onelastchance
New User
Hoping for some insight as everyone I’ve spoken to is baffled by this sudden change in my gelding’s behaviour in the stable.
I got him in May (6 months ago) with almost no background info. He’s 7y/o, tb who came from Ireland in January (too slow to race) where he’s been badly neglected post-training. Spent some time living in the field gaining weight, until I got him in May. He lived out 24/7 until about 5 weeks ago.
He’s been the most chilled out, amazing tb I’ve ever met, despite his past. He’s come on hugely in 6 months and is really cuddly, with a positive attitude to everything. He’s been a dream!
His only fault is he can weave when he’s stressed or unsettled. I started bringing him in overnight 5 weeks ago. For the first week, he was a little unsettled in the morning and weaving slightly. Then he settled into his routine and was perfect for 3 weeks, no weaving and very calm when I arrived to turn him out. The last week, I feel like I’ve got a different horse entirely. He isn’t eating his hay overnight (I’ve tried changing the bale), is weaving manically and generally seems very stressed. However he’s not reluctant to enter the stable, isn’t bolshy outside of the stable and his field and ridden behaviour hasn’t changed.
The situation seems to be getting worse rather than better. 2 days ago I arrived an hour later than my usual time to turn out, he was drenched in sweat and weaving incessantly. Thought he might be colicking so some bute and lots of walking until he settled down.
Tonight has been the worst yet. Usually when I leave him at night he seems relaxed and is eating his dinner and starting on his hay. But tonight he was weaving before I left and didn’t finish his dinner. I changed his hay to a really nice bale to entice him to eat, but even that doesn’t seem to distract him. He has a lovely straw bed, plenty hay and water, his dinner and I’ve been putting NAF Magic into his food the last couple of days.
I just don’t know what to do… will this pass? I haven’t known a horse’s stable behaviour to revert like this before. He’s so distressed and I’m scared he’ll stress himself into colic. Something has clearly happened (I don’t know what) to make him become this stressed in his stable, but will it pass if I just let him ride it out?
Any advice or reassurance would be hugely appreciated, I hate seeing him so distressed.
Living out isn’t an option, and I’m currently giving him some days off while he’s stressing like this.
I got him in May (6 months ago) with almost no background info. He’s 7y/o, tb who came from Ireland in January (too slow to race) where he’s been badly neglected post-training. Spent some time living in the field gaining weight, until I got him in May. He lived out 24/7 until about 5 weeks ago.
He’s been the most chilled out, amazing tb I’ve ever met, despite his past. He’s come on hugely in 6 months and is really cuddly, with a positive attitude to everything. He’s been a dream!
His only fault is he can weave when he’s stressed or unsettled. I started bringing him in overnight 5 weeks ago. For the first week, he was a little unsettled in the morning and weaving slightly. Then he settled into his routine and was perfect for 3 weeks, no weaving and very calm when I arrived to turn him out. The last week, I feel like I’ve got a different horse entirely. He isn’t eating his hay overnight (I’ve tried changing the bale), is weaving manically and generally seems very stressed. However he’s not reluctant to enter the stable, isn’t bolshy outside of the stable and his field and ridden behaviour hasn’t changed.
The situation seems to be getting worse rather than better. 2 days ago I arrived an hour later than my usual time to turn out, he was drenched in sweat and weaving incessantly. Thought he might be colicking so some bute and lots of walking until he settled down.
Tonight has been the worst yet. Usually when I leave him at night he seems relaxed and is eating his dinner and starting on his hay. But tonight he was weaving before I left and didn’t finish his dinner. I changed his hay to a really nice bale to entice him to eat, but even that doesn’t seem to distract him. He has a lovely straw bed, plenty hay and water, his dinner and I’ve been putting NAF Magic into his food the last couple of days.
I just don’t know what to do… will this pass? I haven’t known a horse’s stable behaviour to revert like this before. He’s so distressed and I’m scared he’ll stress himself into colic. Something has clearly happened (I don’t know what) to make him become this stressed in his stable, but will it pass if I just let him ride it out?
Any advice or reassurance would be hugely appreciated, I hate seeing him so distressed.
Living out isn’t an option, and I’m currently giving him some days off while he’s stressing like this.
