Really stressed pony! At my wits end! :(

Kokopelli

Kokopelli

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A bit of background, Andy is my lovely tb who pony raced successfully, I bought him about 2 and a half years ago. He's a mega stress head who loved his routine and has been very happy and content as he can be. He would occasionally have the odd day where he behaved like a complete idiot but would normally settle after being out in the field. He's currently recovering from an illness which almost caused him to be pts and has been out of work since november and been coming back into work for about a month.

Because of the issues he had/ has with his liver he got colic a lot often for no reason but if something stressed him out he would be on the floor rolling with no exceptions. Luckily since getting the all clear he hasn't had colic yet.

The last week he has been unbearable. He's in his normal routine, being fed the same (blue chip and m-chaff) he was on speedibeat but took him off this when he came back into work to keep him as calm as possible. In the stable he's box walking, rolling, rearing at the door and constantly screaming. In the field he just gallops up and down the fence or trots around and will only settle for a bit too eat then he'll get tense again. Although he's better in the field there's no way I can have him out 24/7 he'll stress too much and won't have any company.

Turning him out is a mission, trying to get headcollar on/ off is a nightmare. You get it half way on and then you see the whites of his eyes, nostrils flaring and ******s off. Not in a naughty way he is frightened.

I just don't know what to do and could do with some advice on how to deal with him as it won't be long until the weight drops off and he'll get ill again. We've had the vet out frequently.

Can anyone recommend any calmers which won't hurt him (history of ulcers, weak immune system and rubbish liver)
 
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Forgot to add he had steroids not long a go to help heal the damage done to his back by loan home (a whole other story) is there anyway its the steroids he's reacting to?
 
when he's in the field stressing does he have company?

I wonder whether he might be better to stay on the speedibeet and off the M-chaff but don't know what the actual values on the M-chaff as there are some different brands/how molassed it is etc.

If he has been on the steroids for a while it would be a bit odd he started reacting to them now I'd think.

I guess- given that you might want to be careful what goes into him- that you could test your hay/grass for magnesium deficiency and feed accordingly perhaps?
 
Given his medical history is it worth speaking to you vet/ one of the top uni horsey vets about what might work but not cause him stomach/ liver problems?

Could it be spring grass? or do think something more concerning?
 
Vets been out taken bloods etc. We toying with the idea of putting him on danilon for a bit to see if possibly its pain related. He's on the cheap m-chaff from countrywide, not sure of values off hand but do have a sheet somewhere with it on. We have found it's one of the few chaffs he's happy to eat and doesn't go off of after a few weeks.

He's not been on steroids long must have had the injection about 6 weeks ago maybe that combined with spring grass could be causing him to be a bit hyper. He's always got company except for two nights ago where he was left out on his own when everyone got their horses in :mad: and went crazy but problems have been before this. Obviously this really hasn't helped though.

How do you get feed tested for magnesium? I would definitely rather test our haylage/ grass before giving a magnesium based calmer because I know what he's like and he'll end up getting ill from it :rolleyes:

ETA: No mares being flirty, he currently shares a field with 2 mares and a gelding and they all get on lovely and definitely not in season. My other concern with it being spring grass is I've had him through 3 springs and he's never reacted like this before but he has been in more work previously as just 'walking' and a bit of trotting atm. He does seem much more settled after he's exercised but I haven't been keen on doing too much whilst he's so stressed partly because I value my life :p and because I don't want to do more harm than good.
 
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Kokopelli said:
How do you get feed tested for magnesium? I would definitely rather test our haylage/ grass before giving a magnesium based calmer because I know what he's like and he'll end up getting ill from it :rolleyes:

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Do you buy hay from one source (ie yard) and do they make it in the same fields? testing hay batch by batch could get really expensive. If you know where your hay comes from getting a soil test is easy (about £25),
We had ours done recently and it came back through the roof in magnesium (talking to local farmers its something in the area as theirs is the same too) maybe why mine a chilled most of the time!

Hopefully the vets bloods will spot something that can be sorted.
 
Fab thank you will give them a ring tomorrow.

I'm wondering whether it's worth trying him on a different haylage as it does seem to have kicked in when we opened a new bale but Louie has been absolutely fine and the other mare fed from it who is also a stress head like Andy is fine.

I know where it comes from so can get a soil test done, sounds a lot easier and cheaper, thank you. :)
 
Have there been any changes at the yard? Any horsey friends that have left? New horse in the field? New animals (such as pigs or cattle) around?
 
Cattle have arrived on the estate but a couple of miles away from Andy. He's scared of cattle because we got charged by a herd last year and really frightened himself. We did have the unfortunate incident of meeting the tractor with a trailer full of cows down a very narrow lane. Tractor not a problem but cows mooing and kicking in the back sent him crazy. He did settle at the end of the ride but that could definitely be a cause.

How would I settle him down if it is cattle? There's no way I'm riding through the field they're in again.
 
I would give magnesium but because of all his health issues I don't want to give him something that can cause more harm so will get my forage analysed and see if it lacks magnesium if it does will speak to vet about the best way to feed him it.
 
Kokopelli said:
I'm wondering whether it's worth trying him on a different haylage as it does seem to have kicked in when we opened a new bale but Louie has been absolutely fine and the other mare fed from it who is also a stress head like Andy is fine.
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I always like to go with the obvious if possible, so I would buy either a small bale of hay or some bagged haylage such as Equilage and see how he does on that. Incidentally people who take steroids over an extended period of time can become paranoid.
 
Sorry to hear your story, I had a pony with a severe character change last month. Got lots of help here, highly likely it was a virus (she was very stressed but to the point she stopped eating and drinking) the steroids are what worked so unlikely to be the same thing for u, but I did have her bloods tested for magnesium, u will then know if she is deficient. I asked for this as it wasn't what the bloods were being tested for routinely. Maybe ask your vet if its worth doing that? All the best, I have got my pony back sound of mind after a stressful 3 weeks!
 
what treatment did/is he getting for the ulcers? i thought steroids could mess with hind gut digestions (?) and the new haylage might not have helped. Might be worth considering that ulcers are playing a role in his stress and tension behaviour.
 
I would try a calmer - I successfully used FirstHorse - RelaxMe, which is a non mag calmer. I have also read that Cool Calm and Collected is good.

Zylkene is highly recommended by my vet's, but it is expensive.
 
leflynn said:
If you mean this one it has magnesium in it?

http://www.horsefirst.net/horse-supplements/relax-me-supplement.html
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You are absolutely right - I don't know why I thought it was mag free. Maybe valerian free and I confused the 2 :confused:

It worked for my WB to the point where I had a communication done with him and he asked via the communicator for me to stop giving him the stuff that made him so muzzy headed :D - I also hung lavender oil soaked rags in his stable to calm him and he would stand and sniff at them frequently.
 
Milk thistle can be great for a bit of a detox after steroids and other drugs. It protects and helps to improve liver function and can be effective in helping horses with insulin resistance. Worth a try I would think? Progressive Earth sell it in their eBay shop. Good luck with him. My mare had a bit of a reaction after having steroids injected into her hock at the end of January started showing problems beginning march. She went from being normally very chilled out to like she was a moody mare in constant use with knobs on plus her laminae suffered - which can be a side effect from steroids the vet said.
 
Some horses do react to haylage, and the timing suggests it is related to that.I know of at least one who goes loopy when he gets haylage. Can you get him some normal hay and see whether thet makes a difference?
 
You say the vet comes out regulary but has he been out since the character change?

Last year my horse went completely mental, she is an exitable hot head but very bold but she became a nervous wreck & seemed to go to pieces, I didn't get the vet out straight away, I wasn't sure what he could do for a mental problem, she was already on a calmer.

I got the vet out after a couple of weeks, after bloods test & scans a physical problem was found. She's made a good recovery but she isn't the horse that she once was.

If you haven't had the vet out for this problem it might be worth a visit.

Good luck - I hated seeing my girl so distressed, I could kick myself for delaying the vet as I really thought it was a mental issue not physical.
 
I have used Zylkene, on one very stressy type and two on box rest over the last year or so, it had a beneficial effect in each case. Have also used it on a hyper lurcher to good effect. It is pricey, but worth it IMO.
 
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