Saturday, March 14, 2009
My horse is so nervous now in the alley way!
Hi,
I just wanted to let you know that I have followed your advice with all of your drills and taking it slower with my mare and it is really working well.. She has ran in the 1D at her last three races and has stayed relaxed without trying to increase speed before her turns. She is now coming 6, and I have great hopes for her.
I do have another problem with a nice buckskin gelding that I started and seasoned myself. He is coming 9, and I have hauled him since he was 6. Last summer I leased him out to a young girl and got him back in the fall. She is in Utah, I am in Wyoming. I never practiced the barrel pattern much on him, mostly rode him outside on cattle and in the mountains to keep him legged up. I stressed that he does not need to be practiced at high speeds and especially over & over again. When I got him back, he has acted anxious at a race and has spun to the left a couple of times. I just keep circling him tight to the left & actually encouraged him to do it faster, then asked him to move forward. If he didn't, I would repeat it. I found that if I went to turn him to the right he would get stiff and elevated, not quite rearing, but I can tell he totally would if he was pulled on. I have taken him to two different chiropractors and they are not able to find anything wrong. His teeth have been looked at as well. Once he frees up and gets going, his pattern is still the same pretty pattern he always had, nice, and smooth. The people that had him last summer recently sent me a link to some of their family pictures and there were a LOT of pictures of him being practiced. They were different days, different arenas, she was wearing different clothes. In several of the pictures he was sweating so much I think his eyes were even sweating. I was not even able to answer their email because I can't think of one nice thing to say to them right now. They seemed to be experienced with horses, but the pictures showed me that what I suspected with him was actually true. I have seen horses act way worse than Sage at the gate, in fact I have had some myself that were worse, but it is awful because of how he used to be. I have just been hauling him to ropings and barrel races to be around the noise,etc.. but not running him. I go in & out of the gate a lot. He still seems more nervous, sweats a lot and I can feel his heart beating in my legs. I wondered if you could give me more advice besides what I am doing? I have never had a horse with an ulcer, but wondered if that was a possibility?
Thanks, Shawna
First, Thank You for the kind words about my advice column. Secondly, your horse's are lucky to have you. I am sorry your lease didn't go as you had hoped. I am not sure if it's people's lack of knowing better or they just don't care in a lease what is best for the horse.
My advice is do what you are doing but give it more time. Haul to shows and DO NOT enter, just gate him, score him, sit on him in alley way. It he baulks or spins, make the wrong things difficult and the right thing easy as you are doing. You can offer treats, rest, petting as reward when he relaxes there. I would buy one or two exhibitions and only trot to walk around the barrels. Do that for a couple months once a week if possible and your horse will come back to you and settle down.
As far as the ulcers go you should speak to your vet about that, it is a possibility. I think trail rides and hauling just to ride around and score will be his best bet. You could put him on a calming herb for awhile or immune system builder herb to help him settle and feel better as well.
I have seen horses do good on Dan Quai, Noni Juice, and Raseberry Leaf, certain vitamins and minerals help with nerves as well. You could speak to a nutritionalist about that. Smooth Run and Silver Lining Herbs offer products like that.
You are doing the right things, just give it more time.
