Any idea what could be upsetting YO'S Horse? Also in NL

[LaurenBay]

Firstly, This is not my Horse, He belongs to my yard owner (and good friend) I do have her permission to post. She would be grateful for any advice.

Horse in question is a 17.1 8YO Belgium WB. YO has had him over 2 years now. She jumps him mainly. He is a very kind Horse, but is very sensitive!

In August, when YO went away, she asked her friend to ride Horse for her. The first time she tacked up, I was around too. Friend didn't think to tack up slowly as he is a sensitive boy, saddle went on far to quickly and Horse pulled back and run off around the yard. I manadged to catch him and calm him down. I held him whilst friend went ot put the saddle on him (slowly this time) the Horse had the same reaction as he was now a bit wary of it (Never had any issues before this) I held on and calmed him down again. I decided it was best if I put saddle on Horse (know him quite well) and he was fine. Friend got on and rode. He was fantastic and was fine untacking.

Since then, he has had an issue with the saddle going on. He begun to get better and was still a perfect gentlemen when being ridden and untacked. A couple of months ago, YO was tacking up, when she done up the girth, he had quite a violent reaction (rearing and broncing) she decided not to ride and untacked. She called the pysio out, Pysio said he was very tense around his poll area, but was happy with saddle fit, pysio suggested giving him some time off and do stretches. She gave him a month off, to chill in the field. Pysio came back out, said he was less tense around poll, but started to move backwards (towards bum) But he could be ridden again. YO brought him back into work, he was a darling. He still seemed wary of the saddle, but didn't react to it being put on. YO has been getting someone to give him a little handful off feed whilst it is being put on. This has been working. Still behaving like a star being ridden and in all other ways.

Anyway, They had the saddler out and the saddler said, it was a little bit too tight for him now, so suggested getting a new one. YO arranged for saddler to come out at the weekend and try out saddles. On the saturday my YO decided to lunge him, when putting the roller on, he flipped out and reared up. Had a bit off a moment on the lunge but overall was good. On the Sunday, the saddler came. He was wary of the saddles, but didn't react. Saddler wanted to see YO ride in a couple of the saddles. So YO goes off and gets bridle. Horse will not let her put bridle on (day before was fine) Saddler manages to get bridle on with a bit of time and then tacks up. Saddle goes on fine, girth done up. But when the saddler touched his side, Horse pulled away, reared, bronced and ran off. Caught him and calmed him down. By this point my YO was quite worried ( she has lost confidence with him, due to a Horse kicking her in the head and almost killing her, so understandable) So I offered to walk him down the the school and walk him around in hand. He was absolutly fine, So I asked him to go out on the lunge in walk only. Again was fine. YO took over and a big gust off wind came and he spooked then pulled away. Managed to get loose and have a run around. I managed to catch him and calm him down, although he was shaking all over. Walked him in hand again as didn't want to leave it at that. He was fine. Saddler said not too ride him that day, as clearly something was upsetting him.

So fast forward to today, YO goes into stable with him, Horse won't let her put headcollar on. She wasn't going to ride, But turnout.

Understandably YO is very wary of him now, as he is of her. She is going to pay her instructor to come out and go back to basics with him (tacking up and regaining confidence). She has stopped riding and will give him some time off.

So what next? More Pysio? Vet? Chriopractor? Equine Behaviour specialist? Nothing has changed in his routine. He is turned out every day in a herd, on hay (grass isn't really growing) and haylege during the night. He is on Alfa A, Sugarbeet, Topline and Hifi (he drops condition very easily, but always has)

Chocolate biscuits for anyone who read all of that!! Just tried to give as much info as I could!

 

[muff747]

I do understand that he drops condition easily but I would try taking his feed back to basics. If he were mine, firstly I would just give him ad lib hay, as much as he can eat, the biggest hay net - two or three if he can eat that much overnight. Lots of fibre and lots of munching produces the "feel good" factor for horses and promotes contentment.
Take out as much sugar from his diet as possible, horses don't need sugar to keep weight on and may add to the jumpy behaviour, so change to Speedibeet and just add some magnesium. Deficiency in Mg can lead to nervous, jumpy, stressy behaviour.
Oil is good for keeping condition, I used to buy 3 litre corn oil from Sainsburys and add ground linseed.
Another possibility is ulcers, stress can cause ulcers and could explain the escalation of the behaviour due to getting into a vicous circle. So try some Aloe vera juice, or brewers yeast. These are just my suggestions for starters, to see if it makes a difference before you get the vet to investigate more in depth in the way of scoping for ulcers. Others on this forum can recommend more effective stronger medication.

 

[Birker2020]

I was wondering if it was gastric ulcers too? Its weird how he would react to a quick tack up in that way which resulted in all these problems. Unless he reacted to the friend who rode him for some reason. Something in her manner, too hurried, etc worried him although i can't think why this should be a problem. I know you say he is a sensitive soul, but that's taking things a bit too far and at 8 he is not a youngster anymore.

Getting the physio out was a good idea though. I expect he is sensitive around his poll due to pulling back on the headcollar so many times.

I'm not quite into understanding the bit about the yard owner not being able to put the headcollar on though. What exactly is the horse doing to prevent this from happening? If the horse is turning his back and threatening with his hind quarters this shouldn't be allowed to develop into a habit and needs to be nipped in the bud straight away, easier said than done I know.

If it were my horse I'd keep perservering with things. By giving the horse a break its only putting off the inevitable and as there is no physical problem as such it seems a bit pointless.

Your poor YO, I do feel for her. Its horrid when your horse changes charachter and there is no reason for this to happen. I know as its happening to me at the moment with my horse who I suspected was an ulcer case. I've changed his routine, and he is ridden more, he is on less haylage, on a haylage balancer, fed slippery elm and meadowsweet and given more fibre and seems a lot happier.

 

[LaurenBay]

Thank you for your suggestions. The vet will coming next week to xray for Kissing Spines and if that doesn't show anything, scope for ulcers. Although I do think a bit of it is all in his head now.

He wouldn't let YO put headcollar on yesterday (she texted me and asked could I try when I got up yest evening) She did finally manage to get in on in the evening. But not without a bit of bribery! When I tried, he just kept running in circles and putting his head in the air, I'm only 5ft and he is 17.1hh! So a bit of a struggle. However I worked with him and got it on him, made a fuss off him, took it off, put back on, made fuss, took it off and left it at that. I showed my YO how I done it, so she could do this with him this morning, it took her a few minutes, but it worked.

Interesting about the feed, I will email, this suggestion over to her.

 

[TeamChaser]

I wonder if your friend would consider you (you seem to get on with her horse) or someone else completely confident handling the horse for a few days and see if this brings about a change in behaviour?

If the horse is a bit sensitive, a nervous handler could be exacerbating the problem

When I first took on my ex racehorse, I wasn't particularly confident. First few weeks were ok but then he started to test me and push the boundaries i.e. take the pi$$! Started spinning in on coming traffic (not nice!) and just shattered my confidence. Of course the more nervous I became, the more I re enforced his behaviour and, in effect, convinced him there was something to worry about! Got to the stage that he would whip round at a car crawling towards us at 10 miles an hour. Sounds silly, but destroyed the relationship we'd started to build

Trust works both ways and a sensitive horse in particular needs to trust in their handler. 9 years on I can honestly say I am never nervous around this horse and I still probably come off him an average of twice a year .... sharp bugger He very rarely reacts at all in traffic (if he does now it's down to high spirits) but it took time, tears and some tough love from my sister and instructor to get there. It sounds like something unbelievably simple, but you would not believe the horse of 9 years ago is the same one I have today

I hope you're friend does manage to sort this out as he sounds like a super horse

 

[LaurenBay]

Thank you, He is a lovely Horse! She is absolutly fine riding him. Just on the ground she is wary. She has her instructor coming out today, to do a groundwork lesson with him.