Embob1
Well-Known Member
Will also post in vets
Hello clever people of HHO
I work on a private livery yard with only 8 horses, about 4 of them are owned by the actualy livery yard owners and the rest are privately owned, the owners don't come a lot as they are mainly uni students and their horses are cared for by staff at the yard.
On site is also a boarding kennels for dogs and everything is really structured so that both businesses (kennels and yard) are run well without any flaws etc. (This is relevant)
One of the horses there has recently, well over the past few months, been behaving weirdly. This happened after he went hunting (not the first time he'd been) and the first thoughts were just excitement etc from going out as he doesn't go out a lot, but when he continued to act weirdly (when I say weird, I mean quite different to normal) they worried there was something wrong with his health. They thought stomach ulcers.
They got him checked out, and had some unpleasant tests etc done on him, he has had bloods taken, many examinations- inside and out, and vets found nothing at all obviously wrong with his health.
Now they have no idea what it could be.
Next thought was 'old age'. But he is 17 and I don't class that as overly old, do you?
he is well cared for and isn't aged or anything like that, so that idea is pretty much out the window.
Now, my boss/owner of yard thinks it could be something to do with his rountine being broken somewhere.
As I mentioned above, everything there is really structured, I mean the same thing happens every day at practically the same time.
Horses are fed at 7.50am, then dogs are sorted from 8am-10am, then horses are done 10am-12 midday.
Horses have their rugs sorted out, then they are turned out, mucked out, stay in the field until about 3.30pm/4pm then come in have rugs sorted again, are brushed, then skipped out, then fed.
They always go in the same fields with the same horses (most are separated)
This horse in particular has been at the yard for 6years, and the same thing happens every single day. The same people care for him (yard owners, me and two other workers) and he knows us all and he is (as are all the horses there) completely used to the routine.
This is why they think he is acting strange.
He has recently started to bite at his front rug straps when he has it on, and randomly going to bite himself, he has also been seen just staring into space (yard owner describes it as what someone who has 'lost it' may look like).
He is eating normally etc but has lost a lot of weight.
He has also started to get 'paranoid' for example, if you are late turning him out, he gets edgy.
If you are late bringing him in from the field, he stands at the gate and just waits and watches for someone to come and get him in.
If you're late to feed him his dinner, he just looks out his stable waiting for his food.
Hence why they think it's something to do with his routine.
Is it possible for him to stress about his daily routine?
Enough to make him act out of character and lose weight?
I know he isn't my horse or anything, but it's interested me, and I know this has worried a few people at the yard and his owner, they just want to know whats up.
Sorry that turned out so long, I wasn't expecting it to.
If you don't think its his routine/stress etc, what else could they check for?
Thank you clever HHOers
Hello clever people of HHO
I work on a private livery yard with only 8 horses, about 4 of them are owned by the actualy livery yard owners and the rest are privately owned, the owners don't come a lot as they are mainly uni students and their horses are cared for by staff at the yard.
On site is also a boarding kennels for dogs and everything is really structured so that both businesses (kennels and yard) are run well without any flaws etc. (This is relevant)
One of the horses there has recently, well over the past few months, been behaving weirdly. This happened after he went hunting (not the first time he'd been) and the first thoughts were just excitement etc from going out as he doesn't go out a lot, but when he continued to act weirdly (when I say weird, I mean quite different to normal) they worried there was something wrong with his health. They thought stomach ulcers.
They got him checked out, and had some unpleasant tests etc done on him, he has had bloods taken, many examinations- inside and out, and vets found nothing at all obviously wrong with his health.
Now they have no idea what it could be.
Next thought was 'old age'. But he is 17 and I don't class that as overly old, do you?
Now, my boss/owner of yard thinks it could be something to do with his rountine being broken somewhere.
As I mentioned above, everything there is really structured, I mean the same thing happens every day at practically the same time.
Horses are fed at 7.50am, then dogs are sorted from 8am-10am, then horses are done 10am-12 midday.
Horses have their rugs sorted out, then they are turned out, mucked out, stay in the field until about 3.30pm/4pm then come in have rugs sorted again, are brushed, then skipped out, then fed.
They always go in the same fields with the same horses (most are separated)
This horse in particular has been at the yard for 6years, and the same thing happens every single day. The same people care for him (yard owners, me and two other workers) and he knows us all and he is (as are all the horses there) completely used to the routine.
This is why they think he is acting strange.
He has recently started to bite at his front rug straps when he has it on, and randomly going to bite himself, he has also been seen just staring into space (yard owner describes it as what someone who has 'lost it' may look like).
He is eating normally etc but has lost a lot of weight.
He has also started to get 'paranoid' for example, if you are late turning him out, he gets edgy.
If you are late bringing him in from the field, he stands at the gate and just waits and watches for someone to come and get him in.
If you're late to feed him his dinner, he just looks out his stable waiting for his food.
Hence why they think it's something to do with his routine.
Is it possible for him to stress about his daily routine?
Enough to make him act out of character and lose weight?
I know he isn't my horse or anything, but it's interested me, and I know this has worried a few people at the yard and his owner, they just want to know whats up.
Sorry that turned out so long, I wasn't expecting it to.
If you don't think its his routine/stress etc, what else could they check for?
Thank you clever HHOers
