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Depression/sluggishness, weight loss, muscle loss

18K views 39 replies 16 participants last post by  lacyloo 
#1 ·
I have a horse that is 10 years old, and over the past couple of months, he has just seemed to be going downhill. He has seemed depressed, he has lost some weight (enough to be quite noticeable), and alot of muscle loss, (backbone sticking up, topline sinking...) He isn't "my" horse, a family friend has let me take him and work with him to see if he would do barrels, hence the reason we haven't put alot of money into him for vet visits. Starting a couple months ago, he seemed to get worse and worse when I would ride him. He has always always been pretty good about picking up his corrects leads, awesome at doing flying lead changes, etc. He would no longer pick up the right lead, and flying lead changes were a thing of the past... and he would just seem to look a little more poor each day.... we would actually joke and say that he looked 30 instead of 10... :cry: He gets fed on a regualr basis, and has a wondeful appetite. The pasture that he is in is full of some mean horses that do nothing but bully him, and treat him as an outcast. He has been at our barn for over a year, and he has never been accepted by them. We originally thought that might be where some of his depression was coming from.... but now that he has seemed to deteriorate so quickly, I don't think that's it anymore. I havent been riding him lately just because he wasnt riding well at all, and he just seemed to be depressed. I've been very worried and uneasy about his health, and would just really like to know if anyone has any idea what this could be? Thanks so much!
 
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#2 ·
This post make me MAD.There is something wrong with this horse. if he is really 10 and going downhill so fast, it is medical and something is desperately wrong.
If you are keeping this horse to ride and possibly barrel race, and have had him a year and watched him go downhill during that time,but especially in the last two months, you need to at least be decent enough to spend the money and take this horse to the vet. Has the owner seen him since this drastic change in his physical appearance?WHY hasn't a vet seen him? Just because he is not your horse, YOU are riding him, or were riding him until he can't be ridden anymore, you have been seeing him everyday. I imagine you have not had his teeth floated in the year you have had him? WHY, if you are concerned enough that the weight loss and reluctance to change leads, etc to write to a forum, WHY haven't you been concerned enough to have him see a vet? Has the owner suggested a vet? Doesn't anyone care enough about this horse to spend the money for a vet?
 
#3 ·
I have to agree with Wyoming, that its pretty crappy that you've had this horse a year, and even though he may not be "yours", he's still under your care, and you should have seen to his needs at the latest when he really started to go downhill. You need to have a vet out, I'm thinking he could have ulcers, his teeth may need to be done, he may have worms, which would all cause him to lose weight, look depressed, not want to work under saddle. He could also have pulled a muscle, or ligament, or twisted something when out with the other horses. Have you watched him at feeding time, is he actually getting food. Maybe for the first 10 minutes he'll have his own pile, but can you guarantee that for the ENTIRE time food is out there, that he has access to it, and that the other horses aren't continually running him off his food. If he is still being treated as an "outcast", and the other horses are still picking on him excessively, you need to move him. You would be pretty depressed too if you had to spend the last year stuck with horses that didn't like you, that probably ran you off your food. I would also have him tested for whatever other diseases are common in your area, if it isn't ulcers, teeth, worms, or muscle, or skeletal issues. Bottom line though is that you need to have a vet out to figure out exactly what it is, before he ends up getting so sick that he dies.
 
#4 ·
To wyoming grandma, there was absolutely no need fot you to be sooo ugly. You have no idea what my situation is. I am not able to spend hundreds of dollars on a horse that isnt mine, and my parents won't let me. If you would have actually read the post, he hasn't been going downhill since I got him a year ago, it's been in the last TWO MONTHS. And his onwer has seen him and thinks he looks great, because he looks better than he did when we got him from the guy. He came from horrible living conditions. He is not in such bad shape that anyone else would notice. Everyone out here at our barn still comments about how good he looks. I am just overly inspective of my horses. His weight loss is not bad... just enough to be a little noticeble, but you still can't see his ribs. It is mainly his sluggishness acting, and how he seems to have lost muscle mass. It is very disturbing how rude and ugly you were, and if that is how you are going to continue to post, them don't bother being apart of this please. I'm not here to have people treat me like crap. I am just a girl who wants the best for my or NOT my horse, and unfortuneatly, I don't have the funding to spend thousands of dollars. Because TRUST ME, if I did, my horses would see the vet for EVERYTHING!
 
#6 ·
Dressagebell, he has been wormed, and yes we have spent alot of time watching him at feeding, and we take the time to put him a pile of hay halfway across the pasture away from everybody, and that is where he eats and stays.
 
#8 ·
Well, now you more know what my situation is. I have begged for this horse to have medical attention, TRUST ME. I went back and read my original post, and I made him sound a lot worse than he is. Like I said, I have asked people out at our barn, and they all say he still looks fine, and they don't really notice that he looks any different. I am very obsevant of my horses, so i notice it more. I wasnt saying that he isnt getting medical attention because he isnt mine. I'm not ALLOWED to spend that kind of money on him, with him not being mine. If I myself had the money to take him to the vet, PLEASE TRUST ME PEOPLE, I would in an instant. I am not some cruel person who doesnt give my animals proper medical care. Our horses are very well taken care of. I sooooo wish i could just up and take him to the vet and tell them to do whatever they have to to make him better. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE trust me on this. Like I said I have begged for this horse to be seen my a vet.
 
#9 ·
"He has seemed depressed, he has lost some weight (enough to be quite noticeable), and alot of muscle loss, (backbone sticking up, topline sinking...) He isn't "my" horse, a family friend has let me take him and work with him to see if he would do barrels, hence the reason we haven't put alot of money into him for vet visits"
Hmm, this is what you wrote, so I commented on what I read.Now you say
He is not in such bad shape that anyone else would notice. Everyone out here at our barn still comments about how good he looks. I am just overly inspective of my horses. His weight loss is not bad... just enough to be a little noticeble, but you still can't see his ribs

Which is it? the first explanation or the second? And it doesn't cost thousands of dollars to have a vet come out, float teeth, do a general check up, maybe give some vitamin shots, etc. I am sorry if you think I am rude, but when someone write that the horse they are riding or using for free so they really don't own it, Starting a couple months ago, he seemed to get worse and worse when I would ride him. He has always always been pretty good about picking up his corrects leads, awesome at doing flying lead changes, etc. He would no longer pick up the right lead, and flying lead changes were a thing of the past... and he would just seem to look a little more poor each day.... we would actually joke and say that he looked 30 instead of 10...
then that person, being you and your parents have a responsibility to take care of the horse. Sounds as if the owner doesn't care enough to spend vet money either.,sad situation for the horse, he gives his best, starts going downhill and nobody, the owner or the girl using him for free is willing to take him to a vet.

 
#10 ·
I was really hoping that this forum would be filled with nice, genuine people, who wouldnt judge and be so hatefully rude.... but I can see I was very very wrong. I am just a girl who wants the very absolute best for my horses, and I was just asking a question, hoping to get nice, polite, helpful replies.
 
#11 ·
Good lord, you people are freakin hateful. No wonder people told me to stear clear of this site. I should have listened.
 
#12 ·
Why are we hateful? Because you are not hearing what you want to hear?
If you own a horse or ride a horse for free or use some elses horse and can't afford, or your parents won't pay for vet care, then maybe somebody should give the horse to a rescue so someone will care for him.
You started the thread and as soon as you didn't hear what you wanted to hear, you started changing your story to sound not so bad. How do you expect someone to help or give advice, when you don't want to hear the truth? You are not being responsible for the horse. Period.... Whether yours or one you are riding, you are the one who posted how bad he was and how upset your were since he could not see a vet because nobody would pay for it.
Now we are all saying the horse needs to see a vet and now we are mean rude people. Maybe you should show more respect to the adults you are asking for help from and not treat us so rude and have a tantrum.
 
#14 ·
It wasn't at all rude that y'all said he needed to see a vet. I know he needs to see a vet, but just like you told me to go back and read what I wrote, go back and read what you wrote and how absolutely, and unnecessarily rude and hateful you were about it.
 
#16 ·
Yes it is truthful he needs to be seen by a vet. Crazy how nasty you were. I'm sorry if I came across disrespecful, but it upset me how ugly some of y'all were. I posted on here hoping to get some leads on anything it might be, that way I knew what direction to go in, and wanted to see if anyone else had experienced anything like this. I was a bit contradicting. He isn't in horrible condition by any means, I promise. I went a little overboard on my original thread. I thought maybe if I made it sound a little worse, I might get a little more help. I was very wrong. He has never been a very "good" looking horse body wise. I was a bit shocked when we went to go pick him up from the guy. We fattened him up and he was being worked a lot, so he was in good shape, and muscled up well. If any of y'all have horses, and they stay out during the winter, you all know horses will look worse in the winter than they do in the summer... some horses are worse than others. Right now he honestly just looks like a very out of shape, old horse. and he isn't. So that is why I was a little concerned. He is looking a little sway backed, but this horse is crazily high withered... so much to where I wonder if it hurts him to be ridden. I used a csi saddle pad on him, and he seemed pretty comfortable with it. I have said many of times that I feel quite sure the reason he is acting depressed is because of the horses in his pasture... I could only imagine how I would feel if I was in a situation like that. We are working to figure out something better for him as far as a different pasture... we just haven't been able to move him bc all of our other pastures and paddocks are slap full of boarded horses, and horses in for training. Again, I am sorry all this caused such a fuss... and hopefully it can be put behind us... I'm sorry if my original post was misleading, and maybe didn't contain all the needed info it should have... like that I've asked that he be taken to the vet, because I DO realize something is going on and it would be helpful if he just had a check-up. It's out of my control if he won't be taken to the vet. Sooo please don't say that the girl who rides him doesn't care enough to get him medical attention, because that is so far from the truth.
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#17 ·
I would discuss this with the horses owner, and encourage her to have a vet come out and assess the poor horse to make sure there isn't something internal going on.

Teeth
Digestion
etc, etc

This is the most important factor in this equation - a Veterinarian. Get the owner involved.

I would also pump more roughage in him. Put him in a paddock, put him in a smaller pasture with a buddy he gets along with, and let him eat a round bale - round bales do wonders. The more roughage, the better! UP, UP, UP his hay intake, dramatically.

I would also have the owner put the horse on a digestive aid:

SmartDigest Ultra - Horse Digestive Supplements from SmartPak Equine


Fat-Cat - Horse Weight Gain Supplements from SmartPak Equine
 
#18 ·
Truthfully, we aren't going to be able to tell you anything you want to hear, because over the internet, not one of us can see what is going on. And even then, without an exam, it's still not something we'd be able to diagnose. It could be any of the things posted above, it could be that he has a pinched nerve in his back or shoulder, something could be out of alignment, it could be a thousand things. I definitely would get him out of the pasture full of horses that don't like him. Their running him and keeping him an outcast is certainly not good for his health.

But typically speaking, a horse that has a sudden behavior change, loss of muscle, and sudden lack of energy, or refusal to do things he has always done in the past is in some kind of PAIN, which needs treatment. If you can't get a vet to look at him, is there at least maybe a knowledgeable horse person at your barn that could actually put their hands on him and see if he has any pain points? It might give you a place to start.

I would also have a talk with your parents at this point, and explain that the horse acts like he is in pain, and that he needs at the very least, a quick once-over. I assume that the horse is up to date on shots and things, when will the vet make another scheduled visit to your barn? If he is going to be due for the basics soon, it wouldn't be a big thing to look at him a little more in depth then.
 
#19 ·
It could be any of the things posted above, it could be that he has a pinched nerve in his back or shoulder, something could be out of alignment, it could be a thousand things.

I definitely would get him out of the pasture full of horses that don't like him. Their running him and keeping him an outcast is certainly not good for his health.
Great points!!
 
#20 ·
You just have to remember that this is a forum and we can only go by what is written in your posts. Nobody was being rude, especially me. I work for a vet and have been involved with horses and dogs for way more years than you have been born, as have alot of us. So, when someone comes on the forum and tells about her horse and how bad a shape it is in, then most of us will immediately go into "protection" mode for the horse.
It sounds like you care for the horse. Like I said in another post, you need to get a vet to see the horse immediately. If your parents won't pay the vet cost because it is not actually "your" horse, even though you have been caring for it for over year, then the owner needs to step in and spend the at least minimal amount of money to have a vet check this horse. If the owner still refuses to have a vet check the horse, then unless A/C steps in or the barn owner, it sounds like this horse might just be left to continue to get worse and worse, possibly die since nobody feels a vet is necessary. Is this your barn the horse is at? If not, does the BO have a vet that comes out? Maybe you can work something out with the vet and the BO to work off the vet call?
Please do not let this poor horse deteriorate until there is nothing left of him.
 
#21 ·
Wyominggrandma, I want you to understand it is not an idea of that I don't want to get him medical care because he isn't my horse. "I" don't care that he isn't my horse. I just don't have a ton of money to spend on my own. I love this horse to death and I want more than what is best for him. He is UTD on his shots and worming. Yes, it is our barn that he is at. I'm taking him out of his pasture today, and putting him in a stall, and putting him on a better feed. He gets about half a bale to a bale of hay everynight (we feed round bales, but we roll them out so they last longer, but we try to give each horse the equivilance of half a square bale.) Like I said before, I had a very poor choice of wording in my original post. He is not deteriorating. He has just dropped a little weight, and isn't as muscled up as he was, but I also have not been riding him at all, so that is prob. Where a lot of the muscle loss has come from. Again, I just posted a thread here hoping to get some advice, before I tried to take action for him.
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#22 ·
Sounds like you are trying. I would suggest a teeth issue, if his teeth are bad, meaning points are cutting his mouth and gums, possibly a broken tooth, abcess, any number of things in his mouth can cause weight loss and also muscle loss, because the body will use body fat first, then start eating at the muscles to keep itself alive.
Putting him in a stall might help, he won't have to fight for food, but this horse MUST see a vet. If its your barn and you own other horses, doesn't a vet make ranch calls? Don't your parents use a vet when a horse is cut or hurt or sick?
Good luck.. Hope your parents or the horses actual owner finally sees the necessity of this horse seeing a vet and spend the money on him. He deserves that much.
 
#23 ·
It's not like he is fighting to stay alive... I can see maybe 3 ribs on him. Yes, we just took a horse to the vet last week that cut her leg (my horse actually) and I paid for the vet bill. Listen, my parents aren't bad people or anything. Our house burnt down 2 years ago, and we had to take money from our business (boarding and training stables) to be able to make it. We also have a couple boarders who don't pay their board, so we have pretty much been feeding and taking care of their horses out of our own pocket, because even though our contract states that we will sell the horse if the board isn't paid for a certain period of time, we just haven't had the heart to take the horses to a sale, knowing their probable outcome. We really are good people who don't neglect their horses. I promise.
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#27 ·
Our house burnt down 2 years ago, and we had to take money from our business (boarding and training stables) to be able to make it.
Nobody else noticed this little gem? Your parents didn't have homeowner's insurance? What about insurance on the boarding/training business?

I think maybe someone is playing Fantasy Island Stables with us. :?
 
#24 ·
Your parents own a boarding and training stable, yet won't call the vet out for an obviously sick horse. You have excuse after excuse: the horse was literally wasting away in the first post, now he is not too bad and you take care of your animals, you promise. Yeah, right.
I give up. You just don't get it. You got the attention you wanted by starting this post, I have my doubts now that you even have horses, any horses and are just fabricating stories to get attention. Aren't you in school?
 
#25 ·
Maybe you should post pictures. That might clear a LOT of confusion. You are switching from very bad to not so bad, no ribs visible to 3 ribs visible. Just throw up some pictures of him maybe before and now?
If he was in a horrible living situation I think it's great that you were proactive in trying to help him.
What bothers me is that your parents won't allow you to call the vet, you have other horses, surely they have seen the vet and your parents know how important it is. Maybe try around different vets? My vet allows payments. Which is a Godsend when you have the habit of taking responsibility for other peoples horses. I completely understand the situation you are in. I'm working with an underweight tb who belongs to a fellow boarder. There is only so much you really can do. But if it's a noticeable weightloss or just poor condition and you haven't changed anything you really should have him looked at. My 10 year old has never had an issue with weight so I can't imagine any normal healthy 10 year old having an issue without something medically wrong.
Bottom line is you agreed to take responsibility for this horse. Nobody is trying to be mean on this forum there is no need to stay away. They are justing giving the advice you asked for, what anyone else would do if they were in your shoes. Call the vet. Do you have a job? If you REALLY want what's best for this horse you need to be proactive. My advice is find a vet who will do payments. Pay for it yourself.
THAT would be making sure the horse has the best quality of life that you can provide. Also, I wouldn't expect it to cost you hundreds of dollars. My vet bill was 400 for everyshot known to man(I take no chnces because I board), coggins, sheath cleaning, teeth floated, bute tablets, coggins on a second horse and a wound check. It is better to spend 150 for a vet visit than 600 for major surgury or euthanisia..
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#26 ·
Sluggishness, lack of performance & weight loss are warnings. Have you talked to the owners? Maybe instead of asking them, tell them you will be having a vet out & they will get the bill. Cheaper now than later.
I board horses too & would never keep a horse in a group it didn't like. It's not difficult to make a separate turnout.
It's good you stopped riding him.
If you can't make your parents see things clearly, maybe point out that their clients will notice & will talk. I wouldn't keep my horse at or take my horse to a place that didn't have the best interest of all the horses there, no matter who owned them, as a top priority.
 
#28 ·
I would throw another wormer get the vet out and ask can you make repayments he prb needs bloods drawn etc.
It is your responsibility everyone on this forum knows the feeling of being stone broke and your horse needing the vet you must find money somewhere or put a payment plan in place now not later. the earlier you treat something the cheaper it is trust me!
 
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