Dizzy, continued

MrsMozartletoe

MrsMozartletoe

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Ho hum.

Dizz gets stressed when stabled. The only times she hasn't have been when in a very open stable in the middle row in a massive barn, and when at the AHT (rows of stables facing each other with about fifteen feet inbetween).

It's getting worse
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. Yesterday she was in for about three hours: I bring her in to feed, then feed again before I leave. She's not in work due to having a kick on a foreleg. She sweated up as though she had been worked incredibly hard
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. All underneath her tummy to halfway up her sides, down her neck, her flanks
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.

I'm happy for her to live out 24/7. I'm happy to compete her from the field (if we ever get to that stage!). But she'll have to come in sometime.

As a youngster she was a bit of fruit loop. Spent a lot of time in her stable due to being rather unmanageable. Was once lassoed and dropped to the floor to get her out.

When I'm with her, she's fine. Reasonably calm, will eat, and hardly weaves.

Not really sure why I'm posting this. I'm going to call the local 'issue' horse specialist and see if he can help.

Ho hum. Sometimes I wonder why I do this. Probably because I love the daft big ginger stresshead.
 
Oh dear Mrs M she does like to test you doesnt she?!

Was she in on her own or did she have company? Not sure what to suggest for a horse that gets that wound up as I assume you have tried making sure she's got feed, something to play with etc.

My friend had great success with a stable mirror so that might be worth a try... Poor Dizzy is lucky to have someone as dedicated as you to look after her!

T xx
 
Hmmm
Does she absolutely have to come in - and if so, why?
Methods to keep her calm might include stable mirrors, trying to open up her field of vision so she can see all around her (particularly so she can see other horses).
Maybe try feeding her in the stable, so she associates it with positive things, perhaps leave one of those feed balls so she can trickle feed.
I don't know your circumstances, but if you could buy her a pet Shetland or miniature which could go into the same box as her (assuming she won't kill it).
Really, though, I'd be inclined to accept that at her age, she isn't going to adapt too easily, and leave her out, or tie her on the yard.
One place I managed had an outdoor pen (just made from post and rails) on the yard for holding the fieldies for being shod - it was under a tree (for shade), about 2 - 3 stables in size and they all loved it.
S
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Belle is exactly the same. We have a grill between hers and the next stable and always make sure there's a horse in there that she can see. She settles really well providing there's someone in next door. Even if there's a horse right outside her stable but not one next door she goes nuts and canters on the spot and gets really sweated up, exactly like you describe with Dizzy.

We've got a stable mirror and it makes no difference I'm afraid but I still think it'd be worth trying. If that doesn't work, is there any way you can take a hole out of the wall between her and next stable and put some metal bars in there?
 
Thank you.

I should have added:

She comes in to be fed;
She doesn't do stable toys (poor little brain can't grasp!);
She has horses either side of her when she's in;
Tying up is interesting - we're workng on it, but basically she spins. Someone has to stand with her.
I tried a pen - she ran round and round
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When she sees me, or Friend, she whinnies and almost tries to climb out of the stable;
When she sees tack coming her way, she whinnies;
I've tried ignoring her and her calling;
I've tried standing with her, she'll be calm so long as I'm there;
When she eats, it's a mouthful of food and then head back out over the door;
She's on antib.s and bute for her leg so has to come in to be fed;
If she's not handled most days she turns into a dangerous loon;
Just occasionally she'll be fine! But I cannot see what is different about those days so cannot replicate it
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Hopefully(!) she'll be back in work next week and maybe that will make a difference...

I just want to be able to put her in her stable (where she's never had any stress or bad times, only food and affection) for half an hour or so when I need to.

We're going to see another yard to see if they have more suitable 'open' stables.
 
Hi Mrs M
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Mine is the same .....he will tolerate being stabled when the others are in....more so in winter when he is hungry, but mostly he just wants to be out. Keeping him in alone isn't an option...he door-barges, weaves, box-walks...it really isnt pretty so you imagine what he was like on 10w box rest with a broken leg...I truly thought he was a gonner. Its like a switch is flicked and you just can't reach him.

He is better with a fibre/oil diet only...no cereals- they just make him worse. He has magnitude calmer as well- which does make a difference but not a massive one.

Very very stressful...I feel for you.

Have a ferrero roche...I'm getting festive
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Another vote for the mirrors, they might replicate the type of yard she likes with direct views of other horses.

I have found magnesium calmers to be really helpful for the grey in my sig who tends to have exaggerated reactions to things. I use Cool, Calm and Collected from Equifeast, but there are many others out there. The good thing with them (at least this is how it worked for R) is that you see an improvement immediately so you know it's working and it's worth spending the money on a loading dose.
 
Hi Mrs M, i had a mare who played those tricks and she was only really happy in an american barn type stable. She would stand calmly in those all day, even if the other horses were turned out. When i bought my own yard it wasn't an option so she just had to get use to being in a plain wooden stable, she wasn't happy, complete drama queen. Whipped round, sweated, ground teeth, screeched, managed to get some canter steps across stable in attempt to frighten me! She was a clever thing though and never actually hurt herself so as i became more confident that she wouldnt, i just left her to her dramas and kept an eye on her from afar, building up the time each day. As she got older she started to love her stable and we'd have all the same dramas in the field demanding to get back in! you had to love her, she was chestnut after all.....hope Dizzy settles soon x
 
Che is the same as yours Poppymoo, will settle happily if there is one other in any of the neighbouring boxes but the minute he thinks he's on his own he panics, starts box walking, spinning round and kicking out at the walls, nothing will pacify him. As soon as you open his door and let him walk out, he calms down , even if he cant see the other horses. He is turned out alone although always within sight of the others, and hacks out alone with no problems so I dont really understand his logic. He is definitely a calmer, easier horse on a no cereal, fibre only diet and I do feed a special magnesium calmer that I have made for me. He has a swede and a lick hung up but isnt that interested in them, he has a mirror which helps a little but the bottom line is that he simply cannot tolerate being in a stable with no other horse in sight. He has been in a racing yard most of his life so I dont suppose he has ever been kept in on his own and I have found that it is easier to work around this particular issue than carry on trying to 'cure' him. It is frustrating though and I live in fear of being told he 'needs box rest".
 
Oh God..I know what you mean...the term box-rest does not compute with me lol! T'was the worst time of my life and no mistake...I was sooooo stressed that summer.

Mine will also hack out alone no bother and is good to handle the rest of the time....he's ok being brought down and tied up and tacked up/groomed etc so I don't think its being alone per se, its being alone stabled thats the issue.

I too work around it rather than attempt to 'cure'it...he's an old lad now so thats never gonna happen.

I thank god I have others than can be in with him...if I had only him I would be constantly in a panic that the other liveries had moved their horses and he was being a stress-head.....
 
crikey Mrs M.
The dizzy one is a complicated little lady isn't she?
I know sid preferred having an american barn style stabling with grills between them rather than walls so he could see. When he was on box rest we had to drug him but he was better if the doors were wide open and he could see other horses.
I second having a look at her diet? Or maybe trying a calmer before bringing her in for a little while just to take the edge off?
I'm really cr*p at this sort of thing so can't really offer much help but can offer buckets of vibes. Hopefully she'll settle when shes back in work?
 
When I got Katie she was really unsettled in the stable, she would grab a mouthfull of food and back to the door etc she tried to come out over the door a few times but i asked to change stables and that had a very small affect, I started to use a bucket that hangs on the door so she could eat and watch and it worked! I also got from Kleeneze a mirror on a roll and stuck it to some plywood and hung it in her stable, she did settle but it took time.
Hope That helps a bit!!
 
im with you on this one, where i accept my mare maynot like the stable, my general point is if she needed box rest shed have to come in. shes is also a comp horse so theres going to be times when she has to stay away at a show.. next year will be the make or break of our relashionship!

i cant fugure my mare out, ive just moved yards, first few days she was totally fine, then ive bought her in 10 days later due to a runny bum,, and arrived to find her throwing herself on the floor.

i actually braved it and posted about her on the kelly marks site.. to be honest they all thought i was really cruel and only suggestions was get an ra out. BUT like yours, if im stood with my mare she is fine, its when theres activity on the yard or she just doesnt fancy the stable so in some ways i do wonder how much of a help it would be, she maybe going nuts but the moment she knows your goin gto her she stops.

the tying up.. ive had issues there aswell, and invested in a chain (mare was shooting backwards to break rope, and putting her head under said rope to hang herself) i hung the chain high gave her a hay net and walked away (spying on her) and after she had tried every trick in the book she gave in and does now at least tie!

with the stabling issue, im at a loss, ive dropped richard maxwell a email to see if it is worth me investing in a session with him.
 
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