Summer is doing well. She continues to be on pergolide, but she’s doing well at 1mg. Her coat is slightly longer and thicker than last year but I think that’s more a reflection of the kind of winter we’re supposed to have. She’s holding her weight and is continuing to look really good. My vet was out in Dec and he’s really pleased with how she’s doing. She’s been on Adequan for about a year and it seems to be helping her. She used to have a lot of popping in her neck, which has disappeared since she started on the injections.
I noticed a few months ago that Summer would sometimes almost fall down when she started to doze off in the middle of the afternoon. I didn’t think too much of it, but I mentioned it to the vet when he was out a few weeks ago. He said she has some calluses on her front legs from where she may be falling down, which he thinks may be due to sleep deprivation. He suggested that we lower the stall wall between Bucky and Summer, which we did. Since then, she has started to lie down in her stall, and she seems much more relaxed. Apparently she just needs to be able to keep an eye on him during the night.
I know I’ve been sleep deprived, and it’s no fun. I had no idea that it could impact horses too. If anyone else has experience with this, please let me know.
My 20 year old arab mare does the sleep deprived tip over atleast once every couple of week. after a couple of bad falls she has started napping next to a big tree and usually catches herself on the tree now and wakes herself up instead of the entire tip over which was causing trouble. deer at night bother her when she is stalled next to her favorite gelding but otherwise she is just getting older. when i see her lip starting to droop in the pasture during the day I move her to the riding arena or stall for safer sleeping since she has proved to be hazardous to her own health
I was watching over Summer during the Benefit Horse Show last weekend.. she was falling down in her stall then too, it’s interesting to read about that.. but yeah that’s what I suspected.. the stalls there were so small I think she just wasn’t comfortable enough to lay down and sleep. Does not take much to tucker her out. Tried to put her in a tall boarded round pen to get some peace and quiet.. but I came back to check on her about half an hour later and she was just sweaty and stressed out.. she seems to do better when someone was there watching her. Poor girl.. too much excitement for a sweet old lady.