old horse possibly going deaf

[YorksG]

My old (31), retired Appaloosa mare appears to be going deaf. When I went into the field at midnight to check on her and the other girls she spooked terribly when I spoke to her close up, this is the mare who normally never spooks, even when lying down and I go to her.
Has any-one any experience of oldies going deaf? I am already worried about how she is going to be this winter.

 

[Sags_Deer]

are you sure it is not blindness, cataracts maybe do her eyes look cloudy.

 

[S_N]

If it was midnight, then she might have been asleep.............

 

[YorksG]

Deffiniely not asleep SimplyNutty, eating hay! I think her sight is going as well! I guess I am just not wanting to accept what is probably innevitable sooner rather than later. She's been retired for two years and has lost loads of weight as well, but seems happy enough still. We thought she may go into a decline last year when her pair bond died, but gets on well with the new mare, I guess this is the problem when you keep them forever.

 

[Hornby]

My old horse (24) is probably a bit deaf now and definitely a bit blind in one eye (uveitis), I have surprised him by accident a few times in the summer so now I make sure that I open the gate loudly or shout (if nec) his name before I get too close. He always was a laid back type so it doesn't worry him but I feel guilty if he jumps out of his skin - I am feeding Spillers Veteran Conditioning Mix at the moment to help with condition and will add sugarbeet later if needed.

 

[YorksG]

We feed a veteran mix and alpha a, but she will not eat much at once, or stay in on her own. The younger ladies really don't need to come in over night yet we are putting hay out, but she finds that difficult with a reduction in teeth!