Sprightly older pony lost his boing

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buzyizzy

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Up until a week ago, our 23 year old pony was full of energy and loving life. This week, I took him out, lead from his mate as usual, and he was very reluctant to do anything. Daughter came home for a visit on Thursday and we took them out yesterday evening and he seemed very tired. It's not hot down here, temperature is about 20C and usually lower by the time we ride, he was well up for a hooley the other day when it was much hotter, so I don't think it is the heat. He is in from 6.30am and always waiting at the gate for YO to bring him in, but yesterday morning for the first time he let his mate go first, and he never does, he's always very bossy. His appetite is good, his coat is good, he is in until 6.30pm, has a good haynet (which I reduced last week as he was getting porky, but I've increased again today), I am literally doing all I can for him. So now I am looking at his diet and wondering what I could add to perk him up a bit. He's very sugar sensitive, which eliminates a lot of stuff. Does anyone have any suggestions? He has had these dips before, but due to his age, I'd like to keep him feeling well all the time now.
 
The hard ground will be impacting his older joints, I should think. Also, our grass has lost all its nutrients, I expect they are all sitting in the roots rather than the leaves so even less to go on than usual, energy-wise. It's not just the sugars, the grass loses, but protein levels, too.
 
HeresHoping said:
The hard ground will be impacting his older joints, I should think. Also, our grass has lost all its nutrients, I expect they are all sitting in the roots rather than the leaves so even less to go on than usual, energy-wise. It's not just the sugars, the grass loses, but protein levels, too.
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That's what I was wondering too as usually the strip they have each night is considerably thicker than their present grazing. So maybe up his protein levels? Now the next thing is to find a reasonably high protein feed that is laminitis friendly :)
 
JillA said:
?Cushings? At that age that would be my first thought, and does present with lethargy
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If it persists I’d get him checked and a general test to make sure everything else is fine. It may not be age related but some random virus which there seems to be a lot of lately. He shouldn’t really need anything more if he’s having good quality hay.
 
I didn’t think mine had LGL but he did..due to cushings, which I had tested when he first became lethargic, no energy, no interest in anything but was ok walking hacking, even though the local snails were overtaking him, recommend a blood test for cushings..
 
the first thing i noticed with my mare was she was very quiet to ride. she was usually a nutter and quite difficult so i knew something was wrong. she had cushings with a level of 172 so quite high as it should have been less than 29...
 
splashgirl45 said:
the first thing i noticed with my mare was she was very quiet to ride. she was usually a nutter and quite difficult so i knew something was wrong. she had cushings with a level of 172 so quite high as it should have been less than 29...
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Been tested, definite negative, nowhere near thankfully.
 
I have increased his haylage intake and also will be adding the linseed from tomorrow. Going to give him two weeks off, then see how he feels. He's looking really tired atm, so hoping that he will pick up soon. If no improvement at the end of two weeks, will do bloods including an up to date cushing's test.

The grass is so crap atm that I am hoping he's just missing something from the usual better grazing. He's very good at worrying us :(
 
buzyizzy said:
Been tested, definite negative, nowhere near thankfully.
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I don't want to worry you but we had one whose ACTH test came back well within limits but when she had the TRH test because we were worried about her it came back x8 normal level. Her ACTH was still ok. If he doesn't pick up quickly, I would ask the vet for TRH test.
 
Is he stiff/does he have any arthritis at all?
I think Frank has been struggling disproportionately with the hard ground this year, he doesn't look lame per se but doesn't look comfortable and was quiet. So he had a bit of an MOT, and a blood screen. I was hoping it was his hock and we could jab it but he didn't react to flexion so that was that plan out the water. He's not working now and he's staying on some bute as every time we take him off it he's not happy again. (I do have him on boswellia too).
 
buzyizzy said:
Up until a week ago, our 23 year old pony was full of energy and loving life. This week, I took him out, lead from his mate as usual, and he was very reluctant to do anything. Daughter came home for a visit on Thursday and we took them out yesterday evening and he seemed very tired. It's not hot down here, temperature is about 20C and usually lower by the time we ride, he was well up for a hooley the other day when it was much hotter, so I don't think it is the heat. He is in from 6.30am and always waiting at the gate for YO to bring him in, but yesterday morning for the first time he let his mate go first, and he never does, he's always very bossy. His appetite is good, his coat is good, he is in until 6.30pm, has a good haynet (which I reduced last week as he was getting porky, but I've increased again today), I am literally doing all I can for him. So now I am looking at his diet and wondering what I could add to perk him up a bit. He's very sugar sensitive, which eliminates a lot of stuff. Does anyone have any suggestions? He has had these dips before, but due to his age, I'd like to keep him feeling well all the time now.
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Call the vet tomorrow and maybe get a blood work done, as my pony went like this and turned out to be raised liver enzymes, not trying to scare you but phone your vet tomorrow specially with an older pony.
 
My old girl has been stiffer than usual due to the hard ground and so isn't quite as boingy as usual - could it be something like arthritis? We're now on daily danilon, at least until the ground softens.
 
I'm glad it's not just us HR, F's been off since mid may and I'd love for it to cool down and us have some decent rain as it feels like I can't really assess how he really is with the mitigating factors.
 
ester said:
I'm glad it's not just us HR, F's been off since mid may and I'd love for it to cool down and us have some decent rain as it feels like I can't really assess how he really is with the mitigating factors.
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Yes, same. I feel that I'm just assuming it's the ground - it would be nice to have some rain and be able to see if there's any difference! The vet did see her for her jabs three weeks ago and checked her really thoroughly for any signs of laminitis (she even had the hoof testers out) but was inclined to agree it is probably the ground.
 
Pearlsasinger said:
I don't want to worry you but we had one whose ACTH test came back well within limits but when she had the TRH test because we were worried about her it came back x8 normal level. Her ACTH was still ok. If he doesn't pick up quickly, I would ask the vet for TRH test.
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I had a similar experience with our old pony. Borderline with ACTH, very high readings with TRH . If you are getting any symptoms of Cushings and have only had the ACTH test, I would definitely be asking vet about TRH test though I cannot for the life of me remember if there are times of the year this is less effective.
 
Pearlsasinger said:
I don't want to worry you but we had one whose ACTH test came back well within limits but when she had the TRH test because we were worried about her it came back x8 normal level. Her ACTH was still ok. If he doesn't pick up quickly, I would ask the vet for TRH test.
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I will, I am giving him two weeks to bounce back and then will investigate further, cushings being the first test that will be done. Thanks
 
ester said:
Is he stiff/does he have any arthritis at all?
I think Frank has been struggling disproportionately with the hard ground this year, he doesn't look lame per se but doesn't look comfortable and was quiet. So he had a bit of an MOT, and a blood screen. I was hoping it was his hock and we could jab it but he didn't react to flexion so that was that plan out the water. He's not working now and he's staying on some bute as every time we take him off it he's not happy again. (I do have him on boswellia too).
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No thankfully, he's striding out round the field fine and was back to bossing his best mate about today.
 
HashRouge said:
Yes, same. I feel that I'm just assuming it's the ground - it would be nice to have some rain and be able to see if there's any difference! The vet did see her for her jabs three weeks ago and checked her really thoroughly for any signs of laminitis (she even had the hoof testers out) but was inclined to agree it is probably the ground.
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Vet is out Wednesday for jabs if she feels he's good for them, I will obvs mention it to her and also at times he has a blue tint to the reflection in his eyes which I believe is pointing to cataracts. Poor love is really feeling his age and not good to see :(
 
If the vet is coming out I would definitely get them to pull blood for a general screen, it's not a big thing to do but has the potential to show up lots of possibilities for the lethargy.
 
Vet has been out and thankfully it was the one who knows him the best. He's fairly sure it's the heat, he gave him a thorough check up and I think said pony enjoyed me being up there for seven hours! I also noticed that the said pony has a very small crest and the vet found small fat saddlebags, very embarrassing as he's never that bad, but I guess with me not riding for three months apart from the odd pootle, it crept up on us. So from tomorrow he is on a diet. Fortunately the vet advocates the ad lib of low quality so I shall be back to the feed shop (again) tomorrow. I'd normally give him soaked hay as it works a treat, but YO is a bit twitchy about the water atm, which I can't blame her for, so I shall have to find an alternative. He also said if there's no change when the weather breaks, we will run a full blood screening and go from there. He certainly perked up when he went back out at 8 tonight. :)
 
buzyizzy said:
Vet has been out and thankfully it was the one who knows him the best. He's fairly sure it's the heat, he gave him a thorough check up and I think said pony enjoyed me being up there for seven hours! I also noticed that the said pony has a very small crest and the vet found small fat saddlebags, very embarrassing as he's never that bad, but I guess with me not riding for three months apart from the odd pootle, it crept up on us. So from tomorrow he is on a diet. Fortunately the vet advocates the ad lib of low quality so I shall be back to the feed shop (again) tomorrow. I'd normally give him soaked hay as it works a treat, but YO is a bit twitchy about the water atm, which I can't blame her for, so I shall have to find an alternative. He also said if there's no change when the weather breaks, we will run a full blood screening and go from there. He certainly perked up when he went back out at 8 tonight. :)
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I recommend Honeychop, or Halley's plain oat straw chaff. I got my Draft mare to drop over 200kg by giving her huge trugs of it when she came in overnight.
 
Pearlsasinger said:
I recommend Honeychop, or Halley's plain oat straw chaff. I got my Draft mare to drop over 200kg by giving her huge trugs of it when she came in overnight.
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Thanks, none in atm as I think everyone is using it as a hay substitute, but hopefully tomorrow there will be a delivery. Haven't heard of Halley's plain oat straw chaff.
 
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