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Member
Posts: 28
| I have a gelding that needs to chill out and relax. Yes he does have a job he is a ranch horse by that I do not mean he just trails cows he gets doctored off of, drags calves, sorts in the pens, drags stuff in the trailer, etc in rough rough country. He is going pretty good in the arena too. He just needs to chill out. He is fine when you are on him but on the ground he is scared to death. I DO NOT NEED TO HEAR HE NEEDS TO HAVE GROUND WORK DONE!!!!!!!!!! HE IS 6 AND WORKS HARDER THAN MOST HORSES EVER THINK ABOUT. He was treated ummmm less than stellar before I got him...sadly enough my dad raised him but the guy that rode him for a few years on the ranch was not very nice to him. He does way better with me than anyone. He always acts like he is going to get beat and for the last year he has never been touched. Prime Example- Going to catch him in the pasture when you walk up to him he shakes and is bug eyed with his whites showing after you put a halter on him he takes a deep breath and his eyes go normal. Same thing when you walk up to him to untie him he will not pull back but he starts shaking and eyes bug out. Load him in a ranch trailer loose and he spooks and panics at EVERYTHING. When you are on him a bomb could go off under him and he would stand there with a leg cocked. I feel awful for him and I know he probably is getting ulcers from it. Does anyone have any ideas on supplements to help him chill out! The CBD pellets were my first thought but holy smokes they are expensive! Cost Prohibitive is what I need. |
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
  
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | Treat him for uclers and try him on B1 crumbles or magnesium, they wont work over night going to have to be on these supplements for at 2 to 3 weeks befor you can tell a difference. I use to keep my one nervous gelding on B1 crumbles when hauling him to barrel races he got fed everyday with B1 crumbles in his feed for years. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 889
| I would suggest TLC's Calm the Storm. It's a daily feed additive. It will not dull them, just take the edge off and help them concentrate. It comes in 3.5# (60 servings) or 10.5# (180 servings). I am a dealer. Please message me if you'd like pricing and/or more info!
The main ingredient is magnesium and B1.
Edited by RedHead84 2018-04-20 10:40 AM
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 Expert
Posts: 5293
| When I have one like that, or one that gets nervous when you first start hauling to new places, my vet told me to start with 1cc ace under the tongue. Its not enough to sedate them or make them stumbly , but just makes them feel like they are at home and chill out. Then you don't have to mess with feed or supplements etc and trying 1000 of them to find what works. There are literally hundreds of pastes and concoctions out there and they are pretty expensive. A bottle of ace cost me less than 20.00 from my vet and lasts me close to a YEAR. lol My vet has me give it an hour before I ride when I need to use it. Important thing is to let them chill for that hour before you get on. I have given it just before I loaded in the trailer for a 1-2 hour trailer ride etc. Ask your vet of course but ace works wonders for that. |
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Member
Posts: 28
| Thanks but he is fine at new places he doesnt look around or spook or act a fool he needs it for home mainly. He just needs to have a daily chill out and relax fix! He is too uptight and scared when messed with on the ground. |
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 Off the Wall Wacky
Posts: 2981
Location: Louisiana | Honestly...time. Just keep steady, don't give him a reason not to trust you, and slowly (SLOWLY) he will come around.
My crazy is 16 this year...I still accidentally freak him out every now and then.
When he was a colt, they thought the best way to "desensitize" one was to put them in a stock trailer and throw things at the sides until they quiet down and accept it...
He's still looking for things to come flying out of thin air. |
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Expert
Posts: 1695
Location: Willows, CA | What is his feed program? Elevated blood sugar levels can cause this response. That said, we showed a cutter for many years that never got over his distrust on the ground. He got better, but never right. I felt awful for him. We knew that this was an issue when we bought him, and I was sure that we could get him over it. We never did, and owned him into his thirties. |
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Location: Not Where I Want to Be | Smoke him out
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 Miss Laundry Misshap
Posts: 5271
| I'm sure good ol Mary Jane would work wonders...   |
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Member
Posts: 28
| winwillows - 2018-04-20 10:57 AM
What is his feed program? Elevated blood sugar levels can cause this response. That said, we showed a cutter for many years that never got over his distrust on the ground. He got better, but never right. I felt awful for him. We knew that this was an issue when we bought him, and I was sure that we could get him over it. We never did, and owned him into his thirties.
It is not his feed program either like I said it is a trust worry I am going to get beat issue |
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Member
Posts: 28
| 1DSoon - 2018-04-20 11:08 AM
Smoke him out
Yep but I am a chicken and scared I would get thrown in jail and my reasoning behind doing that "Hey I was trying to calm my horse down" probably wouldnt work! That was my first thought but in Oklahoma it is still very illegal! |
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Member
Posts: 28
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Yep but I am a chicken and scared I would get thrown in jail and my reasoning behind doing that "Hey I was trying to calm my horse down" probably wouldnt work! That was my first thought but in Oklahoma it is still very illegal! Hence why the CBD oil pellets were my first thought but holy crap I think I can buy the real thing cheaper than the pellets |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 1079
Location: MN | I think I would just do a lot of walking to and from in the pasture. Things like that take a lot of time and patience but I believe it is fixable. I'd reward him with something everytime you walk up to him (apple, carrot, some kind of treat) and after its given lots of petting. Walk away and repeat. Treating for ulcers would probably be a start. I've also heard that the calming powder made by THE works well as well as their cookies. |
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 Experienced Mouse Trapper
Posts: 3106
Location: North Dakota | Magnesium will take him down a notch. Animed made one that is just magnesium, but I think the new one has L-tryptophan and a few other ingredients. It's cheap enough to try and it really might help hime settle in enough to where he eventually won't need it anymore. |
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 Take a Picture
Posts: 12841
| Two suggetions--brush him everyday. I mean a total grooming not brush him off like you are going to saddle hem. Amazing what that does.
There are a bunch of trust exercises that are based on ground work. |
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Member
Posts: 28
| I tried to delete the post but new to BHW I found what I am looking for thanks everyone! I appreciate the help. But also feel like some of you should read before commenting....the post says I do not need horse training advice!!!! I needed something to help him chill out a little bit! In his line of work he does not need to be retrained there are times when you only have a few short minutes to catch something to saddle to get the job done and when I get off work I do not have time to spend I have had him over a year and he knows that I or my husband are not going to beat him he is just wired completely different than the other colts out of his momma. Our horses are not powder puffs and have to earn their keep or they go on down the road. All I wanted was some suggestions from people that feed supplements as too what worked best for what I was needing. We do not feed supplements for this type of stuff usually they get rode enough to not need help I just feel sorry for him and wanted to help him live in a less scary world! He still has a job to do and I promise if my husband had to mess with one as much as some suggestions than they would not be at our place very long! He does get a piece of cow cake every time he is caught and he is still that way! Thank you to everyone and I am not being a (not nice word) but I see it on every post I read people who do not read the entire post or choose to offer advice that the post says not to offer! |
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Member
Posts: 28
| LMS - 2018-04-20 11:52 AM
Magnesium will take him down a notch. Animed made one that is just magnesium, but I think the new one has L-tryptophan and a few other ingredients. It's cheap enough to try and it really might help hime settle in enough to where he eventually won't need it anymore.
I had to be on magnesium when I was pregnant because of my blood pressure and if it did to him what it did to me that would be hilarious! But thank you that is what I got to try! |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 838
Location: Georgia | ForeCalm by ForeFront. It comes in a powder for topping feedand also a paste. |
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A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | Smak1 - 2018-04-20 12:14 PM I tried to delete the post but new to BHW I found what I am looking for thanks everyone! I appreciate the help. But also feel like some of you should read before commenting....the post says I do not need horse training advice!!!! I needed something to help him chill out a little bit! In his line of work he does not need to be retrained there are times when you only have a few short minutes to catch something to saddle to get the job done and when I get off work I do not have time to spend I have had him over a year and he knows that I or my husband are not going to beat him he is just wired completely different than the other colts out of his momma. Our horses are not powder puffs and have to earn their keep or they go on down the road. All I wanted was some suggestions from people that feed supplements as too what worked best for what I was needing. We do not feed supplements for this type of stuff usually they get rode enough to not need help I just feel sorry for him and wanted to help him live in a less scary world! He still has a job to do and I promise if my husband had to mess with one as much as some suggestions than they would not be at our place very long! He does get a piece of cow cake every time he is caught and he is still that way! Thank you to everyone and I am not being a (not nice word) but I see it on every post I read people who do not read the entire post or choose to offer advice that the post says not to offer!
I know it happens every time someone is looking for advice or something to give you an ideal on what to use, buts the way some people are wired, lol.. Hope you find something thats works for him..  |
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Miss Laundry Misshap
Posts: 5271
| We use MoodyMarePlus for my gelding. It has raspberry leaves, magnesium and some other stuff. He was gelded late into his 5yo year, so he has more hormomes. Not sure if this would calm your guy or not, but it's sure mellowed mine. |
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