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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1008
| Long story but I've got a ten year old gelding who is in a lot with his half brother (been together since weaned) and a 3 yo gelding. I've owned the two older ones since weaning. Both cut as yearlings with no problems.
~3 years ago I had to move my horses (long story) so they are now in a dry lot with just the three of them instead of being in a larger herd/pasture environment. I haven't been able to separate them and herd sour has gotten out of control. The gelding can be left in the lot and he's okay and I can ride him at home okay by himself. When I am hauling all three (or two) he turns into a complete nut. He can be left at the trailer okay and he'll stand tied but he does a screaming panicky whinny while there- (not constant) or while I am riding. He wants to be with his brother constantly while I am riding (when I've hauled) and is controllable but if I ride him out away while the other horse is at the trailer or out of sight he feels like a bomb about to explode. He has begun doing this tail swish now when the two of them get back together and does a really low studdy noise. He has also been acting protective of this horse and done some lunging toward other horses/kicking out while they are riding by (that is brand new).
I am going to get him separate from the other two (and put him on full feed slow hay feeder) but they will still share a fence line. That's the best I can do right now. He's been treated for ulcers and it's seemed to help in the past but doesn't seem to be now given how he acts when he's hauled.
I know he should be worked next to his buddy and rested away from him but he's not in the best shape right now (he was off for ~8 months for injury-I'm just bringing him back) so I'm leery to do that until he's more legged up.
Any other suggestions/experience, etc.? The constant screaming and bomb feeling is making me crazy and not fun. | |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 695
  
Location: Windoming | I feel your pain. My now 12 year old gelding was very herd bound when he was seven. He would scream the entire time I was riding him, and was rather unpredictable. Every time he showed undesirable behavior, I would get off him, lunge him and really work his butt. (Clinton Anderson lunging for respect) It wasn't always convenient, and definitely kind of embarassing. Some nights I spent more time lunging than riding! It also took a long time to change his behavior. For about two years, he got lunged, starting out quite frequently to finally just occasionally. Now when I haul him with his buddy, his buddy has become the screamer. Sigh. The good news is that he doesn't react to his buddy screaming for him. And the buddy horse is good when I ride him, just naughty when he gets left behind. So it's easier for me to just haul one than deal with it. Without using the lunging for respect, I would have given up and sold him. He definitely had no respect for humans and was dangerous to ride because of it. Now I love to ride him, and he's my favorite to run barrels on.
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1008
| Silly Filly - 2015-07-23 10:45 AM
I feel your pain. My now 12 year old gelding was very herd bound when he was seven. He would scream the entire time I was riding him, and was rather unpredictable. Every time he showed undesirable behavior, I would get off him, lunge him and really work his butt. (Clinton Anderson lunging for respect) It wasn't always convenient, and definitely kind of embarassing. Some nights I spent more time lunging than riding! It also took a long time to change his behavior. For about two years, he got lunged, starting out quite frequently to finally just occasionally. Now when I haul him with his buddy, his buddy has become the screamer. Sigh. The good news is that he doesn't react to his buddy screaming for him. And the buddy horse is good when I ride him, just naughty when he gets left behind. So it's easier for me to just haul one than deal with it. Without using the lunging for respect, I would have given up and sold him. He definitely had no respect for humans and was dangerous to ride because of it. Now I love to ride him, and he's my favorite to run barrels on.
The screaming is def. the worse part....makes me want to pull my hair out....and so embarrassing. Did you just carry your halter/lead with you all the time? It's so important to react right away and it seems like it would be really hard to get them to associate the two - especially if you are not in a safe place to lunge.
When this first started happening I would reverse arc him very quickly both ways and he tied up very badly. I am somewhat gun shy from that experience as well.
Edited by ImaSparkyAce 2015-07-23 12:40 PM
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 695
Location: Windoming | I did not carry a halter with me. I just jumped off, unhooked one side of my roping rein and sent him. You have to be careful they don't start anticipating it, and don't let them just take off when you get off or unhook the rein. My reins were just long enough to do a big enough circle. He got the point anyway. Once in a while, while hauling, I would take him to the exercise arena and lunge him with his halter just to make sure he stayed focused. Lunging with the halter is best, but like you say, not always convenient! I guess you could carry a long lead rope and just attach it when needed.
I think lunging would be better than reverse arcs. I say this because I had a horse about 7 years ago that turned into a screamer when I took him someplace new. Had ridden him for several years locally. So every time he screamed, I would pull his head around and release when he gave me his head. Long story short, he flipped over backwards with me when he got tired of that. He went straight to the salebarn to killer pen. If I had lunged him instead, I'm sure it would have been a better outcome. Those are the only two really bad boys I've had. The second one benefitted from my experience with the first one.
Edited by Silly Filly 2015-07-23 1:48 PM
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Posts: 3006
Location: OREGON | I too feel your pain. My mare is awful. Now she has my younger gelding acting like an idot. It has gotten so bad, I "retired" her so I wouldn't have to haul them together anymore. But, he will still scream his head off at races for other horses. I haven't had time lately to work him. But, if he doesn't come out of it I will sell him. It is not worth the head ache!! I think herd bound is the worst vice to deal with!  | |
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