Sunjunkieme
Well-Known Member
Ok, so the lovely Ned (Connie) has always been a bit sensitive. He's worse this time of year (spring) and I put that down to spring grass. Feed is a real trigger for his anxieties, and I found that stripping everything back and feeding him a simple straight diet helped a lot! He's currently only on HIFI light & Equifeast balancer.
I'm very used to his spooky ways and they don't really worry me these days. He routinely reacts to anyone behind him & will pretty constantly be on alert for this, but isn't worried by mountain bikes, dogs or passing other horses.
My problem is that from time to time, a noise he just cant place, will cause him to freeze, his heart to pound and to trigger every flight mechanism in his little body. It can be a chainsaw, kids screaming in the woods, mechanical machinery, dogs, anything really. These days I'm much less tense when this happens and having dealt with the initial spin or panic, remember to soften, release and breath. I rarely need to get off, and can usually put him to work doing some uphill trotting or lateral work to take his mind off it, but it will affect the rest of the ride, and he just can't seem to move past it.
He's worse if he has any discomfort, (who can blame him!) so his saddle is checked very regularly, and he has regular massage & release as well as Osteo checks, hes one pampered pony!
I just wonder if acoustic ears or ear plugs might help him or would they make things worse? I'd love to hear from anyone with similar experiences.
My fear is that by muffling sound I make the situation worse.
I'm very used to his spooky ways and they don't really worry me these days. He routinely reacts to anyone behind him & will pretty constantly be on alert for this, but isn't worried by mountain bikes, dogs or passing other horses.
My problem is that from time to time, a noise he just cant place, will cause him to freeze, his heart to pound and to trigger every flight mechanism in his little body. It can be a chainsaw, kids screaming in the woods, mechanical machinery, dogs, anything really. These days I'm much less tense when this happens and having dealt with the initial spin or panic, remember to soften, release and breath. I rarely need to get off, and can usually put him to work doing some uphill trotting or lateral work to take his mind off it, but it will affect the rest of the ride, and he just can't seem to move past it.
He's worse if he has any discomfort, (who can blame him!) so his saddle is checked very regularly, and he has regular massage & release as well as Osteo checks, hes one pampered pony!
I just wonder if acoustic ears or ear plugs might help him or would they make things worse? I'd love to hear from anyone with similar experiences.
My fear is that by muffling sound I make the situation worse.
