[M4ganosmile]

Hi everyone. I have had my horse banjo, for about seven months now. He was very attached to his last owner, and sulked for quite a few months after their separation. He came right about 3-4 months later. But he started to lose condition, the other horse we have was fine and was in full health. (They were on the same feed, hay, beta bet, and equi guard, and some grass, but our paddock is pretty bare) His hips began showing majorly, and soon his ribs, and he wasn't as happy about life as before. He also became really weird about being tied up, and would refuse to walk up closer to the tie up fence. A few weeks ago I did accidentally give him an electric shock, he pulled his head around to touch his nose on my arm (he did it all the time) but I gave him a shock oh his mouth and he pulled back on the tie rope really hard and has been holding a grudge against me since, with all the horses i have known I have never met one quite like him. I changed his feed to one kg of cool feed, (I'm not feeding him one kg yet because I'm waiting for him to adjust to the food first) and stopped feeding him equi guard. He is my first horse, and I was riding for three years before I got him, but unfortunately I had no experience with horses that were lame or sore. So when I checked him for being Lame or sore I stupidly only checked his saddle area, legs, and neck, completely missing the area behind his ribs. Last week we had someone out giving my sister and her horse a lesson, and she checked banjo over to find that he was very sore just above his hips, his muscles would move in a sort of ripple effect downwards when she touched a certain spot. She was worried how much his hips were sticking out, he was quite flighty when his neck was touched (that started about 2 weeks ago). He is now not in work, out on some fresh grass, but very flighty at things that normally wouldn't bother him. When I bring him in, he is very flighty and worried and people touching him anywhere, but when we are in the paddock he couldn't care less if I touched his back or neck or head. The lady who first found it is coming back out this week, then probably vet or chiropractor.

Is there anything I could do to help him? Does anyone know what this could be? Or how it was caused? Anyway i could stop giving him shocks? Just any help would be greatly appreciated thank you 😀

 

[Golden Horse]

OK, first he is a horse, he does not sulk, and he does not hold grudges.

Next he sounds like he has issues that really call for a vet check, from what you are saying I am guessing that he might have ulcers, but I am a random internet person with free advice.

Horse sore and losing weight needs to be checked over for sure.

 

[JCnGrace]

Are you talking about a static electricity type of shock or he got shocked on an electric fence?

 

[loosie]

sulked for quite a few months after their separation. He came right about 3-4 months later. But he started to lose condition,

While horses can indeed stress out about going to a new place, if he was 'sulking'(I gather that means obviously depressed, not wanting to move) and losing weight, there is something WRONG, that you need to address! I suggest a vet check for starters. Ulcers are one possibilty that comes to mind, along with body issues. In future, regardless of whether you think he's 'just sulking' or some such, the vet should be called before it goes on for weeks, let alone months.

the other horse we have was fine and was in full health. (They were on the same feed, hay, beta bet, and equi guard, and some grass,

How much hay? Why the equiguard? Don't know what beta bet is - not a brand name of beet pulp is it?

A few weeks ago I did accidentally give him an electric shock, ...and has been holding a grudge against me since,

How did you shock him?? No! Horses don't 'hold grudges'! They just don't think like that. You shocked him while he was tied, so he, being a horse, with little power of reasoning, associated you & tying up with that pain/fright, so he's now worried about you & being tied. It's as simple as that, no grudges or 'weirdness' about it.:wink:

I changed his feed to one kg of cool feed, (I'm not feeding him one kg yet because I'm waiting for him to adjust to the food first) and stopped feeding him equi guard.

Great that you understand to change feed gradually. You should also be feeding whatever 'concentrates' over at least a few meals daily, mixed with roughage. Why have you decided to feed that/remove the supp?

I stupidly only checked his saddle area, legs, and neck, completely missing the area behind his ribs.

That's not stupid at all, you just didn't know better. But would have been good to get some manner of equine health pro to check him out, back when you noticed the 'sulking'.

Sounds like the poor boy is in a bad way & I'd be inclined to get a chiro or cranio sacral practitioner or such, along with the vet - unless specialised, regular vets may not know a great deal about bodywork/issues.

 

[M4ganosmile]

I was brushing him and it was like a static shock

 

[M4ganosmile]

Thank you, this is a very awesome reply. In the further I will defiantly get a vet out if he starts to act weird, he wasn't really losing weight when he was "upset" about moving, he came right and then he started to lose weight, we are currently organising a vet, chiro, and dentist to come out and see him, so thank you!
He gets about just over a 40L bucket full of hay, morning and night. I feed him equi guard because that's my sisters horse was on, I thought it would be good for him as it was working really good on her horse. Beta bet is like sugar bet? Sorry I have no idea what beet pulp is. I soak it in water and it expands, it's really good for digestion and stopping colic. His old owner had him on it, and my trainer said its really good so I continued feeding it to him.
I think it was because of the friction caused by brushing him and he touched his nose on my arm (this was before he started acting a bit strange when being touched) it has happened quite a few times since. Do you have any advice of how I get him to stop being worried about being tied?
I started feeding it to him because I was worried that he wasn't getting enough minerals, we had a really dry winter and our grass hasn't been growing very well. And I removed the equi guard because I didn't want to double up on anything that may be in both feeds.
Thank you so much for your reply, I hope I can get him good soon and use this information for any future problems! ��
This is my first time using this site and I'm not sure if i am replying to loosie or not, sorry

 

[JCnGrace]

You'll just have to tie him a few times without shocking for him to get over it. To help avoid static use body lotion on yourself, softener in your laundry and rub him and your brush with a dryer sheet (or spray a hair polish on him) before brushing. Standing on a rubber mat can help too as can keeping your free hand on him as you brush.

I seem to be a static magnet and it's a PITA.

 

[Elana]

Please let us know what your vet says.

Measuring hay by volume is not the best way to know what your horse is getting. A horse will consume and need between 18 and 25 pounds of grass hay a day if there is little or no pasture.. and it should be good grass hay.. dry green in color and not musty smelling.. in addition to the various co0ncentrates you are feeding. Has the hay been tested so you know its Protien and energy content and its Neutral Detergent Fiber (NDF)? High NDF means the hay is very high fiber and less palatable and less digestible.

 

[loosie]

Static shocks from just touching a horse?? Never experienced/seen that... Except when I was sitting on a trampoline - oops! My horse has a 'phobia' about getting close to trampolines now! Are you wearing some sort of extra staticky material or some such??

 

[Yogiwick]

^ Pretty common around here loosie...and I am guilty

I think it's the dry + cold in the winter and blankets make it worse.

I can't help on the feed as it is not familiar to me but the basic thought I am having is 40 L == 10.5 gal (converting as it's easier for me lol). That is 2 water buckets. If stuffed absolutely full with hay that is still a tiny amount of hay. I'm also guessing it's not "stuffed" and you really can't measure hay properly, as said, you really need to weigh it. 2.5+% of body weight for this guy. Of good hay..not all is created equal!

Also 1 kg = 2.2 lbs. That is the minimum for any complete feed around here. I'm guessing he's just not getting enough food. Do the experienced people around you feel that's enough?

I'd be curious for a picture of this guy.

How old is Banjo?

 

[JCnGrace]

Static shocks from just touching a horse?? Never experienced/seen that... Except when I was sitting on a trampoline - oops! My horse has a 'phobia' about getting close to trampolines now! Are you wearing some sort of extra staticky material or some such??

I shock the horses, dog and cats. Grocery shopping is misery because every time I reach for something on the shelf I get shocked and that's even with rubber soled shoes. If I didn't use conditioner in my hair I would walk around looking like I just stuck my finger in a light socket. LOL Summer or winter doesn't matter and I live in an area with high humidity.

 

[M4ganosmile]

Sorry I'm new to this site, and I have no idea how to delete this comment I just made, sorry.

 

[M4ganosmile]

Hi everyone, thank you all of your replys! I have been bring banjo in and no static shocks have occurred, and he seems to be back to his usual self when being tied, and I will begin using what you guys have told me to avoid it happening again. He is now on long green grass and is going really well on it, I also doubled his hay feed, but he isnt very interested as there is plenty of grass. I'll will get our experienced friend out to check all his feeds as well. The dentist is coming out this thursday, the 26, as well as a trainer, not sure when this week yet though. Banjo is a station bred cross and he is 13 years old, I will get a picture of him soon, as they are all on my laptop😀.

 

[loosie]

Do you lot eat too much salt or something?? I've never heard of static shocks being common, unless there's a trampoline or balloon or such involved!

 

[TessaMay]

I have problems with static and horses too, especially in the winter and spring. Spring is the worst, when you're trying to get the shedding hair off of them, but it just keeps floating back and sticking to them again :icon_rolleyes: As others have suggested, coat conditioners help. If it's cold and clear I usually have to spray my mare with conditioner before I brush her or the dirt just sticks due to the static. Rainy weather isn't much of a problem.

 

[rideprosperously]

OK, first he is a horse, he does not sulk, and he does not hold grudges.

Next he sounds like he has issues that really call for a vet check, from what you are saying I am guessing that he might have ulcers, but I am a random internet person with free advice.

Horse sore and losing weight needs to be checked over for sure.

How do you know horses don't sulk or hold any grudge? They have excellent memory and experience more emotions than we humans expect them to...

 

[rideprosperously]

No more riding or putting any weight on his back, until the vet tells you what's up. That means no driving either.

 

[loosie]

How do you know horses don't sulk or hold any grudge? They have excellent memory and experience more emotions than we humans expect them to...

No, I don't believe horses experience more emotions than I expect them to - that is, I don't expect them to experience much less than we do for eg. I just don't expect much rational, abstracted type thinking from a horse, on an emotional level or otherwise - eg. I don't think it's likely they experience the 'emotions' of guilt or shame, because that comes with too much 'intellectual' baggage. I guess it's open to interpretation, what 'sulk' & 'grudge' mean to you, but they tend to go along with rational & abstracted thinking IMO.

'Sulking' to me implies someone acting sad & angry in front of someone else, because that someone else won't give them what they want. I don't believe horses think like that at all. However, if 'sulking' just means being 'depressed', 'down' about something, physical or mental, then yep, horses can indeed sulk.

Likewise, 'holding a grudge' tends to imply more understanding & anger about stuff than horses do. Yes, they have excellent memories, to associative events/things, and if 'grudge' to you just means they continue to associate fear/pain with things/places/people, until that association is replaced with enough experiences to the contrary, then yes, I agree they hold grudges in that way too.

 

[Skyseternalangel]

Do you lot eat too much salt or something?? I've never heard of static shocks being common, unless there's a trampoline or balloon or such involved!

Lol it's very common when the air is dry. You can get a shock from touching your car, a doorknob, your horse, a person, a cat or dog or other animal... inanimate objects...

 

[beau159]

Lol it's very common when the air is dry. You can get a shock from touching your car, a doorknob, your horse, a person, a cat or dog or other animal... inanimate objects...

Yup, I've "shocked" my horses before too. Moreso in the fall or winter when the humidity is low. (Pretty sure they don't hold a grudge against me for it..... :icon_rolleyes: )

I'm also careful which type of brushes that I use on them during those time too because some of them simply create static electricity when moving them across the horse's hair.

Heck I was just grocery shopping last night and shocked myself at least 10 times.

we are currently organising a vet, chiro, and dentist to come out and see him, so thank you!

Yes, yes, and yes. Have the vet, chiro, and dentist check him out thoroughly.

Also, when was he dewormed last?