Help - almost lost it completely

[oneofmanysues]

Hi there. This is the first thread I've ever started so hope it works ok! I'm having such trouble with my mare but it totally isn't her fault as I'll explain (and try to keep it as brief as possible)! She is doing the most horrendous rearing, plunging and double-barrelling when I turn her out that I'm amazed I haven't been trampled on yet, and it scares me to jelly. She knows it too!

I've always been rather lacking in confidence and it's been getting worse in recent years, to the point that I haven't hacked out regularly for nearly 2 years. We do some fun showing in the summer though. My girl strained a check ligament 7 months ago so she's had restricted turnout ever since (a patch approx 30ft diameter, moved every day so as not to get muddy). I've been riding her in the school since the end of last year and in Feb moved up to trotting and things were going really well. I found somebody to hack her out for me as well to help her relax her mind. She went a bit lame a couple of weeks ago so I've had to stop riding, and to top it all she now has slight lami in the other front foot (first had it last winter) so on vet's orders I've had to cut her hay down. So not only is poor Silco not working, she's starving hungry (she thinks), can't let off steam, and has to stay in when it's frosty. Recipe for mad horse! I always use a bridle and put my hat on if I think she's going to be badly behaved, but I've started dreading just turning her out or bringing her in. She has a scan on the ligament on Saturday which I hope will be ok and I'll be able to increase her turnout area. Trouble is my comfort zone is now non-existent, I dread turning her out and don't like to ask anybody else to take the responsibility. How on earth can I ever get back to enjoying riding her again, and not turn to jelly if she so much as tosses her head or walks faster than a donkey?!

[Casper]

To make sure she has got plenty to eat, soak her hay. That way you are getting rid of all the sugars etc but still giving her oodles of fibre to keep her happy and keep her hindgut moving.

With regards to the turning out problem, does this happen as you take her headcollar off? If it does, you could try clicker training her to stand with you for a click and a reward for standing still. Always make sure that you turn her back towards the gate before you let her go too, so that her back end isn't facing you as she kicks out ec.

If the problem is actually on the way to and from the field, use a long lead line rather than a usual length lead rein so that if she does play up she is away from you. And do lots and lots of groundwork with her to teach her where the boundaries are in terms of your own personal space etc. Kelly's Perfect Manners and Perfect Partners books are really good.

You could also try getting an RA out to help.

Hope some of this helps. It is horrible when they scare you like that, but you can and will be able to sort this I am sure. Keep us posted with how things go. Oh and welcome to the DG!!!

[oneofmanysues]

Thanks for a quick reply!

I soak her hay all day for night-time, I've been slightly paranoid about the lami since she had it last winter. She gets Hi Fi Lite and Top Spec Anti-Lam, nothing sugary at all.

She does this on the way out to the field so I absolutely can't let go. The very first time it happened I managed to hold her still until somebody got a chifney but that made her worse, and using a rope gave her enough space to canter round in the tiniest circle, so I decided that ordinary reins were a bit better so that she can't get up any speed around me. She wasn't supposed to do more than straight line trotting because of her ligament, let alone motorbiking flat out!

I have thought of doing groundwork but I think that just at the moment, giving her a long line would just be an open invitation. Some others at the yard do Parelli and I have both Kelly's books, but right now I'm so nervous of what she'll do that I can't risk setting her off. Maybe I'll take another look at the exercises tonight to see what I think I can do. Makes me feel nervous just sitting here!

[Louise C]

Where are you Sue - I would throughly recommend a visit from an RA as casper has said as well? They really are experts in the field and will be able to cope with anything your horse chucks at them.

I do sympathise - my boy has been down the tendon route and restricted rest - fortunately he was very good about being led out - I kept telling him it would be more trips to the vets if he wrecked it again!!

[amarche]

Hi oneotmanysues - you certainly have a lot to deal with at the moment - its awful when they become so fresh in hand that it scares you and then topped with you probably being overly anxious she's going to duff her ligament again probably means you're in a really vicious circle of anticipating the reaction then getting the reaction........

Does she do this when someone else turns her out - just out of interest? It might be interesting for you to see how she behaves with another handler? (one you trust of course ) and I would def look at the groundwork exercises both Parelli and Kelly marks - its all about respect and boundaries and there is no reason why you can't start them in the stable.

good luck though, it's awful when this happens but you can and will work through it ;D

[oneofmanysues]

I'm in Oxfordshire. Can an RA help when the problem is more with me? I know exactly why Silco's behaving like this, although that doesn't make it any more acceptable, but she definitely picks up my nerves and gets worse. My hands shake so she couldn't miss it!

[oneofmanysues]

Hi Amarche

I did ask somebody to turn her out for me one afternoon after it was frosty and I was dreading it. This chap is tall though, with a very confident manner, and she just walked meekly as if thinking 'he's taller than me'...

[amarche]

Grant Bazin is just outside Banbury, I would highly recommend him and also yes of course they can help you aswell as your mare, you're a team remember?

I think through no fault of your own you're doing exactly what I and many of us have done and probably start the behaviour through the anticipation, probably coming from your worry of her hurting herself.

I would def try contacting an RA, they will talk over the phone too, sometimes that;s enough to help you on the right track.

Good luck though ,let us know how you get on!!

[oneofmanysues]

Thanks, will do! Fingers crossed for the scan on Saturday...

[Louise C]

Thinking of you - and good luck for Saturday:-)

Grant is great - and yes he will be able to help:-) It is all about confidence in yourself - try and remember that in the meantime - deep breathing also helps. Or have you tried Rescue Remedy on yourself or your horse - it all helps:-) It's a Bach flower remedy in case you don't know - and can be picked up anywhere like Boots or your local chemist. Same dose for horse and human:-)

[oneofmanysues]

Well, just to update you, the scan went really well on Saturday and there's no damage to the ligament, so her tenderness the other week must have just been due to starting to use it more again. I can see I'll have to be even more careful not to ask too much too soon. Her front feet were also x-rayed and the vet's happy with them too, so she's signed off now! I've given her more paddock space and she can have as much as possible without making her put on weight. I can just concentrate on the lami side of things.

I feel much better about it all today, especially as the weather's changed, because she's a real warm weather horse; hates the rain and wind. I rode in walk in the indoor school for 20mins yesterday, with OH there as moral support, and she was perfect, ie lazy donkey! When I'm sure she's feeling more settled I'll start some groundwork in the school. I still have a serious problem with hacking out, and I won't even be able to ride in the field just yet, but at least I can get my hacker-outer to take her, and stick to the school myself, and try to build on from there. At least I feel I'm back to where I was before she went lame again, so as long as there are no more airs above the ground I can try to relax a bit. And I'll try the Rescue Remedy!

[wendyihts]

Hi there, I agree with the others about getting someone out to help you guys with this issue. I think that getting to grips with her behaviour will help restore your confidence - it's not surprising you feel like jelly if she's behaving like a loon on the end of a rope.

In terms of sensitivity on the tendon, how about contacting someone at Global Herbs about this? www.globalherbs.co.uk . I think that something with MSM and/or Boswellia could help with any inflammation that might pop up as she comes back into work.

[oneofmanysues]

Hi Wendy. I had been toying with the idea of getting some professional help before this last 'crisis' but wasn't sure who or what method to try. I'd get a Confident Rider CD if I had a player anywhere other than in the car, but maybe I'll just have to splash out and get one for the house. Getting some help would cost more but would probably be more effective. Who to ask though - NLP-type thing or Grant Bazin? I'd feel a bit stupid getting somebody out to help with her and present them with a lazy hoss (assuming that all continues to go well from now) so perhaps something just focussing on me might be better. Silco is half Cleveland Bay so normally has a pretty lazy attitude of "er, not today thanks". I'm sure I'm not overhorsed with her, she's absolutely not (normally) a flighty nutter by any stretch of the imagination, which makes it so silly. She's never previously done anything I haven't been able to cope with when ridden, but if she gets on her toes even a little I just reduce to nothing.

What's Boswellia?

[Wendy IHTS]

Hi there, is she still behaving badly when she's turned out or have you now got control over her and feel as though you're getting on top of that issue? I noticed that you said you hadn't hacked her regularly for two years before she hurt her check ligament so is the problem now the turning out or the thought of going back to hacking?

When you say you've 'always been rather lacking in confidence' do you mean generally speaking or just with regards to riding?

Boswellia Serrata is also known as Indian Frankincense - it's a really good herbal anti inflammatory.

[oneofmanysues]

She was much better to go out this morning and I'm hopeful this will continue as long as she's back in work and doesn't have to stay in for frost. I know it'll always be in my mind now though, which won't help. Hacking is quite a big issue for me, especially in wide spaces. I always used to actually like roadwork (yes really!), but after having a fright with a silage tractor/trailer and a bus a couple of years ago, the rot really set in and I can barely go on the roads now either. Traffic has increased a lot round us recently too.

I meant confidence in riding, but I suppose I'm more the wallflower type than the party animal anyway!

I give Cortaflex already so would that help a ligament?