What a strange weekend

Maraschino started running around again in the round pen - staring out into the distance, then running away, then back to stare some more.

It seems we may have matched the symptoms perfectly to the particular grass toxin - it's ergot fungus.. 

I think that the most probable candidate — by far — is ergotism. This is caused by the fungus Claviceps purpurea, which produces a varied and complex mixture of toxins.  In addition to ergot alkaloids, C. purpurea producess histamine, tyramine, serotonin, acetylcholine, and sterols. Some of these are powerful vasoconstrictors.  Since all the ergot alkaloids are structurally similar to lysergic acid, they are also potent hallucinogens (LSD symptoms).

After a warm bath to get all the sticky mud off him after his run around in pen - see how tucked up he was (again)

But the strange thing is - he was calm and relaxed like this

So - all day Saturday this is how he was - tied up high - calm, relaxed, ate hay, drunk water, licked salt - for 6 hours while I did the yards, barrowed 30 barrows of peelings to the round pen, and changed two steel gates to bungy gates. Six hours without any panic, pulling back, herd bound behaviour (the others we way aways).... I kept thing about Pat saying "it's good for a horse to learn to be tied up for long periods of time" or something to that effect.

Again this morning I tied him up for four hours - in gales and squally showers - fine. Mind you I am not getting alot of work done!

I have just contacted a Homeopath and ordered on her suggestion Stramonium -she thinks it will have some good results within 24 hours, 5mls twice a day and so he should be ok to graze again by the end of the week. I'll keep you posted. If you are interested the website is www.farmsupport.co.nz

Just for the record - he is also on (and has been for 7 days) - Magnesium, Toxin Binder (2 weeks) and salt.