pm that day, having spent the day noshing through a selection of buckets and piles of food placed within reach. (The 2 buddies placed in adjoining paddock so they didn't nick it).

It was a beautiful perfect still, sunny bright autumnal day. The vet and the horse body disposal man were both professional, empathetic and discrete. If a horse had to be euthanised, then Choccy had the perfect euthanasia - quick, painless and respectful.

He was much loved, my first ever horse that I bought when I was 32 and he was 7. He taught me lots, especially about patience. He was a brilliant teacher to me and also to his two younger paddock buddies, both bought as foals to keep him company. They are now 15 and 7, and I can see a lot of Choccy demeanour and behaviour in each of them. His legacy lives on through them and I have wonderful memories of him. And his photo graces many things in our house - our cake tin and the pullcord switch in the bathroom for starters!
 
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