one step forward 2 steps back :( young horse

[Louby]

Please give me hope lol.
Bought my 3 yr old halter broken ISH a couple of months ago, things have been going well, albeit slow but Im in no rush. I bought her from someone who had brought her over from Ireland, she introduced her to a rug and she had seen the farrier but thats about it. We are working on her fear of all things associated to water, ie wet ground and it was going well. I started her vaccinations and she was terrified, hunching and shooting blindly forwards when the needle was put in her bum but I never gave it much more thought at the time. So yesterday she had jab number 2 and I asked the vet to try and warn her she was going to get a thump on the bum, which she did and we had the same hunching, shooting forward and then scared of us Tried to put her fly rug on and when I went to pull it over her bum she exploded, shes not trying to hurt us, shes scared. I managed to do it but the same again this morning. I just feel so mean, she is a lovely girl who appears confident and I dont want to scare her to death. I just feel we are back to square one again now

 

[thegreenergrass]

I know how you feel! I promise you will get through it, she's only young and these are all new and strange experiences for her. All you can do is try and build her confidence with them! Sounds like she's got a bit of a flight response to things around her bum so I'd do some work with that. Don't worry you'll get there

 

[be positive]

She will get better, it is a shame the vet gave her a fright with the first jab and then compounded it by going to the same place for the second, going in the bum can be the best place but I would not choose it for the first time because of the risk of them jumping forward, doing it in the neck allows you to be nearer the horse and to gauge the reaction when you do the preparatory thumps.

I would put it to the back of you mind and get her confident with things that are more within her comfort zone, build up what she is relaxed with and like any young horse do tiny steps with the more tricky stuff always going straight back to a "safe place" when she has been brave, get her used to being patted in random places and desensitise her to injections over the next few months before she needs doing again and tell the vet where you want it done if you find the place she is happier with, it can go in neck, chest or bum.

 

[stormox]

In my opinion the vet was a bit at fault- should have started stroking gently then patting gently and rhythmically gradually getting harder with the needle at ready them put it in as she patted so the horse was used to it first.
She will soon get used to rug, I start with a numnah on her back, when used to that a cooler, then after a few days a proper rug. Fold it up so its small, place over back and gradually open over her. Have her tied in the stable while you do this so she doesnt learn 'I can run away from this, rugs are scary' .

 

[Louby]

Thank you both for replying. The vet seemed shocked at her response with the first jab, I have to say I wasnt!!! so when it was the same vet that came for the 2nd jab I did think oh no, here we go again. I was scratching her all over her back whilst she put the needle in, trying to take the shock of the thud of it going in. A friend said maybe to ask for a vet that will do it in her neck next time, which I will. I did think at the time omg if this is her response what the hell will she do when its time to get on her ha ha. Thats a long way off though so plenty of things to be working with.

 

[Louby]

In my opinion the vet was a bit at fault- should have started stroking gently then patting gently and rhythmically gradually getting harder with the needle at ready them put it in as she patted so the horse was used to it first.
She will soon get used to rug, I start with a numnah on her back, when used to that a cooler, then after a few days a proper rug. Fold it up so its small, place over back and gradually open over her. Have her tied in the stable while you do this so she doesnt learn 'I can run away from this, rugs are scary' .

I was a bit peed off tbh, she was a lovely person, made a fuss of her afterwards, well once she'd let me near her but I did make a point of asking her to maybe pat her a good few times first so it didnt come as too much of a shock. I managed to get her rug on today, had to bring her out of the stable as it was too small an area with her panicking but I did as you said, put it folded over her saddle area and went from there. Its just so annoying that the poor girls had a bad experience twice now.

 

[milliepops]

I would put it to the back of you mind and get her confident with things that are more within her comfort zone, build up what she is relaxed with and like any young horse do tiny steps with the more tricky stuff always going straight back to a "safe place" when she has been brave, get her used to being patted in random places .

^^^ this is great advice

did think at the time omg if this is her response what the hell will she do when its time to get on her ha ha.

I know this is a joking remark but in all seriousness, it's likely from what you've seen so far that her immediate reaction would be to shoot forward and rush to escape... so helping her to learn from these other little experiences that running away isn't a necessary or appropriate reaction will be what is needed to avoid the same problems at backing.

It's not just the jabs that she needs to get desensitised to, you need to de-program the fleeing response to things she is unsure of in general.

 

[Louby]

I know this is a joking remark but in all seriousness, it's likely from what you've seen so far that her immediate reaction would be to shoot forward and rush to escape... so helping her to learn from these other little experiences that running away isn't a necessary or appropriate reaction will be what is needed to avoid the same problems at backing.

It's not just the jabs that she needs to get desensitised to, you need to de-program the fleeing response to things she is unsure of in general.

Thank you Millipops. Ive had a just backed horse before but she is my first blank canvas so I am really conscious that I get things right with her and want/need all the advice I can get. We have started fortnightly lessons with a guy whos fantastic with young horses so I will mention this on Saturday but any advice is very much appreciated. What would you be doing to help desensitise her. Shes been fine and quite confident (apart from the water) up to this incident.

 

[milliepops]

If you've got someone who you rate coming to you then best to ask him as he's seen the horse. But with others I've had like this, it's a combination of very gentle stretching of their comfort zone such as the example mentioned above with progression from numnah to rug - coupled with gentle reiteration of the lesson that she needs to stay focussed on you and your instructions rather than let her instincts over-ride her reactions.

So where you've taken her outside to rug because she was panicking in the stable... I'd personally want to go back a step or 2, because to "compromise" by taking her out of the enclosed space has allowed the panic-reaction to influence your actions and she hasn't learnt from it. Instead you need to change your actions so that she doesn't get that panic reaction.

But ask the person you have coming because they have seen the horse in the flesh.

 

[Louby]

If you've got someone who you rate coming to you then best to ask him as he's seen the horse. But with others I've had like this, it's a combination of very gentle stretching of their comfort zone such as the example mentioned above with progression from numnah to rug - coupled with gentle reiteration of the lesson that she needs to stay focussed on you and your instructions rather than let her instincts over-ride her reactions.

So where you've taken her outside to rug because she was panicking in the stable... I'd personally want to go back a step or 2, because to "compromise" by taking her out of the enclosed space has allowed the panic-reaction to influence your actions and she hasn't learnt from it. Instead you need to change your actions so that she doesn't get that panic reaction.

But ask the person you have coming because they have seen the horse in the flesh.

Thankyou, gosh I hadnt thought of it like that. A friend held her in the stable last night and we managed to get it on, shes fine once its on but I was on my own this morning so was struggling and just wanted her to have a good experience from what was a bad one but I totally get what your saying. I definately need to change my way of thinking. Thanks for getting back to me x