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Love Sick Gelding With Spotty Appetite - Is That Normal?
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Relevante has calmed down around the 3-year-old filly he is so enamored with. I've followed the advice given in the Sept 20 post #240667 -- On Saturday the barn owner called and said he ate his grain but not his hay and he wasn't drinking any water but was otherwise acting fine. I had them take his temperature. It was normal (99.3). He spent most of the day outside standing at his paddock fence looking at her in the round pen. I went out this afternoon. He has resumed drinking water, ate his grain but had not touched morning or lunch hay and wouldn't take it from my hand when offered. I put his boots on and hand walked him around the property. He was calm and seemed okay. They had the filly in the paddock next to him. He's obviously still interested in her but was calm. She however was aggressive...squealing, kicking, striking out with her front feet every time they touched noses. They moved her to the round pen because i was afraid she might hurt him or herself kicking through the fence. I know with Cushings their jaw muscles can be affected etc., but he's always dug into his hay immediately. This behavior of not eating the hay just started with the onset of his crush on this filly. Is this normal? Should I be concerned? He can't afford to lose weight especially right before winter. The barn owner thinks he's just "love sick." I'm trying not to let my imagination leap to all kinds of other health issues...like ulcers, muscle problems etc. But logically those things would happen that fast would they? He was fine in terms of his eating habits etc., until she came on the property.
Lynn Beavercreek, Ohio March 2018 Relevante Case History Relevante Photo Album Ω |
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celestinefarm
Lynn,
Question. Since your barn owners are aware of Relevante's extreme reaction to this filly, why are they continuing to put her next to him? I realize you said they ended up moving her to a round pen, but she is also reacting to him and continuing to try them together , with a fence between is asking for one or both to get hurt. Stallions and geldings often will bluff when meeting other horses, but mares are usually deadly serious. I pasture bred mares with my stallions. always after observing their behavior in which they were initially separated by driveways, barn aisles, , fences , etc.and there were times I had to abandon the idea of a particular mare and stallion combo. I chose not to hand breed my stallions, but am good friends with others who do and I can tell you for certain that there were never any injuries to the mares during breeding. If there were any injuries to either horse or human, it was to the stallion or stallion handler as they approached said mare. It's why breeding hobbles, twitches and sometime sedatives are used for mares. I had the most sweet , lovable mare that little kids and husbands could ride, was a beautiful, easy going momma with her babies and with humans who were helping at foaling, who absolutely beat the crap out of Tipperary for not approaching her in the pasture as she preferred, despite the fact she was in standing heat. I mean double barrel and she waited until he was directly behind her to mount before she let him have it with both feet. Mares will also double barrel the stallion as he slides off after breeding, my other stallion was almost knocked completely over backwards by the most gentle , sweet mare. Both mares were experienced breeders, the first had two previous foals out of pasture breeding and the second had six foals, from a mix of pasture and hand breeding. My point is that this may be a bad combination of personalities, no matter what. This mare should be out of heat and should be more tolerant of other horse's attention at this point. The fact that she is not tells me that they should not be in direct contact with each other. Unless Relevant has done something to break a tooth, etc. he should be eating his hay. The fact that he is fascinated with this filly may eventually wear off if she is not accessible to him, but he may be spending as much time as possible where he can see her. This is somewhat unusual behavior for a gelding, not unusual for a stallion ( I have friend's whose stallion paces his fence line for hours in a day , even when there is no change in mare placement on their farm, etc, he almost never needs hoof trimming and is horrific to keep weight on) . I would try to ride this out as long as the farm owners do not keep the filly next to him. I would put his hay in his turnout where he can see her, but the hay is in front of him. I would guess he will eventually decide to give up on her if he has no access to her and will start eating again. I would, as a precaution, have plan B in my head. Plan B would involved moving him somewhere else if filly is a permanent boarder and his behavior doesn't change. -- Dawn Wagstaff and Tipperary Saline, MI 2003 Tipperary Case History |
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Hi Dawn,
Thank you again for your thoughtful insights. I agree with you 100 percent especially after what i observed yesterday. I videotaped her aggression toward him (he was benign as a lamb, no squealing etc.) then went to the barn owners and explained what was happening. That's when they put her in the round pen. It was kind of a perfect storm yesterday. Our regular caregiver had the day off and the once-a-week people heard squealing and assumed it was both of them so he was shut up in his stall (a fact i was not happy about since i am paying extra for the paddock and that is the extent of his world). When i got there I took him out, groomed him, put his boots on and hand walked him...he was fine. Until I put him in his paddock and she began to act out immediately. I talked to the caregiver today. She is keeping them separated and today he finally ate and drank like normal (shew). Fortunately the filly is only temporary at the farm while she is started under saddle. A local trainer sometimes uses our farm to train horses that are not boarded here. There is no open stall for her which is why they are moving her about to different outside enclosures. There are only 2 stalls with private paddocks. Relevante's and my neighbor who also has a mare that he cares nothing for. They have been closing her stall door and putting this filly in her paddock while she is in the field grazing. I don't feel I'm being unreasonable to in a positive manner let the barn owner know that the caregiver also feels they should be kept separated for his welfare. Your experience and guidance has helped me navigate this on behalf of my boy. If he hadn't begun eating normally today i was going to call the vet. He did have his teeth floated in August and his mouth/teeth were in great shape. -- Lynn Beavercreek, Ohio March 2018 Relevante Case History Relevante Photo Album Ω |
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celestinefarm
Lynn, that sounds like a good outcome for all. You are not being unreasonable, since this is a temporary boarder and you are not. Accomodations should always be made for the horse's welfare, and Relevante has a condition that warrants him not being stressed. You sound like a good boarder who is simply concerned about your horse and the stable owners also sound like caring people, since they did call you to let you know Relevante wasn't eating etc. Glad to hear Relevante is eating again, he may be reevaluating whether women are worth all that fuss,, LOL.
-- Dawn Wagstaff and Tipperary Saline, MI 2003 Tipperary Case History |
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Hi Dawn - your support gives me strength. The stress and its affect on his PPID condition has been my biggest concern because this has been going on for over a week now. The barn owners are caring people and our caregiver who lives onsite is excellent and very caring. I feel fortunate to be there but still feel i have to tread somewhat carefully and certainly respectfully (always) because they have very little experience/knowledge about Cushings. And unfortunately the resident "expert" has their ear somewhat. He had a Cushings horse and chose not to treat it because they didn't want to put chemicals in its body....it didn't make it.
-- Lynn Beavercreek, Ohio March 2018 Relevante Case History Relevante Photo Album Ω |
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