Ancient gelding acting studdy

[SarahandSam]

There's a Perch gelding at my barn that I've known for the past two years. He's a really sweet, quiet old guy--he was originally an Amish horse, then owned by a trail riding place, sold to his current owner as a "14-year-old" but in the typical "anything old is being sold as being 14" way. She recently found out that he's actually around 30. He's just a laid-back old draft horse, packs her around at a walk and packs her grandson around and is generally the perfect gentleman.

In the past couple of weeks, he's suddenly been acting very strange. He's always been pasture-boarded in a herd of several horses, mares and geldings, and got along fine. Suddenly though he got really possessive of a newer mare in the herd. Every time she went into heat, he'd try to mount her, and would viciously chase off any other horse that came near her. Then it turned into just randomly attacking other horses--mares, geldings, even his best mare buddy for the past several years. The barn owners tried different turnout configurations for him, but the only one he'll get along with now is "his" new mare. If he's turned out alone, he'll pace the fence and scream and work himself into a panic, and since he's old and has trouble keeping weight on, the barn manager worries about his health doing that--but if he's with anyone else, that's putting them in danger too. Mostly his attacks aren't problematic because he's so old everyone can get away easily... but my horse got kicked in the head a few weeks ago, probably during a skirmish the old guy caused, and he drove a mare through a fence.

So he's scheduled for full bloodwork, he's been on limited turnout, but it just seems bizarre that a 30-year-old gelding should suddenly develop a stallion's libido... anyone ever hear of something like this happening or have any clues to his behaviour? I really hope that the vet's able to figure something out, because he's unsafe for the other horses now but the poor old guy doesn't deserve isolation after so many years now either...

[amdfarm]

Sorry, no help, but bless that big old guy's heart!! I'm interested to hear what the vet exam says. I have a 22yo gelding that is receptive to certain mares in heat and acts studdy, but he'll do the wooing, talking and drop, and never mount. He was a stallion until he was 8, so he knows what stallions do and is pastured next to one. But he's never mean towards other horses he's w/ or the mare he's teasing.

Now I'm curious if this changes as he gets older, too. He likes company and seperating him really isn't an option.

Good luck w/ the old man, hope they figure out what's causing this hormonal imbalance or what have you.

[Dalemma]

Maybe he has some sort of tumor that is causing a change in behavior.

Dalemma

[SarahandSam]

Maybe he has some sort of tumor that is causing a change in behavior.

Dalemma

That was one possibility the vet mentioned... sure hope it's not the case, because his owner would be devastated. ):

[amdfarm]

Oh man, I hope not either. I didn't want to mention it in my first post. :(

Please keep us posted. I LOVE Percherons, have two of them. And who says drafts horses don't live long cause they're a LARGE breed. :) This old boy proves it. What's his name, btw? He sounds like a big sweetie when he's not w/ other horses at the moment.

[SarahandSam]

His name's Big Jim. (: He's just a big old love, his owner was a newbie and is pretty timid about horses, and she just likes to be able to groom him and hand graze him and braid his mane and put her grandson on him and walk out on the trail. So after a lifetime of hard work, I'm sure he thinks he's died and gone to heaven already!

He started losing weight at the end of the summer as well... he's always been pretty comfortably padded but this is the first time he's started to slip again. The vet came out to do his teeth and they're pretty worn, so he's on soft stuff now... I just hope they find something easy to manage with the bloodwork, because it will really devastate his owner when he goes--she thought he was younger, and I don't really know if I see her owning another horse ever after he's gone.

I'd kind of thought maybe Cushings; anyone know if that could affect testosterone levels?

[SarahandSam]

Just bumping in case anyone has heard of this kind of situation. (:

[Altamont Sport Horses]

I'm thinking tumor on the pituitary gland or the adrenal glands, both of which effect hormone levels in the body. I hope that is not the case but it is terribly suspicious. Poor guy.

[lb2005]

Melanoma, perhaps? I assumed Percheron meant gray (though I know better than to assume), but of course I know it can also mean black (or any other color if it's a crossbred).

A friend had a gray Thoroughbred mare that was showing definite behavioral changes just as melonomas began growing more rapidly than they had been (over the course of several months).

Just a thought.

[amdfarm]

Can't help w/ cushings, sorry. But jingles for Big Jim. He sounds wonderful. Keep us posted.

lb2005... Percherons come in black, grey, sorrel, bay and blue roan w/ black and grey being most common.

[SarahandSam]

He's a grey, whited out now... ick, I really hope it's not cancer, though that does seem like the most likely candidate. I will keep you updated when the vet does all her tests... incidentally, how does a vet look for a tumor in a horse? Is it through x-rays, or are there blood tests that can determine it?

[Manes and Tails]

Heh. My trainer's 28 year old gelding, gelded at a normal age, was actually caught doing the big dirty with a new mare. He's never done it before, he's never shown interest like that in any other animal.

The -mare- has major behavioral issues. Could it be -her- hormones causing this. His studdy behavior and related anxiety could explain the weight loss...just a different angle of attack.

[SarahandSam]

Heh. My trainer's 28 year old gelding, gelded at a normal age, was actually caught doing the big dirty with a new mare. He's never done it before, he's never shown interest like that in any other animal.

The -mare- has major behavioral issues. Could it be -her- hormones causing this. His studdy behavior and related anxiety could explain the weight loss...just a different angle of attack.

That's an interesting theory! Hadn't thought of that. Of course this particular mare is an untrained mustang whose owners have decided to basically ditch her, so no hopes on her getting bloodwork anytime soon. Blah. But that would be a lot nicer than the gelding having the health issue. (:

[Jealoushe]

Is it possible he was being treated for something before (say depo), and now whoever was administering it stopped? Seems unlikely in your described situation but I beleive that was the case with my gelding (chryptorchid). His past owner, the barn owner at the riding school he was at went away for two months and at the time he wasn't my horse but I was working there, he turned into a raging hormone crazed animal and was uncontrollable.

Since I had him tested and put him back on depo until surgery hes normal again...