Highland pony - a question.

pistolpete

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My highland has been doing well. I had a few really relaxed rides including a two and a half hour hack when he was fab.
I think the key to him is to do a little every day then ask a question then back off again. After the day when he hacked I had a lesson. He was awful. So tense and worried. Over cooked ended up bronking in canter.
My friend rode him today and had to get off three quarters of the way round. I tried to get her to explain how he made her feel as I find it so difficult to explain.
She said he just felt like his batteries had run out. He gets so so tense. Just stops being able to cope.
My question is anyone got a horse or pony that is just tense and worried some days and fine and relaxed others? It’s so draining when he’s in his super worry mode.
 

JFTDWS

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That depends - is there some external factor which is affecting the pony - weather, management...? Or is it internal? Because mine's a twit some days, and easy the next, but that's entirely in keeping with the weather and his work levels. If I couldn't see a logical explanation as to why he changes so dramatically between days, I would consider investigating further, and that would also include a PSSM test.
 

ycbm

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I agree with the potential PSSM, but the test is only for type 1 in this country at the moment, and more horses seem to be type 2, so most diagnoses are done on the basis that they respond to being treated as if they have PSSM.

I also wouldn't wait for a test result before putting the horse on high levels of vitamin E and potentially alcar as well, because i don't know of any downsides to doing that and you might as well get started.


.
 

pistolpete

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Ok thank you. Will happily try a new supplement. We’ve tried all the natural calmers I’ve tried meadowsweet boswelia limestone flour. Happy to try anything that can’t hurt him.
 

windand rain

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Sometimes it is just the way of it it does sound a bit like PSSM but not sure the gene has been identified in Highlands But am happy to be corrected. Highland ponies are generally speaking opinionated and can be stubborn they need careful feeding as it takes very little to make them too fat to work and if asked to when not fit enough they will protest. By all means try the PSSM diet as it will not harm him but it may be it is just the diet that suits him as it is a diet a lot of horses thrive on High oil low sugar low starch high forage and salt are what I feed all mine and all thrive on it. In fact a PSSM diet is probably good for all horses whether they actually suffer from it or not
 

ycbm

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PP, do the vitamin E first, thats enough for many of them and the alcar is unnecessary.

.
 
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windand rain

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OK I stand corrected I read the first table but missed it in the second. I still think that the low sugar low starch high salt high oil diet is good for all horses and if you cannot yet test for it I would just follow that diet to see if it worked first after all you really should only change one thing at a time or you will never know what made the difference
 

paddy555

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Synthetic Vit E is so much cheaper any good?

NO. Use the natural one and research the recent threads at to the reason why. As JFTD says we don't want to go over that argument again. The cheapest vit E (that we know works) is the oil from equimins and more expensive is powder from Forage plus. I suggest you read the threads which are about a month old entitled something like PSSM and explain all about vit e.

Your horse sounds very much like mine was before he was stabilised. You almost have 2 different horses. Mine could also be a good horse and a bad horse in the same ride. Once he got "bad" in the ride he never changed back to good and that was due to pain. I could get off but he then couldn't even do simple in hand work like stopping, backing, turning and was difficult to lead.
Mine is now doing great and I believe him to be a highland TB cross.

To get a quick and relatively cheap answer I would go onto a PSSM 2 regime. In addition to vit e that will include keeping him warm and moving. For mine that is heavily rugged in the wet and cold weather we have had, 24/7 wandering and riding preferably an hour or so daily.


Your comment that the batteries ran out is worrying. It makes me wonder if you are getting close to tying up. Mine did and you don't really want to go down that route. What caused him to do it was trotting up a fairly steep hill. He was not going fast and he chose to do it but he ran out of juice and went down. He had already warmed up with an hours walking. If it happens I would get off and get him home as quickly as possible but it would be better to catch it beforehand and possibly the hour or so daily riding should be at a walk to start with.

Vit E should proved a change in the horse within a week max and a few days possibly. He should become slightly nicer, less tense, more relaxed, ie not in pain. If you poke his hind quarters are they hard or do they wobble around nice and soft.

Your friend rode today and he was bad, has he been kept warm in the bad weather?
PSSM horses often appear to start getting bad as they start work eg age 5 or 6 or so and then it just carries on as they get older.
 

pistolpete

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So interesting. He’s very tense. And yes weather was cooler. The day he was really super it was a warm day. Also he’d had a bit of extra grazing. Natural vit E in the grass?
 

JFTDWS

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Interesting that one of the mutations has been identified in highlands. I looked into this a few years back as one of mine is a query PSSM type (he's largely managed as such) and there was no suggestion it was in highlands at that point. Although he's not the one who acts like the OP's - but I'm now wondering if I throw some vitamin E at him too :eek:
 

pistolpete

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It’s an easy harmless thing to try. I’m looking back at my diary and his best behaviour is always in warmer weather after more grazing. ...
 

Tiddlypom

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The worst thing that can happen if you put him on a vit E trial is that you have wasted your money, so give it go.

As I have posted previously, I was on the verge of gifting my IDx mare back to her breeder as she was so nowty. After following the PSSM threads, I tried one last thing which was Vit E supplementation. She was transformed for the better within 48 hours. She is -ve for PSSM1, but has all the symptoms including needing to be kept warm like paddy555’s horse. Her symptoms are now manageable as long as she stays on the vit E.
 

Slightlyconfused

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Mine isn't pssm 1 as both parents are negative but as he had tied up a few times we (though bloods were always normal) we just went with the diet and he is so much better.

He has moved onto the forgave plus powder as its easier for me and anyone who needs to do feeds. He is kept warm, given a longer warm up and in winter never has his back and hind quarters fully clipped out..
 

pistolpete

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He lives out. Fence being moved doesn’t mean much more movement but I take the point. More movement is always good. Maybe time to reinstate a grassless track.
 

MyBoyChe

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It sounds very un highland pony like to me. I get what people are saying about PSSm but Im wondering if its more an anxiety issue. Could it be related to his pasture, is it deficient in magnesium? Our grazing is low in mag and in spring and autumn my own hipo gets just a tiny bit stressy and worried, nothing major and tbh its so slight it doesnt worry me, but I dont like to think of him being anxious when he is normally super chilled. Ive found Pink powder has just enough in it to restore the balance. Ill admit I know nothing about Pssm so bow to those who do, just as a hipo owner I wonder if its something else
 

pistolpete

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Vit E being delivered tomorrow. He was gorgeous today. Good as gold in the lesson. Physio said he had some weakness left pelvis. Had a treatment. Few days off then we will see.
 

asmp

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Can't offer any advice but this is part of a local advert for a Highland for sale (very honest!) - sorry but it made me smile:

Now I am the queen of standing still. My quirk is that when someone is on me, I point blank don’t move. I don’t move forwards, I don’t move backwards and I don’t move sideways. It’s really quite an unusual talent, but I am so unflappable that I just don’t move! If someone leads me then I will walk and trot beautifully, and I will walk, trot and canter on the lunge like a dream, but put a rider on me and leave me to it and I can guarantee we’re not going very far. I have been ridden previously, and I have been professionally started and ridden away. I was previously jumping courses and competing in dressage, however I have just lost my love for it. Because of this my owners are selling me as a broodmare or project pony.
 

windand rain

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Can't offer any advice but this is part of a local advert for a Highland for sale (very honest!) - sorry but it made me smile:

Now I am the queen of standing still. My quirk is that when someone is on me, I point blank don’t move. I don’t move forwards, I don’t move backwards and I don’t move sideways. It’s really quite an unusual talent, but I am so unflappable that I just don’t move! If someone leads me then I will walk and trot beautifully, and I will walk, trot and canter on the lunge like a dream, but put a rider on me and leave me to it and I can guarantee we’re not going very far. I have been ridden previously, and I have been professionally started and ridden away. I was previously jumping courses and competing in dressage, however I have just lost my love for it. Because of this my owners are selling me as a broodmare or project pony.
I saw that one too but wouldn't want to breed from a possible PSSM horse or for that matter one who behaved like that rare breed or no. It could be poor handling though
 

ycbm

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Can't offer any advice but this is part of a local advert for a Highland for sale (very honest!) - sorry but it made me smile:

Now I am the queen of standing still. My quirk is that when someone is on me, I point blank don’t move. I don’t move forwards, I don’t move backwards and I don’t move sideways. It’s really quite an unusual talent, but I am so unflappable that I just don’t move! If someone leads me then I will walk and trot beautifully, and I will walk, trot and canter on the lunge like a dream, but put a rider on me and leave me to it and I can guarantee we’re not going very far. I have been ridden previously, and I have been professionally started and ridden away. I was previously jumping courses and competing in dressage, however I have just lost my love for it. Because of this my owners are selling me as a broodmare or project pony.



£2,300 😲😲😲. ???
 

pistolpete

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Last question. Got the Vit e oil. How much as a start dose for 530kg pony. And do you load or change dose? Thank you.
 
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