I haven’t hauled her in to a clinic, no. But I did specifically ask two vets to evaluate her for any signs of being neurological, which if they’d seen, I would have pursued further. She’s never been one to trip or stumble, drag her feet, or move in any vaguely ataxic or asymmetrical way. She has very symmetrical gaits. Her body has some crookedness with one shoulder being less developed than the other, she has a high wither and she has a short back; those were the only unusual conformational things pointed out to me.
reflol. I have not heard this before, will not forget it, thanks!! 
I have been on this board for a few years, asked a few questions, read many threads, there are very experienced horse people on this board with some very different opinions. lol. This is one of the few threads with so many contributing and almost all of the same opinion. a bit rare. The info you have given just raises all the flags to full mast.
It is really sad that your first horse had to be this way.
6 Likes
So you’ve not had her worked up by a referral clinic. And not had a comprehensive neuro exam?
If you’d like to consider continuing here, those would be good things to do. Be up front with them how dangerous she’s been with you, and how dangerous she’s been for others.
3 Likes
Have you ever done back X-rays?
2 Likes
LOL I made that up. I was thinking watch could be used 2 ways. I was thinking of putting in clock and changed it to watch.
7 Likes
Wow. I would like to say that I’m shocked by the responses here, but I’m not. With the exception of @ThreeWishes and me, not one of you has seen this horse or the OP working with her, and you automatically jump to “kill it”?! What the actual _____. Just because a horse’s go-to is rearing, does not mean it needs to die. If we decided that every horse that bucks or bolts or spooks was in so much pain it needed to be put down, we wouldn’t have any horses to ride. There is more than one type of rearer, and if any of you suggesting euthanasia had bothered to ask the OP for video, you’d see that this mare is not explosive, and frankly may not even be in pain.
This attitude is what is resulting in so many horses being thrown away - the attitude of “oh well there’s another, better horse out there for you so get rid of this one, instead of trying to fix it.” None of you know anything about the training barn or rehabber that have worked with this horse. What if they are garbage? So many people post on this forum looking for advice about lameness, and they get hundreds of comments about what to look for, and this poor girl gets “put it down.”
OP - I’m sorry that your first experience here has been this. There are quite a few of us that want to help people solve problems instead of throwing in the towel.
Your mare strikes me as one that has learned that if she stands on her hind legs, she doesn’t have to work. Maybe she is in pain now, or maybe she was in pain in the past, and that’s definitely something to talk to a vet about. I would start with neck and back xrays to look for arthritis, as it sounds like you have most of the other bases covered. I commend you on wanting to keep her. Despite what some people have said, horses absolutely do love people, and they absolutely can trust an individual or want to work for an individual more than anyone else. You look like you have a good handle on her and are dealing with this in as safe a way as possible. Do you notice any seasonal changes in her attitude? I ask because in the videos where she’s good, it looks like summer (you’re in an outdoor arena), but where she’s bad, you’re in the indoor. Could it also be the arena? Maybe she had a bad experience in an indoor. As far as what to do with her, I’d try to find a small facility like where you had her before. Even if it’s a dry stall or someone’s backyard, that seems to be where she is best. Can you find a trainer to travel to you and help you? It may cost more, but I’ve known a lot of horses that just can’t handle the busy show/training barn atmosphere. When you put them somewhere quiet, they are different horses. Maybe that won’t work if you have show ambitions, but if you just want to enjoy her, then who cares how she needs to be managed as long as she’s happy?
2 Likes
Are you serious right now? A horse that multiple trainers have refused to work with because the horse is too dangerous, and you’re saying we are flippantly saying to euth her?
This is how rank amateurs end up with horses they can never ride, and people get hurt. You can’t save every horse. Some are so mentally or physically damaged that there’s no fixing it.
You’ll have a good day but it will always regress with a horse who has a short fuse. Unless you are the best of the best pro, this horse is NOT suitable. And multiple pros have said “no”.
This isn’t a fairy tale.
31 Likes
For what it’s worth, our regular (excellent) vet did a basic neurological exam on my husbands gelding as he started spooking randomly (after doing all the normal blood tests). She didn’t find anything terribly conclusive.
DH took him in for a comprehensive eye exam at a top clinic here on the east coast. They came out (it was during covid) and said to him, his eyes are fine but would you like our neuro specialist to examine him because we see signs.
Turns out DH’s heart horse has wobblers. He was retired on the spot and is living the life of retirement in our back yard until he no longer can.
I personally think if it is doable, it is well worth the expense to have a thorough exam, if only to rule it out.
I am very sorry your first horse experience is so very challenging.
11 Likes
Prefacing this with I agree on some of your points here, but I also recall you have fought it out with a horse that dumped you repeatedly and was borderline dangerous - and you are also a pro. Respectfully, I would not say you have a realistic perspective of safety when it comes to dangerous or quirky horses and it is NOT the same thing for an amateur owner not long in the sport with her FIRST horse.
That said, I 100% agree that there is probably more to the story here. If a horse has been “fired” by multiple pros, vets, and farriers, I would say something is likely wrong, but what? Maybe the pros weren’t good pros, and the horse has realized she can run the show. However, rearing in ANY form is NOT for a beginner or inexperienced person to handle, period. End of story.
OP, take her to a vet school or clinic and get her worked up properly. Neuro exam, eye exam, pull blood and maybe shoot some xrays. If she’s in pain, you won’t get anywhere. Then if she’s just a bully, find a good trainer with experience in quirky horses (that has a record for getting them going well for their amateur owners) and go from there. Good luck!
12 Likes
Thanks for weighing in, I appreciate your perspective. Ironically, the time I had the vet out and she wasn’t able to stand for the exam, it was because the rehabber and I wanted to get back and neck x-rays done. So, months later, when I had her evaluated again, that was also what I asked the vet for. However, she palpated her spine, did the stretch where you tickle their abdomen to get them to lift their back and a few other things like that, and said she didn’t note anything that would suggest back x-rays were indicated. She said if I insisted, she would do them, but it wouldn’t be her recommendation. And maybe I should have insisted, but when a vet tells you don’t bother, it’s easy not to bother; it’s certainly cheaper. She’s the one who suggested a trial of equioxx and riboxin, and she said if I saw any behavioral improvement with that, then she’d do a full court press on imaging, and I didn’t see a difference so we didn’t pursue it.
As for seasonal changes, yes, I absolutely do notice those. November through March is a struggle. It’s not really an indoor vs outdoor issue, she was fine all last summer in the indoor. But the cold weather makes her a lot sharper. As for being in season, I’ve never noticed an issue with it. She’s very demonstrative when she’s in heat, not subtle at all. But I’ve never noticed a correlation with any uptick in bad behavior under saddle. If anything, she tends to be more in your pockets and sweet when she’s in heat. And again, I had her on regumate while at the rehabbers and she was worse then than ever.
Is called using common sense to evaluate a situation.
As others have already explained, this is not just a beginner not knowing any better and asking help with a new horse.
This situation is three years, multiple vets, farriers, trainers, barn managers, surely some very good, having tried to help already and coming up short.
We may assume they were good, as no one has been hurt yet, mare or humans, something common in such situations, especially with rearing involved, as we all know.
I don’t find it surprising that one option now, considering what OP has described, as common sense indicates, is, amongst others, euthanizing.
I have re-trained rearers and the truth with horses that go there when riding them as a resistance to all causes, pain, behavioral and other, that is a dangerous behavior from any horse, dangerous to itself and to the one riding and to everyone else, human and horse around them.
I had a friend colt starter that survived colon cancer, twice and one day a new colt flipped on him and he was killed.
I would never take lightly any story about a horse that rears, is an accident waiting to happen, my guess one more reason sensible trainers quit with this horse.
There has been plenty of other advice, yours included, but damning in general that euthanizing as one more choice is bad advice I think is itself not very good advice, given what we know.
16 Likes
Do you mean:
Methocarbamol (brand names: Robaxin®, Robinax®, Robaximol®) is a muscle relaxant used to reduce muscle spasms associated with inflammation, injury, intervertebral disc disease, and certain toxicities. It is used only in companion animals.
A human life is 100% worth more than a horses and rearing is going to get someone killed.
Doesn’t matter what caused the rearing, it’s a normal go to for the horse now.
OP is scared of the horse on the ground which means the horse would be extremely difficult to sell. Who wants to take on that project? Probably not any trainers with half a brain. If they get hurt they loose their livelihood. This isn’t some 5 star eventer or super talented dressage horse where the risk might be worth the reward.
OP needs to cut losses, move on, and not pass this problem horse on to a rescue.
22 Likes
Um… Seems to be used quite commonly in riding horses in my area, usually those who present as stiff moving but not lame, and if they have arthritis, they’re being treated for it.
My personal experience: Feronia was on it during the winter for a number of years, and it wouldn’t surprise me at all if Lola was helped by it, though we aren’t going there. It’s prescription only, and only one vet of several (6 ish) was opposed to using it on Feronia. The 3 sports medicine vets treated it as a go-to for “stiff” performance horses in the winter.
7 Likes
What? Robaxin is used pretty commonly in horses (and people.)
8 Likes
I have a big powdered jug of it sitting in the “meds box” at home.
1 Like
I think what you and @quietann are confused by is this:
Which simply means it’s not meant for use in animals intended for human consumption and wasn’t actually my point. Sorry I lost ya there…
I was simply confirming this is what OP meant by …
It would also be helpful to know the duration of each trial of med or supplement.
A journal can be very helpful, especially if one is working on a situation this long, with this many different professionals.
It can help them see the various diagnostics and therapies to help the vets, etc better understand why the OP is still pursuing things like x-rays…
3 Likes
My apologies… It was the “only in companion animals” bit that made me say “Wha?” Because I don’t think of riding horses as “companion animals” in the same sense as cats or dogs.
3 Likes
It is not technically for horses, despite the widespread use.
