Odd behaviour

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Blondiecopper

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I have a friend who last year purchased a 5 y/o ex racer. Nice sweet type who did t make the grade. The horse isn’t ridden much (owner had a fall off her) and is now being ridden by a novice. The horse is displaying odd behaviour which I’ve never experienced before. She will suddenly (when leading ) either stop completely and refuse to walk. Go up and have a bit of a meltdown or buck on the spot. Once this has happened the horse goes back to being completely dopey.
out riding she’s a bit backward, won’t go off the leg very well and seems very uninterested in being ridden and switches off. In the box she doesn’t interact that well and stands mostly with her back end at the door once she’s eaten her hay.
they are giving her calmer supplements which I’m not sure are having too much of an effect.
she seems pretty backward in her attitude towards things in general. Is it possible that these callers can have an effect on horses but at times they fight them? It’s almost like she’s doped but suddenly comes to life with all of the nonsense behaviour? As far as I know her teeth back etc are ok. I don’t think it helps that the novice is riding who doesn’t really know what to do or how to make her work.
It feels like a disaster waiting to happen.
 
I’d be wanting to know why they were feeding calmers and what kind. If the horse is too much for the rider, fix that rather than trying to dope it.
Notwithstanding, I would not think a calmer is causing the behaviour you describe. It is more likely to be related to discomfort in some way. Reluctance to move forward, especially, is indicative of pain.
Poor horse.
 
I think initially the calmer was fed because she was (is) scared of her. Someone suggested it along the line and now it’s on magnesium. I only found out today that she was having it.
when she’s being ridden she’s pretty flat. Switches off. I’ve not seen her lead out hacking, it’s a bit awkward because I don’t have any confidence in the rider so I tend to lead. I think that in front she would more than likely nap and go backwards. When anyone experienced rides her and she does this backward thing she is completely dead for a while, then goes backward and up eventually.
 
No disrespect to your friend, but I have seen this so many times:
Someone buys a horse, over horses themselves and has a scare so stops riding. The horse does nothing for a bit until someone else (usually a novice mooching about without their own horse) starts to ride the horse. Usually with no routine or proper instruction. The owner never gets to feel anymore how the horse handles under saddle and the rider doesn’t really give a toss because they’ve got something to ride and it’s a bit of fun. Things muddle along with the horse getting progressively more uncomfortable until it goes ‘stop’ and ditches the rider.

As ycbm said, if it was my horse I’d be getting the vet out for a full exam.
 
Sounds to me like break through behaviour. The horse sounds completely shut down - dopey under saddle, disinterested in the stable - until the pain reaches a break through point. They freak breifly. Then return to a shut down state.

You are completely right - this is a disaster waiting to happen. For the horse it might also be a living hell. Owners need to get a vet now - and probably a good instructor in the long term.
 
Greencob said:
Thanks eVery one for your replies.
I will attempt to try and sort this out but I fear I won’t be listened to ?
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Sadly you probably won't be. I knew a mare who was a bit like this and I kept telling the owners I thought there was something wrong with her back. They responded by getting someone to "push her through it". I got off my horse that day and walked home with her furious.

About a week later they went to get their horse in from the field and halfway she lay down and refused to move. Finally a vet was involved - arthritis & KS
 
SEL said:
Sadly you probably won't be. I knew a mare who was a bit like this and I kept telling the owners I thought there was something wrong with her back. They responded by getting someone to "push her through it". I got off my horse that day and walked home with her furious.

About a week later they went to get their horse in from the field and halfway she lay down and refused to move. Finally a vet was involved - arthritis & KS
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How sad ☹️
 
SEL said:
Sadly you probably won't be. I knew a mare who was a bit like this and I kept telling the owners I thought there was something wrong with her back. They responded by getting someone to "push her through it". I got off my horse that day and walked home with her furious.

About a week later they went to get their horse in from the field and halfway she lay down and refused to move. Finally a vet was involved - arthritis & KS
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Ugh the phrase ‘push them through it’ boils my blood. I am very tall and often have lower back and SI pain. It is excruciating. Let me tell you, if anyone I was training with tried to ‘push me through it’ I would kick them in the face.

We don’t realise how lucky we are that horses are gentle prey animals and choose to mask pain rather than react to it.
 
It sounds like classic pain. I’d ask a vet for ulcer treatment as no scoping will be happening right now but I would also have a serious talk with your friend about when she gets her looked at she considers the future - lives too short to have a horse you’re afraid of. It took me far too long to realise that and finally sell my thoroughbred.
 
I certainly think that ulcer treatment is worth a shot with this one.

With reluctance to move forward I'd also consider foot pain and back. I had a horse with kissing spine that would act quite odd like this.

I know of someone that is in a similar situation, calmers and all. It's frustrating to watch, tbh.
 
Greencob said:
I’ve not seen her lead out hacking, it’s a bit awkward because I don’t have any confidence in the rider so I tend to lead.
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Here's something that you can do - refuse to hack with them anymore. Just say that you are sure that there is something wrong with the horse, so you are unwilling to escort it on hacks.
 
I too think it's a pain response. Possibly a foot problem. My mare was very similar aged 5 and 6. Would rear in hand and ridden. Very backwards at taking the leg. Would nap, spin and rear. She's tb X wb. One day I thought I'd check her foot pulses and low and behold, they were bounding! It seems she is grass sensitive and also suffers when the ground is hard. She's fine through winter. All this bad behaviour stopped as soon as I realised and addressed the problem. Now she's stopped napping, rearing and generally misbehaving. She's forward and quick off the leg.
 
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