Anyone else's horses like this?

A

AshTay

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I've had my just turned-6 year old tb x sec D for two months. He was sold to me via Project Horse as he can be very nervous and this was evident when i went to see him and try him so I knew what I was getting myself in to.

He's fine probably 80% of the time but every now and then he just loses it and reacts very extremely. We hack out (in company) and he's fine with most things really, doesn't like flappy plastic of any sort but usually just snorts and ponces a bit until it's gone. But when something does upset him he totally loses the plot.

So far we've had 3 "incidents".

1) In the school, my friend put out some marker cones. He wasn't keen on any of them, which I expected, but he had a real issue with A and when my friend picked it up he panicked, I dropped a rein (too much mane!) which spooked him again and we had a full bolt round the school. He did settle down again but has since been very edgy in the school and at one point he didn't even like me patting him (think we've fixed that now).

2) At the local show practise night he bolted and I fell off when I tried to take a swig from a plastic bottle. My own fault as a) I knew he hated most plastic things and b) he'd already expressed concerns about the bottle but not in a big way and I just pushed him too far so kicked myself about that. But I got back on and he was mostly fine (I was expecting the fall to upset him given how he went after incident 1 but it didn't seem to bother him).

3) The other night bringing in we came round a corner and there was a rug on a gate which wasn't there before and he literally exploded on the spot and jumped 3 wheelbarrows and galloped back to his friends. Was odd as things "change" on the yard all the time so not sure why that warranted any more than a bit of snorting. He then wouldn't stop trembling for the next 20 mins and trying to peer round corner for the monster.

So bit of a long post and not really after advice per se about how to work with him but more wondered if anyone else had a similar horse and whether the nerviness was ever overcome? Do you think this sort of behaviour may in part be baby-ness and him trying it on with me?
 
Never had a problem with my mare till we moved yards then she did this for a full month, is improving back to how she used to be now, is only 4 so I have been assured it is babyness and rebellion at moving/feeling insecure following move which seems to be true based on her recent behaviour
 
Yes, my TB is like this. I found that Top Spec calmer does wonders for him. The change was almost instant. It sounds like your horse is genuinely anxious and this is the type of horse calmers work best on.
 
I think that can be usual for something that's a bit sensitive and unsettled.
He will probably get better as he gets to know you more and becomes more established.
Every horse I've ever had has had the odd random freak out, it's not like yours is deliberately bucking you off or anything.
I'm sure with time, patience and understanding he will get better :)
 
My horse was like this when I got him last september.....he would literally poo himself:confused:

Very anxious- and underconfident. I feed him Maxacalm calmer in his chaff and spent a few months just doing groundwork with him ( he had a sore back so riding was out for a while).

He is 100% better now. Hacks out. Schools nicely. Rarely spooks. Very chilled and happy boy....

It takes time, routine, patience and consistency for anxious horses- they like to know where they stand with you and you need to be an effective leader that he will feel safe with.

I would try the Maxacalm.....I've been very impressed with it.
 
Thanks for the advice! I'm trying calmers at the moment - I have some half tubs left from when my old pony was on boxrest so can try those out to begin with and then move on to the ones you mention if they don't make any difference.

It's the variation I think that bothers me. Buses, motorbikes, standing quietly in a pub car park while I sip a sneaky half; all fine, donkeylike even. But a plastic bottle = meltdown.

How did you get on with desensitising. I've been doing a bit with the plastic bottle with him in his stable as he's chilled in there and I don't want him to associate the school with bad things. He will now come and sniff the bottle as I'm clicking it (i then stop and he gets some pony nuts) but I worry about pushing him too far and ruining the trust we have built up so far.

I half wonder whether someone's tried to desensitise him with a plastic bag or something in the past and have frightened the life out of him hence his irrational fear of all things plastic.
 
I may get yelled at for this but this how I got F used to plastic bags.

I left one securly tied up in his stable for about a week, Then I tied it to his water bucket and only when he seemed 100% chilled with this I put the bag inside his feed bucket with it overlapping the sides but so it still rustled when he ate.

He is totally chilled about bags now
 
Bettyboo222 said:
I may get yelled at for this but this how I got F used to plastic bags.

I left one securly tied up in his stable for about a week, Then I tied it to his water bucket and only when he seemed 100% chilled with this I put the bag inside his feed bucket with it overlapping the sides but so it still rustled when he ate.

He is totally chilled about bags now
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Lots of people have suggested that. I left one tied up in his stable for ages. But he ignored it UNLESS it made a noise in which case he froze and snorted but it was quite high up so not much use. So I tried tying it up just above his haynet. He wouldn't come near it. He stuck himself to the back wall of his stable and then just ate his bedding at the back rather than the hay. In the end I was worried he'd make himself ill so took it away secretly. Not tried anything like that again yet.
 
Mine absolutely jumped out of his skin if a door banged...or anything moved/blew around the yard. SoIi just let stuff happen, let doors bang, gates swing etc whilst I was holding him and paid no attention to it whatsoever- didn't pat or stroke him or anything. His previous owners had reassured him to the point where he felt he was justified in panicking. As he realised I wasn't bothered by things he stopped bothering too.

The bag thing is a good idea....I left a rug in a corner of his stable as he used to freak at rugs in a heap on the floor.....he doesnt bat an eyelid now.
 
poppymoo said:
Re the calmers.....for anxious worriers you probably need a calmer with Typtophan in.....so Top Spec or Maxacalm would be good- I'm sure there are others but those 2 definately contain it.
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Ooooo- I have a full tub of Equistro Equiliser left over so will try that as it contains tryptophan (trying the half tub of Feedmark steady up at the mo but that doesn't seem to contain it). Thank you!
 
Interesting to read this...my boy is 5, i've had him a year, but he is a worrier...totally laid back alot of the time...but my mum had an accident (when someone thought it would be a good idea to let off a high powered nail gun less than 20 yards away as she rode past) although he is trying really hard, and doesn't have a nasty bone in his body, he will sometime spook quite violently, as in quick as a flash turn and try and run in the opposite direction, he stops when you tell him to, but then will be on edge......I know time will help, but would it be trying a calmer? He@s quite sharp when he does it and it can be really unseating!!
 
Well....you've got nothing to lose ( apart from about £25;))....I would give it a try......but I would personally always prefer to use one with tryptophan in. The others mainly contain magnesium- which only works if your horses diet/grazing is deficient. I have tried Supercalm, but Global Herbs never tell you exactly whats in it, which I don't like.....and it didn't make a difference anyway.

Also- I use Mollichaff Calmer chaff which has chamomile and stuff in ( very technical eh?)......and no mixes/cereals/sugar etc. Plenty of hay and turnout for as long as possible. Mine all have a routine which is the same every day.....I think it all helps in little ways.:)
 
Ta, he definately has a routine and plenty of quality hay and turnout, so all good there....I may try it, got to be worth a go!! :)
 
My boy lives out but comes in everyday for a bit of feed and some fuss or a ride.

He sounds similar to your boy, Debs, in that he doesn't have a nasty bone in his body. There's only one horse below him in the herd that I've seen him make less-than-polite faces at and that's a pony recovering from a stroke (but there's no bullying of anybody - they're a peaceful bunch).

A couple of weeks ago I went to get him in and I was wearing a new (to him) coat and he came over to me then spooked, then tried again, then spooked, and so on. Eventually I twigged it was the coat as it was rustly. So I let him come to me and have a nervous sniff (didn't want to just go and take it off as then he'd learn that spooking makes things go away) and take a treat and a pat and then I left him alone and went back and took coat off and then tried again and he was fine. I then groomed him while wearing aforementioned coat and he eventually got over it.
 
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