Need a calmer for an overly excitable/strong horse.

CorriegarthJ said:
the fact you have to ask strangers on a forum (which you’ve been extremely rude to and not listened to anyway) how to calm/train whatever your horse despite being trained by international riders/trainers is questionable tbh. I think this horse is probably either not suited to your or your management of him, despite what you think about him being treated like a king, it’s obviously not enough
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I didnt ask you how to calm or train my horse actually. I asked what calmers people were using/recommended initially. That is what a forum is for after all, asking opinions.
Maybe you'd like to join Fuzzy, I can show you the door.
 
ThatConnieGal said:
Foraging for mud? Don't think he would be too pleased about being up to his knees in bogging ground and having his mud fever act up. But thanks

Also thats quite a ridiculous statement, and he enjoys his turnout time in the arena. Not exactly forced to "swim laps". Rather eat hay and have a trot around, but ok.
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Just a simple situation that you as a person could relate to. Him being in an arena for exercise/trot about is no different than you being told to do laps in a garden swimming pool for your exercise as apposed to swimming in a lake/sea. You either can’t or won’t understand how your logic on keeping him the way you do could relate to you.
 
CorriegarthJ said:
Just a simple situation that you as a person could relate to. Him being in an arena for exercise/trot about is no different than you being told to do laps in a garden swimming pool for your exercise as apposed to swimming in a lake/sea. You either can’t or won’t understand how your logic on keeping him the way you do could relate to you.
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He is turned out in the arena and will do whatever he wants with his own free will he is not forced to "trot or exercise" during his turn out time. If you're meaning during actual work time, I must be missing something, where do you school yours? a 1000x4000 arena?
 
ThatConnieGal said:
I didnt ask you how to calm or train my horse actually. I asked what calmers people were using/recommended initially. That is what a forum is for after all, asking opinions.
Maybe you'd like to join Fuzzy, I can show you the door.
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It’s laughable that you think that a calmer alone is going to magically transform your horse into a Calm soul. I can tell your very experienced. So experienced that you are unwilling to take any advice other than a magic potion. As someone said earlier, just pump him fill of Sedalin and enjoy. What you waiting for?! I’m sure your horse will love you for it. He’s treated like a cooped up king, after all
 
ThatConnieGal said:
He is turned out in the arena and will do whatever he wants with his own free will he is not forced to "trot or exercise" during his turn out time. If you're meaning during actual work time, I must be missing something, where do you school yours? a 1000x4000 arena?
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no one is retired, one is a yearling, but don’t worry, they get everything they need, they are treated like kings. They get turnout
 
CorriegarthJ said:
It’s laughable that you think that a calmer alone is going to magically transform your horse into a Calm soul. I can tell your very experienced. So experienced that you are unwilling to take any advice other than a magic potion. As someone said earlier, just pump him fill of Sedalin and enjoy. What you waiting for?! I’m sure your horse will love you for it. He’s treated like a cooped up king, after all
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Thanks for you solid advice, you must have so much experience! What have you trained, shetland ponies? Cheerio!
 
Is this an appropriate moment to say that I work in a school? We are on half term holiday.

Slightly blighted by the fact that my school holiday is blighted by stormy weather. Hence spending longer on here.

ETA - Oops, two blighteds in one sentence. Well... I am on holiday :p:cool:

Extra edit, in case OP is a misguided teen, please be careful as HHO is not like Facebook, you can't delete stuff. I hope you sort out the pony soon.
 
ThatConnieGal said:
I didnt ask you how to calm or train my horse actually. I asked what calmers people were using/recommended initially. That is what a forum is for after all, asking opinions.
Maybe you'd like to join Fuzzy, I can show you the door.
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You asked what calmer 'people' were using, you received replies based on experience, I have never used a calmer for a horse in full work, a few in rehab or box rest may get a little help, I prefer to turn out regardless of the mud and find they don't charge about and get injured if they go out every day, get worked properly and fed according to the work done, mud fever can be an issue but I have rarely had one get it their second winter here as they tend to develop a resistance to the bugs in the ground along with a good diet, nothing here has it this winter and none have had turnout restricted.

There is no point in getting stroppy with people who are taking time to offer their experience, you may have started the thread but you do not own it so have no say in who may or may not reply, as long as the forum rules are not broken anyone can say what they like and most are looking at the bigger picture which is a stressed pony who has, from the sound of things, been going from bad to worse with an owner who is expecting to find a magic potion to help rather than open their minds to other options.
 
The OP is either an idiot, a child, or a liar. Personally I don't care which, but anyone with this level of emotional immaturity shouldn't be near a horse, so I hope very much it's the latter.

Goldenstar said:
A horse does not wish to treated like a king he wishes to be treated like a horse .
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This, I should like very much to have embroidered on a sampler and framed on my wall. I'd also like to carry one in my pocket like a handkerchief to show to people on a daily basis :)


Whenever I hear "I've tried every bridle / bit / calmer / magic voodoo doll" I always assume it's the common denominator which is the issue - the one who's holding the reins.
 
When I was young I was not as calm as I am now but I learnt and my horses taught me my trainers taught me .
people gave me advice sometimes it was difficult to take but take it i did and in time through twists and turns I got to be the horse person I am today .
Horses are not about quick fixes it’s all about you when you have the skills the horses are a doddle .
 
I have a big horse that sounds a bit similar to yours, where everyone suggested a stronger bit or gadgets but as it was a fundamental issue I looked at feed. I now feed thunderbrooks herbal chaff, spirulina powder and chamomile flowers. Over winter this has done my large warmblood well and also lost a few excess lbs before spring! And fingers crossed, for the last 4 months and also in she’s in consistent varied work my horse seems a lot better.
 
My active horsey years were before calmers existed. If you had a problem you sorted it yourself. Tbh, I am rather amazed that an owner would consider doping up a difficult to control horse (in order to ride it safely) rather than looking at all/every other aspect of their management, training and riding abilities.
I would cut out all feed except hay. I would also endeavour to give the horse much more exercise. I have dealt with horses like this in the past. One thing they had in common was that they turned out to be good horses in the end, but you had to find the key. It often meant many hours of ridden exercise, and I don't mean lunging or titupping round a school for hours on end, I mean getting out, preferably in company, and working properly, up hill and down dale, I am sure you get the picture. I think working with another (sensible) horse was helpful in setting an example, too.
Also, perhaps this is a horse that would be more suited to a different lifestyle, say hunting or eventing - I am sure I read you are mostly doing dressage. Horses for courses and all that.
Lastly, without knowing the op, it is difficult to tell whether the riders ability has some bearing on the way the horse is going. I would be looking outside my usual group of trainers/interested friends, and get a fresh opinion on the way the horse goes and the way I ride it. Perhaps you and your horse are just not suited? It does happen you know.
 
ThatConnieGal said:
I am sure they love the limited grazing, freezing temps, mud, wind and downpour! Such kings!
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Depending on where you keep your horses, winter turnout doesn't have to be the hell you seem to imagine it is! Mine both seem to prefer being out to being in their stables - yes, there is mud, freezing temps, wind and downpours, but funnily enough being horses they don't seem to mind! I still have a decent amount of grass though, and feed hay as needed.

But anyway, I digress! As you say he is better in summer, apart from when stabled before shows, I would agree with those who suggest your turnout situation is part of the issue. I know you say he is on the arena for 5+ hours a day, but my experience of arena or all weather turnout is that horses spend a lot of time standing still and eating hay, rather than moving about a lot as they would when at grass. If the fields where you are are too bad to turn out in, I would have a look at what else is available locally. You never know what there is until you look! This is a bad winter for grazing, but I still have a decent field with a good amount of grass, so it's not impossible that you would find somewhere he could go out. I'd also stop giving him any hard feed at all for a few weeks and see if that makes a difference. As others have said, alfalfa can cause issues for some horses.
 
I did recommend a calmer but with all that has gone on with this thread it seems to have been missed, so I will repeat that I have used global herbs TB calmer with good results.

As your horses are at home I would perhaps fencing a bit of field or saving a bit for these wet periods, I keep mine at home part if my fields are underwater but they are still going out, both if my horses have had a previous hind suspensory injury, but for there own sanity I know they need to go out it's just not fair otherwise they are horses they are meant to live in fields not stables or arenas.

I know you don't want him to 're injure himself but sometimes you have to think about the consequences if you decide to take away the most important things horses need, no amount of calmers is going to replace that unfortunately.
 
How often is he ridden OP? Could you increase his workload a little? Perhaps something in the morning, then turnout during the day wherever you turn him out, then ride in the evening? I understand that’s often difficult with work/school/life in general.

Is he the same to hack?
 
I’m asking this in the nicest way I can think of, on this thread you have been quite reactive to people not responding the way you want, and you mention that you are getting more and more frustrated with your horse, do you think there is any chance that your frustration/anger feeds back to your horse when he starts to act in a way that you don’t like? It’s so easy for our stress/anxiety/anger/whatever to transmit to our horses without meaning to. If this is an ongoing problem do you think that you now get mad or upset rather than remaining completely cool and passive? Does your heart rate go up and you start over thinking? Sometimes acknowledging that that’s whatsoever happening (and you don’t have to acknowledge it to me or anyone else on this thread) can be a great start to finding a solution. Just recently I had to acknowledge that I was getting stressed at haying time, the horses would crowd me or grump at each other and my heart rate would go up and I’d find myself yelling at them. I had to have a word with myself and realise I was adding to the tension with my energy levels, I’m supposed to have the rational brain out of all of us. So now I keep my cool and hay time there is now no aggro. Same riding, if I tense up or get annoyed he just gets hotter and hotter.

Just a thought, no judgement and may not apply to you in any way.
 
With my gelding, his turnout lessens in the winter so it is crucial that he is worked every day and moves. In the summer, I can slack off since he is on a large field with friends night and/or day. Some horses take more work. My WB needed me to be "on" every step. My current gelding, not so much, we can laze around on occasion. This horse may be saying she needs a plan, exercise, and a leader. Maybe he should spend time with a trainer for a month or so. Even though you ride him often, are you really working him? Some need more busy work than others, and typically when a horse is tense, pulls, or bolts, they have lost confidence in their rider. I did also bond with my nutso (I say this lovingly) gelding on the ground by teaching him tricks and other things. He has an active mind and this fulfilled that part. It was something different to do after his under saddle or lunge work on occasion.

Put the horse in a solid consistent program, preferably with a skilled trainer and go from there. Taking a look at the diet can too, as some can get fizzy from what they eat.
 
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ThatConnieGal said:
Hi all,

I am looking for suggestions for calmers as I am currently at the end of my tether with my 9yo Connemara gelding. I love him to absolute bits but I am just getting more and more frustrated as the days go on.

He is so tense and strong to ride. When hes out 24/7 in summer he is not AS bad but it does still occur, especially at shows etc.

He will literally trot on the spot and throw his head in the air trying to break in to canter and as soon as hes in canter he will bolt, this is the same whether he is lunged beforehand or not. I have tried transitions and just trotting with no canter work for weeks but he still gets so worked up.


He has his teeth done 6 monthly and they are perfect, gets his back done every 2-3 months and has been checked by vets. His saddle fits perfect and he is comfortable in every other aspect. He just wants to GO GO GO.

I use a regular snaffle with a lozenge as I was recommended stronger bits and they just made him worse and frustrated.

He is not spooky at all and he is a big dog on the ground, and he is the least stressy horse I've ever known, you can take him anywhere and he won't bat an eye. He has never bucked on reared with me on him.

He's on a low energy feed with unmolassed chaff, micronised linseed and turmeric.

At my wits end here and riding has really become un-enjoyable :(

In fact last summer we had to come home from 3 shows as he was so unbearable/bolty in the warm up.

We do dressage and showing.

PLEASE HELP!!
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I haven't read all the other posts but has anyone suggested scoping for ulcers. This is exactly how mine behaves when ulcers have flared up. Do you give a large scoop of chaff 20 mins before you ride as if your horse has ulcers it will help stop the acid splashing during riding making him a little more comfortable. Is he on ad lib hay as any more that 4 hours without can bring on ulcers. I would be dealing with him as if he has ulcers, and book in a scope. If he does have them, once treated, it's wonderful to get your lovely quiet horse back.
 
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