Horses that are bad with strangers? inc vets etc.

[Blizzard]

Does anyone have any tips for making a horse better with strangers?

Beau is very wary of anyone new, including vets etc, which obviously can be a problem!

He seems to think any stranger who gets 'in his space' ie wants to touch his body, is going to hurt him, and he is a horse who will choose to fight rather than run.

He was trying to bite, kick, and reared at the vet when he had the bite on his neck, the vet only wanted to look at it, yet he will let me do anything to him.

the vet we had yesterday was pathetic TBH, he didnt actually do anything really wrong, but you shouldnt have to do flexion tests on your own horse for the vet!

Ive never had a horse who was like this with strangers, and I really want to help him get over it because i always think what if there was an emergency.

Would appreciate any advice from people who have had the same problem. espec as Beau is going to need nerve bocks etc v soon!

 

[buzzles]

When I got my boy first he was terrified of strange men and extremely headshy, especially with anything to do with his mouth. When he was vetted, the vet couldn't get near his mouth to confirm what age he was so I had to do it! Five years on he's much better and more confident in himself and he trusts me so much that once he knows I'm ok with it then so is he. It did take a lot of time and patience. Luckily my vet is very understanding and he always allows plenty of time to go into the stable and 'win' him over. I also had to find dentists and chiropracters who were also willing to give C the time he needed to feel comfortable with them. He can still get fussy with strangers, especially if it's away from home and somewhere new. When he had to get nerve blocks and xrays at the vet hospital at the beginning of the year they had to sedate him as it was easier and safer for everyone, including him. I don't think he'll ever totally get over his fear of strange men and will still not let them come straight over and pat him, which is very frustrating when a judge needs to ride him or present us with a rosette!! Good luck with your lad, hopefully if you're with him then he'll feel more comfortable. Make sure the staff and vets know that he's nervous so will need time to get used to them and it might be easier if they sedate him. Hope it's nothing too serious.

 

[Shilasdair]

Firstly, your poor vet shouldn't be put at risk either!
You need to introduce him to a succession of stranger, firstly getting a stranger just to stand near by, then pat him, then make a fuss of him, then do rugs or whatever.
Then you need to get another stranger and repeat.
Horses are often scared of men so it's worth getting OH and friends to help out.
I hope your horse and vet survive their next meeting

S

 

[JessPickle]

Pickle used to hate men

The only way we managed to let him get over it is getting lots of men going to see him and feeding him a bit of carrot, gradually he associated them with nice things.

 

[Blizzard]

The thing is he was never scared until a vet came out to look at his sarcoid, and really pulled at it, which hurt him, he has never forgotten it.

He is fine with stangers who say give him a polo over the door, its just when they want to touch his body, he isnt a nervous horse at all, so Im wondering if its all steming from that one experience.
The vet i had out the week before the sarcoid incident to do his jabs, he was great with her, the problems only started since the other one hurt him pulling at his sarcoid.

Shilasdair I would never put anyone at risk, the vet yesterday was incompetent, he only stamped his foot once, mainly because she was faffing aound him, he is fine with farriers etc because they just get on with it.
I think if people faff with him too much he wonders what is going to happen.

I guess is true that horses never forget anything!

 

[isabella]

my little one was like that but again my vet is useless lol in the end i just decided to take her through the estate every few days as there are lots of people around and eventually they all end up swaping you and she had about 10 kids poking and proding her with no problem lol. in response to vets lol my good mare is an angle and we had a vet out to do her sarcoid near her back leg vet was so scared she was going to kick her (never kicked in her life) she was standing by her shoulder and iz picked her front leg up and poked her in the back of the knee scared the vet half to death so i completely sympethisis with you about useless vets lol

 

[Blizzard]

thanks seengspots, i was just talking to a girl up the yard abut it, and she was saying well if i didnt know him i wouldnt ahve gne near him.

but this woman was supposed to be a vet FFS!

Not an everyday person, I would understand if he had reared at her or something, but foot stamping wasnt a dangerous activity in my mind!

 

[Laafet]

Tarquin used to be even though he had no real reason to be as he'd never been hurt by anyone. Having been lucky enough to get him into the Monty Roberts demo last week he's been a lot better and at his first show a few weeks ago he seemed to be getting a little more used to it. I was quite shocked at MR to see some strange bloke walk up to Mr T and take him by the nose to look at his teeth and he just let the man do it! I was walking down the passageway to fetch his rug at the time and the public were just walking about patting the horses as they do and Mr T just accepted all the attention.
To get him over it I had been getting lots of non horsey people to come up with me to the yard and give him a treat or pat him. I had to as I was the only one who can catch him which is a little difficult if I'm away and he's taken him rug of etc. I think the MR helped in that I had to leave him with strangers all day and now anyone can go up to him and catch him, mess about with his legs etc.

 

[welshcobabe]

Hi My fresian X Stan does not like men and its taken time lots ot time to get him used to different situations. He is at his worst in a confined space. Out on a hack if we meet a scary walker on a small path it takes everthing I have to get him past. On a wide road he is fine, he is now fine with my Oh and farrier and my vets are good if I put in a call they send out one of their female vets because for them he is an angel. He is a big black hansome dude so may be he is just a ladies man !!