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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 742
  
| I have a mare that seems to be scared of her own shadow. I have had her checked by a couple of vets and I even had her treated for possible EPM. She is 7 and was started as a 2 year old and was barrel trained as a 4 year old. You never know what can cause her to jump out of her skin but she can scoot out from under a not so good rider. She doesn't rear or buck she just drops very fast like a cutter and if you aren't ready for it you will be dumped. Anyway, what are the chances she will grow out of this or will she always be this way? She has got promise to be a nice barrel horse but she is afraid of the strangest things at a race or really anywhere. She is like the cowardly Lion. 
Any help or advice? She's a sweet horse just so chicken.  |
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 Expert
Posts: 1367
Location: mi | The story of my life. It's been years since I have picked a quiet horse. I had a little mare that sounds real similar to yours. Miles and Miles and Miles. She did grow up. But it was years. probably around age 10 I noticed she was now pretty relaxed and really only big things would get her drop out from under you. She was never going to be a little kids horse but at least was now fun to ride for anyone that could ride a bit. We pretty much just tried to ignore her spooks when we were on her. I rode with lots of other quiet horses as much as possible. Despooked her to things I could at home. and just hauled her. I will say I warmed her up always with one hand on the pommel of the saddle unless I needed to be asking her for something with 2.
My current gelding is the same way only different. He got quieter with miles and experience also but along with that I keep him on a super low starch diet with added Magnesium not sure if that is helping or if he is just growing up but at 6 he is much quieter then he was at 3 and 4. low starch diet and magnesium are not any more expensive then any other diet so I am sticking with it.
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 615
Location: Wyoming | You might want to use a calming supplement, there are quite a few out there to choose from. Pozzi Relax daily from oxy-gen, and Total Health Enhancement has a good one too. Sometimes they need a little help to get their confidence up! |
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | Did the vet check her eye sight? |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 742
| ajs2002 - 2015-11-23 10:40 AM The story of my life. It's been years since I have picked a quiet horse. I had a little mare that sounds real similar to yours. Miles and Miles and Miles. She did grow up. But it was years. probably around age 10 I noticed she was now pretty relaxed and really only big things would get her drop out from under you. She was never going to be a little kids horse but at least was now fun to ride for anyone that could ride a bit. We pretty much just tried to ignore her spooks when we were on her. I rode with lots of other quiet horses as much as possible. Despooked her to things I could at home. and just hauled her. I will say I warmed her up always with one hand on the pommel of the saddle unless I needed to be asking her for something with 2.
My current gelding is the same way only different. He got quieter with miles and experience also but along with that I keep him on a super low starch diet with added Magnesium not sure if that is helping or if he is just growing up but at 6 he is much quieter then he was at 3 and 4. low starch diet and magnesium are not any more expensive then any other diet so I am sticking with it.
Thanks AJS and I know you feel my pain.  She is on straight alfalfa and she is grazed on a huge pasture with several other mares. Funny thing is, she is really bossy for a chicken of a horse. Maybe she doesn't want them to know how insecure she is.
I had heard that magnesium is something to try. Where do you get your magnesium? |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 742
| perfectturns - 2015-11-23 10:50 AM You might want to use a calming supplement, there are quite a few out there to choose from. Pozzi Relax daily from oxy-gen, and Total Health Enhancement has a good one too. Sometimes they need a little help to get their confidence up!
I was looking into THE. Good to know it could help.  |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 742
| Southtxponygirl - 2015-11-23 10:51 AM Did the vet check her eye sight?
We did check it. I actually thought something was up with her sight when I first got her about 3 years ago and everything checked out fine. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 672
| I think a lot has to do with how you ride – ride with confidence and your horse can feel it and will eventually lose the spookiness, maybe not all of it, but a lot of it!
For example, I’ve had quite a few abused, spooky, hot-headed horses so I’ve had to become a very confident rider. My younger sister has a horse that I broke and sold as she was too laid back for a barrel horse, was sold & got banged around, we bought her back, and now that horse has ZERO confidence – my sister cannot go for a ride without that horse trying to turn under or spook out from under her. She will spook at any & everything!
I can hop on her and no problem – no spook. My sister is a very good rider, but is expecting the horse to spook and doesn’t pass any confidence on to the horse.
It is hard when you’re expecting the horse to spook, and you don’t want to get left 3 miles from home, but trust me! If you ride with confidence your horse WILL feel it!
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A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | kramerica - 2015-11-23 10:55 AM Southtxponygirl - 2015-11-23 10:51 AM Did the vet check her eye sight? We did check it. I actually thought something was up with her sight when I first got her about 3 years ago and everything checked out fine.
Good to know Get some B1 crumbles and see if that will help, I have a gelding that I used to run and I had to keep him on that for years, he would be a basket case and that seen to help settle his nerves. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 742
| veintiocho - 2015-11-23 10:55 AM I think a lot has to do with how you ride – ride with confidence and your horse can feel it and will eventually lose the spookiness, maybe not all of it, but a lot of it! For example, I’ve had quite a few abused, spooky, hot-headed horses so I’ve had to become a very confident rider. My younger sister has a horse that I broke and sold as she was too laid back for a barrel horse, was sold & got banged around, we bought her back, and now that horse has ZERO confidence – my sister cannot go for a ride without that horse trying to turn under or spook out from under her. She will spook at any & everything! I can hop on her and no problem – no spook. My sister is a very good rider, but is expecting the horse to spook and doesn’t pass any confidence on to the horse. It is hard when you’re expecting the horse to spook, and you don’t want to get left 3 miles from home, but trust me! If you ride with confidence your horse WILL feel it!
Good advice and I ride with confidence and she has never unseated me but I have had others nearly come right off. I don't worry about a spook but it does irratate me. I actually work some tight circles when she spooks to get her mind off of it. She does get better with more rides but I just wondered if she would be spooky all her life? Other than that she is a nice horse. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 742
| Southtxponygirl - 2015-11-23 10:58 AM kramerica - 2015-11-23 10:55 AM Southtxponygirl - 2015-11-23 10:51 AM Did the vet check her eye sight? We did check it. I actually thought something was up with her sight when I first got her about 3 years ago and everything checked out fine.
What and where do you get B1 crumbles? Or is it just Vitamin B1 at Walgreens or CVS? |
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A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | kramerica - 2015-11-23 11:01 AM Southtxponygirl - 2015-11-23 10:58 AM kramerica - 2015-11-23 10:55 AM Southtxponygirl - 2015-11-23 10:51 AM Did the vet check her eye sight? We did check it. I actually thought something was up with her sight when I first got her about 3 years ago and everything checked out fine.
You can order it on line are from any vet websites like Jeffers, Valley Vet.. I really like it, works on my horse but may not work on others, but you got to get it in their system, I had my gelding on it for years, good luck on what ever you try. There is another one that I like using is Mare Magic, help settles there nevers too and it all naturel. |
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 Undercover Amish Mafia Member
Posts: 9991
Location: Kansas | My gelding is the same way, he thinks everything is going to kill him. He's a pain in the a$$. I've found that the vita-calm supplement works well with him. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 742
| Thanks for all the help everyone. I think I will also treat her for ulcers to see if that might make a difference. Ulcergard for 28 days and see if she settles any. |
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Expert
Posts: 1367
Location: mi | Thanks AJS and I know you feel my pain. She is on straight alfalfa and she is grazed on a huge pasture with several other mares. Funny thing is, she is really bossy for a chicken of a horse. Maybe she doesn't want them to know how insecure she is.
I had heard that magnesium is something to try. Where do you get your magnesium?
I got a 50 lb bag of magox 56% from our local elevator for like $40. Last forever. I just gave about a tablespoon am and pm. There is also a company that you can from that is more expensive but maybe better? I didn't really notice a difference between the 2.
https://shop.performanceequinenutrition.com/equine-magnesium-therapy-c27.aspx
And yes my little mare was a bit of witch in the pasture with most of the other horses other then my old mare. But the world itself was a scarey place. |
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I just read the headlines
Posts: 4483
| I have a gelding that was like that. Turns out it was ulcers/leaky gut. I used the Cur-Ost Stomach and the Adapt and Calm. The Adapt is the only thing that has helped his mind slow down enough to realize that there are not monsters everywhere like he thought. He is back to his old self now. He is very looky, but if I let him look his good to go and actually want to investigate what made him stop and look. I tried lots of calming supplements and THE cookies worked some and really work well on my daughter's mare, but the Adapt was the answer for my gelding. The Adapt is very reasonably priced and you can go on secondvet.com and talk to Dr. Schell who is a vet and is the one who makes the Cur-Ost products. If you decide to go with THE Krystal (I always forget her name on BHW) is very helpful, too. |
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 Balance Beam and more...
Posts: 11493
Location: 31 lengths farms | I had used Silver Lining Herbs a few years ago with my little Bi-Polar ADHD mare but recently changed to Cur_ost also...Love the stuff!!! You can use the Adapt all by itself or with the Stomach and or Total Support. I changed mine from the Stomach to the Total Support after talking to Dr. Schell about her and then used the Stomach on my big mare more because I had it then anything. She suddenly looks like she should. I used the Adapt on my little mare for her first indoor race back in a lot of years. She handled the small warm up pen, the crowd, the noise everything like a champ! I gave her a dose the night before and again a half dose the morning of day one. Rock solid, nothing bothered her. Day two we went with just the Total Support in her system and didn't have to use the Adapt. |
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A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | GLP - 2015-11-23 12:08 PM I have a gelding that was like that. Turns out it was ulcers/leaky gut. I used the Cur-Ost Stomach and the Adapt and Calm. The Adapt is the only thing that has helped his mind slow down enough to realize that there are not monsters everywhere like he thought. He is back to his old self now. He is very looky, but if I let him look his good to go and actually want to investigate what made him stop and look. I tried lots of calming supplements and THE cookies worked some and really work well on my daughter's mare, but the Adapt was the answer for my gelding. The Adapt is very reasonably priced and you can go on secondvet.com and talk to Dr. Schell who is a vet and is the one who makes the Cur-Ost products. If you decide to go with THE Krystal (I always forget her name on BHW) is very helpful, too.
Its Krystal Peterson she has her add at the top of the page for T.H.E and yes she is very helpful, give her a call. |
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I just read the headlines
Posts: 4483
| Southtxponygirl - 2015-11-23 12:36 PM
GLP - 2015-11-23 12:08 PM I have a gelding that was like that. Turns out it was ulcers/leaky gut. I used the Cur-Ost Stomach and the Adapt and Calm. The Adapt is the only thing that has helped his mind slow down enough to realize that there are not monsters everywhere like he thought. He is back to his old self now. He is very looky, but if I let him look his good to go and actually want to investigate what made him stop and look. I tried lots of calming supplements and THE cookies worked some and really work well on my daughter's mare, but the Adapt was the answer for my gelding. The Adapt is very reasonably priced and you can go on secondvet.com and talk to Dr. Schell who is a vet and is the one who makes the Cur-Ost products. If you decide to go with THE Krystal (I always forget her name on BHW) is very helpful, too.
Its Krystal Peterson she has her add at the top of the page for T.H.E and yes she is very helpful, give her a call.
Thanks, STPG! I just ordered from her and still I couldn't remember. She is the best to work with. |
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  Whack and Roll
Posts: 6342
Location: NE Texas | I would absolutley look into the Cur-OST Adapt & Calm. It's very inexpensive and can be used alone. I would do 2 scoops once daily for her to start out. Ideally I think she'd be a candidate for the EQ Stomach combined with the Adapt & Calm based on what you're describing, but I would absolutley try the Adapt & Calm. It has helped my previously bi-polar, hateful gelding tremendously and he's now a normal horse. No longer looking for a reason to be a dummy. Not to mention all of other issues he had. What I thought was "quirky" was actually a multitude of health issues that finally spiraled out of control, nearly causing me to lose him. So happy to have the new and improved version of my horse back! |
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 The BHW Book Worm
Posts: 1768
| my mare is also like this. BUT when she isn't spooking she is really focused and can get on the lazy side when she feel she has done her job. when I first purchased her she was saddle broke only and so spooky she was dangerous in a real way. I worked with her for 15 days in our outdoor arena trying to gain her some confidence.. she still was having trouble keeping her head straight.... so I hauled her up to a very challenging 20 mile trail in a state park (cliffs, canyons, water, you name it) after the first time she was 50% better and that is saying a lot..... I spent the whole coming summer after that taking her everywhere EXPOSURE and making her face her fears is the only thing that seems to work for her. Even arenas now she needs to be able to trot a few laps to make sure there isn't ghosts. Its part of her personality she will always be a spook/looky. I would love to let my kids ride her because she listen very close to them but I don't unless im right there because when she does spook she spooks HARD...she probably will never make a rodeo horse and unless she can see an arena first its pointless to enter. |
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A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | GLP - 2015-11-23 12:51 PM Southtxponygirl - 2015-11-23 12:36 PM GLP - 2015-11-23 12:08 PM I have a gelding that was like that. Turns out it was ulcers/leaky gut. I used the Cur-Ost Stomach and the Adapt and Calm. The Adapt is the only thing that has helped his mind slow down enough to realize that there are not monsters everywhere like he thought. He is back to his old self now. He is very looky, but if I let him look his good to go and actually want to investigate what made him stop and look. I tried lots of calming supplements and THE cookies worked some and really work well on my daughter's mare, but the Adapt was the answer for my gelding. The Adapt is very reasonably priced and you can go on secondvet.com and talk to Dr. Schell who is a vet and is the one who makes the Cur-Ost products. If you decide to go with THE Krystal (I always forget her name on BHW) is very helpful, too. Its Krystal Peterson she has her add at the top of the page for T.H.E and yes she is very helpful, give her a call. Thanks, STPG! I just ordered from her and still I couldn't remember. She is the best to work with.
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Needs some advice on a spooky horse