Rehabbing a sharp green horse

pinklilly

pinklilly

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Wondered if anyone had any tips for keeping a horse calm whilst doing rehab work, lots of walking. Unfortunately horse is a very green 6 yo tb and very excitable. I know he's fairly sensible on quiet roads but basically don't have any, nor a school, we have farmland, stubble and ploughed fields, with wide grass verges, which as soon as he sets foot on starts to get more and more wound up, I think he probably associates the wide verge with a gallop. He's pretty laid back otherwise, but even doing groundwork he gets very excited on grass. I can get onto a track which leads onto lanes but at the moment I don't want to cross very fast, busy road in case I come off and he legs it back to the yard. He won't normally go to far away from me but if I had a fall and he panicked he might. I've done rehab work before when I worked with pointers, but wasn't left on my own, plus riding several lots out daily I was fit whereas I've barely ridden for 2 years. Any suggestions welcome??
 
I gave my boy V-Calm (Equine Herbals by James Hart) when I first started walking him out and although he still had a few scoots and the odd explosion, I was able to contain it as it took the edge off OR you could ask your vet for Sedalin? After a couple of weeks he should get used to the new work and be ok, although I am considering putting mine back on it as we can now progress to mini hacks eek!

(P.S. mine is not a green horse, but an Arab so felt qualified to reply :) )
 
Just a note on the V-Calm, if that's the one with St John's Wort in it, be careful. I was doing similar work with a horse recently and the owner tried it out on him - he completely lost the plot. Dangerously so, even when he wasn't being handled. As it turned out he had ulcers and SJW is a known trigger.
 
TarrSteps said:
Just a note on the V-Calm, if that's the one with St John's Wort in it, be careful. I was doing similar work with a horse recently and the owner tried it out on him - he completely lost the plot. Dangerously so, even when he wasn't being handled. As it turned out he had ulcers and SJW is a known trigger.
Click to expand...

As far as I am aware it only contains Valerian
 
What's his routine? Is he turned out at all? I re- handed one of mine (17.2 WB), vet said walk him in- hand before he was allowed proper work & turnout, but he was a nut case spending more time rearing etc, so I'd go up at 5.30am, hand grazed him in a small paddock where luckily he just ate, while he was busy munching I'd unclip and go muck out etc, then I'd go and catch him and take him for a long walk, this was Oct time so mornings were dark which seemed to keep him calmer as I think no other comings & goings kept his adrenalin down. Once other liveries arrived it was back in his box as horses being turned out blew his brains.

I would try a strong bit, Pelham etc short term or draw reins, I'm not a fan normally but if they work and keep you both safe then short term shouldn't hurt, you can have them loose if he's behaving tied in a knot & pick them up if he starts being a twit.
 
We're doing just this atm with young TB type supposed to be only walking, sedalin every time and he is chilled. No sedalin and he is a nightmare :)
 
Thanks, he's turned out during the day and in at night, on a low sugar diet with pro hoof etc.

When he gets excited he goes overbent even on a loose rein, and is ridden in a drop noseband with a mild ns snaffle.

There's only a small amount of diys on the yard but never seem to be any around when I'm there. Roads he seems to be fairly sensible but not many yards near me.
 
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