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Veteran
Posts: 103
| I have a 10 year old gelding that is as quiet and sweet as they come.........80% of the time. The other 20% of the time - look out! He's shaking, full of adrenaline, head up in the air and doesn't even know you are there. Never in a million years would he deliberately hurt you, but when he gets "ungrounded" he can sure walk over you, step on you, swing around and knock you down, etc. It's like he gets so high on an adrenaline rush he doesn't even acknowledge your presence.
It's so weird, because he is either totally off, or totally on, and once he gets that adrenaline hit it takes forever for him to come back to himself - it's like his mind totally leaves his body.
He is also very hypersensitive to sights/sounds and startles easily.
Has anyone else dealt with a gelding like this? Any suggestions?
When he is in "good mode" he is one of the best horses I have ever had, but when he isn't, I just want to get rid of him as fast as I can.
HELP!!!!!!!!
Edited by BrightEyes 2015-09-24 3:53 AM
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10D Crack Champion
   
| Vision problems maybe? Diet issues possibly? Breathing issues that cause panic? Have you had a vet look him over really well and do some blood work to make sure everything is ok there? I guess hearing would be something else to consider.
Edited by sodapop 2015-09-24 6:20 AM
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 1182
Location: Do I hear Banjos? | I had an 1800# Percheron that was like this. He was an awesome solid go anywhere carriage and riding horse 80% of the time. But once in a while...for no apparent reason...he would do just as you describe. Head up eyes wide...run you over...totally as if you aren't there, completely tuned out . That made him dangerous and unpredictable. At his size...very dangerous. When he was sane...he was so awesome...And he was drop dead gorgeous.
But...I valued my life...so I sold him to a lady that just wanted "Something pretty in her pasture". All he had to do was eat and be cared for by her ranch hand. Never ridden or driven. That was the best place for one like that.
We had done vet checks, blood work, supplements, you name it. Nothing showed up. And the vet did joke he was just Bi-Polar. I later learned that the person that sold him to me had given him a sedative both when I went to try him...and again when I went to pick him up. She knew full well what she was selling.
Not very helpful I'm afraid. But I would recommend doing some testing...see if there's a magnesium deficiency or health issue...then if it seems to all be in his head...be careful. |
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 It's not my fault I'm perfect
Posts: 13739
Location: Where the long tails flow, ND | Ulcers? |
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 boon
Posts: 4
| You might try Thiamine ( B1) unless you think it's some other physical issue like what has been mentioned. It works very well if he should be lacking for some reason. I like the Finishline products as they don't contain some additives that I don't agree with.
Hope you find something that calms him down.  |
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I just read the headlines
Posts: 4483
| SmokinGirlie - 2015-09-24 8:51 AM
Ulcers?
This^^^. I have a gelding like this. Since I started treating for ulcer/hindgut issues, he is losing his crazy episodes. They started just like you describe, but over a year, they got worse. I couldn't even take him to the vet without him acting like he had never been there before. I started treating him for ulcers with one product and saw some improvement but when I went to Cur-Ost Stomach and the Adapt, which as I understand it, helps control cortisol releases, he made a BIG turnaround. Now he sees things, but doesn't freeze and tremble and run away. He looks, pauses and continues on, just like he used to 2 years ago. |
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  Whack and Roll
Posts: 6342
Location: NE Texas | GLP - 2015-09-24 10:34 AM SmokinGirlie - 2015-09-24 8:51 AM Ulcers? This^^^. I have a gelding like this. Since I started treating for ulcer/hindgut issues, he is losing his crazy episodes. They started just like you describe, but over a year, they got worse. I couldn't even take him to the vet without him acting like he had never been there before. I started treating him for ulcers with one product and saw some improvement but when I went to Cur-Ost Stomach and the Adapt, which as I understand it, helps control cortisol releases, he made a BIG turnaround. Now he sees things, but doesn't freeze and tremble and run away. He looks, pauses and continues on, just like he used to 2 years ago.
Yep, i'd have to second the Cur-OST EQ Stomach along with the EQ Adapt. That would be the second thing i'd do for him right after I changed him to an alfalfa, whole oat diet and took him off of any and all other supplements. Mostly alfalfa, with just enough whole oats once daily to mix in the Cur-OST. |
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I just read the headlines
Posts: 4483
| Herbie - 2015-09-24 11:08 AM
GLP - 2015-09-24 10:34 AM SmokinGirlie - 2015-09-24 8:51 AM Ulcers? This^^^. I have a gelding like this. Since I started treating for ulcer/hindgut issues, he is losing his crazy episodes. They started just like you describe, but over a year, they got worse. I couldn't even take him to the vet without him acting like he had never been there before. I started treating him for ulcers with one product and saw some improvement but when I went to Cur-Ost Stomach and the Adapt, which as I understand it, helps control cortisol releases, he made a BIG turnaround. Now he sees things, but doesn't freeze and tremble and run away. He looks, pauses and continues on, just like he used to 2 years ago.
LOL, Yes this, too. It was really hard for me to switch to oats because I had done that last summer and I was also feeding grass hay and alfalfa pellets. At that time I was NOt addressing the digestive system problems. I felt like the oats didn't help, in fact I thought he got worse. But because of Herbie's results and talking to Dr. Schell, I bit the bullet and started feeding oats again, changed my alfalfa pellets to hay and started supplementing with Stomach and Adapt. Low and behold, he did NOT get goofier! Instead he has just improved by leaps and bounds mentally! I am now feeding Omni cubes because in South Texas, I don't trust my feed stores to get alfalfa from the northwest states. I really worry about blister beetles. I give a cup of whole oats with his Cur-Ost, but I am not sure he wouldn't just lick it up without the oats! If it weren't for Herbie and Dr. Schell, I believe I would have either had him up for sale or let him just be a pasture ornament. It killed me to see how upset and unfocused and just dangerous he was even riding at home. I thought I was a terrible rider and he needed some one else, but he will never be for sale and after the first of the year when he is in shape, I will start hauling him to little shows and just go from there. I will not ever take him off the Cur-Ost. It made that much of a difference. I never thought any supplement could do that but this one can.  |
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 Balance Beam and more...
Posts: 11511
Location: 31 lengths farms | Who makes Cur-Ost and does it have calcium in it? CC has always had these types of issues, ulcer meds improve her somewhat.... |
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Common Sense and then some
Location: So. California | Sounds like muscle cramping. 5 panel test him through AQHA or Animal Genetics
Do you feed him grain with molassas?
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Balance Beam and more...
Posts: 11511
Location: 31 lengths farms | Found the website, interesting!!! |
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I just read the headlines
Posts: 4483
| run n rate - 2015-09-24 12:16 PM
Who makes Cur-Ost and does it have calcium in it? CC has always had these types of issues, ulcer meds improve her somewhat....
I don't think it has Calcium in it. It is a whole food/herbal supplement. If you go to secondvet.com they have a really good forum and you can also see the products and what the ingredients are. I would get on the forum and ask Dr. Schell about it for sure with CC's history.  |
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Whack and Roll
Posts: 6342
Location: NE Texas | run n rate - 2015-09-24 12:16 PM Who makes Cur-Ost and does it have calcium in it? CC has always had these types of issues, ulcer meds improve her somewhat....
There are no added synthetics added of any kind. Any time you see a label that lists ingredients such as Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphorous....these are synthetics that have been added to "balance" the formula. Synthetic and artificial ingrediests are proven through research to contribute to the inflammation in the hindgut. Ulcer medications short term can help issues in the foregut, but long term ulcer meds will negatively affect nutrient assimilation and typically aren't effective in treating hind gut issues.
The Cur-OST product and Dr. Schell have been life saving for my horse, literally, and now others are seeing dramatic improvements in their horses as well from a variety of issues that have plagued them for years. It truly does make that big of a difference, and I too will never be without the product for my horses.
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 Expert
Posts: 4121
Location: SE Louisiana | Basic understanding of horses.
Never, EVER stand directly in front of a horse.
You don't spend your life beside any horse.
You can't smell what he can... Maybe you fear spiders.... maybe he does too!! You can't know! what he/she fears or why.
Nature sucks sometimes... |
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It's not my fault I'm perfect
Posts: 13739
Location: Where the long tails flow, ND | My 4 year old was just a nervous horse in general under saddle, I've raised her and she was quiet as can be on the ground. She got an ear infection last fall and had to stay at the vet for 10 days, she kinda turned into a skitzo, I'm sure she was stressed from her ear etc. I would saddle her and walk her a few steps to tighten the saddle and she would FLIP A LID and constantly shake her head, I thought it was maybe from her ear infection, her thinking it would still hurt blah blah blah. Then finally registered that she probably had ulcers. I treated her with Rite Trac and she is SO QUIET, so much more pleasant to ride, seriously like a different horse. Who knew  |
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 Twin Sister to Queen Boobie
Posts: 13315
Location: East Tennessee but who knows?! | Aside from nutritional imbalances & health/pain issues, training and getting a horse's mind goes a long ways. Horses look to us to be a strong leader and for confidence, especially when the adrenaline gets high.
Also, look at your own body language and your mental status. The more relaxed you are, the more your horse's will be. We carry more tension in our body & muscles than we realize and that's what horses read and feed off of.
Another thing to look into is endo-tapping. I've seen it work first hand and there's something to it. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 512
| SmokinGirlie - 2015-09-24 8:51 AM
Ulcers?
I was thinking this..
We had one similar.. treated him for ulcers and didn't have another problem once we treated him and kept him on preventative. |
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Balance Beam and more...
Posts: 11511
Location: 31 lengths farms | Thank you GLP and Herbie, going to look into these a little closer for my horses and especially for CC with her health issues. Looked promising :-)
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 My Heart Be Happy
Posts: 9159
Location: Arkansas | run n rate - 2015-09-24 4:18 PM
Thank you GLP and Herbie, going to look into these a little closer for my horses and especially for CC with her health issues. Looked promising :-)
I'd love to hear more if you put CC on it, knowing what a journey y'all have been on. |
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Balance Beam and more...
Posts: 11511
Location: 31 lengths farms | Chandler's Mom - 2015-09-25 8:50 PM
run n rate - 2015-09-24 4:18 PM
Thank you GLP and Herbie, going to look into these a little closer for my horses and especially for CC with her health issues. Looked promising :-)
I'd love to hear more if you put CC on it, knowing what a journey y'all have been on.
Absolutely!!! |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 1066
| My barrel horse had an episode like this for a week or so this spring and a cranial sacral therapist worked on him and he was a different horse. She said there were some "things" out of whack that were affecting his nerve endings... It was so bad he acted like he was feral. Two treatments and he was back to his mellow self. Maybe when your horse's adrenaline gets pumping it's effecting his head which then sends sharp nerves through his body? Sounds crazy, I know, but 3 very high end vets were clueless and this therapist fixed him so I'm a believer. |
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"Bipolar" Gelding - Quiet & Gentle One Minute to Shaking & Full of Adrenaline the Next - What to Do?