Cant put saddle on horse...

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proctor

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My friends horse is a full TB, 11 year old gelding, and the most accident prone horse ever, I have known him for 3 years and in that time he has had KS surgery, has fallen and smacked his head on water trough ending up with a heamatoma in his nasal passage and having to have his skull drilled twice to relieve pressure. Has got stuck in fencing 3 times, stuck in metal 5 bar gate ripping open his hind legs, nail in his hoof, slicing open his face just above his eye, and the latest is deep digital flexor injury and has been on 3 months box rest. Well now he is sound and my friend went to tack him up to do his 10 mins walk and he flipped, and I dont mean little bit, full on panic, bucking, rearing, throwing himself on the floor. He has been on bute for 3 days and no improvement, he has been turned out in small paddock so its not excitment, and now he does the same with a rug. Vet seems to think he has had total mental breakdown, has anyone come across this and what was the outcome. Friend is desperate.
 
If the vet thinks he's had some sort of a breakdown what does he suggest? I have a horse that I am sure had a breakdown of some sort. He had all sorts of panic behaviour, including fear of rugs and panic-struck galloping. Quite dangerous to be around.
I put him in a field with other horses and took him apples for some months. Then I went right back to basics as if he was a wild baby horse being handled for the first time. I also used the help of Tim Couzens, a holistic vet. The horse can now be handled, taken away from other horses and ridden, but it's been a long hard road to travel, with some injuries to both of us along the way.. However there are limits to what he can handle even now and I'm not sure if they will ever be overcome.
 
p.s. It wouldn't be unknown for a horse to suddenly lose it after protracted medical treatment, and then prolonged box rest and lack of socialisation with others. He may need to be given the chance to remember how to just be a horse, whatever the risk, and see if that gives some hope he can be turned round.
 
I would speak to the vet just to make sure he's not in any pain, and chat with phsyo etc as I'm sure he would have a fair bit of muscle wastage from the time he has had off.

If that is all fine I think I'd be inclined to turn him away for a few months in a small safe herd so he can heal his mind, leave him totally alone and let him be a horse. Then bring him back in and treat as a youngster.

I may also book an animal communitor to see if they can shed any light.
http://www.animalpsychic.co.uk/

But best of luck, I had known horses break down mentally after a series of bad luck and a long period of stress.
 
Well vet is coming out tomorrow to look at him. I feel sorry for both horse and my friend, they both seem to be desperately unhappy at the mo. I've said she can bring him to my field and just chill out and eat grass for a few months with my boy to see of that helps him to chill and sort his head out.
 
proctor said:
Well vet is coming out tomorrow to look at him. I feel sorry for both horse and my friend, they both seem to be desperately unhappy at the mo. I've said she can bring him to my field and just chill out and eat grass for a few months with my boy to see of that helps him to chill and sort his head out.
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Would he have company when yours goes to ridden? He needs feel safe and secure for a few months with no stress. Being left on his own won't help
 
This may not be relevant at all but you say he is a full tb so i would assume has worked from a young age, has he had any breaks or time off like this.

I have a horse he is very what looks like cold backed if has any length of time off he can buck panic plunge at sight of tack or when mounting, you cant even bring him in to a stable to get ready as he barges around wont let you bring tack near and sweats up.

After time off he needs gentle handling tacking up then slowly on from there then he settles in to work, if he was stressed by the situation and rest before then he may just be reacting to this.

After a few weeks my horse goes back to normal well as normal as he can manage but his reaction at firsty can be silly but he settles very qucikly he has no physical issues.

Within a couple of weeks he is fine and you can just jump on but he is always funny if has time off he will also only let you leg on at first but is happy to be mounted any way very quickly.
 
my lad was the same as he had been abused and had a breakdown. answer was to give him a few months off and loads of turnout. any time i touched his back or put pressure on it he was rewarded with a polo. it tooks months, and some more hissy fits ones the saddle appeared, but we got there in the end. A good break to allow them to enjoy being horse, with no pressures, is the best cure.

time + turnout + patience + polos was the answer for us!
!
 
You are a very kind friend to offer to let your friend let her horse down and relax. 3 months box rest can be pretty tough on a horse and by the sound of it, 10 mins means she is at the beginning of the fitness route. Just assuming she did check the saddle properly or pad it before putting it on as obviously he would have lost muscle. I have had to put a full sheepskin pad under my saddle atm as mine comes back into work and he only had 6 weeks off (though ill so lost a lot of weight)

Alternatively if turning him away is not an option, how about long reining to get him back into work? starting in the school and then building up to go out again before actually riding him.
 
What a sad read, poor lad, he really does sound unhappy, but a lucky boy that he has your friend who obviously loves him and she's lucky to have a friend like you offering to help.

Hope the vet visit goes well today and that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
 
proctor said:
Well vet is coming out tomorrow to look at him. I feel sorry for both horse and my friend, they both seem to be desperately unhappy at the mo. I've said she can bring him to my field and just chill out and eat grass for a few months with my boy to see of that helps him to chill and sort his head out.
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Sounds very sensible.
 
a few years ago i went to view a pony for lwvtb, it was an older pony (about 21yrs old) and had lived with the owner nearly it's entire life, it had lived with the other horse it was turned out with for over 6yrs.
i tacked her up and got on, went for a ride and all was great. we took her on and managed to ride her for 3 days with no problems.
on the 4th day i put the saddle on her and she just dropped to the floor, got up and was bucking and rearing, it was a struggle to get near her again to get the saddle off.

from that moment on i couldn't even change her rugs safely as she would drop to the floor, it was almost like she collapsed and then got distressed so flipped out.

after speaking to the owner she said that the mare never did any of this with her (which i believed and still do) but her other mare is deteriating being alone and nothing can be done, the vet was going to pts in a couple of weeks. we agreed for the mare to go back to the owner and i kept in touch for a while afterwards. the vet went out to put the other mare to sleep and said she had improved so didn't want to do it.

i went back to ride this mare again and all was well so we think they just missed each other so much it blew their brains and they both reacted in the only way they knew how.

i don't know if anything has changed with your friends horse, maybe because of all the accidents/injuries it's incurred it's been treated differently and now it's being brought back into work it can't cope? sorry if none of the above makes sense!
 
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