Strange behaviour from new horse

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AshryOTTB

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I've recently bought a 5yo TB gelding, who arrived 6 days ago. He seems happy and has integrated well into an existing herd, passed a 5 stage vetting and had clean x-rays. The issue i am having is he is very grumpy in the stable and doesn't like being touched, he wasn't like this at all when i went to view him. He also box walks, weaves and paws when people are in or around the stable but seems fine when alone in the stable. He hasn't actually bitten yet but will pull faces at me when i touch him while he is in the stable. He is perfect under saddle and in hand, he will allow me to touch him and even groom a little when out of the stable, although he will walk off if given the choice but doesn't pin ears back or try to bite. When out of the stable he is also fine with other people and will happily stand while i talk to people and will let them touch him too.

Is this normal behaviour while he is settling? what can i do to improve this behaviour? i need to be able to go in the stable with him and groom ect.
 
if it was ulcers surely he would be girthy, he is fine to tack up, in fact he is fine to do most thing with, just not while he is in the stable. I can touch under his stomach while he is out and he shows no discomfort.
 
AshryOTTB said:
if it was ulcers surely he would be girthy, he is fine to tack up, in fact he is fine to do most thing with, just not while he is in the stable. I can touch under his stomach while he is out and he shows no discomfort.
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Not necessarily, they can cause all sorts behaviours. I'd definitely be trying him on aloe if he was mine, and the one I have arriving soon will be on aloe for a while until he settles.

I think @Michen had a horse recently whose only signs were aggression in the stable.
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ycbm said:
Not necessarily, they can cause all sorts behaviours. I'd definitely be trying him on aloe if he was mine, and the one I have arriving soon will be on aloe for a while until he settles.

I think @Michen had a horse recently whose only signs were aggression in the stable.
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hm maybe, i just cant see why the behaviours would be limited to inside the stable
 
AshryOTTB said:
hm maybe, i just cant see why the behaviours would be limited to inside the stable
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I won’t bore all HHO with the details again but my pony was scoped and showed grade 2 squamous ulcers.
He had only one definite ulcer symptom which happened erratically. All the other symptoms sent us on many a wild goose chase.
 
ok, i will try him on aloe. aside from that, is there anything i should be doing while in the stable to stop him getting so stressy.
 
ycbm said:
Is he direct off the track as your user name suggests? If so, and maybe even if not, a set routine should help him.

How fit is he and how much food and how much turnout is he getting?
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Yes he is straight off the track although only raced 3 times, username relates to my older OTTB not him. I've also got a lot of experience with TBs so he has a set routine, he comes in at 12 and back out at 4. He is rather skinny so gets quite a bit of food, 3 small feeds per day.
 
He’s not being food possessive is he? My TB would show her distaste with me in her stable when she had her bucket feed but it could happen with hay too.

Definitely take YCBM’s advice. Very knowledgeable horse woman.
 
AshryOTTB said:
Yes he is straight off the track although only raced 3 times, username relates to my older OTTB not him. I've also got a lot of experience with TBs so he has a set routine, he comes in at 12 and back out at 4. He is rather skinny so gets quite a bit of food, 3 small feeds per day.
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How much grass is there in his field? I have known horses come in from a long night on short grass very hungry and get aggressive when prevented from tucking into the food they only have a few hours to eat.
 
Peglo said:
He’s not being food possessive is he? My TB would show her distaste with me in her stable when she had her bucket feed but it could happen with hay too.

Definitely take YCBM’s advice. Very knowledgeable horse woman.
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dont think so, he gets hay in field and is happy for me to brush him while he is eating then
 
ycbm said:
How much grass is there in his field? I have known horses come in from a long night on short grass very hungry and get aggressive when prevented from tucking into the food they only have a few hours to eat.
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grass is starting to come through but they get a little hay too so they don't go hungry
 
AshryOTTB said:
dont think so, he gets hay in field and is happy for me to brush him while he is eating then
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I would absolutely not brush him (or any horse for that matter) in the field whilst munching. Really dangerous. And certainly not in the stable whilst eating.

Is he poor, or racing/training fit? And what are you feeding?

What is the benefit of him coming in between 12.00 and 4.00? I would imagine that this is completely different to the routine he had up until recently and could be confusing for him.
 
Amymay said:
I would absolutely not brush him (or any horse for that matter) in the field whilst munching. Really dangerous. And certainly not in the stable whilst eating.

Is he poor, or racing/training fit? And what are you feeding?

What is the benefit of him coming in between 12.00 and 4.00? I would imagine that this is completely different to the routine he had up until recently and could be confusing for him.
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I agree i ideally don't want to be brushing him outside, but he wont allow me to do so in the stable, so i take him out the the field and do what i can there.

He last raced 12 months ago and had done light schooling before i got him which i am continuing as well as hacking. He gets a lot of chaff as well as some balancer and nuts plus a few supplements. Has adlib hay in the stable and a small amount in the field too.

He comes in with field friends to be worked and given a feed then they all go back out together.
 
ycbm said:
If he's thin is be increasing the hay in the field until there some left.

I'd also be wondering why he's thin when he hasn't raced for a year. That can also be a sign of ulcers.
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there is hay left :)

the racing yard he came from was a bit strange, from what i understand he was kept in training for a while after his last race but then retired and did a little schooling before being sold on to me. So not sure exactly when he stopped training, possibly why he is thin, he's not overly thin, i personally would prefer him to have a little more weight on him though.
 
Doesn’t sound like he’s straight off the track if he last raced a year ago and had some schooling before selling?

Hope he settles soon OP. Some take longer to settle than others.
 
I have to agree probably ulcers try aloe vera it's relatively cheap and had good results with mine, Ron Fields supplements are very good known a few friends have great results with the ulcer stuff, it can literally be a change of environment its unsettling then can cause gut discomfort then ulcers its common in all horses.

I've got Arab's again they are blood horses can get stressed easily don't like change, I have just tried them on oily herbs, oregano, rosemary, thyme, and it's really settled them the droppings are much more consistent and they just seem calmer.

Feed wise mine are sensitive to alot of feed cant have alfalfa or any big amount of molasses which is in a lot of feed, soya can also cause issues with some horses so just be aware of what you are feeding.
 
AshryOTTB said:
there is hay left :)

the racing yard he came from was a bit strange, from what i understand he was kept in training for a while after his last race but then retired and did a little schooling before being sold on to me. So not sure exactly when he stopped training, possibly why he is thin, he's not overly thin, i personally would prefer him to have a little more weight on him though.
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He will be lean, racing fit. Some are still kept in training for a while and bear in mind some racers dont get a lot of turnout and may not be used to a lot of grass ☺️
 
Pinkvboots said:
I have to agree probably ulcers try aloe vera it's relatively cheap and had good results with mine, Ron Fields supplements are very good known a few friends have great results with the ulcer stuff, it can literally be a change of environment its unsettling then can cause gut discomfort then ulcers its common in all horses.

I've got Arab's again they are blood horses can get stressed easily don't like change, I have just tried them on oily herbs, oregano, rosemary, thyme, and it's really settled them the droppings are much more consistent and they just seem calmer.

Feed wise mine are sensitive to alot of feed cant have alfalfa or any big amount of molasses which is in a lot of feed, soya can also cause issues with some horses so just be aware of what you are feeding.
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I second the oily herbs.
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My ex-racer also did not like any "work" being done on him in the stable - so we didn't. Took him outside - tied him up (cross -tie if necessary) and then did what was necessary but also did not accept any bad behaviour about it. He settled eventually but I think it was as much a matter of trust as anything else.

One thought - has he been wormed? If everything is OK on that front then you can't do better than follow @ycbm's advice.
 
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