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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 690
  
Location: Georgia | I have a horse that I am just starting to haul and enter places, hes a nice little horse except that he is so nervous about everything on show days. All the commotion and adrenaline makes him a nervous wreck. He does fine once he is in the arena making a run, but out side the arena he is awful. Hes not scared or timid, the adrenaline just really gets him worked up. Does anyone have experience with a horse like this?
Ive given him Oxy jailbreak and Quietex with no effect. Oxy Relax will work sometimes, I did Ace him once for his first over night show because he was so nervous about being in a barn with so many other horses, he actually worked really good on Ace but I dont feel like that is something I should do every show.
Edited by mandita8907 2016-06-06 7:50 AM
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Addicted to Baseball
 
Location: Where the stars at night are big and bright, TX | Instead of entering him at every single race, pick some you just haul to and hang around, riding him around the grounds, the warm up pen, tying at the trailer, sitting on his back watching, etc. No entering, no exhibitions. His "anxiety" may be just anticipation, (or your anticipation and pace), him getting ya-ya'd up before he works. Remove that component and let him just be a riding horse. We have to do with this with many of our OTT horses. Much of their anxiety or being overly sensitive when just out and about has to do with what they think is coming next. | |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 878
Location: "...way down south in the Everglades..." | I agree with Tilt The Kilt...take him and don't enter him. Also, if you haven't tried it, I'd take him to some other discipline's show and just ride around. Let him realize it's not all about running and that he can relax.
My one mare was like that and I did the above and it did help her...that and time. She just took a lot more time than most to get her to handle things well. | |
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  Whack and Roll
Posts: 6342
Location: NE Texas | If you can get there early and find somewhere to lope them down and do alot of riding before people get there, I find that helps mine to settle and pay attention. On my colts, if possible, I will get there early and lope a good while, then walk around, then tie them up and let them eat some and and get a drink. Get their feet moving while there isn't alot of commotion.
I also use Cur-OST Adapt & Calm as well as Cur-OST Total Support....not to calm them necessarily though it does help, but rather to help them combat the effects of stress and anxiety on the body. Stress creates and inflammatory response, which can lead to other health issues. I try to head that off by providing the body with the nutrients needed to reduce the impact of stress rather than just focusing on calming. | |
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 Balance Beam and more...
Posts: 11493
Location: 31 lengths farms | My little mare CC took, and I kid you not, almost 4 years to "season" and by season I mean once you got into the pen she'd at least look for a barrel to run away towards, LOL!!! Still grabbed her butt in the warmup pen, goosed at EVERYTHING. We finally got somewhere when I started using Silver Lining Herbs Keep Cool on her, this after hauling for 4 years, sometimes running, sometimes just to hang out, sometimes for time onlies only. The Keep Cool really helped her finally get some good experiences. I recently tried the Cur-Ost Adapt and Calm, the thing I like about it maybe better than the Keep Cool is that I dont' really have to preload it, Keep Cool I had to start giving to her about 3 days out, the Cur_ost I give her the morning of. In reality the reason I give it to her at all is it seems to keep her eating and drinking at the race now. | |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 690
Location: Georgia | Herbie - 2016-06-06 10:41 AM
If you can get there early and find somewhere to lope them down and do alot of riding before people get there, I find that helps mine to settle and pay attention. On my colts, if possible, I will get there early and lope a good while, then walk around, then tie them up and let them eat some and and get a drink.  Get their feet moving while there isn't alot of commotion.Â
I also use Cur-OST Adapt & Calm as well as Cur-OST Total Support....not to calm them necessarily though it does help, but rather to help them combat the effects of stress and anxiety on the body. Stress creates and inflammatory response, which can lead to other health issues. I try to head that off by providing the body with the nutrients needed to reduce the impact of stress rather than just focusing on calming. Â
I never really thought about that. Currently I have him on AE Detox and i have just ordered THE muscle mass with ulcer, immune, and focus. I will keep in mind that he needs to stay on something for inflammation as well.
All the above responses are great. I will haul him to things and let him learn to relax instead of compete. | |
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Whack and Roll
Posts: 6342
Location: NE Texas | mandita8907 - 2016-06-06 10:09 AM Herbie - 2016-06-06 10:41 AM If you can get there early and find somewhere to lope them down and do alot of riding before people get there, I find that helps mine to settle and pay attention. On my colts, if possible, I will get there early and lope a good while, then walk around, then tie them up and let them eat some and and get a drink. Get their feet moving while there isn't alot of commotion.
I also use Cur-OST Adapt & Calm as well as Cur-OST Total Support....not to calm them necessarily though it does help, but rather to help them combat the effects of stress and anxiety on the body. Stress creates and inflammatory response, which can lead to other health issues. I try to head that off by providing the body with the nutrients needed to reduce the impact of stress rather than just focusing on calming. I never really thought about that. Currently I have him on AE Detox and i have just ordered THE muscle mass with ulcer, immune, and focus. I will keep in mind that he needs to stay on something for inflammation as well. All the above responses are great. I will haul him to things and let him learn to relax instead of compete.
I have one that gets really excited about hauling. I will ride him around for a good hour or so before I go back to the trailer. It takes a little extra planning, but it sure helps one get the nerves under control. I don't exhibtion him, he knows his job, but he's just very "up" when we get somewhere and ready to socialize, wheras at home he's a "gotta peddle him for every step he takes" kind of guy. I try not to pick on him for being excited, but rather just go ride and let him settle with time. Then go tie him up and let him eat a little hay and offer him water.
For colts that i'm hauling when I have an open horse, often times i'll let them stand tied during the barrel race, then either ask for exhibitions after or just ride in the pen after the race is over. I'll get on them after I run my open horse and ride them around, let them see everything, then i'm not rushed and not distracted, as my competition run is already over. | |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 690
Location: Georgia | run n rate - 2016-06-06 10:50 AM
My little mare CC took, and I kid you not, almost 4 years to "season" and by season I mean once you got into the pen she'd at least look for a barrel to run away towards, LOL!!! Still grabbed her butt in the warmup pen, goosed at EVERYTHING. We finally got somewhere when I started using Silver Lining Herbs Keep Cool on her, this after hauling for 4 years, sometimes running, sometimes just to hang out, sometimes for time onlies only. The Keep Cool really helped her finally get some good experiences. I recently tried the Cur-Ost Adapt and Calm, the thing I like about it maybe better than the Keep Cool is that I dont' really have to preload it, Keep Cool I had to start giving to her about 3 days out, the Cur_ost I give her the morning of. In reality the reason I give it to her at all is it seems to keep her eating and drinking at the race now.
He never turns away food. I give him the Jail break to help him drink at daily shows and he drank pretty well at the weekend show hes been to. He just sat in someones pasture for a couple years being a pet before I got him and gave him a job. I think the change makes his nervous since he was in such a stable environment for several years.
Which of those product did you see the best results with? | |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 690
Location: Georgia | Herbie - 2016-06-06 11:20 AM
mandita8907 - 2016-06-06 10:09 AM Herbie - 2016-06-06 10:41 AM If you can get there early and find somewhere to lope them down and do alot of riding before people get there, I find that helps mine to settle and pay attention. On my colts, if possible, I will get there early and lope a good while, then walk around, then tie them up and let them eat some and and get a drink.  Get their feet moving while there isn't alot of commotion.Â
I also use Cur-OST Adapt & Calm as well as Cur-OST Total Support....not to calm them necessarily though it does help, but rather to help them combat the effects of stress and anxiety on the body. Stress creates and inflammatory response, which can lead to other health issues. I try to head that off by providing the body with the nutrients needed to reduce the impact of stress rather than just focusing on calming.  I never really thought about that. Currently I have him on AE Detox and i have just ordered THE muscle mass with ulcer, immune, and focus. I will keep in mind that he needs to stay on something for inflammation as well. All the above responses are great. I will haul him to things and let him learn to relax instead of compete.
For colts that i'm hauling when I have an open horse, often times i'll let them stand tied during the barrel race, then either ask for exhibitions after or just ride in the pen after the race is over.  I'll get on them after I run my open horse and ride them around, let them see everything, then i'm not rushed and not distracted, as my competition run is already over. Â
I don't exhibition him either, he doesn't really need it because he knows his job once he gets in the pen. He does get excited about hauling and doesn't particularly like being in the trailer. But I think a lot of that is steamed from being so social, he is so worried about what other horses are doing and where they are going instead of focusing on himself and relaxing. I am considering moving him to our other farm alone so he can learn to be more independent. I think this would help him out a lot with his nervousness. This weekend I tried to haul him alone to see if he would be better then when I haul another horse and then they both experience separation anxiety when I take one away to ride, but he never calmed down. He was on edge pretty much all day. I wouldn't consider him a colt hes progressed into the beginning stages of being an open horse, so maybe this is something that will just take time and special requirements until he is more seasoned.
Thanks for the input. | |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 690
Location: Georgia | Also it would help if I was not seasoning two young horses. Maybe I should haul both and rotate who competes that day and who gets to relax. | |
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 Expert
Posts: 1440
Location: Texas | I have used the Pozzi relax but upped my dose to 30 instead of 20 and I got much better results. I try to get there early and pipe him down and walk around to see the sights way before his run. Then I put him up with my other horse so he can relax. I always try to run him first so he doesn't get stressed out by being by himself at the trailer. Ace did not do much for him but guanabenz did pretty good for him. But like you would rather not need to do that every run. | |
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Balance Beam and more...
Posts: 11493
Location: 31 lengths farms | mandita8907 - 2016-06-07 8:24 AM
run n rate - 2016-06-06 10:50 AM
My little mare CC took, and I kid you not, almost 4 years to "season" and by season I mean once you got into the pen she'd at least look for a barrel to run away towards, LOL!!! Still grabbed her butt in the warmup pen, goosed at EVERYTHING. We finally got somewhere when I started using Silver Lining Herbs Keep Cool on her, this after hauling for 4 years, sometimes running, sometimes just to hang out, sometimes for time onlies only. The Keep Cool really helped her finally get some good experiences. I recently tried the Cur-Ost Adapt and Calm, the thing I like about it maybe better than the Keep Cool is that I dont' really have to preload it, Keep Cool I had to start giving to her about 3 days out, the Cur_ost I give her the morning of. In reality the reason I give it to her at all is it seems to keep her eating and drinking at the race now.
He never turns away food. I give him the Jail break to help him drink at daily shows and he drank pretty well at the weekend show hes been to. He just sat in someones pasture for a couple years being a pet before I got him and gave him a job. I think the change makes his nervous since he was in such a stable environment for several years.
Which of those product did you see the best results with?
I use the Adapt&Calm on her for the helping quiet her mind. She just was so looky and worried at the trailer, even more so if you hauled another horse that she tended not to eat and would only drink at the end of the day. | |
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 Expert
Posts: 2013
Location: Piedmont, OK | I agree with just letting them hang out at some races. I like to haul 2 and 3 yr olds just to hang out before they are started. | |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 690
Location: Georgia | barrelbasher - 2016-06-06 1:04 PM
I have used the Pozzi relax but upped my dose to 30 instead of 20 and I got much better results. I try to get there early and pipe him down and walk around to see the sights way before his run. Then I put him up with my other horse so he can relax. I always try to run him first so he doesn't get stressed out by being by himself at the trailer. Ace did not do much for him but guanabenz did pretty good for him. But like you would rather not need to do that every run.
I normally give a double dose of Pozzi relax if Im on a really nervous one. Sometimes it will work and sometimes it wont. 1/2 cc of Ace worked great on my guy, he finally relaxed in his stall, he warmed up like we were riding at home, he was still a little nervous in the holding pen but it wasnt too bad at all. I just cant imagine its good to Ace one for every race and they probably would build up an tolerance towards the drug after so long. | |
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Porta Potty Pants
Posts: 2600
| Mag ReStore and Equine Focus. I've had great results just with the MagRestore. Focus you don't feed it all the time ... just a couple of days before the show. They are made by Performance Equine and the great thing is that you can buy a trial sample of the focus.
Edited by azsun 2016-06-06 3:50 PM
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 Schnoodle Lover
Posts: 2987
Location: **Cactus Country down in South Texas*** | Supplement of my choice that has worked wonders : Vitacalm
I would maybe try and keep the same routine that you do at home at the arena, and maybe introduce different scenarios as you go. Build his confidence up in the different environments. But always keep that base routine, Start small with shows, not huge ones.  | |
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Meanest Teacher!!!
Posts: 8552
Location: sunny california | i used to run a very hot mare and the best thing i did for her was to take her to group lessons with an english trainer. not my discipline at all i rode western on her and there were a lot of horses there. I would do this on a friday night before a saturday race it worked wonders for her. and the lessons were super cheap. the trainers stating setting up obstacles for us and they was great to get her mind on something else | |
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