Behaviour changes

[KayySkinner]

Sorry long thread, I looked after my horse 9 year old TB when he was in race training and absolutely loved him so when he retired I had the opportunity to have him but he had a tendon injury so I gave him 1 year off to recover. He is the most laid back lad in the world my 10 year old sister and my dad have both had a sit on and walk around the arena only after a few weeks of being back in work.
He started coming back into work in March - starting on the Walker and then ridden for 5 mins one week 10 mins next etc. We have progressed now and are cantering and having 20mins schooling 1-2× per week, hacking for up to 1hour+ the rest of the week with 1-2 days off.
He's been going super well and I've never felt closer to him then all of a sudden last week his behaviour has changed and going from his usual happy laid back self and turned into a spooky nappy monster to ride which I'm not scared off but when you've gone from my lovely pleasure stress free ride that's going amazing to now not being able to go around the edge or into the middle of the school won't go into a contact as he's too busy looking around/turning his head in/turning his bum out napping at literally everything he's also very very stressy cribbing obsessively ( I have a collar on due to yard owners also doesn't have ulcers he has been scoped) it's so heartbreaking and I don't know what to do with him?
Nothing's changed in this time he's turned out for 17 hours, his stable is big enough that he shares it with his buddy currently fed on haylage and a handful of alpha, grass cubes and a balancer 2× per day with a gut and a hoof supplement. He had his teeth done 2 weeks ago but was perfect after for a whole week and then has suddenly changed now.
Any advise would be very very welcome!!

 

[Red-1]

My best advice is to believe him. I don't believe it is a 'behavioural' thing. It is pain or stress (or he would not be cribbing in his own time as well, but also IME it is usually pain or stress anyway).

Normal checks would include saddle, girth, numnah, teeth, lameness workup. Also consider ulcers, unhappy experience (new field companion? New groom?).

I would also consider backing right off, going back to work in hand, long reining, lungeing etc. Get him in a happier place before proceeding.

 

[Shay]

They can develop an intolerance to Alpha even after being on it successfully for some time.

I would echo red - something is wrong and stressing him out. It might be the heat. It might be something in his environment. He's likely to have ulcers so maybe that has flared up.

Its horrible that they can't just talk. We have to work it out as a process of elimination!

 

[Theocat]

When was he scoped? If I am reading your post properly the behaviour changed a week ago - so if the scope wasn't in the past week, or if it was before the behaviour change, ulcers are the most likely cause, from what you describe.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

My best advice is to believe him. I don't believe it is a 'behavioural' thing. It is pain or stress (or he would not be cribbing in his own time as well, but also IME it is usually pain or stress anyway).

Normal checks would include saddle, girth, numnah, teeth, lameness workup. Also consider ulcers, unhappy experience (new field companion? New groom?).

I would also consider backing right off, going back to work in hand, long reining, lungeing etc. Get him in a happier place before proceeding.

This. If he's been absolutely fine until a week ago, something must have changed. If nothing in his management has changed, something in him must have changed. You need to find out what that is, so I would take his feed back to basic hay, in case he has built up an intolerance to one f the ingredients (alfalfa being the usual suspect) and do all the usual checks. Has he built up more muscle, so that his saddle doesn't fit now? etc and if I still couldn't pinpoint the cause, vet checks.

 

[KayySkinner]

Hi sorry for the long reply and taking my time to reply I have been trying out some things suggested on here - he's gone half back to his usual self but not completely this is what I've done;

Had him scoped and came back with very mild grade 1 ulcers so vet thinks although it might be uncomfortable isnt completely enough to change him in that quick of time. Although i have now been feeding him a handful of dengie molasses free alpha before putting his bridle on to prevent them getting worse.

There was one thing I can think off that had changed and that was he had to share a stable in the day with his field buddy but thaught would be a good thing so now he goes in a stable alone or stays in the field with a huge haynet - can be arkward as he's at work with me so have to do what my boss wants I can't really demand things that I want.

He had his teeth done on the 20th July 4 days before he changed.

His back was done on the 19th of June and
it was also when a brand new saddle was fitted to him although has lost a bit of condition since then being no grass around.

Took the alpha out of his dinner (only give him 1 hand full before riding) and tried splitting it into 4 meals instead of three so that hes got more in his stomach for longer periods.

I also thaught that maybe he was consuming to many calories and I wasn't doing enough with him to burn some off so I've started putting him on the Walker in the mornings for 30 mins but not sure if it's made much difference.

Trotted him up for the vet - he's sound and the leg that had the tendon on is good no heat or anything if you didn't know he had a tendon you wouldn't have thaught there was ever a problem

I've tried going back to basics and took all pressure off him we did a lot of ground work - walking backwards sideways walking over poles etc and that went good he was the same as before so then progressed onto doing lunging and he's so perfect on the lunge I've never had a problem there anyway. He was always happy but he was being a lot more affecionte towards me again so started riding him on hacks still no pressure i wasn't making him walk into a contact he had his head where he wanted although he naturally holds it low (we on our own as noone else to ride out with so not an option to ride with others but has never been a problem, often used to ride him on his own walking to and from the gallops the only time when we really went as a herd was in schooling or working the horses) and although he looked at something's it wasn't like before at least this time he'd keep walking in a straight line while looking (before he wouldnt flex he goes very wooden and if I try to turn his head to look the other way he just turns around and tries to go home then won't go back that way) we then had a lesson with an instructor which I had booked ages in advance and couldn't cancel (although we didn't canter just mainley walked and a bit of trot, was getting him to turn on the forehand bending around my legs flexing etc) and he went absolutely lovely and the instructor thaught I was being silly because he was being good, I always give him an easy 1.5 mile walking hack through the fields after schooling and he went perfect. hacked him for longer the next day and today i have tried to school him and started doing what we did in our lesson which was just walk to halt to walk asking him to do slight bending and then ending asking him to bend around my leg but everytime I'd put my leg on hed just rear up. I know you shouldn't but I did give up after about 10 mins it's not worth me falling off and hurting either of us, although I did lunge him so he has but hasn't got away with it. I don't understand what the difference is between an instructor being in the school for him to go well or not. He's definalty not sore after I got off I was asking him to move over and turn his quarters but pushing where my legs were and he was doing it.

Have brought a more padded numnah to try and his girth is a normal sinthetic leather that he wears with a fluffy girth guard on so will try taking that off and see if it makes a difference too.

Have tried not to be too nice (in reason) to him either he doesn't get the nice treats and I'm not babying him as much as I used to when he was a racehorse, which I don't know if its a good thing or not. Now he's just ignoring me now before he would come over to see me in the field or if I came and looked over his stable door. I just don't feel he really likes me but I haven't done anything to deserve it!