Senior Horse Pacing in Stall - Now Lame

[Horsecare101]

Hi Everyone - I’ve been posting a lot lately, trying to get my horse as comfortable as possible. I have a 22 y/o appendix who runs pretty hot. Since moving him to a barn in a 24x24 he has been pacing in his corral - a lot. It’s not constant, but non stop for about an hour around feeding time, anytime a horse comes or goes from the barn, and now occasionally at the back of his stall for no apparent reason.

He came up lame two days ago (really REALLY lame) and the only thing I can figure is he hurt himself while pacing. The vet thinks he has a shoulder injury so he’s currently on 4 grams of bute a day for a few days and when I went to check him this morning - he was pacing like crazy while lame (a little bute goes a long way I guess). I’m concerned he’s just going to keep injuring himself. The vet said I need to get him to calm down so he can heal.

I ordered valerian root that will be here end of next week and currently have him on mare magic (a trainer said it helps hot geldings as well). Any other suggestions? I let him out in the arena every day at lunch (when he’s sound) and he just paces in there as well.

I worked with my vet to put weight on him so he’s on a lot of feed - I’m at a point with his weight where I am comfortable changing that if needed, but the vet said it shouldn’t be causing this behavior.

He’s currently on:
Free feed Bermuda
1 flake Alfalfa AM and PM
1 scoop SafeChoice Senior Dry
1 Scoop 50/50 alfalfa/bermuda pellets

Thanks!

[retiredhorse]

Throwing out some suggestions:

Ulcers from moving? or living in a new space?

Can he get out for longer (though maybe not now that he’s lame)? Is he a horse that’s usually in work or retired – if retired, any boarding options where he’s out all the time, with another horse(s)?

What happens if you take him off alfalfa?

Companion mini or goat or donkey?

Have not heard of mare magic for geldings, but depo shot sometimes has an effect. A number of calmers contain magnesium or thiamine, may work if deficient.

[Horsecare101]

@retiredhorse

Throwing out some suggestions:

Ulcers from moving? or living in a new space?

Can he get out for longer (though maybe not now that he’s lame)? Is he a horse that’s usually in work or retired – if retired, any boarding options where he’s out all the time, with another horse(s)?

What happens if you take him off alfalfa?

Companion mini or goat or donkey?

Have not heard of mare magic for geldings, but depo shot sometimes has an effect. A number of calmers contain magnesium or thiamine, may work if deficient.

Thanks for the suggestions! The vet did a thorough check and ulcers were never suggested. It definitely looks like an injury to his left front with full body compensation.

He is in light work - I ride him 2-3 times per week in the arena and take him on a good trail ride with other horses every other week. I’d love to leave him in the arena longer, but he works himself up so much that I’m hesitant. When he seems more restless than normal I do lunge him though and get him moving to help release some pent up energy.

I don’t want to take him off the alfalfa completely because he was underweight when I got him and this regimen has worked really well to get him up to a good weight, but I am thinking about lowering his alfalfa - maybe bermuda in the AM and alfalfa PM to see how that works.

A lot of people have mentioned a buddy so I’m curious about that. He has horses in stalls on either side of him, but do you mean a buddy in his actual stall? Like a mini that is always with him? He has two old geldings on either side of him now and he paces whether they are there or not but I’ve never tried another animal actually with him because he is an ass when it’s feeding time.

[retiredhorse]

@Horsecare101

A lot of people have mentioned a buddy so I’m curious about that. He has horses in stalls on either side of him, but do you mean a buddy in his actual stall? Like a mini that is always with him? He has two old geldings on either side of him now and he paces whether they are there or not but I’ve never tried another animal actually with him because he is an ass when it’s feeding time.

Yes in the stall with them, it makes a significant difference for some. I have not done this personally, but I have met 3 horses for whom this has worked, 2 have minis and 1 has a goat. In one case the mini and horse are fed separately, because mini gets too fat, but lives with horse the rest of the time (I think the horse has a hay feeder the mini can’t get into, though mini does pick up the bits that fall out). I’m not sure how you go about acquiring a mini or other animal, or how you’d test it out with your horse, without purchasing one outright.

I feel like some vets don’t suggest ulcers unless you bring it up first? Some people do a round of treatment without scoping because it costs about the same (or cheaper just to treat?) and if it works, then it’s a good chance horse had/has ulcers. I’d ask vet about that and see what they think.

[Horsecare101]

@retiredhorse

Yes in the stall with them, it makes a significant difference for some. I have not done this personally, but I have met 3 horses for whom this has worked, 2 have minis and 1 has a goat. In one case the mini and horse are fed separately, because mini gets too fat, but lives with horse the rest of the time (I think the horse has a hay feeder the mini can’t get into, though mini does pick up the bits that fall out). I’m not sure how you go about acquiring a mini or other animal, or how you’d test it out with your horse, without purchasing one outright.

I feel like some vets don’t suggest ulcers unless you bring it up first? Some people do a round of treatment without scoping because it costs about the same (or cheaper just to treat?) and if it works, then it’s a good chance horse had/has ulcers. I’d ask vet about that and see what they think.

For the people who have buddies in their stall - are they big stalls? My horse is 16.1 in a 24 x 24 - do you think that’s enough room for a buddy? I have no idea if my barn would allow this, but it may be worth a shot. My husband is our farrier - he may divorce me over a mini lol. Not his ideal clientele!

Depending how this week goes, the vet should be coming out for Xrays. I’ll definitely mention ulcers if they are clear.

Thanks again!

[retiredhorse]

I think it’s big enough, given that these 3 horses I saw were at horse shows, in double stalls, so 12x24 (or 10x20-24).

Just thought of this too: where I lived, alfalfa was more expensive than grass hay, and there was a prevailing thought that alfalfa made them hot. So to get horses weight up, we’d often supplement with beet pulp, rice bran, and flax. Not sure if you’re already feeding that.

[Lord_Helpus]

If horses walk the fenceline while turned out, we put jump rails through the rails until they sit diagonally inside the field. We space then about 30’ apart down the side the horse likes to pace. Voila! He stops pacing because the dumb old rails are in the way.

You could try to put a rail through the fence line and let it touch the ground in the middle of all 4 sides. Suddenly, you have become smarter than your horse. I would love to know if this works in a 24 x 24 pen. So if you try it, let us know.

[joiedevie99]

It sounds like the horse doesn’t like his living situation. You may have ulcers brewing as well as a shoulder injury from the pacing. What other options do you have? Do you live in an area that doesn’t do turnout? I hate it, but know those areas exist.

If you don’t have another option for a better living situation, you’re probably going to have to go to bigger guns than valerian to force him to chill out while he heals. I’d talk with the vet about Ace, Reserpine, etc.

[retiredhorse]

I’ve seen people put tires in 12x12 stalls for stall walking, but I’m not sure how that would work in a bigger stall – if the horse would just find another area to pace.

[BlueDrifter]

Is he in an open 24x24 or one that is enclosed?

A friend had a mare that could not take any enclosure – so she remained in a paddock with only a tree for protection.

I had read that mounting a mirror in their stall helped repetitive anxious behaviors (weaving, cribbing, etc).

I am a fan of beet pulp for weight gain. Added magnesium is supposed to have a calming effect.

[Horsecare101]

Thanks for all the suggestions! I’ve been thinking about putting something in his stall to break the line, but hate to take more space away from him. I may have to go that route anyway. He is in an open 24 x 24 now and I put him in the large arena daily.

I was very concerned it was due to him not liking his living situation, but we are in a bind. We live in San Diego county where space is limited. He was in a two acre pasture his whole life at my Dads house, but my Dad passed in Feb so we had to move him. This was by far the best option we found and it’s close to my work so I can let him out every day. He used to pace the pasture at feeding time and if his buddy went for a ride. It just didn’t do any damage because of its size so the pacing is a constant no matter what size his living situation is. He had lived alone in the pasture since our last horse died and my Dad got sick so my hope was the stimulation at the barn would be a good thing for him. Maybe it’s too much to have all the activity going on. He’s been there almost three months now and he still seems anxious.