Rigcalm - does it work?

[rachk89]

Does anyone use rigcalm on their geldings and does it work to calm them down basically?

My horse is mounting the geldings in his field again. I thought the first time might have been a one off thing, but as he has done it again and probably more than just those two times, I would like him to stop it. He wears front shoes so he could hurt the other horses and he is biting them a lot. One horse in particular who he plays with a lot is covered in bite marks on his neck. Not all my horse I hope but mine isnt helping matters. Isolating him isn't happening he loves company too much and it would depress him to be isolated. Usually he just plays with the others, nothing is ever nasty between them, but the mounting is slightly concerning.

Just want to try something that might help calm him down and stop him mounting the other horses. He hasn't been tested as a rig and I don't think he is one, he is just very frisky and playful. Vet doesn't either when I asked but they haven't taken bloods either to check. Should I get him tested to be sure? Or just try rigcalm or something else to see if that works?

 

[AdorableAlice]

Horses can be kept alone without isolating them and it would be polite to remove him if he is damaging or pestering his field companions. If he was doing that to mine he would soon be evicted out of the field. How old is he ?

Can you up his work and turn him out hungry, that might instil some manners into him and make him more interested in grazing than being a pain in the arse.

 

[rachk89]

Horses can be kept alone without isolating them and it would be polite to remove him if he is damaging or pestering his field companions. If he was doing that to mine he would soon be evicted out of the field. How old is he ?

Can you up his work and turn him out hungry, that might instil some manners into him and make him more interested in grazing than being a pain in the arse.

Being by himself in his own field depresses him though even with horses beside him. He is very obviously unhappy about it, its not fair on him. Its not fair on the others with him climbing on them either though. I would like to try to get him to stop it rather than take him away from his friends. The YO isn't bothered by it and while the owner of the horse told me they are fine about it, I got a hint today that she actually isn't.

I can try that. He does graze though he is mainly playing with the others when near the gate area waiting to come in so not sure if it will help but worth a shot. Will lower his food amount for breakfast and dinner too.

Forgot your other question he is 8 this year.

 

[Auslander]

Doesn't sound riggy - just being a pest! Second AA, I'm afraid. If he's doing damage to other peoples horses, he shouldn't be going out with them until he's learned to play nicely. Can you stick him out with a dominant mare for a while - that's usually a pretty effective way of putting some field manners in place!
I've got one here who lives alone. He's not a rig, but exhibits extremely riggy behaviour, so he can't go out with mares - and he attacks other geldings, pretty savagely - so the only option is for him to be on his own, with a well set up electric fence between him and the girls next door. Any geldings have to be kept at least a field away, or he'll have them over the fence.

 

[AdorableAlice]

Being by himself in his own field depresses him though even with horses beside him. He is very obviously unhappy about it, its not fair on him. Its not fair on the others with him climbing on them either though. I would like to try to get him to stop it rather than take him away from his friends. The YO isn't bothered by it and while the owner of the horse told me they are fine about it, I got a hint today that she actually isn't.

I can try that. He does graze though he is mainly playing with the others when near the gate area waiting to come in so not sure if it will help but worth a shot. Will lower his food amount for breakfast and dinner too.

Forgot your other question he is 8 this year.

Quantify equine depression in your horse.

 

[rachk89]

Doesn't sound riggy - just being a pest! Second AA, I'm afraid. If he's doing damage to other peoples horses, he shouldn't be going out with them until he's learned to play nicely. Can you stick him out with a dominant mare for a while - that's usually a pretty effective way of putting some field manners in place!
I've got one here who lives alone. He's not a rig, but exhibits extremely riggy behaviour, so he can't go out with mares - and he attacks other geldings, pretty savagely - so the only option is for him to be on his own, with a well set up electric fence between him and the girls next door. Any geldings have to be kept at least a field away, or he'll have them over the fence.

Putting him out with mares or at least a mixed herd was one persons suggestion at the yard but they don't allow mixing of genders unless they are all your own horses.

He isn't savage about it, it is play but he gets a bit carried away. I don't believe he started mounting them again until recently so I guess maybe some mares are in heat and have made him a bit too frisky.

 

[rachk89]

Quantify equine depression in your horse.

He stands around and does nothing all day until he is brought in. He isnt interested in the field and just isnt himself. He is a very cheeky horse normally very alert and nosy, curious. When he is by himself he isn't anything like that. A lot more quiet not interested in anything not cheeky at all. The most active I saw him was when they put a mare in the field beside him who flirted with him so they would nip at each other a bit over the fence.

 

[Supertrooper]

Yes, I feel it's helping mine.

He was a late cut stallion who had sired. Rescued at 6yrs and gelded then. Can be very bolshy, dominant and did lots of head tossing. Also did droppings in a pile.

Long story but got in with mare in next door field last year (yard did know he couldn't be next to mares but ignored) and entered her. Had blood test and not a true rig, vet felt learnt behaviour.

Started him on RigCalm every day, reverse hung gate that he got through and electric fenced along hedge line.

He def calmed down, went every other day and then stopped in Dec. Re started again about two weeks ago when yard put another mare next to him!!!!!!! (Arghhhhh)

Anyway, yes I feel it does help.

 

[rachk89]

Yes, I feel it's helping mine.

He was a late cut stallion who had sired. Rescued at 6yrs and gelded then. Can be very bolshy, dominant and did lots of head tossing. Also did droppings in a pile.

Long story but got in with mare in next door field last year (yard did know he couldn't be next to mares but ignored) and entered her. Had blood test and not a true rig, vet felt learnt behaviour.

Started him on RigCalm every day, reverse hung gate that he got through and electric fenced along hedge line.

He def calmed down, went every other day and then stopped in Dec. Re started again about two weeks ago when yard put another mare next to him!!!!!!! (Arghhhhh)

Anyway, yes I feel it does help.

Good to know. I have no proof mine was cut late but I think he probably was. He does this weird twitching thing with his back end sometimes that according to someone at the yard only stallions do. I have no idea as never seen any horse do it before or known of any. She said her stallion does it but she hasn't seen a gelding do it.

My horse sounds like yours, bolshy and dominant. He is better than he was. Doesn't head toss though and I will be honest, don't understand the droppings in piles thing?

I am tempted to try him on it and the reducing feed thing to encourage grazing and less play.

 

[Supertrooper]

It may be that he is riggy or may be that he's just a playful gelding which some are. Mine is separated from his field mate as he will jump on his back and bug him, however at WHW he lived out with lots of other boys and was fine.

Stallions tend to do their poo's all in one place, it's a territorial thing and D did this and to some extent still does. This escalated a lot when horses got into his field.

Oh he also bit a lot when I first had him, he was like a bloody shark!! However that settled with training and he only occasionally thinks about doing it now.

 

[Auslander]

He just doesn't sound very riggy from your description - just a bit of a lad! Rig-calm is pretty effective at reducing unwanted sexual behaviour, but I'm not convinced that it will help make him less playful. If he's been in a field next to flirty mares, and not shown any signs that he's feeling sexy, then you may be barking up the wrong tree.

Just as an indicator of what riggy behaviour looks like, this is my boy, who isn't the horse I was talking about earlier, but who is a bit of a one for the ladies. This vid was the Facebook friendly version of what rigginess looks (and sounds) like! I had to move him the next day, as he was in danger of ripping his chest open on the fence, and getting a sunburnt willy! https://www.facebook.com/ally.gau/videos/vb.674180729/10154386276780730/?type=3&theater

 

[rachk89]

It may be that he is riggy or may be that he's just a playful gelding which some are. Mine is separated from his field mate as he will jump on his back and bug him, however at WHW he lived out with lots of other boys and was fine.

Stallions tend to do their poo's all in one place, it's a territorial thing and D did this and to some extent still does. This escalated a lot when horses got into his field.

Oh he also bit a lot when I first had him, he was like a bloody shark!! However that settled with training and he only occasionally thinks about doing it now.

I would say he is playful not riggy. He isn't aggressive at all though he just wants to play. I have seen him and the same horse play fighting in the field, rearing up at each other and chasing each other. Even the owner of one of the horses he has mounted has said he couldn't be kept by himself happily. He loves company too much and loves playing.

Ah right he doesn't do the poo thing. He will go wherever he is haha.

He used to nibble at times but I stopped that before it escalated. He doesn't do it anymore can put your hand in his mouth knowing he won't bite down. He actually likes it if you put your finger under his lips and rub his teeth. It distracts him from something unpleasant like the vet.

 

[rachk89]

He just doesn't sound very riggy from your description - just a bit of a lad! Rig-calm is pretty effective at reducing unwanted sexual behaviour, but I'm not convinced that it will help make him less playful. If he's been in a field next to flirty mares, and not shown any signs that he's feeling sexy, then you may be barking up the wrong tree.

Just as an indicator of what riggy behaviour looks like, this is my boy, who isn't the horse I was talking about earlier, but who is a bit of a one for the ladies. This vid was the Facebook friendly version of what rigginess looks (and sounds) like! I had to move him the next day, as he was in danger of ripping his chest open on the fence, and getting a sunburnt willy! https://www.facebook.com/ally.gau/videos/vb.674180729/10154386276780730/?type=3&theater

Is it just playful though when he is mounting them? Lol the mares do love him they come over to see him when we ride past. He doesn't react to it though other than looks at them. He was pulling on his leadrope though a lot when another gelding was brought in to go and see him maybe he is gay? He did get a bit more frantic when a mare was brought in but I just led him to his stable and he quickly forgot once his head was in his bucket.

He doesn't try to leave the fields anymore though he has been electrocuted enough from his 'testing' to see if the YO has switched it off. Funnily enough he hasn't after they found him tangled in the flimsier electric fencing. They turned it up and he seems to have given up his attempts on escaping.

There were a lot of geldings acting very aggressively towards him today too ones that normally don't either as they aren't in the same field or even the same area of the stables. One kept following us trying to bite my horse constantly. A mare that is usually nice to him went nuts as he walked past squealing and kicking out with her front legs. This isn't usually the reactions he gets they either ignore him or stop to rub noses but nothing aggressive. Guess maybe they are all having an off day. It was very cold and windy they are usually a bit bonkers in that kind of weather here.

 

[Auslander]

Is it just playful though when he is mounting them? QUOTE]

Mounting other geldings is usually playful/dominant. I wouldn't think a horse was riggy if I saw it mounting another gelding - just that it was being a bit of a plank. If he was fighting other geldings, and trying to mount mares - then I'd be getting him tested!

 

[rachk89]

Is it just playful though when he is mounting them? QUOTE]

Mounting other geldings is usually playful/dominant. I wouldn't think a horse was riggy if I saw it mounting another gelding - just that it was being a bit of a plank. If he was fighting other geldings, and trying to mount mares - then I'd be getting him tested!

Ah OK cool. He is pretty dominant there are only two horses in the field higher in the chain of command than him but he does play with them at times. He is the only one that plays with the biggest one out of those two, none of the others will go near him usually.

So the rigcalm is unlikely to make any difference to him under those circumstances?