Extremely Nervous Nelly - B1, Magnesium? Something else?

[kashmere]

My little gem of a new mare (at some point I’ll stop calling her “new” but it’s still under 6 months!) is coming along super duper nicely. I bought her as a total project - OTTB with some mystery years, got her out of a field after she was used as a broodmare for 2 seasons. She’s a work in progress and I just love her.

She is quite an anxious little beast. Always very aware of anything going on around her, and occasionally gets extremely worked up over very small things, like (the horror!) being asked to stand quietly at the mounting block :lol: She’s very kind and I’m also not afraid of riding/handling her through her “moments,” but I’m starting to wonder whether I should consider if a deficiency of some sort could be causing her stress. I’d hate to take the “ride through it” approach if she’s working at a disadvantage due to something missing in her feed.

She’s an easy keeper, and is currently not getting any concentrate - just high quality hay, free choice. Lives outside (stalled at night until the spring, will be out 24/7). Fits in nicely with her pasturemates etc. Recently had teeth and feet done and just had a fecal count which pegs her at due for a deworming, but nothing overwhelming.

So - if this were your horse, would you have blood pulled and analyze for deficiency? Would you start with something simple like B1 (which, after all is water soluble so won’t build up dangerously), and see if there are any results? What about magnesium - I’ve heard great success stories with it for the nervous Nellies, but don’t know much about it’s role in horse health.

Thanks!

[Simkie]

I really like Seroquine for my nervous horses. I find it works better for them than anything else I’ve tried.

Adding vit e (or testing her vit and and selenium levels) might also be worthwhile. Those things are often low (se depending on where you live) and can also impact all sorts of weird things.

[kashmere]

Thanks, Simkie! Forgot to mention that I do plan on starting a Se + Vit E supplement, as our area is notoriously poor in SE.

ETA - it looks like the Seroquine is a combo of magnesium and B1 with Inositol and Taurine. Interesting. I don’t know whether it’s available in my area, but I will sniff around for something with similar ingredients. Do you feed it on an ongoing basis?

[Simkie]

I do, and I order it. I think horse.com usually has the best price? I just google.

I have two that are just more even on it. They’re both hot, intense horses.

[Abbie.S]

Simkie, can you elaborate on the difference in your horses, not on this product and on it?

[Simkie]

They’re both prone to BIG reactions. Like if I’m leading them through the gate, and need to swing a rope to shoo away another horse that’s making a play for freedom, they’ll get upset and run backward. They have very nice ground manners in general, but are just “the sky is falling” kind of horses.

With Seroquine, they’re able to slow down the process and think before reacting. So I maybe a get a head toss instead. Doesn’t make them deadheads, just takes a bit of that edge off.

[Tonkafriend]

You might want to have her tested for Lyme. “Off the charts” jumpiness was my horse’s main symptom the last time. A week of antibiotics and he was almost back to normal.

[lorilu]

I have recently seen great results in an easily distracted mare using a fly veil. The Schlockenmoel one with the heavier ears. It is worth the $59… It also seemed to work on other horses, too… and a friend who suggested it had good results with her horse.
Totally legal, too.

[Abbie.S]

[QUOTE=Simkie;8547047]
They’re both prone to BIG reactions. Like if I’m leading them through the gate, and need to swing a rope to shoo away another horse that’s making a play for freedom, they’ll get upset and run backward. They have very nice ground manners in general, but are just “the sky is falling” kind of horses.

With Seroquine, they’re able to slow down the process and think before reacting. So I maybe a get a head toss instead. Doesn’t make them deadheads, just takes a bit of that edge off.[/QUOTE]

This is kind of what I was hoping you’d say. I have a mare exactly like this: very reactive to stimuli, even that not directed at or anywhere near her. I’ve been looking for something to help her deal, since she’s also very well behaved, just really struggles with the sensitivity. All the exposure in the world hasn’t done much.

May have to give it a try.