Helping an anxious horse

[GrandLiena]

My mare was sound as can be before her previous owner got a hold of her, and now the training I do with her is mostly undoing what he and the race industry did to her. I have effectively brought her back to “sane” for the most part, but she still has one big thing…

Whenever I take her away from the barn, her anxiety and “hot” nature goes through the roof. It has gotten WAAYYY better, but its still a big pain. I take her out on rides often, during the summer its usually a 2 days a week thing, but during winter not so much. lol I think that has helped, and of course it helps when there’s another horse with us, but she still gets very strong and pushy, and forget standing still any longer than is needed to cross a road safely…

She is seriously a beginner safe lesson horse in the barn, but anyplace else and its quite a different story. I don’t really let anyone else ride her outside the barn except for me and my equally experienced sister, but in the barn I am very comfortable putting anyone on her.

I have observed that she behaves MUCH much better for me than anyone else outside the barn. I guess that means she trusts me and I’m doing something right! But if I put anyone else besides me and my sister (or my uncle who she is really fond of) on her, no matter their experience or riding level she is really bad… Like back to the first day I got her bad… Which is pretty friggin bad.

what can I do to help her? I have put her on a calming supplement before, and it did work for her, but this problem still existed. Maybe not as bad, but I’d rather teach her and fix the problem than using a tool to make it better without actually fixing the problem.

I know its not a tack issue or a physical issue, its not me, I don’t ride her any differently inside or out, and I’d like to think that I don’t get anxious or nervous, she doesn’t scare me, by now if I was still afraid of riding her outside after almost a year I should have a safer horse lol and we have had some really good days here and there… more now than ever, where she walks the entire time for me unless I ask her to pick up a different gait.

So she IS making progress, BUT there’s always days where its bad, and there’s a point I can’t get her past. I work with her almost every day if I can help it, and I think I just don’t have the experience or the knowledge to tackle this problem the way I want to.

I am on a limited budget, being eighteen and paying for my horse and loads of other things, so a trainer isn’t a realistic option for me, but I promise I’m really good at turning advice into results.

Thank you thank you thank you x 100 For any comments, advice, ect. It is really appreciated. For as much clutter and negativity I can accumulate here on COTH, (I get cranky too sometimes,) the helpful things are really worth it.

-Liena

[GrandLiena]

Whoah, sorry… thats a lot to read. :lol:

Also I would like to add that I have done a lot of work getting her to lower her head and lift her back, I have heard a lot about hot horses and the protective back thing, this has helped quite a bit. So I’m pretty certain that this is more a psychological thing.

[TrailRides4Fun]

I think you can modify certain behaviors in horses, but if they existed when you
bought the horse, they probably never truly go away.
All you can do is continue to work with her, rewarding good behavior and
replacing negative behaviors with better, productive, calm behaviors.
Set her up for success so she trusts you and builds up her confidence.
I have an anxious horse, and its on going training :yes:
Unfortunately, in the wrong hands (like lots of different people riding her),
newly acquired good behaviors can quickly revert back to old, negative behaviors again.
Choose who gets on her wisely, or all your hard work will be for naught.
Trust is earned, not blindly given, especially with nervous fearful horses.
Consistent, calm and safe handling is the key to building confidence,
and replacing her fear and uncertainty.
JMO

[Gestalt]

I’ve had several horses that showed high anxiety when riding out alone. Lots of wet saddle blankets helped all but the mare. She had to be stalled at night and turned out alone during the day. She saw and was near other horses but she could not “live” with them. She would bond really fast, like at a two day show she would start to worry about her neighbors in the adjoining stalls! So for her the key was to always have her focus me rather than wondering what everybody else was doing. The geldings just needed lots of correct ride time. And by lots I mean I was riding them 4 to 5 times a week. In the arena and out. It took almost 3 years for one of them to be a solid citizen.

Depending on a horses temperament it can take a lot of consistent riding, plus whenever you have a break in riding they can slip back into the nervous behavior.

[GrandLiena]

I am pretty picky about who rides her now. Anytime I have someone else on her (in the barn) I am coaching and paying close attention. But shes so comfortable with almost anyone when shes inside the barn its sickening. Should I change this to where I am strictly the only one riding her?

I can definitely make the connection about taking breaks, even if I skip riding for three days it turns into her giving me a lot of crap when I ride her again. I’ll put that to good use.

[gothedistance]

How old is this mare? Thoroughbred? And what do you ultimately want to accomplish? For you and only you to be able to ride her out cross country comfortably, or for a student/friend to do so?

An appropriate workable answer may hinge on these two facts.

[GrandLiena]

She is fourteen, probably closer to fifteen, Standardbred. She is a fast learner for being on the older side. I want at least for myself to be able to ride her out where the both of us are as close to 100% comfortable as I can reasonably get. It would be nice if she didn’t freak out with other riders, but in the end she is my riding horse, so if she only trusts me to ride her, then it’d be rather unfair of me to make her tolerate people she doesn’t trust.

[gothedistance]

This may not be the popular answer, but based upon her age, and the fact that she’s wonderful and relaxed at home in the ring, I would talk to the vet and - if this hasn’t been suggested yet – have them give you some ACE, and a recommended dosage to give to her before you ride her out. She sounds like “down the trail with company” is causing her to be very anxious, and the ACE should reduce that anxiety down enough (based upon the dosage) to allow her …and you… to be relaxed through a nice ride. Time, ACE, and lots of quiet rides to help her retain a more level-headed attitude.

You will need to figure out the right dosage. Your vet might have you start with the smallest dosage (1/2 or 1 cc) and then see how she handles it. It may be more than enough, or you might need to move it up by 1/2 ccs until you notice she’s become relaxed without being droopy. Some horses are immune to ACE - hopefully she isn’t one of those.

It’s not cheating, it’s not being lazy. It’s an aid that can be very helpful in both the short term and the long term, especially for a retired racehorse that has about 5 more years before she enters the category of equine “old age”. At 15 she is what she is out of the ring, and there really isn’t much you can do to change that (as you’ve already found out).

Good luck with her. She sounds like a jewel for a ring/schooling horse.

[Gestalt]

[QUOTE=GrandLiena;8492630]
I am pretty picky about who rides her now. Anytime I have someone else on her (in the barn) I am coaching and paying close attention. But shes so comfortable with almost anyone when shes inside the barn its sickening. Should I change this to where I am strictly the only one riding her?

I can definitely make the connection about taking breaks, even if I skip riding for three days it turns into her giving me a lot of crap when I ride her again. I’ll put that to good use.[/QUOTE]

Since the arena isn’t a problem I would continue to let others did her inside. I didn’t realize she freaked out with other horses and riders around, I thought it was being alone on the trail. At her age you might just call yourself lucky that she is so good inside. Might not be worth the time and energy to get her trail safe.

[GrandLiena]

Shes fine with other horses it actually helps a tiny bit, but the horses or riders around her while I’m on her doesn’t really make a big difference at all, its just being away from the barn in general. She is trail safe for me with the occasional bad day, but honestly if she never improves and just stays the way she is now, I’ll be happy. I know her well enough to curve her bad behavior on the trail and redirect it.

As much as I respect and appreciate some of these opinions, I refuse to believe that she can never overcome this. She has come so far for me already, It may just take consistency and time and the same old work and it may not happen until she is “old” but thats plenty good enough for me.

If I did use something like ace for her, which I’m not too fond of the idea… Would this be a good catalyst to one day not needing it for her to be calm?

[Melissa.Van_Doren]

I’ve always ridden my horses on the trails, no matter what their “real” job. In more than 40 years, I’ve only had one who never learned to like the trails. He was a fabulous athlete and absolutely comfortable in any arena environment, but alone or in company he did not enjoy riding out, even with 10 years to get used to it. After that decade marker, I stopped taking him. It wasn’t training or mental or physical issues. He just didn’t like it. So why make him do it? I don’t like mountain biking, even though I’m capable. Sometimes you just have to listen to the horse to keep him happy.

[gothedistance]

If I did use something like ace for her, which I’m not too fond of the idea… Would this be a good catalyst to one day not needing it for her to be calm?

Yes. That’s why vets prescribe it, that’s what it is for. Helping. It’s not a forever cure. It’s for the interim. Until you feel it isn’t needed anymore, or she tells you it isn’t needed anymore.

Again, it’s a helping aid for a mental issue, not a forever crutch. If it helps her get over her issues quicker and with less mental stress, then that’s a good thing for both her and you.

Your choice, your decision.

Again, good luck with her. She does sound sweet, and giving.

[GrandLiena]

I mean, she loves the trails don’t get me wrong, but going away from the barn is where her anxiety kicks up. I went out with a large group once and she was really comfortable, enough to trade horses with my sister for half the ride. So I know its not the activity, if I take her out in the pasture and they hadn’t all been let out she does the same thing and displays the same behavior. But just like trail riding, groundwork in the pasture is the same, she is good for me, bad for others, with good days and bad days.

[walkers]

Years ago I leased a horse like yours. She was fine at the barn in the arena or just riding around the stables but terrible when I tried to ride her alone off the farm. She was really frightened.
The horse was owned by a Vet and she decided to sell her. Well the mare didn’t pass the pre purchase because turns out she had kidney(can’t remember) or maybe liver problems.
So I learned that her behavior was the result of health problems . We are so used to thinking behavioral issues are training issue but I’ve learned through the yrs. to always rule out physical problems first.

Its true for people also, anxiety is often the result of a host of physical problems. We are learning that so many “psychological” symptoms are the results of illness …medicine is changing real fast now.