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Expert
Posts: 1477
  
Location: In the land of peanuts and cotton | I know that kinda sounds silly but just wondering if they can. Ever since I got married and moved I haven’t seen my horses near as much as I used too. Even less now since it’s gotten cold. Last few times I’ve been to the barn and spent any amount of time my gelding is so mopey and almost sad acting. I thought maybe it was the weather change. Tonight I was late going to feed and he didn’t come up to eat. Which is very very unlike him. He’s usually the first one to the barn. I found him down around their hay just standing there with his butt to me. Like he didn’t even know I was there. I rubbed on him and looked him over to make sure he wasn’t hurt. Didn’t see anything. He turned and followed me back to the barn but just walked so slow with his head down. I gave him some of his breathing medicine Incase that was it. He had pneumonia last summer and it severely damaged his lungs so he has trouble breathing sometime. Also gave him a little bute incase his joints hurt. But still he just seemed and his eyes looked all sad. He’s an older guy but not that old. But he’s one of the few that I’ve truely ever bonded with so I’m pretty good at picking up on his moods. Anyone know what could be going on? He doesn’t seem sick and he looks perfectly sound.
Edited by TessBelle 2018-12-11 12:26 AM
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 The One
Posts: 7997
  
Location: South Georgia | His behavior is screaming ULCERS! I'd be willing to bet his belly was hurting. |
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Expert
Posts: 2685
| Also going to go with ulcers. My mare that is my child shows more of a personality change than anything when her belly is acting up. Ulcers are so crazy common that it would be the first thing I would look at. I guess my other question would be is he alone? |
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Expert
Posts: 1477
Location: In the land of peanuts and cotton | RoaniePonie11 - 2018-12-11 7:35 AM
Also going to go with ulcers. My mare that is my child shows more of a personality change than anything when her belly is acting up. Ulcers are so crazy common that it would be the first thing I would look at. I guess my other question would be is he alone?
I’ll start treating them today. I’ve never had a problem with him with ulcers like my others but it can happen. No he’s with 3 other mares.
Edited by TessBelle 2018-12-11 8:01 AM
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 Miss Laundry Misshap
Posts: 5271
| YES! My old gelding gets that way when it's winter and I'm not doing much with him. He LOVES me and loves being rode and doing stuff. Winter around here sucks. When I worked an hour in the opposite direction of the barn, he got so down. My mom was feeding all the time. I'd have to make special trips to get him to snap out of it. My mom could tell I'd been there, even if I didn't tell her. He'd be perkier and eat better.
Sounds like you need to go out and just sit on your horse with a halter (if you can't ride due to ground or whatever), brush, and rub on him, and give him treats, that might be enough. |
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 Reaching for the stars....
Posts: 12704
| My 15 yo stallion about ran me down last Saturday when it was his turn for his trim. I haven't touched him since we got back from the supershow over TDay weekend and he is really upset. Yes, they get depressed! My guy for now is energetically showing me, but in the coming month if I don't get out and at least groom on him he will go the dopey eyed look thing. |
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Expert
Posts: 1314
Location: North Central Iowa Land of white frozen grass | 3 mares and him. He's depressed. |
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 BHW Resident Surgeon
Posts: 25351
Location: Bastrop, Texas | Sure, they get depressed. At least that’s what I think.
I think horses can experience a wide range of emotions, just like we all experience. The trick sometimes is recognizing how they express their moods and emotions. For instance, in this particular case, one person’s perception of depression in a horse might be perceived as ulcer pain, rather than depression. |
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Miss Laundry Misshap
Posts: 5271
| BS Hauler - 2018-12-11 9:17 AM 3 mares and him. He's depressed.
Especially as a gelding!  |
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | Yes horse can get depressed. |
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 Expert
Posts: 5290
| First thing I would have done if my horse suddenly changed like that would be
1. Check his temperature
2. Check to make sure they are passing manure ( Might be hard in pasture situation)
3. Listen for gut sounds with a Stethoscope. |
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 Expert
Posts: 2128
| We have two geldings that are best buds. If one gets hauled to an event and the other doesnt get to go..he stands and mopes in his stall. Doesnt eat as much. |
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  Living on the edge of common sense
Posts: 24138
Location: Carpenter, WY | yes, I think they get depressed. |
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 Balance Beam and more...
Posts: 11493
Location: 31 lengths farms | After dealing with my mare when she fractured her patella, absolutely yes they can get depressed. She had started walking pretty sound again but quit eating and was losing an incredible amount of weight. She would stand at the gate and toss her head when I was getting other horses ridden, then mope off and stand with her head down. Next feeding she would hurry over to the feeder but then again, not eat much. We treated for ulcers, no change. She was always a horse that loved to go, her pen was next to the house and when she heard people up in the morning she would go to the fence where she could see into the window of the kitchen and trot back and forth right there, then when she heard the back door open she would run to the gate by passing the feeder in case you were coming to ride first. Very much a routine type horse, she loved routine, she craved it. So I started hand walking her even though in reality she was not ready for it. At first about 50 feet back and forth about 5 times and then brush her and pick out her feet. She started eating again. Then in 2014 when we dealt with the bladder stone, same thing, off her feed. Once I got her on the herbs and she wasn't passing blood in her urine I started lightly riding her, just walking at first and always finished with a walk around the barrels to let her know I believed she was still in the game. Again, back to eating. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 885
| Yes I believe they do get depressed, especially when one of their buddies has to be put down. I have seen it to many times. |
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 My Heart Be Happy
Posts: 9159
Location: Arkansas | okhorselover - 2018-12-11 3:03 PM
Yes I believe they do get depressed, especially when one of their buddies has to be put down. I have seen it to many times.
When Dan died, my gelding who had been with him for almost 18 years was absolutely depressed. It was sad to watch. And he moped around for a few weeks. When Sean went to bury Dan, Faci was laying near him with his neck stretched out on the ground towards Dan. (Sean is a pretty tough guy, but he came home crying.) |
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Nut Case Expert
Posts: 9305
Location: Tulsa, Ok | Yes they get depressed. I had an older gelding that was loaned out to a youth rider. He was happy at their house until they sold the horse there that he was buddied with. After that horse was gone he just went down hill physically and just seemed unhappy. Their vet could find nothing wrong with him. They finally brought him home. Took him to our vet and they found nothing wrong. 30 days at home and he was back to himself and picking up weight etc.
Edited to add that depression is also a very early symptom of EPM.
Edited by SC Wrangler 2018-12-12 10:52 AM
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 Experienced Mouse Trapper
Posts: 3106
Location: North Dakota | While I do believe horses can be depressed, I would be VERY cautious that he is not well. When my gelding that has breathing issues has a flare up, 99% of the time I can tell because he just doesn't eat like he usually does. That can be up to 10 days before actual symptoms show up. I would be giving him a good check up, like another person commented, However, if he's having trouble with his lungs, lunging him for 5 minutes should be long enough to tell you. |
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Can horses get depressed?