Bo bit me!

[verthandi]

Quote:
Off the wall thought.....could it be his hearing? I had an old guy go from normal to odd over a couple of weeks time. I couldn't really put a finger on it for a while, but jittery and slow to come in the barn. He was not himself for a couple of weeks until he adjusted to the loss of hearing. I swear he could still hear the cover of the grain bin open in the feed room, even if he had limited hearing otherwise.

 

[patandchickens]

That's an interesting idea, Verthandi. It had not occurred to me, and I should check into it. I'll have them in the barn for the farrier this afternoon so I will have opportunity to experiment. I don't expect that's his problem, but you never know....

Thanks,

Pat

 

[verthandi]

Quote:
Like I said just a passing thought. My old guy Sky went from being the perfect horse that I would trust with anyone to someone else over night it seemed. He also started being the last one in the barn, and was more spooky. (something that he had never been). He acted like he didn't know his way around. It passed quickly except for being the last one in the barn after the hearing loss. He was always first before that, sometimes he didn't even hear the other ones leave and I would go out in the pasture looking for him. He would acted surprised once I found him and didn't understand why everyone was gone.

His hearing loss was pretty subtle and hard to detect while working around him, it was just the pieces of odd behavior that lead to that conclusion.

 

[patandchickens]

Well, after experimenting with Berto a bit while the farrier was here, I would say I saw no discernable signs of hearing problems... but as you say, it could be hard to tell. I think I will keep it in mind as a possibility. I'm glad you suggested it, it hadn't occurred to me and it's good to have a thorough menu of possibilities to consider.

Sometimes it would be a lot easier if they could just TALK

Thanks,

Pat

 

[helmstead]

Vision loss was the first thing that came to my mind. I've dealt with a few Apps who had moonblindness...and when they go through a vision change they get really crazy (everything is scarier, familiar things are unfamiliar). I'd have his eyes looked at the next time your vet is out, too.

 

[ChooksChick]

Any possibility there's something in the blanket poking/rubbing? I know that seems obvious, but I thought I'd ask- just remembering something a horse did like this years ago when I got to pretend I owned one...rented when I was a teen for several years. A well-hidden splinter really freaked a horse out until we found out why she thought her blanket had been biting her.

 

[patandchickens]

Good thought, but definitely not that -- his blankie was nowhere around when he was acting like this, I was trying to catch him *to* clothe him actually

He'd had it on for a few days a week or two prior to these episodes with no unusual behavior whatsoever atall.

Horses. Go figure.

Thanks for trying,


Pat