|
|
  Keeper of the King Snake
Posts: 7622
   
Location: Dubach, LA | Have a gelding that trembles if he can't get away. The previous owners tried to desensitize him several times but quit on him because he's so terrified and crazy acting. I almost wonder if he continues to be this way because he was taught to be this way. Crazy thing tried to climb out of a stall first time I tied him and left him in one. Demolished a 12 foot gate to get out of a run. Is not "catchable" in the pasture. Does round pen/ground work like it's his first time ever every day. I guess I want stories telling me he's going to get better. |
|
| |
|
The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| I have a mare whose sire was untrainable he would actually kill a glove on a stick coming at him. So yes there are a few you cut your losses on.
I got the mare on a trade for a cheap saddle
She was practically untouched as a two yr old was sent away for 30 days prior to me getting her just for halter breaking.
She came to me and was impossible to catch, difficult to halter, would fire out if spooked. The first winter I kept her penned up hand fed and blanketed Unblanketed etc.
As a 3 yr old she went to a different trainer then I usually use as his style suited her. I also used a different farrier who could work with problem horses.
I can say she is one of the safest feeling horses I have ever ridden, on the ground I still don't trust her.
She is easier to catch, the longest it has taken me to catch her is 5 min, I don't use grain
So yes some horses will turn around
The secret is to find out their personality and search for people who can compliment that personality |
|
| |
|
What Name?
Posts: 1994
| Mine is pig eyed. So if something moves, and makes a sound. Or he catches it out of his eye just the right way, boy it lots a fire under his butt. I had a blow up on him today in fact. But I will say, mine still things plastic bags are going to eat him occasionally. He was awful when he was about 2 even though I handled him. He was just what Charlie called a hard starter. We had to do hobbled desensitizing with him before he would allow a plastic bag to touch him without being hobbled. Before that, he'd try to jump the coral fence |
|
| |
|
Expert
Posts: 1611
| Rachellyn can probably give more info but I would definitely treat for EPM before doing anything I'll bet you $$$$ his whole attitude changes. I was a skeptic but after seeing nut cases go to normal happy horses i'm a believer. |
|
| |
|
Keeper of the King Snake
Posts: 7622
Location: Dubach, LA | astreakinchic - 2015-04-06 8:27 AM Rachellyn can probably give more info but I would definitely treat for EPM before doing anything I'll bet you $$$$ his whole attitude changes. I was a skeptic but after seeing nut cases go to normal happy horses i'm a believer.
How could that be? He is very coordinated. No signs of anything neuro. going on. Runs and plays and acts normal when he's with other horses. |
|
| |
|
 Bulls Eye
Posts: 6443
Location: Oklahoma | We bought one that went through 60 days of "bombproof horsemanship". I have pictures of him doing obstacles, but I don't believe he did them willingly. He is very watchy and unsure. He clings to my stud like glue. If I'm doing work around the yard, he's on a lead rope with me. I just treat him like a big dog and make him do things with me.
eta: I do have a PHT poll pack for him. He is more relaxed when wearing this poll pack and will actually stand more relaxed with it on.
Edited by TwistedK 2015-04-06 8:45 AM
|
|
| |
|
 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 590
Location: Austin, Texas, where it can get really weird!! | Had an arabian, that hirse was SPOOKY. Trash bags, gates, blankets, chinks, anything floppy or shiny. Like that till i didn't have him anymore. No amount of hauling or riding, (we rode a 1500 ac ranch every weekend and if we rode up on a still deer that jumped up and ran off he would spook at that) one time in college i got him out to ride one a chilly windy day, the stirrup hit the door frame coming out and bounced on his side, he jumped up took off jerked the reins out of my hand and prceded to run across the pasture and step on and bust my best reins and and flip over 3 times. I dont keep spooks anymore. My life is worth more.
|
|
| |
|
 Expert
Posts: 1857
| Have you ever thought about laying him down? I'm not necessarily a fan and we don't do it very often but he sounds like a horse that might just benefit from it before he hurts himself or you. If you are on your last ditch effort, you might look into it.... I will also agree that I would check him for EPM, it can cause crazy things and no case is the same. |
|
| |
|
 Regular
Posts: 63
| astreakinchic - 2015-04-06 8:27 AM
Rachellyn can probably give more info but I would definitely treat for EPM before doing anything I'll bet you $$$$ his whole attitude changes. I was a skeptic but after seeing nut cases go to normal happy horses i'm a believer.
I think Rachel 80 has now decided all her issues were feed related and not actually EPM? |
|
| |
|
 Undercover Amish Mafia Member
Posts: 9992
Location: Kansas | I have one. He was beat on in the feed lot, we found out he is partially blind in his right eye. He couldn't be caught in the pasture, finally after working with him for several months I'm able to catch him. He use to spook side ways when I went to get on him, hasn't done it since I started working with him.
I hauled him to his first ever barrel race. He took all the sights in perfectly, didn't spook....had a scary moment in the arena because he saw a shade with his bad eye, but he spun a circle and was easy to correct.
I'd say it depends on how much you work with them, and also depends on the horse. Have you had him tested for EPM or anything like that? |
|
| |
|
Expert
Posts: 1611
| CanCan - 2015-04-06 9:39 AM
astreakinchic - 2015-04-06 8:27 AM Rachellyn can probably give more info but I would definitely treat for EPM before doing anything I'll bet you $$$$ his whole attitude changes. I was a skeptic but after seeing nut cases go to normal happy horses i'm a believer.
How could that be? He is very coordinated. No signs of anything neuro. going on. Runs and plays and acts normal when he's with other horses.
http://forums.barrelhorseworld.com/forum/forums/thread-view.asp?tid...
I've seen a few horses treated that have changed since the EPM treatments. Might be worth looking into... |
|
| |
|
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 489
| Well - I'm not sure my Spooky Doo is as bad as yours. He has a super strong flight reflex, but he has never done anything really dangerous or stupid. He is the type that if he thinks something is going to eat him - he's going to get away - but he will avoid running over you in the process. This colt actually wants to bond with someone and tries really hard to do what you ask. I've often said everyday was groundhog day with him, because we had to go over the same things every day, and our progress is measured in very small amounts. I've kept working with him because of his attitude of wanting to try. If he had a crappy attitude to go along with the spookiness - no way.
I hope you have a calm attitude and demeanor. If you are the type to get shook up or upset when he does, then perhaps he isn't a project for you. I do believe that horse can be taught to be spooky. If something is started on the de-sensation and then not followed through with -in THAT SESSION - until they are no longer spooky about it, the horse was taught that the proper response is to get away, because the pressure stopped when they got away. I have a cable stretched up high across my round pen. There is a rope hanging down from the cable in the middle that I can tie a horse to. It is rigged where I can untie the rope outside the pen if I had to. When I flag or bag one, they aren't getting away. Eventually they will give in and accept. I'm not looking for a fight - I want it to be as quiet of an experience as I can make it. But they will not get away from it until I relieve the pressure.
I've done lots of ground pen work with this critter. Had to really pay attention to how much pressure this horse actually needed to get him to do something. A lot of times only my eyes or turn of my head was needed, not the arm or body - because he was so sensitive to me. Sometimes we push them harder than they need. We've worked on adding pressure and then taking it away, to get him accepting it.
Lots of fence therapy. I've tied things on him - feed bags, milk jugs, aluminum cans on strings, and saddle bags. I've swung ropes off of him, drug stuff. The other day, we drug limbs off that my husband cleaned up from the storm. I was a proud momma! I use him to pony colts. Sometimes it isn't pretty, but we ride through it. He is learning how to handle the scare/pressure. I don't baby him. We saddle up and go to work.
We trail ride - sometimes in the big organized groups. I agree with him that walking horses are scary. He still will throw his head up and look at something - but no explosions.
I run barrels, but I've showed up with him at a lot of my roper friends' houses during practice. We track cows and the heel-o-matic. Cows are still very scary when they look at you! The clanging and banging of the chutes. We go to every show I attend a couple of hours early to be exposed to the crowd. We trot barrels. That's as far as he is started.
He is a lot better. Far more good days than bad now. Never be a dead head. I've been messing with him for about a year. Not every day because of work. Some days I want to kill him and have to remind myself " He's making you a better horseman". If he didn't have the want to try attitude and a freaky amount of athletic ability - I wouldn't go through the hassle. But for some reason, I like him. I'm determined that we are going to do this without pharmaceutical help, but I am thinking seriously about having tests run to see if there mineral supplements he might need.
Good luck with yours!
|
|
| |
|
 Money Eating Baggage Owner
Posts: 9586
Location: Phoenix | Ditto to KindaClassy on not quitting the pressure until he relaxes. Clinton Anderson demonstrates this really well. Say you are desensitizing to a spray bottles and getting sprayed. Started spraying and follow him wherever he goes, same intensity. Only when he relaxes do you quit and take the pressure away. |
|
| |
|
Keeper of the King Snake
Posts: 7622
Location: Dubach, LA | I will try to get a video of how he trembles when asked to do something he does daily. |
|
| |
|
Elite Veteran
Posts: 1028
| hammer_time - 2015-04-06 10:43 AM Ditto to KindaClassy on not quitting the pressure until he relaxes. Clinton Anderson demonstrates this really well. Say you are desensitizing to a spray bottles and getting sprayed. Started spraying and follow him wherever he goes, same intensity. Only when he relaxes do you quit and take the pressure away.
I second this! I had one that was TERRIFIED of swinging ropes, whether it was a lead rope, calf rope, over and under, if she ever saw it move just a little, even if the wind blew it, she'd break whatever she was tied to to get away from it.
I started from square one doing Cinton Anderson's roundpenning exercises and lunging exercises, and once I got to the desensitizing with a rope (after I had done it with a tarp, water hose, lunge whip), she didn't think it was such a big deal because she just flat out wasn't as reactive as before. I am a true believer that his method works on just about 99.9% of horses. |
|
| |
|
 Jr. Detective
Location: Beggs, OK | Zebra racer - 2015-04-06 9:59 AM astreakinchic - 2015-04-06 8:27 AM Rachellyn can probably give more info but I would definitely treat for EPM before doing anything I'll bet you $$$$ his whole attitude changes. I was a skeptic but after seeing nut cases go to normal happy horses i'm a believer. I think Rachel 80 has now decided all her issues were feed related and not actually EPM?
Edited to add:
The vets agree with me that it's likely that many of the horses could have had EPM, but whether it was caused by stress to their systems making them more susceptible or if they would have flared up anyway is anyone's guess. The fact that so many of the physical symptoms of EPM and the side effects of the contaminated feed are so similar it's nearly impossible to know what we are looking at...and why the feed wasn't suspected before.
Edited by rachellyn80 2015-04-06 4:00 PM
|
|
| |
Tell me about your spooky scaredy cats