Depression

You know that you’re getting older. Your sight is dimming and maybe your hearing too; not as nimble on your feet as you once were. The youngsters tease and try to bully you and although you feel you need food you can’t always get as much or what you want. No-one visits you as often as they used to and you don’t go out much. Many of your friends have passed on. Life as a Pensioner today? Wrong – the life of many older horses in the UK today. No wonder they, like humans can get depressed.
Without the right care and psychological conditions it is the lot of the older horse to often suffer from depression. It is invariably seen in the horses that arrive at the centre for rehabilitation but do not think it is only a condition that affects the worst cases. Your veteran could be suffering to some degree if he has recently lost an old friend, has been retired, is suffering pain or illness or is simply grazed with inappropriate companions.

The signs of a depressed horse are:
Poor eating
Dull eyes
Lethargy/sluggishness
Ears not alert
Unusual aggressiveness
Unusual passivity
No interest – stands at back of stable.
Stands and actually looks depressed – head down etc
Diminishing performance.

As you can see, some of these signs could wrongly be attributed to generic ‘old age’ whereas there is something that we can do to help our old friends who are suffering.

It is vitally important that you first have your Vet check your horse. Firstly these signs could be the result of physical causes eg. pain from an undiagnosed condition or injury. Secondly, depression itself is a known symptom of specific conditions such as Cushings, Strangles or Equine Infectious Anaemia. It is vital that you check that your veteran is not suffering from any of these serious conditions before you attempt to address the problem. Consulting your Vet should be your number one action so that you can get a physical ‘all clear’. Obviously your Vet’s suggested treatment should help to alleviate the symptoms but it is still worth checking the other aspects of your care to eliminate future problems or to help your veteran back to peak form. Remember also that sometimes depression can be the root cause of a veterinary condition so it works both ways. Changes or suppression of the immune system caused by depression eg a hormone imbalance can lead to problems that appear to be chronic until the underlying cause of depression is treated. One case study described a mare who developed severe mud fever shortly after her companion died. The Vets tried every treatment going but with no success. It was only when she bonded with a new companion that the mud fever disappeared of its own accord.

Before : After

Look at your day-today care and routine. Depression can arise when your horse feels he is slipping down the herd hierarchy. This has physical repercussions: your veteran may be hungry if he is being chased off his hay ration in the field; he may be sore from being chased and even kicked. He may also be hungry because his metabolism is no longer suited to your feeding regime. He may need to have more, smaller feeds rather than less frequent, larger ones to allow his digestion to cope and get the best nutrition from them.

Changing field companions to ones more similar may be all it needs. He will be less likely to be bullied – most veterans are quite happy just having a quiet life and are not having to prove themselves to the other horses in the field. Of course, having no companion can be just as bad as the wrong one! Loneliness and boredom can both bring on depression so it is always worth considering a companion. This need not necessarily be an equine partner. Often the presence of a sheep, goat or donkey is sufficient. However, do consider whether your old boy or girl would take to these as many horses dislike donkeys. If we put a donkey in with one of our veterans he would be half way to Edinburgh before we could stop him! He might have a companion but it wouldn’t be worth the stress levels it would induce!

Stress leading to depression can also come about when the animal’s routine is drastically changed. For example, when an active animal is semi- or fully retired. I’ve seen many ponies about whom people have said ‘Isn’t he wonderful for his age!’ only to see them start to virtually pine away when no-one rides them any more thinking that they are being kind to retire the ‘old lad’. Obviously there are times when we have no option other than to retire. If a veteran is no longer up to the job due to injury or illness we have no choice. However, it is recommended that you try to keep to the same routine regarding mucking out, feeding, grooming, turnout times etc as much as possible so that he feels part of the family as much as possible.
Then of course is the big green monster – jealousy! If you have retired your horse and got yourself a new one it is surely possible that your veteran may be jealous of the new arrival. Some people may say that we are wrong to attribute human emotions to equines but I, for one, am sure that horses experience jealousy. Put into context, there is a new herd member surpassing the veteran’s position in the hierarchy. This alone could be enough to trigger depression but I am sure that we can all site examples of ponies being jealous of other horses when they see them being the object of what they consider to be their right to attention.

For veterans who are able to be ridden still it would help them to be ridden lightly (and this also helps the onset of physical problems). Finding a new, lighter rider to gently hack him out would keep him interested and also give someone, maybe without their own horse, a lot of pleasure. Light lungeing, on a large circle, can also help but not if he is an idiot who turns himself inside out at the sight of a lunge line! Rehoming through the VHS of course is also an option. You would be surprised how often we find the right niche for a particular horse and carer. Veterans have so much to offer.
Just because veterans aren’t so active doesn’t mean they don’t require turnout time. This is vital for mental health (with the right friends, as above) not only for the exercise aspect but being in a dark stable too much can lead to light deprivation which in turn causes depression; a bit like equine SAD (Seasonally Affected Disorder). A stuffy stable can lead to respiratory problems and even heat exhaustion in the height of summer. Daily turnout is vital.

Finally we must also consider whether depression can be caused by the loss of a long term companion – in other words can a horse experience grief? In the case of horses that have been together for a long time I am sure that they suffer their own form of grief. This doesn’t mean to say that they have any concept of another’s death or that he won’t be coming back but I am sure they are distressed by loss. A very good book that describes the concept of grief in the horse is ‘Inside your Horse’s Mind’ by Lesley Skipper. She describes the distress of a stallion whose foal was born dead – thus implying that death of another does have a negative effect.

Recommended ‘cures’ for depression are not always suitable for a veteran - good gallop for example! However with a bit of careful thought you can amend the suggested remedies to suit your horse.
A two week turnout – provided your horse won’t fret about his normal routine and that he has suitable companions etc
A change of scenery – again as long as your horse isn’t the worrying type. A box with a more interesting view - and visitors! – can perk a horse up.

Hacking out with other horses.
Regular massage.
Chiropractic sessions every now and then.
Acupuncture has a reported good effect.
Acupressure – pressing the base of the forelock is the acupressure point for calming nervous horses and aiding the relief of depression.
Also think of what cheers you up when you’re feeling down and then apply it to your horse (no – not a bottle of wine!). If you’ve had your horse a long time and know him well you may feel that a nice bath and mane tidy will work wonders (the equivalent of a new hairdo), or maybe a new rug (retail therapy!). One of our horses loves having new things – he thinks he looks so handsome! The same horse used to hunt a lot and to him just attending a meet would probably keep him going for weeks! Again make sure you don’t end up joining in and overdoing it. Interestingly, foxhunting is the one area where there is little or no reporting of equine depression.

If all else fails it is possible to treat equine depression with herbal antidepressants such as St John’s Wort or your Vet can prescribe equine antidepressants similar to Prozac.
Of course, it is so much better to prevent the situation in the first place by bearing in mind all these points on a daily basis as you care for your veteran and if you are unfortunate enough to have a depressed veteran try to treat the causes first before you treat the final effect.

For further advice please contact 0870 2426653