Scatty sensitive horse - how to deal with it?

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SWE

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So my friend was chatting to me about her horse yesterday and in the end I've offered to put a post on here as I'm sure you lot might have some good ideas! (she lives in the stone age and barely uses the Internet 😂)

So she has a 6yo TB gelding (never trained or raced) who is incredibly sensitive and she is looking for ideas to help with regards to feeding/supplements/routine changes. He is a stressy type who doesn't like change, and is proving pretty spooky/scatty out hacking (yet still very brave with ACTUAL scary things) he will flinch at leaves out of place, potholes and other insignificant things but is pretty good with traffic, scaffolding, pigs, meeting other horses, etc and other scary things!)

Hacking with company doesn't seem to make any difference..

So does anyone have any tips with regards to feed/ routine changes they have made to similar horses? A calmer you've tried etc?

Thanks
 
when i get those types in i usually knock all feed out and just feed ad-lib hay. At least then you have a good baseline of what they are like with sugars, alfafa etc. that might be influencing them. Also as much turnout as possible.

Most stressy tbs tend to work well with their brains being kept occupied and focused, so for shorter hacks i'd always be schooling and flexing, so they don't get time to look at stuff. What works really well with them is very very long slow hacks up hills and stuff, where they have to look at what their feet are doing. That has made a huge difference to some of my more sensitive spooky ones.
 
Second vote here for Protexin Acid Ease, particularly if anything 'tummy-ish' might be the cause? I know magnesium deficiency can also cause super spookiness and people supplement accordingly?
 
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I have a horse that was always full of angst and spooky if I took him out alone.

1. I discovered by accident he is grain and soy sensitive. I removed ALL grains from his diet and feed him a condensed vit/min supplement that uses alfalfa as its protein source instead of soy. If your horse has alfalfa sensitivities, that likely won't work for you.

2. I also put him on Magnesium Malate (NOT the same as mag oxide). He has environmental allergies, which have already kicked in full blast where I live. The magnesium Malate also really helps with the environmental allergies.

*****

Since removing all grains and soy from his diet and adding the mag Malate, he is a completely different horse. Much calmer and willing to please:)
 
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i would also just feed hay, also can he be turned out at night or 24/7... some scatty horses i have known are quieter and calmer after being out all night ..someone i know with a scatty warmblood always turns him out at night before competitions as it takes the edge off him
 
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By all means try everything that everyone suggests. But at the end of that process, if he is not improved enough, I would say she should sell the horse. I had one like it two years ago. I worked with him for four years. I improved him massively but never cured him. One day I realised that I didn't enjoy riding him any more, and sold him. Today when my full TB ex racer spooked and I laughed, I remembered the one I sold and was really happy that I didn't persevere any longer.

The last I heard from the person who owns him now, she loves him. Some horses and riders are simply not a good combination.
 
Thanks all, I'll mention acid ease. I think he'll start to go out at night soon so hopefully that will help as he was better last summer when we was out at night.
He's on adlib hay and a basic feed at the mo I think but will suggest cutting out completely, minus maybe an handful off Chaff with acid ease?
 
SWE said:
Thanks all, I'll mention acid ease. I think he'll start to go out at night soon so hopefully that will help as he was better last summer when we was out at night.
He's on adlib hay and a basic feed at the mo I think but will suggest cutting out completely, minus maybe an handful off Chaff with acid ease?
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That needs to be grass/hay chaff, rather than alfalfa chaff.
 
In addition to all the feed/supplement/exercise advice on a slightly different note how about trying some bodywork? Regularly doing some Masterson method work has helped my old lad chill out I'm sure. It might sound a bit odd but I think he less sore/tense in his body which generally makes him feel better and less jumpy. It also encourages them to be in a relaxed state so hopefully that becomes more normal to them.
 
Agree with the cut out everything except hay and maximise turnout.

Sometimes you can’t change their default nature - you either accept it or you don’t.

Is she worried by the behaviour? IME if the rider is a little tense/anxious then the horse picks this up and you get in a bit of a cycle. With these twits if you can keep your rein and seat relaxed and just go with the flow they tend to get better rather than worse
 
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