A "how do you think he is looking" post and update

S

Shiraz

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I got my new horse 5 wks ago but the weight tape has been up and down like a yo-yo. Wk1 - 495kg, wk2 - 504kg, wk3 - 495kg, wk4- 510kg, wk5 - 507kg. He's fed on winergy growth and alfa a oil 3x a day, he has ad lib hay and haylage, a horselyx lick that he loves.

His cribbing is really bad but waiting till we get some sort of normality/base line before scoping him and treating as the stress of the move may be affecting him too. My YOs have been very patient but I'm not sure how much longer they will tolerate him slackening all their fence posts and eating their stables...

He's really horrible to deal with; bites, kicks, is aggressive (made worse if you tell him "No"), bucks, naps, is very stiff when ridden and drops behind all contact, he has no manners or respect for your space and won't stand and just barges about. He is 100x better now than from they day/week he arrived but still far from an angel!! I'm sure we'll get there but looking like a very uphill struggle at the moment
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He's changed shape so his current saddle no longer fits so were solely concentrating on ground work till his topline improves and doing work with side reins to help him accept contact. So very much a project...

He had an accident in the field on Friday night and severed the fetlock of inside of his off hind. Thankfully I seen it happen (he was having a yahoo in the field and kicked/stood on himself) so could "first aid" it straight away, don't think I've ever seen so much blood though
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Got it sorted and had phoned the vet straight away. When she got there she wouldn't deal with him as he was so aggressive so he was sedated and twitched. The "cut" is right through to the bone but thankfully not on the joint, the vet could get her little finger right up it. He's been pressure bandaged by the vet since Friday, vets out again this morning (had to work so waiting for a call from mum with an update) but vet said that they will have to come out to do every bandage change under sedation as he is so aggressive and such a kicker (would have to be his favourite kicking leg <rolling eyes) The joys...

Anyway, cookies if you got this far! Any helpful hints, tips and suggestions welcome! I know he still needs a bum
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Now the pics:

The day he arrived

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Most recent pics from Wed and Thur night

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Donkey Pose

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So not bothering about me, but you can see his sides

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Honest opinions welcome (be kind, had a traumatic weekend with him)
 
I have the same problem my TB x lost a lot of weight and whilst I have been monitoring the weight tape has been fluctuating somewhat!


Best of Luck!
 
what a lovely looking chap!!!i think he looks fine now looking at the last photo best time of yr for popping weight on,its a shame his the way he is im sure with time he will improve.it makes you wonder what hes been through to be like that.hes quite short backed i bet he is very agile!!my chap also started cribbing when i got him and hadnt done it before he also was a nut to start with but i think he got so stressed with the move!now his in work he is like a different horse,good luck im shore he will be a cracker once his got going!!!
 
Looks to be a definate improvement in the neck allready.

I wonder if the aggression will calm down if you manage to help with the cribbing?

Sorry, I can't remember if I've asked how he's bred or not - but he's sooo like Thumper in his colouring and stamp.
 
He's on winergy just now as that's supposed to help sensitive tums and he gets an antacid supplement. I want him scoped but vet says to calm down and do one thing at time and give stuff a chance to work.

I'm half considering using a miracle collar as that's what his previous owner used but then I don't want to stop him cribbing if it's to relieve a discomfort or help his digestion (worse at feed time, I've never had a cribber before so not sure if that's "normal"). I *think* he might have an ulcer but that's just my hunch...

His feet are a mess, my (now sacked) farrier didn't improve them very much so have a new (recommended) farrier coming 7 May so fingers crossed. Also been using NAF Hoof Moist and that seems to have made a slight difference.

His back has been checked and he's had massages with an EBW and the dentist is out the start of May. I stopped riding and using his saddle as soon as the fit became anything less than perfect. Hoping, once we get going again, the flat work will build up top line and make him and his HUGE withers easier to fit! Bought a prolite pad too in the hopes that it would help in the short term but typically it arrived the day after he done his leg!

There was no tension over his quarters when he was checked. He does have a very pointy bum which might make him look tense? I use a massage brush on him too. he has funny lumps over back and bum. Just like lumps of scabby skin that is coming out, don't know if it's from wearing rugs before etc? Had them since he arrived so rubber currying them out as they are very itchy for him. So yeah, his hindquarters are regularly checked and worked over.

Yes, he's very agile! Mainly when he's snaking at you in the stable but I loose schooled him through a wee grid and he's got a pop in him.

The vet's now been and is really pleased with the wound and how it is healing. Still on box rest but he can be walked out now to ease any swelling. The vet has confirmed that he is extremely aggressive and arrogrant (glad for a professional opinion!!) with absolutely no respect. She couldn't even get to give him sedative IV and just had to IM, plunge and run!! So embarrassed, I hate horses with no manners. I can understand he's uncomfortable/sore with his leg but still... this is "normal" behaviour since I got him. I excused, but didn't allow, the kicking when I got him as his legs were burning up with MF but I've cleared that up now and sometimes he'll just kick because he can or turn his back end without any reason
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The joys...

He's a TB out of Accondy and is 7 on 9th May. He's also for sale
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any takers?? No?? lol
 
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He's a TB out of Accondy

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By Accondy??

Remember - it can take ages for feet to improve. So 5 weeks aint long for your farrier to try and remedy past probs.

Thumper is on a feed balancer to help with the quality of his feet (week horn). Hopefully by the end of the summer we will notice a real difference. I'll have had him a year then.

Does he have adequate access to good grazing and plenty of adlib hay when he's in??
 
Looks like a real nice horse, i used to have a little bay mare... right cheeky thing! sounds exactly like him! with time, and bonding she began to respect me and my brother, she also became happier!. Could this be him just settling in? and trying to prove dominance?

Stephen
 
He looks much better now than the first picture. I might be able to help with the scabby skin - I have a grey TB as well and last year he was just miserable, not at all his usual self and around that time he started to get scabby. He also got mudfever so I wondered if it might be rainscald. I fed him something from Pegasus Herbs called Skin Mix and it did him a world of good. The scabs went away and he really perked up and stopped being such a b*stard. Incidentally, he was really bony as well when I first got him and I always used a big thick sheepskin numnah and a Prolite back pad just to give him a bit of padding.

Re. cribbing - I always found that the best way to stop a horse cribbing was 24 hour turnout. Are you able to do that this summer? I once had a TB who struggled to keep weight on, weaved, cribbed, box walked and kicked (you name it) but he did really well living out, well rugged. I think he was just happier that way. I brought him in to be fed twice a day and he really relaxed after about 3 weeks and stopped being so agressive.
 
I think he looks just right in terms of condition, he looks like a really nice horse and I'm sure everything else will improve is time. We have a horse where I ride who is similar and he is getting so much better since he had one person mainly dealing with him and he has had his back sorted (or being sorted). Good luck
 
Your story brings back memories of last year when I bought a similar horse in very poor condition (same colour and even had the same headcollar Lol). He was quiet to start with but then, when back to full health and had more condition he started being very bargy and bad mannered. I bought a controlling headcollar and a long lead rope and started some groundwork, just teaching him to keep out of my space and go in the direction I asked at a sensible pace. He was quick to learn and he vastly improved in that respect. Unfortunately it turned out he was very dominant in the field and could not be trusted with mares as he threatened to kill one or two of them and when one particular mare was in season I couldn't do anything with him, even in the yard, and to try going for a hack was downright dangerous as this mare just seemed to blow his mind. I made sure I sold him to someone with their own land and they were aware of his habits so hopefully he is more settled in his new home.
Good luck with your horse as he does look like he could be a nice sort. Did you buy him as a project?
 
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Amy May - Yeah, by Accondy - sorry! I don't expect an overnight fix re feet but I'd had "concerns" about his shoeing on my other 2 horses. I'd spoken to my vet (having voiced my concerns the previous 2 shoeings to farrier) and vet agreed with me but said to give him once last chance and he told me what to ask for. Farrier totally ignorned me and copped an attitude! New horses's feet were very long and flat with no heel, farrier shod them the exact same so in less than a week they looked like they needed done again but I was advised to wait until next shoeing was due to give the heel some time to grow.

CLC - I don't know, this is fairly severe behaviour so way beyond the "testing the boundaries". As far as he is concerned there are no boundaries and the only way to do things is his way. Thankfully he is getting better but this incident seems to have set him right back again.

Kit- Thanks for the heads up about his skin, will try that. Was also going to give him red cell to give him a "perk me up". He's not a stressy horse and doesn't weave/box walk. He lived out 24/7 previous to me buying him and I think that this has contributed to his poor condition. He is fed 3x a day and has ad-lib hay and haylage, he's fed from the floor and always has lots left in the morning. He's on box rest now because of his leg. He is normally out on over 20 acres of good grazing and will be out 24/7 over summer but will be in at nights during winter. I just don't want him to be burning off any calories keeping warm when he is out so for now he'll be in at nights.
 
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Deeble - No! I bought him as a "fun" horse because I had to get my older arab mare pts in Feb and the TB mare I bought July 07 has been lame on and off that whole time(passed 5 stage), that has now been resolved after surgery and she's on box rest recuperating from that. She will be enough of a project for me as she'll need re-backed and has already proven in her days of soundness what a handful she is!!

I wasn't even looking for another horse but my friend went to view this one and decided not to get him and I couldn't get his kind (?) eye out of my head and just wanted to bring him home, he's my first gelding too as I've always been a mare person. I knew he was green ridden and was looking forward to a bit of work but it's become very clear now just how much of a project he is! I'm sure his ridden work will come good given time and work as he has flashes of brilliance (loose schooled!) and has potential (yes, that word again!), so the plan is to event him. Who knows after that...
 
I've got an Accondy 3yo...she's quite a good doer, laid back, and has a nice temperament....if that helps.
Accondy stock seem to be very clever though...and will invent new 'games' to amuse themselves.
I'll have him - he looks like a nice horse, with a kind eye....
S
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[ QUOTE ]
I've got an Accondy 3yo...she's quite a good doer, laid back, and has a nice temperament....if that helps.
Accondy stock seem to be very clever though...and will invent new 'games' to amuse themselves.
I'll have him - he looks like a nice horse, with a kind eye....
S
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We can do a swap then
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I think he is lovely...despite the aggression.
My mare was v aggressive when I bought her...it took a long time but well worth it to get over 'issues'. She used to cow-kick and bite and just lunge at you if she thought you weren't on your toes. It was more of a I'm going to get you first before you get me...no fear, her way was the only way. We got over it all...
He is a really nice type...may take a while to settle(longer than you would think) and with any upsets initially ie. leg injury and treatment could throw him out a bit so he reverts back to defense/aggression as his way of controlling the situation...do you know anything about his history? this could lend some clue as to his behaviour.
You seem to be doing everything right for him...good luck and keep us updated...very interested in seeing how he progresses...
 
is that the horse you bought from another forum member?i maybe wrong but he look familiar to pics i have seen.
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