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| Harv's 25th Bday |
Let me OUT!!!!
Harv has been getting Very, Very Upset when he does not get his turnout time. He has always loved his turnout, but over time he seems to begun having anxiety issues. The behaviors are spinning, bellowing, fretting, and generally himself into a sweat.When the weather was hotter, I was actually finding him in his stall drenched in sweat, and sometimes a bit of lather.
No other horses had been turned out -- it was just getting close to turnout time. The worst of it happens when he has missed one turnout due to weather.
I am trying to figure this out. Some possible reasons:
- He is getting rigid in his old age
- The switch from a diet based on hay to a Senior feed (he can't eat hay these day) is giving him too much excess energy.
- He can't lie down in his stall any more, or at least not comfortably.
Ideas?
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I wonder if in his retirement turnout has become his mental activity, and he's simply looking forward to his "job" for the day? When my horse has had extended time off from riding for various reasons he's become very much like this, though not quite as energetic.
ReplyDeleteThat's what my TB is like when he has an ulcer flare-up. What kind of hay was Harv getting before? It's very possible the change in diet is affecting his tummy...
ReplyDeleteAll of the above! Plus, without a job, retirees get more focused on their turnout time. I let mine tell me where they would like to spend their time and most choose full-time turnout. With spendy blankets, of course.
ReplyDeleteIt could be that he likes his routine. The older he gets, the more he likes to keep his routine consistent. Maybe he's just being a cranky old man ;)
ReplyDeleteI have the same issue with my 24 yo. The SLIGHTEST change in routine can precipitate a meltdown. I try to cater to him as much as possible (which is a lot, since he is at home with me), but sometimes you just can't.
ReplyDeleteHaving his BFF with him at all times helps too. Also not always possible, but I try. At his age I figure I can bend the rules a little bit and cater to his whims. He's earned it, just like Harv has!
What about feeding him a forage product (something like these http://lucernefarms.com/feeds_forage.shtml) My old guy has transitioned to this as he can no longer chew long stem hay. This stuff he sucks right down. Maybe with that added you could back off the grain?
ReplyDeletePoor guy. I am glad that he is still fiesty, though.
ReplyDeleteI think that you have a good list there. One to add might be that he wants to get out and move to ease joint stiffness.
I think the sleeping lying down one is a really good point. It would be very frustrating to not be able to get REM sleep. Horses only enter REM while lying down.
Do you have the option of keeping this horse in a paddock rather than a stall? I don't like to keep old horses (or any horses, really) in stalls. Harv's behavior is pretty typical of a horse that doesn't like being in a stall. In my opinion its so much better for older horses to be able to move around in a paddock, rather than be confined to a stall, but I know this isn't always an option for everyone. My healthy 32 year old horse HATES being in a stall, and I have never kept him confined that way except during those brief periods where an injury or sole abscess demanded it.
ReplyDeleteCan you give him hay at all, even if it's just to give him something to do? I have a 28 year old gelding who is missing every molar up top; he can't eat hay to support his nutritional needs anymore (he was an EASY keeper in his youth, so this is quite a change for us). I feed him Equine Senior and alfalfa pellets twice a day and he gets turned out for about 10-12 hours daily. His stall has a run attached to the back of it, so he can be in or out at his choosing. I give him one flake of short, fine-stemmed hay about once a week...it takes him that long to eat all of it...but he enjoys being able to "graze" in his stall when he wants to. He does spit out the occasional wad of hay, but I feed him electrolytes with his grain to ensure he drinks enough water (the theory being that if he swallowed a wad, his system would be hydrated enough to move it along the "route").
ReplyDeleteIt sounds to me like this may just be an old guy thing...he wants to make sure he gets his time outside and isn't afraid to let the staff know he's ready to go out at a moment's notice! I wonder if he's physically more comfortable being outside, where he can walk around more and keep stiff joints at bay...whereas being in a stall kind of locks things up and makes him uncomfortable. Is he on any joint supplements?
Does he lie down outside? I can't imagine feeling the need to rest and being afraid to bed down.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds to me as though he is saying he really, really wants to go outside.
ReplyDeleteI have been having some interesting discussions lately around the idea that stalling is actually unnatural for horses, and much more stressful than we humans (natural cave dwellers) realise. Obviously they need shelter from the weather sometimes. Would it be possible to organise his stall so he can come and go from it as he pleases?
My Toby has gotten more anxious about things as he's aged too. Not sure why. I am wondering if he feels a little less physically able to handle things as he wants to and needs to know what's going on much ahead of time. He has 24/7 turnout, but if one of the other horses disappears from view, he often gets upset.
ReplyDeleteWonder if that's typical of older horses?
Instead of just Senior you could supplement with soaked timothy forage cubes. More roughage, less sugar. I have a 33 yr. old QH doing great, going strong. Does Harvey quid his hay if he tries to eat some?
ReplyDeleteHave you looked into feeding something like alfalfa or hay-blend pellets, soaked to mush, for Harv to eat since hay is an issue? Maybe the senior feed is too "rich" for him and is causing the anxiety. My Huey is 18 years old and doesn't have dentition issues, but he does enjoy the alfalfa pellets made by Secate Mills (Arizona). They soak to mush very quickly, but Huey enjoys them "raw" (;o)
ReplyDeleteI have decided to move my 16yo gelding to a facility where he can have 24/7 turnout. We do ride so we need good riding facilities and he needs to get grain and beet pulp and supplements. The reason is that he too is getting intolerant of being in. As long as he is warm enough, has water, shelter and companions I think he will be fine. I think we mostly keep them in barns for our convenience.
ReplyDeleteMy guess is he feels better and his joints feel better when he can move around. My mare came to us at age 23 and we have never stalled her for that reason. She stocks up and gets stiff if she doesn't get out and walk. She does hang out in her stall during the heat of the summer days, but she will periodically take walks out to the water trough (even though there are buckets in the barn), around the barnyard, etc. If put in a stall she will start whirling around after a certain point - she doesn't like it at all.
ReplyDeleteI'm also wondering if he could have some kind of forage, even if it's chopped, to give him something to do between feeds. He may be wanting to get out so he can graze since he's not getting hay (if he's not getting it at all).
Is there any way you can put him in a 24-hour turnout situation, or even a stall with access to a small paddock? At my barn, we have a stall that opens up to a dry lot, and we put both our 32-year-old Morgan and our 4-year-old mini (suffers from intermittent upward patellar fixation) in this stall/run situation, and it keeps them both limber and happy. If there's any way you could do something like this, I would highly recommend it. It has worked wonders for me, and I have a feeling it would really benefit Harv too!
ReplyDeletePerhaps a bit of a work schedule will help? I know you sold his saddle, but what about a bareback hack (I used to use a surcingle/western pad for my sharp withered TB)? Or some lunge sessions? Might help keep him more fluid physically and more occupied mentally--full retirement can be hard on a horse that has worked all his life.
ReplyDeleteI think it's the combination of things. . Senior feed has too much energy, he needs more chopped hay product. Old horses like their daily schedule "on schedule". He needs more exercise, like a nice hack and trot. Lunging is boring.
ReplyDelete