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Horse with strange behavior

Off Course
#1

Hello all. So I have had my horse almost four years now we have been through another together . I got him out of my last boarding facility Justin time. At this place he had been malnutrition and had a lost a lot of weight to where you could grab her if he lost a lot of his main and tail because of malnutrition. Now at his new place he is in the perfect turd to where he feels comfortable to sleep with all of them and none of them are bullies they all get along . His spirit is coming back aka personality he’s at perfect weight happy very happy.

So starting four days ago he started to reach around and nip at you when being brushed all but his back legs and ass area. I first thought ulcers so I did and also check and had no reaction he was completely dormant in the normal reactions that you would get during this test. Yesterday I gave him a bath while he was hooked up on cross ties he did a lot of head bobbing ,playing with the crissites butting at me, and did the same thing reaching around trying to bite more like a nip but I still consider them the same. nipping leads to biting in that is not OK in my book.

I ignored the problem which a lot of people say to do meaning you ignore them and they will get over it because it could be a cry for attention. Well I had finished his bath and was putting some kind of conditioner in his main when he reached around and bit me in the face more like in that they didn’t mark but it was still the point of the fact. So I unhook him from the cross ties took him down to the round pen and Chased around for a good minute.

I hope him back up and he completely stopped ahead tossing and trying to nip. So my question is have any of you dealt with this before and what did you do to fix the problem. He has never done this ever since the three years almost 4 that I have had him this has just started within the last four days and I’m kind of curious as to why .

Note : I written on a site like this before so I do not want to hear anything of the such that I should put my horse down. That I should sell my horse because you think I’m a bad horse owner. Or anything of the matter I’m just asking for questions and suggestions on this situation that I am. Having

#2

[QUOTE=RidingCowGirl;8566969]
Hello all. So I have had my horse almost four years now we have been through another together . I got him out of my last boarding facility Justin time. At this place he had been malnutrition and had a lost a lot of weight to where you could grab her if he lost a lot of his main and tail because of malnutrition. Now at his new place he is in the perfect turd to where he feels comfortable to sleep with all of them and none of them are bullies they all get along . His spirit is coming back aka personality he’s at perfect weight happy very happy.

So starting four days ago he started to reach around and nip at you when being brushed all but his back legs and ass area. I first thought ulcers so I did and also check and had no reaction he was completely dormant in the normal reactions that you would get during this test. Yesterday I gave him a bath while he was hooked up on cross ties he did a lot of head bobbing ,playing with the crissites butting at me, and did the same thing reaching around trying to bite more like a nip but I still consider them the same. nipping leads to biting in that is not OK in my book.

I ignored the problem which a lot of people say to do meaning you ignore them and they will get over it because it could be a cry for attention. Well I had finished his bath and was putting some kind of conditioner in his main when he reached around and bit me in the face more like in that they didn’t mark but it was still the point of the fact. So I unhook him from the cross ties took him down to the round pen and Chased around for a good minute.

I hope him back up and he completely stopped ahead tossing and trying to nip. So my question is have any of you dealt with this before and what did you do to fix the problem. He has never done this ever since the three years almost 4 that I have had him this has just started within the last four days and I’m kind of curious as to why .

Note : I written on a site like this before so I do not want to hear anything of the such that I should put my horse down. That I should sell my horse because you think I’m a bad horse owner. Or anything of the matter I’m just asking for questions and suggestions on this situation that I am. Having[/QUOTE]

I’m curious what tests you did to determine that he didn’t have ulcers?

#3

It’s a feel test my vet thought me you do from there backbone to underbelly in the girth area and back there that swirl thing is by there back leg . When you do this u chart there reaction on a scale and that tells u if it’s a possibility of not I did it and got no reaction at all he just stood there half asleep

#4

OP, is English your native language? Your posts are a bit hard to understand, but from the sounds of it, you have a horse who was not well managed at the old barn, is now at a new barn, and is now responding to touching certain parts of his body by biting.

The ulcer “test” you describe sounds like the vet was touching him on his underbelly, looking for a reaction. That is not a reliable way to diagnose ulcers. You need a vet to come out and do an internal scope of his gut to be sure he doesn’t have them.

Your horse’s problem sounds like a response to pain. Yes, his condition may be better now, but who knows what happened with him when his condition was poor. He needs an actual gut scope to check for ulcers, maybe blood work to check for deficiencies, etc, that’s just to start.

#5

To my understanding a horse with ulcers would continue the behaviors even after being corrected for it. Not just stop all together

#6

So what he. Did yesterday was in the areas of his Neck, shoulder ,back and stomach and underbelly he doesn’t kick at all he moves his head around to try and nip ,Punsh his nose into you. When my friend would have to hose off his neck he would punsh his nose into her like how he’s doing to me now. The main reason why I don’t think it’s an ulcer is because he wouldn’t just stop doing it after I chased him around in the round pen . He would continue it ya know?

#7

He is either rude or needs to have a vet out to check for ulcers. How he acted after being chased around a pen has nothing to do with it.

Your post is very hard to follow. So he wouldn’t stop trying to nip after chased?

#8

[QUOTE=RidingCowGirl;8566989]
It’s a feel test my vet thought me you do from there backbone to underbelly in the girth area and back there that swirl thing is by there back leg . When you do this u chart there reaction on a scale and that tells u if it’s a possibility of not I did it and got no reaction at all he just stood there half asleep[/QUOTE]

No.

If you think it might be ulcers, he needs to be scoped. Horses have different reactions to different stimuli.

#9

Your posts are extremely hard to understand. I would lean towards ulcers, since it sounds like he was basically starved. Were you not around when his condition was going down hill ? Have a vet scope him so you can determine if it is ulcers or something else causing pain. If pain issues ruled out, then may be just a handling issue.

#10

So horse was malnourished, tried to bite, so vet ‘felt’ for ulcers and then OP chased him around a pen?! Is that really the gist of this so far?

To OP. He needs a thorough workup by a vet to determine what, if any, affect the alleged neglect. He needs to be well managed on the ground - behaviours like biting, pushing, nudging should be met with a firm and sharp correction each and EVERY time. Not acceptable, and should not be ignored IMO.

#11

Is anybody helping you with the horse? Like a trainer or experienced adult? Having a really bad time understanding the issues or guessing if it’s a physical problem or he’s learned he can get away with being a brat. Don’t know if you are on a smallish phone or just typing too fast but it’s almost gibberish.

I do know if they have been starved as you say he was at your last boarding barn, it can effect their manners. If they don’t feel well, they hate being touched or fooled with. Sometimes they don’t get over that even if they do feel better. Chasing him around a round pen is not appropriate “punishment”- he has no idea why you are doing that, they don’t remember what they did for more then a few seconds. If anything, he’s going to get upset that you are mad at him and confused about why, that’s going to make things worse.

There are far better ways to correct that behavior but somebody will need to work with both you and the horse to teach you how to correct and eliminate this kind of bad behavior before he connects with one of those bites. No, he doesn’t need to be PTS but you need to get on correcting this behavior with the help of someone more experienced or he is going to seriously hurt somebody.

#12

Trust me he isn’t the kind of horse to hurt Someone . You could give me the lecture all you want about him being 1000 pound plus handle and he’s an animal he can do he wants. I know my horses usual behavior, and I know hi, well enough . He knows I am herd leader and as for the punishment a herd leader wouldn’t allow a lower ranking horse to bite or kick them would they ? If they did what would they do ? " bite,chase or kick the hell out of them" we have an understanding I tell him to stand in the middle of the field if I am working him, he will until I say he can move . This is the first time he’s Been crosstie and I am not making excuses for him. All I want to know is how to fix the problem or correct it . When it is work time that kind of behavior is not acceptable . He only does this with stiff brushes and that first time in the washstall. Doesn’t with soft brushes or hands hence why me and my trainer doesn’t think it’s ulcers . We think he’s just being a piss head

#13

Well, since you know, there is no reason to ask for opinions or “help”.

Continue on…

PS. if you come on here asking incoherent questions, being a piss head about it won’t get you better advice

#14

[QUOTE=RidingCowGirl;8568044]
He only does this with stiff brushes and that first time in the washstall. Doesn’t with soft brushes or hands hence why me and my trainer doesn’t think it’s ulcers . We think he’s just being a piss head[/QUOTE]

Why the direct leap to “he’s just being a piss head”? Good grief. A horse only has so many ways to tell you “ouch!” or “back off!”. The hard brushes vs soft brushes/touches is a clue.

#15

[QUOTE=RidingCowGirl;8568044]
Trust me he isn’t the kind of horse to hurt Someone . You could give me the lecture all you want about him being 1000 pound plus handle and he’s an animal he can do he wants. I know my horses usual behavior, and I know hi, well enough . He knows I am herd leader and as for the punishment a herd leader wouldn’t allow a lower ranking horse to bite or kick them would they ? If they did what would they do ? " bite,chase or kick the hell out of them" we have an understanding I tell him to stand in the middle of the field if I am working him, he will until I say he can move . This is the first time he’s Been crosstie and I am not making excuses for him. All I want to know is how to fix the problem or correct it . When it is work time that kind of behavior is not acceptable . He only does this with stiff brushes and that first time in the washstall. Doesn’t with soft brushes or hands hence why me and my trainer doesn’t think it’s ulcers . We think he’s just being a piss head[/QUOTE]

Use your majickal bond and tell him to cease being a piss head. Then tell him having ulcers is unacceptable.

#16

Simple solution: just use soft brushes on him.

I have a horse who doesn’t like stiffer brushes. She doesn’t bite at me, but (while she continues to look forward) her ears will go back and she’ll shake her head a bit. She likes soft brushes and the soft, round, rubber massage curry combs that Oster makes.

If using soft brushes exclusively doesn’t help with the behavior, then you need to look for other issues, either physical or behavioral.

#17

nevermind

not sure this is worth the popcorn and whine calories

#18

It is… ^^^ HAHAHAH :yes:

#19

when someone is literate and learned it can be enjoyable

arguing woo woo , carrot stick horsemanship

sorry I have to go to work now :nonchalance:

#20

[QUOTE=hoopoe;8568130]
nevermind

not sure this is worth the popcorn and whine calories[/QUOTE]

Oh, but it IS!!! :smiley:

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