Would you be worried?

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southerncomfort

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Our welshie is 20 this year. She's always been a bit spooky and daft especially during winter.

However, this winter she's showing a behaviour I haven't seen before.

My OH has been looking after them while I recuperate from a leg injury. I popped out earlier for the first time in 5 days to hang some swedes up on the fence as a treat. And basically the welshie acted like she'd never seen me before in her life.

She wasn't just staying back and looking wary, she looked scared and was running away from me. She even flinched when I spoke to her. She genuinely looked terrified of me.

She did this with my daughter when she came home from uni for xmas, but she hadn't seen my daughter for a few weeks so I didn't think too much of it.

I've got alarm bells ringing here. Chat with a vet do we think or am I being silly?
 
My beloved Jay Jay freaked out when Mr Red came onto the yard wearing a hat. A wooly hat. He was used to Mr Red dealing with him as Mr Red would fetch him in whenever I worked lates.

Maybe you were walking differently with a leg injury?
 
I think you have to hobble out with hubby for the next 5 days (with a few treats) and see if it improves. Otherwise, I think I would have a chat to vet (if he has a clue about the conditons older horses can suffer which influence their behaviour.) But the weather has been awful - and a break in routine may well be all it is.
 
JanetGeorge said:
I think you have to hobble out with hubby for the next 5 days (with a few treats) and see if it improves. Otherwise, I think I would have a chat to vet (if he has a clue about the conditons older horses can suffer which influence their behaviour.) But the weather has been awful - and a break in routine may well be all it is.
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Good plan And I think you're right. The weather has been so dreadful it's no wonder she's out of sorts bless her!
 
southerncomfort said:
Oh yes I've got a horrific limp at the moment. That might well be it!
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If I could show you what a person crawling on the floor could do to a line of supposedly rock steady Police horses, then yes, someone moving in a weird way is probably the issue.
 
My old Welsh was terrified of me when my hair was in a high ponytail. Anything = no issue. So I wouldn't worry too much, you may just look a bit different and in a welshie brain, that is the end of the world!
 
Mine wouldn't come near me because I walked out the field in a dress instead of my usual trousers and wellies, he was terrified of me even when I spoke to him. I have had him 12 years and he still shies away from the gate when it squeeks when I open it, it has always done it!
 
??

Thanks all. I am a terrible worrier!

I think she's been so well behaved recently that she thought I needed reminding that she's welsh.

Just hope I don't need to catch her any time soon!

P.s OH went out to move fencing yesterday. Couple of minutes later I saw said welsh pony cantering across my garden! ?
 
My ancient welshie behaves like that if somebody comes that she only saw the week before!

If it would put your mind at rest it’s probably money well spent to ask the vet to have a look at her, preferably when you have them for something else so you aren’t paying a call out especially.
 
southerncomfort said:
Our welshie is 20 this year. She's always been a bit spooky and daft especially during winter.

However, this winter she's showing a behaviour I haven't seen before.

My OH has been looking after them while I recuperate from a leg injury. I popped out earlier for the first time in 5 days to hang some swedes up on the fence as a treat. And basically the welshie acted like she'd never seen me before in her life.

She wasn't just staying back and looking wary, she looked scared and was running away from me. She even flinched when I spoke to her. She genuinely looked terrified of me.

She did this with my daughter when she came home from uni for xmas, but she hadn't seen my daughter for a few weeks so I didn't think too much of it.

I've got alarm bells ringing here. Chat with a vet do we think or am I being silly?
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This probably isn't the case but I had a horse turn ridiculously spooky when he developed a corpora Nigra cyst. It's a cyst in the eye that blocks a bit of their vision. It's harmless. If you look it up on Google you'll be able to check to see if she has one.
 
Red-1 said:
My beloved Jay Jay freaked out when Mr Red came onto the yard wearing a hat. A wooly hat. He was used to Mr Red dealing with him as Mr Red would fetch him in whenever I worked lates.

Maybe you were walking differently with a leg injury?
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Ah maybe this. Today I commented at work on why the horses were all scared of one of the girls who has fractured her foot... it is her foot! Never really thought horses would bother about stuff like that but they were all really worried by it!
 
I wouldn’t worry much, I think one of the scariest things for horses (or my horse at least!) is things that are very slightly ‘wrong’. So your horse knows you, but you moving a bit oddly? Super scary!
My super steady on the ground ISH once freaked out completely about an elderly man with a walking stick, full on blowing, backing up and on the verge of galloping off. He is all fine with plastic bags, stray footballs, quad bikes etc... it was a little embarrassing but there you go. Who knows what was happening in his little equine brain.
 
Yes.
meleeka said:
My ancient welshie behaves like that if somebody comes that she only saw the week before!

If it would put your mind at rest it’s probably money well spent to ask the vet to have a look at her, preferably when you have them for something else so you aren’t paying a call out especially.
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Thanks.

Vet coming out to do jabs soon so I'll ask them to have a look then I think.
 
mule said:
This probably isn't the case but I had a horse turn ridiculously spooky when he developed a corpora Nigra cyst. It's a cyst in the eye that blocks a bit of their vision. It's harmless. If you look it up on Google you'll be able to check to see if she has one.
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Thanks. I'll have a quick google.
 
Thanks everyone. Seems like its just me being a worrier then!

Will keep an eye on her and chat to the vet when he comes to do jabs if I'm still concerned.
 
Elf On A Shelf said:
She's Welsh - what more reasoning do you need than that!?!?!!
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Nail on the head! LOL.

Mine would be EXACT the same. He will act absolutely terrified of my boyfriend at first when I go away with work for a few days and then when i get back be all over him and terrified of me.
You didn't have a walking stick or boot on? My Welsh freaks out at anything out of the ordinary...
 
My old Welshie spent a couple of months going past a building site for a new house. He was fascinated by the cement mixers, the men working up high, the vans etc and would have a nose but was never bothered. Then the scaffolding came down, the garden got landscaped and the new residents parked their cars in the driveway, just like the houses either side....We spent the next month going past it sideways and snorting.
 
annagain said:
My old Welshie spent a couple of months going past a building site for a new house. He was fascinated by the cement mixers, the men working up high, the vans etc and would have a nose but was never bothered. Then the scaffolding came down, the garden got landscaped and the new residents parked their cars in the driveway, just like the houses either side....We spent the next month going past it sideways and snorting.
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Ha ha... this sounds JUST like mine. What a special breed they are.

I am currently contemplating why I own mine... We have a new livery in the stable next door, since she moved in 2 days ago hes tried eating their new leather head collar, licked her riding boots while he was tied up and miraculously pulled their new stable rug to his stable (must be barely 2 inch squared gap he got it through by the stable partition) and then stamped and pooed on it. I have never apologized and felt so bad in such a short period of time! I did warn hes a odd ball and to keep things out the way.. but I think shes slightly surprised at how bad he is!
 
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