My horse has been mostly on stall rest for 6 weeks. He’s typically fairly easy going but now that he’s getting some paddock turn out he’s down right stud like. (He is a gelding, not proud cut, no previous issues, trailered and rode with mares for years, very peaceful in group turn out prior to this.) He is obsessed with the mares and screams for them when they are turned out. Whinnies to anyone. Fights over the fence, rearing and striking, then stands with his butt so the one PITA gelding who can reach him will nuzzle his butt which results in screams and kicks through the fence.
I have never had to worry this horse will hurt himself or another horse by being aggressive but at this stage I’m pretty concerned. I’ve got some Zylkene. It’s expensive and he requires two packets per dose. He’s also a problem child when it comes to powders. My plan was to hold off until we were closer to group turn out time to save on $ and the risk that he’ll decide its poison right before its actually time for big field turn out but I think it needs to start now. Yay.
Any other ideas that have worked for you? He’s on magnesium for muscle health. On omeprazole. All the hay he could want. Does actually have space to not pick a fight over the fence but is instead creating a stud pile at the fence and letting himself be lured down to the fence after a few moments of demuring the other gelding’s advances.
He has also been on solo turn out for months at a time in the past. It seems to be the stall rest that’s destroyed his ability to not be a raging dork at other horses. It’s like he lost all ability to interact normally and his only way to express himself is now shrieking and punching. Loads of fun. Even the mares he “loves” get this treatment if they walk up while I’m hand grazing him. Never pins his ears once. Just full throttle shriek and strike like a stallion with no social experience.
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I am a vet. I treated horses in clinical practice for years before changing jobs to one with hours that didn’t make me want to die. Of course I am easing my horse into turn out, otherwise that would be the obvious answer. He went from a couple hours in a paddock, to a full day in a paddock, to a couple hours in a larger paddock, to a full day in a larger paddock, and now into a field. He was drugged and adjusted throughout to make it as safe as possible. Every step was *ell. What I am saying is that I was hoping you, the educated horse people of the internet, would know some tricks I don’t because I don’t turn out horses, I diagnose and treat them. I am asking the barn managers, trainers, and working students who have waited beside more gates, watching more horses adjust to turn out, than I have. Frankly every horse I’ve ever pulled off stall rest into turn out had some fun, kicked up their heels, scared everyone to death, then settled in. Most of those owners just threw their horse out in a field and didn’t put in an ounce of work adjusting their horses - AMA - and had zero issues. In the mean time, there is my horse, who is doing what all vet owned animals do and giving his vet owner nightmares. He will never go on stall rest again. It will either be recovery in a field or euthanasia. I always said stall rest would fry his brain. Being right is a hollow victory but at least I know now.