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 Member
Posts: 28
| Every winter my gelding turns stupid "and I do not use the term lightly"... For the winter/spring months he disappears into "airplane and butterfly mode". He is jumpy to an extent at home but anytime we haul he paws, rears, buck and chews on anything he can reach including other horses "all of this while being tied to the trailer". He is bug-eyed like a fresh 2 year old. I have tried several routines with him, from warming up then working, going strait to work, lunging before work, no matter - the reaction is the same. Bug-eyed, jumps 10 foot sideways spooking at his own shadow! It does not matter what I do I cannot hold his attention, its on other horses, the traffic, the dog, the pretty flags, the red car, the trees - anything but me. Even while loping circles, doing rollbacks, whatever I ask he is giving a half a**ed effort and keeping his eyes and ears elsewhere... I think its a respect issue, but no matter what I try "short of drugging him or taking the over and under and wearing him out , which neither is something I would feel comfortable doing", I cannot get it back!!! But I am at my wits end. Anyone have any suggestions? HELP!!! |
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 Expert
Posts: 1218
 
Location: Great NW | a few thoughts just off the top:
1. vitamin/mineral deficiency. make sure his diet is balanced.
2. does he get turned out during the winter/spring like he does in summer/fall. 3.Do you feed more alfalfa during the winter? if you do maybe take him off the alfalfa - feed a good grass hay for say 3 weeks and see if there is a change. Over the years I have had a couple that could not handle the increase in Alfalfa when they were not getting their daily turnout (grass). just some ideas. |
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Member
Posts: 28
| As far as being turned out, yes - year round. The only time I put them up is due to weather, so far I have not had to stall them this winter. I don't feed alfalfa - he colic'd on it right after I bought him so I don't take any chances by feeding it now :( , he has a nervous belly, they get a good brumuda/bahia mix hay year round - free choice. I feed Strategy year round, but I do need to look into the vitamin / mineral deficiency, that is a great idea and one I have not thought of, especially since I keep them on supplements, maybe I need to reevaluate... Thank you so much for your input... |
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 Texas Taco
Posts: 7499
 
Location: Bandera, TX | Bah! I know how you feel. On Wednesday my sorrel mare almost bucked me off and then her sister finished the job and tossed me in the dirt hard. I'm very bruised and sore. Both girls are being saddled and tied to the tree for the most part of the day now. I also reduced their grain. It's that time of the year. Be careful! |
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Expert
Posts: 1543
Location: MI | My mare has been nuts too. I upped her Forco to a full scoop, was giving a half, and making sure that she has loose minerals available at all times - which her and her pasture mate have been eating a lot of. Those 2 things seem to have helped, not to where she's back where she was, but at least 25% less spooky/crazy. I wondered if maybe her current diet, grass hay and minimal oats, might be leaving her magnesium deficient. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 602
| Tie him to a hitchin post and let him stand there for hours..... every day. Then when he calms down, tie him up to the trailer at home...... for hours. It took me 3 straight months to break my gelding. He was a turd! Now he stands quiet at the trailer. |
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Member
Posts: 28
| How frustrating!!! GoMistyGo, that is exactly what I have been dealing with "trying not to come off"... I try to keep his grain intake up for winter, but maybe I should reduce his since he is on free choice hay... HUMMM!!!! Mine horses have been eating the supplement/mineral blocks like crazy this year!!! I work all day so I have not been real sure about leaving him tied, but I dont guess it will hurt, something has got to give or I am going to get hurt :( .... I despise that spooky/crazy attitude. I like my horse to be obedient "year round" lol. |
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 Money Eating Baggage Owner
Posts: 9586
Location: Phoenix | I would cut the grain for now.
Saddle him up first thing in the morning, leave him tied all day until dinner. Do two-a-day workouts if you can. Let him sit a while after you ride him for the last time. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 788
| I have one that is a little like that but hes just like that year round pretty much. I just have to ride him for a while and if he doesnt pay attention the over and under will come out lol but I try not to do that bc a horse like that will get jumpy if you do that. I usually just give him a really long warm up and then hes good to go. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 999
Location: Sunny So Cal | Have you tried any THE Calming Cookies or Calming Powder? Mine get pretty stupid but have gotten significantly better since on THE. If you can have more energy then him, I would work his butt everyday until he is too tired to move. My gelding is my problem child and always used to launch me. Sometimes he still does. I used to work him until he was so tired I couldn't get him to run. Now when he begins to get stupid I just work him and he gives up real easy cause he knows I won't until he is sweating and tired. Good Luck! |
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 Experienced Mouse Trapper
Posts: 3106
Location: North Dakota | Maybe some ground work?? Watch some Clinton Anderson stuff and see if you get more respect, I have one that needed it, got it and is better, unless I feed alfalfa, then he's afraid of his own shadow literally. You can do a lot on the ground and not jeopardize your body :) |
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 Expert
Posts: 2457
| LMS - 2014-01-17 3:10 PM
Maybe some ground work?? Watch some Clinton Anderson stuff and see if you get more respect, I have one that needed it, got it and is better, unless I feed alfalfa, then he's afraid of his own shadow literally. You can do a lot on the ground and not jeopardize your body :)
He has a great little series on ground work for respect. He also agrees with tying them up for LONG hours for MANY days in a row. I have used it with fabulous results on my mare :) |
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Member
Posts: 28
| I don't think I could handle riding him if he acted like this year round, lol. I would blow sky high, forget the hot barrel horse, it would be him worrying about me :)... I LOVE Clinton Anderson and have several DVD's and he is great on the ground if I have my hands on him or have the lead. But as soon as he is in or tied to the trailer or I climb in that saddle he is ballistic... I have not tried The Calming Cookies but I will now :)... Thank you all for the advice and ideas I am up for trying anything at this point... |
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Experienced Mouse Trapper
Posts: 3106
Location: North Dakota | Forgot to mention.The main ingredient in most calming supplements is magnesium, I've had the best luck with a cheap product callmed vita calm, it is mostly magnesium, can get it at TSC. Also, if this were my horse, I think he would get his own little pen by himself where I was the only source of comany and food for a couple weeks, then he would be tied to the trialer for a couple weeks, persistance will pay off. |
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Veteran
Posts: 160
| canchaser79 - 2014-01-17 1:38 PM
As far as being turned out, yes - year round. The only time I put them up is due to weather, so far I have not had to stall them this winter. I don't feed alfalfa - he colic'd on it right after I bought him so I don't take any chances by feeding it now :( , he has a nervous belly, they get a good brumuda/bahia mix hay year round - free choice. I feed Strategy year round, but I do need to look into the vitamin / mineral deficiency, that is a great idea and one I have not thought of, especially since I keep them on supplements, maybe I need to reevaluate... Thank you so much for your input...
Strategy blew my dead head gelding that I teach lessons on sky high when he was on it.. Exactly like yours, scared of his own shadow and wouldn't stand tied for anything, it even made mine buck like a bronc.. TOTALLY out of the ordinary for him.. I kept the same amount of weight on him with the same amount of feed when he was on Safe Choice, the only difference I noticed from the switch (apart from the behavior change) was his coat wasn't as pretty. Now I have mine on an 8% all purpose pellet and Equipride and I love it.. Do some research on Equipride.. It's a really cool product and sounds like it may be an option for your horse if you're looking to balance his diet. |
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Expert
Posts: 1218
Location: Great NW | canchaser79 - 2014-01-17 1:35 PM I don't think I could handle riding him if he acted like this year round, lol. I would blow sky high, forget the hot barrel horse, it would be him worrying about me :)... I LOVE Clinton Anderson and have several DVD's and he is great on the ground if I have my hands on him or have the lead. But as soon as he is in or tied to the trailer or I climb in that saddle he is ballistic... I have not tried The Calming Cookies but I will now :)... Thank you all for the advice and ideas I am up for trying anything at this point...
Another thought - he may need extra Lysine during the winter... that can make them act silly and unpredictable too. |
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Member
Posts: 28
| LMS; I like your way of thinking, I WILL win this battle no matter what, lol. I just don't want to spend the next 3 months getting the "stupid" out of him again... It takes his mind off of running and blows his and my focus to the clouds....
horseshorseshorses; He has done this on every feed so far, last year I wintered him on Total Equine and he was the same way but I could not keep the weight on during heavy competition due to lack of calories so I asked my vet and he suggested Strategy... I put him on it back in October and have kept the weight on but competition has not been heavy... My biggest thing with feed is I cannot stand feeding something I have to feed 14lbs a day "I just don't believe it is healthy for a horse to consume that many #'s of grain a day, plus its hard on the pocket book, he is 16.1 and 1250# and not an easy keeper by no means. The winter before I had him on a corn/oat/alfalfa mix that had a little soybean oil "very basic" and his antics were the same, but maybe I just have not found the right mix for him yet. I love equipride but live in a small town and our feed/supplement supply is slim pickings... I fed it for awhile but then it became unavailable... I like a high fat low protein feed, but again being in a small town availability is slim. |
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 Veteran
Posts: 253
Location: SoCal | If you are shelling out a lot of money on supplements trying to guess what will work, maybe look into that horse hair analysis thing, perhaps it'll tell you what levels are off...I know it was a little expensive when I looked at it, but it might be well worth he try. |
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 Hog Tie My Mojo
Posts: 4847
Location: Opelousas, LA | I have never had any luck with Strategy. I have had better luck with minimal amounts of Ultium (1900 calories per pound) and alfalfa pellets.
I have had a couple that had to spend MANY hours tied to the trailer. It doesn't matter if you do it every day, they just have to stand quietly before you untie them on the days you do it. Untieing them while they are acting stupid defeats your purpose, when they cock a back leg and go to sleep then and only then do they get to be untied. |
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Expert
Posts: 3147
| canchaser79 - 2014-01-17 2:13 PM
How frustrating!!! GoMistyGo, that is exactly what I have been dealing with "trying not to come off"... I try to keep his grain intake up for winter, but maybe I should reduce his since he is on free choice hay... HUMMM!!!! Mine horses have been eating the supplement/mineral blocks like crazy this year!!! I work all day so I have not been real sure about leaving him tied, but I dont guess it will hurt, something has got to give or I am going to get hurt :( .... I despise that spooky/crazy attitude. I like my horse to be obedient "year round" lol.
Hay produces the energy to keep the horse warm in the winter. Grain has no benefit in helping the horse keep warm. Increasing the grain is probably what's causing him to act up in the winter. Cut his grain back and increase his hay if you're concerned about his needs. |
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