You arrive at the stable, looking forward to a nice ride in good weather – but instead of coming to meet you in a friendly manner as usual, your horse stands in the shelter and only slowly lifts his drooping head when you call for him. You might have come at a peculiar time that interrupts your horse’s a nap time , but usually, that’s not the case. Most of the time, it’s a clear indication that something is wrong. Even if you don’t know what the problem is, you should always take these kinds of signs seriously. As flight animals, horses are programmed to hide weakness and illness as long and as well as possible. While a lameness or an external injury is clearly visible to us, internal problems – from colic to metabolic disorders – are very subtle in their symptoms. This is why you should always pay extra attention when you see the first signs that something could be wrong. Even if they look harmless, or something deemed too small to worry about, they can actually be a warning signal for major health problems.
Lack of appetite
Eating is the last survival instinct a horse loses before breathing. Therefore, when a horse stops eating, all alarm bells should go off. It is possible, of course, that your horse has overindulged themselves on a hay rack or on the field so much that they are simply having a well-earned digestive snooze. However, if a coveted bucket of feed is placed down and promptly rejected, it means something is wrong Or, if your horse only reluctantly munches on a few strands of hay, it could be a sign of serious problems. Grass is often preferred over hay. If concentrated feed is rejected, you should recognised the warning signs. A lack of appetite can be a sign of very different problems: from colic to dental problems to stomach ulcers, anything and much more can be the cause. Therefore, in the event of a lack of appetite, the vet should always be contacted first and immediately to rule out emergencies such as colic.
Diarrhoea, faecal water
Many horse owners now consider their horse’s faecal water in winter to be “normal”, but it is an indication that something is going very wrong in the large intestine. The large intestine is the linchpin for metabolic health in horses. Therefore, even the smallest amount of faecal water should be enough to start countermeasures, before any major metabolic issues occur. Diarrhoea must be treated immediately in foals, as their small bodies dehydrate very quickly. But even in adult horses, diarrhoea should not be taken lightly, as it can indicate significant problems in the digestive tract. There are various possible causes: from poor feed hygiene or haylage to dental problems, stomach ulcers and infections. Heart problems in senior horses or chronic pain can also contribute to such digestive problems. The solution should not be to simply feed a “binding agent” such as bentonite, psyllium (husks) or Jerusalem artichokes. Instead, the cause(s) should always be addressed therapeutically so that the gut stabilises, and further metabolic and immune problems are avoided.
Apathy, separation from the group
If your horse is standing in the shade and dozing while your best buddy is still munching away at the hay rack, you don’t have to call the vet right away. But separating an otherwise sociable horse from the group can be a first indication. If you have to drag your horse along on a rope to get him from the turnout to the grooming area, it becomes even more obvious that something is wrong. If you normally have an motivated or lively horse under saddle and suddenly have to really push it to go forward, you’ll know something is up. This can be a harbinger of mild colic, but also a painful (unrecognised) stomach ulcers underlying laminitis or an infection. Even we don’t want to go for a run, when we have the flu. So, dismount (or don’t mount at all) and attempt to clarify what’s going on. Maybe it’s just the disturbed nap or the horses have been bouncing around like crazy all morning because a new horse has joined the group. But maybe it’s a serious problem, so it’s better to get it checked out.
Abnormal behaviour
For many riders, the routine of visiting the yard is to retrieve their horse from their stable, or from the turnout area, chat with fellow riders whilst their horse is being groomed and saddled, perhaps make a call on their phone whilst warming up, and then they are off. It’s the same after work: clean up the horse, leave the yard. Of course, that makes it hard to notice changes in behavior because the horse isn’t getting much attention. But with a little attention, time, calmness and observation, you can notice changes in behavior early on, that someone who doesn’t know the horse might not notice at all. For example, if your otherwise social horse suddenly chases the others away from the hay or sleeping area, or constantly and violently swishes the tail , it’s a sign of pain or stress. Or maybe the horse yawns, shows the flehmen response or scratches itself conspicuously often. A behaviour that is “normal” for one horse, such as particularly sensitive behaviour against flies, can be an alarm signal for another horse that otherwise completely ignores flies and now suddenly shakes its head as soon as one lands. It helps to observe your horse more often in the peace and quiet: out in the field, in the dry lot, within the herd and of course also when you interact with your horse, such as grooming, tacking up, etc. If your – otherwise relaxed and cooperative – horse suddenly snaps whilst being tacked up, it could be an indication of a stomach ulcer, which should be taken seriously. It helps to know the “normal” behavior in order to figure out changes.
Fever
A raised temperature is usually a sign of infection, although we often don’t notice it because horses are always warm to the touch. But if your horse is a bit lethargic and doesn’t really want to work, this can be a sign of fever, as can sweating, nasal discharge, coughing or diarrhoea. Therefore, to be on the safe side, you should always take the temperature. This can be done with a standard fever thermometer, like those available at any pharmacy. The body temperature of a horse should always be between 37.5° and 38.2° Celcius. It is helpful to take your horse’s temperature a few times when healthy, as some are more in the lower range where 38.3° can already be “light temperature”, while other horses are naturally more in the upper range. Knowing the normal values will help you notice elevated temperature early on and react accordingly. A horse with a fever should, of course, be given peace and quiet: a box or a separate area from an open stable with other horses in sight. A sick horse does not belong in the group (where it could infect others) nor should it be chased around by others. Everything else is then diagnosed and decided by the veterinarian or therapist.
Die Normaltemperatur zu kennen, hilft, Veränderungen einschätzen zu können.
© pholidito / Adobe Stock
Altered heart rate or breathing
When you arrive at the stable to find your horse breathing heavily with flared nostrils, it is obvious to most that something is wrong. But there are changes that indicate heart and health problems that show much earlier. You can feel a horse’s pulse with a little practice, either under the lower jaw or on the leg (which takes a little practise), or listen to it with a normal stethoscope Again, it helps to have practiced this a few times in a healthy state. Once the horse is sick, we are nervous and it’s even more difficult to accurately find, feel and count the pulse. The pulse should be around 28-40 beats per minute in a healthy horse. A pulse that deviates significantly up or down can be an alarm signal. If the pulse is too low, for example, it may indicate circulatory problems; if it is too high, it may also indicate colic, even if the horse shows little sign of it otherwise. Breathing is best observed on the flank: either look closely or place your hand on the “belly”, at the widest point just in front of the stifle. If the horse is breathing very shallowly, listen to the nostrils – you will get a warm breath with each exhale. Count the breaths: normally the horse should take 8-16 breaths per minute. Fast breathing can be just as alarming as slow breathing. Especially with measuring the pulse and respiration, it’s very important to know the normal values of your horse in a healthy condition. That’s also due to the fact that sport horses for example have a low heart rate and respiration rate by nature, while both values tend to be higher in a leisure Shetland pony. Simply take your horse’s pulse and respiration at different times of the day for a few days and write them down. It’ll give you a feel for the normal values and you’ll be able to detect deviations more quickly.
Weight loss
As long as horses are still eating, weight loss is often more of a gradual process. If you see your horse every day, you often don’t notice it that much. It is easier for a therapist or farrier to see when visiting, as they can notice how much has been lost since their last visit. It definitely helps if someone with a “neutral” eye sees the horse at longer intervals, as they can more easily see weight gain and loss. If you don’t have this possibility, the phone camera is once again the equestrian’s best friend: take pictures of your horse’s back line regularly, e.g. once a week, always from the same angle and with roughly the same lighting. Flicking through the pictures, you can notice any musculature changes for better or worse. If you have a horse that has a strong tendency to fluctuate weight in one direction or the other, a curved ruler from the stationery store can help: place it on the highest point of the withers and press it along the horse. Carefully lift it up at the highest point, place it on an A3 sheet of paper and trace. Doing this once a week can provide you with visual changes. Of course, you can also do the same at the lowest point of the back when your horse is relaxed, then you have a comparative value. Weight loss can indicate poor quality or quantity of feed, but it can also be a signal of dental problems, stress, chronic pain or digestive problems (even if your horse’s faeces look normal).
Changed coat quality
Coat quality is usually mentioned in connection with Cushing’s disease, which immediately comes to mind when horses develop a thick winter coat or take a little longer to shed in the spring. However, not every horse with a thick coat has Cushing’s, and not every horse with a thin coat is healthy. It tends to be easier to judge the summer coat than the winter coat, as the former should be smooth and shiny without aids like coat gloss or baby oil. Raised hairs, a dull coat or a change in colour (e.g. if the black horse turns brown in summer or the chestnut suddenly gets kemp hairs) are an indication that something is wrong It’s harder to see the shine in winter coats, as the naturally dull overcoat changes the visual image. But you should still be able to see a slight shine. The winter coat should consist of the undercoat (soft, dull, sometimes slightly duller in colour) and the topcoat (longer, shiny, the colour of the horse). In some horses, long ‘awn hairs’ can be seen protruding from the winter coat. Awn hairs are also, traditionally, called ‘cat hairs’, and indicate significant metabolic problems. Of course, all non-seasonal hair and skin changes – from sudden coat loss to thinning long hair (mane and tail becoming less and less) to itching (sweet itch, mud fever, mallenders/sallenders) or urticaria (hives that cover the horse) – are alarm signals that something is going very wrong. Whether it is hormone problems, a lack or imbalance of minerals or perhaps a disturbed detoxification, should be clarified therapeutically.
Changes in digestion
Anyone who regularly mucks out themselves has a good feeling for the amount of droppings the horse produces in 24 hours. The rule of thumb is about half a wheelbarrow per horse (in an open yard and without much bedding, in a straw-bedded stable this quickly becomes a whole wheelbarrow per horse). Of course, this value varies, as for example the droppings of a Shetland Pony are naturally smaller than those of a draft – the total amount per day varies accordingly. However, if you muck out your horse’s stable and find significantly fewer droppings, you should pay attention. Maybe the horse has been out longer than usual, and has done their business elsewhere, or maybe their digestion is disturbed. The same applies when you work with your horse: every rider has a feeling for how often their horse defecates per hour, which is usually at least once. If the horse stops and does its business as usual, everything is fine. However, if the horse defecates small amounts in a short space of time, which may even become runnier each time, then the horse is under considerable stress. Whether it is the unfamiliar environment, pain or a completely different cause should be investigated. The same applies if the horse does not deposits any droppings at all. Too little manure can be an indication that the horse has not had any feed for some time (if nothing goes in at the front, nothing can come out at the back) or that an impaction colic is imminent. Frequent farting at the start of training indicates flatulence and therefore a disturbed large intestine environment. All of this is not “normal” and should be reason to get a therapist to find out what is happening before an intestinal disorder shifts into a metabolic disorder.
Gut feeling that something is wrong
Most of us are familiar with this situation: you arrive at the yard, look at your horse and think “something is wrong”. You tell your stable mate, she looks sceptical and says: “I don’t see anything wrong, I think he’s the same as always.” You call the vet, but they don’t find anything either. And just like that, you’ve been labelled as a ‘overprotective parent’ who sees problems where there aren’t any. But no one knows a horse better than the person who spends the best part of the day, every day, with them. It is precisely because horses hide their problems so thoroughly and for so long that it is all the more important to always listen to this gut feeling. Many a horse has been saved from dying of colic because the owner had a feeling and called the vet just to be on the safe side – even though everyone laughed about it Of course, this doesn’t mean that you should become a hypochondriac over a crooked ear. But if a persistent, nagging feeling tells you that something is wrong, then there is usually something to it. A competent therapist should take the feeling seriously and examine the horse. It is always better to have a false alarm than overlook the onset of laminitis, a stomach ulcer, or a broken tooth.
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