Looking for help with anxious OTTB

[The_Pleasant_Pheasant]

TLDR: My 4 year old OTTB is anxious beyond what I feel is normal/appropriate for a green horse with his environment. I am looking for help figuring out the logical next steps. Commiseration always welcome as well! And apologies, because it’s a looong post.

Background- I have been a professional in the horse industry for almost 20 years. I am not a professional rider, but do have a lot of experience riding green horses and quirky horses. I purchased a 3 year old OTTB in the fall of 2023 from a reputable reseller. I inquired about one of her sales horses who was described as being a good egg, and let her know that I was looking for a good brained horse who would be enjoyable to bring along, no high level aspirations. I trust 100% that she disclosed and represented everything fairly and accurately. I had a prepurchase that found no issues except (of course) 2 spots of very mild kissing spine that he showed no clinical signs of. He raced about a dozen times and I had the opportunity to speak to his race owner who said he trained well in the morning but didn’t display the same talent in the evening races.

Upon arrival, he was exactly as described. We had a new lesson pony arrive around the same time, and the running joke was the 3 year old OTTB was settling in better and was more well behaved than the lesson pony. I transitioned him to 24/7 grass turn out in a large 3 acre field, which he loved. It is solo turn out, but surrounded by other horses. I started him on Nexium (14 tabs once daily) as soon as he arrived as well as Equishure to be safe. He is on an appropriate amount of low NSC, high fat grain for his size and work load, and is not a candidate for grain free, forage only since his current diet only keeps him at a BCS of 4.5. I put him into light work about a week after his arrival and everything was progressing in a way I would consider very normal for a green horse (needed lots of work on tempo, steering, bending, seat aids, etc). He seemed to do better in a very consistent program- more than 2 days off in a row would require a lunge session first (with side reins, no wild hooliganing) before the next ride. I would characterize him as bold during this time, not at all looky or spooky. I trusted him enough to let my sister (intermediate rider) sit on him to walk him around the ring for a cool out after one of my rides.

After about 2 months of “normal” behavior, the wheels began to fall off slowly but surely. He began increasingly difficult to handle on the ground and was acting “hot” at all times. Bringing him in from the field turned into a jigging, pushy mess, and when corrected his first reaction was to bite or rear. He got mouthy and would progress to full on teeth bared biting attempts when he became anxious. I stopped hand feeding any treats and calmly and consistently corrected any mouthiness, but the general reaction I got from him was shock that I was seemingly smacking him (on the chest) for no apparent reason. I know my timing is good since I have successfully sorted out other biters, but he never seemed to connect the dots that the correction was tied to the biting. So he got more anxious. I changed my corrections to “make the bitey game not fun” types but he was quick enough and determined enough that this did not deter him. Under saddle he became incredibly inconsistent. I could ride him in 50 degree weather and 20mph wind and he would be fine, or it could be a calm beautiful day and he would be a rushy, spooky mess. I could have 3 wonderful rides, and the fourth would be a disaster. Lunging him first didn’t seem to help on the days that he was wired- when he was in that mental space there was no bottom to his energy. I could typically tell from his behavior on the cross ties where his anxiety level was at since he would quirk his lips and twist his head throughout grooming and saddling when anxious. I tried 4 different calming supplements (SmartCalm Ultra, SmartTranquility, MagRestore, and PerfectPrep Training Day) that made no improvements.

At this point, it was time to call in the calvary. He had been on a regular 4 week chiro cycle since he arrived, with nothing unusual for a horse transitioning from track to sport (lumbar and SI soreness, shoulder tightness). I had saddle fit checked by a reputable independent saddle fitter. His was too wide so I purchased a brand new saddle that was fitted to him. I had the vet give him a basic once over to make sure there wasn’t anything glaring that would cause such an extreme change in behavior. We found some sharp points on his teeth, and some recurrent rain rot causing skin sensitivity. In light of those findings, and the fact that he was still on Nexium when the behaviors started, I opted not to scope at that time (I know I know). I thought surely the saddle/teeth/rain rot were all perfect explanations for his increasing crankiness and anxiety. He got a round of Robaxin and a couple weeks of no riding, just lunging, while I waited for the new saddle to arrive so we could start fresh.

To address the general anxiety with life, I subscribed and began working on the TRT Method with him. It did not go well, and I am fully willing to believe it was likely due to my inexperience with that type of work. He seemed to view the exercises as a pattern to complete, rather than them helping him find his resting place. He also hated standing still, and used any invitation to rest as a chance to disengage/fidget/check out his surroundings. Certain movements (moving front feet) would elicit even more anxiety which manifested in rearing or biting. I got to the point that I could do the basic exercises (moving front and hind feet) in a low pressure situation, but trying to use them to settle him in a higher pressure situation just seemed to ramp up his anxiety even more as he would become even more upset that I was distracting him from fixating on what was scaring him. I tried to let him stand and stare at the things that were scary to him (like other horses, being hand walked or ridden over 100 yards away) in an attempt to give him the time to process the scary thing before moving on. That led to him learning to balk whenever he didn’t want to do something. The balking occurred both under saddle and on the ground, and was not occurring when he was anxious- he would just plant and refuse to move. Even sometimes on the walk back to his paddock after riding for no apparent reason. I ended up working through the balking on the ground by carrying a dressage whip when leading and chasing him forward whenever he tried it. After about a week of that, he hasn’t tried it again on the ground in the months since.

Under saddle, there wasn’t much difference at all after getting his teeth/saddle/skin sorted out. He would balk under saddle, then rocket launch forward when corrected. He began slinging his head around at the walk and trot in one specific corner of the arena (and only that corner which was the corner closest to and heading back towards the barn) to the point his head would be completely sideways with one eye up and one down. He would also try to stop and prop after doing it, and progressed to a full on Black Stallion rear when I tried to pull his head around to stop the propping. He was still terrible to handle on the ground, even if we had sorted out the balking, and would still would bite and rear at the smallest provocation. After talking to the vet and chiro again, the suggestion was to try him on a week long Bute test to see if that changed anything. It didn’t, so they had me try a week of Trazadone next to see if that helped. Which it did, immensely. I finally felt like I had the horse back that I had originally bought. There were still green moments, but no meltdowns like we had been experiencing, and since he wasn’t leaping about the entire ride, I could finally get a good feel for his soundness level under tack, which felt good. The vet said to try 30 days on Trazadone to see if getting him settled into a program with positive experiences helped reduce his anxiety. At the end of it, we would set up a full vet work up to see if the consistent work load brought any lameness issues to light, and also he would be settled enough to get a good work up done without any over reactiveness that could be misleading. My chiro (who was an equine vet for many years) strongly feels it’s behavioral due to her interactions with him, and her experience with OTTBs, but is fully on board with the current plan and the one who suggested the Trazadone.

We are getting towards the end of the 30 days, and the rides have been pretty pleasant overall. His stifles get catchy at times, but he feels sound. He is happy to come meet me at the gate when I catch him, and I am relieved to see that his biting and anxious quirks on the cross ties have gone away. However, I have started slowly tapering down the Trazadone in preparation for having him come off it, and at about 30% reduction, the anxiety is starting to creep back in. For example, a horse was being hand walked on the track around the field we were riding in the other day. My horse froze and could not take his eyes off this horse who was just calmly hand walking about 50 yards away. I could feel his heartbeat pounding under my legs, so I know he was truly frightened. I hopped off and held him while the horse passed and was able to get back on after the horse moved away. The second time the horse passed us, my guy still froze and was staring, but I was able to stay on and resume work once the horse moved further away.

I have the aforementioned vet appointment coming up and was hoping to get some ideas on where to start. I love my vet dearly and have had a long working relationship with him. That said, he isn’t a big fan of OTTBs (he cautioned me against even considering them when I was looking, but it was all I could afford), and I know he is going to fixate on the kissing spine, even though he isn’t clinical. I am hoping to gather some ideas/feedback on how to steer the appointment so it’s comprehensive and beneficial. I’m also running out of money to throw at this, so I need to use what I have available wisely at this point. Things I have down to get checked/discussed:

1. EPM/Lyme test- this to me seems like the most obvious answer considering how the horse has done a complete 180 in temperament after a few months of being here. He came from a state that has Lyme disease, and I live in an area where EPM is prevalent (and we’ve had several horses at our barn test highly positive recently). Also would make sense why the Bute test yielded no improvement, but the Trazadone did.
2. Ulcers- would need to do full fasting scope. He in no way acts like he is ulcery (not girthy in the least, chiro has run ulcer points with no reaction), and was treated for several months after arrival, but ulcers can be tricky beasts.
3. Flexions- maybe stifle/SI is bothering more than I can tell
4. Hoof radiographs- he’s got surprisingly good feet, especially up front, but I suspect he is probably NPA behind. My farrier is excellent, has been treating him as such and we are making progress, but it might need more time?
5. Neck/back radiographs- because OTTB

Are there other things, vet wise or training wise, I should be considering? Frustratingly, unless I send him away for training, there are no local riders or trainers who would be suitable for this type of horse. I also need to make sure he is physically okay before going in that direction. I desperately just want to do right by this horse, who I believe has the ability to be a lovely guy. I am also open to the fact that he might not be the right match for me or my barn might not be the best environment for him. It’s a very quiet barn so perhaps that is playing into his anxiety when he perceives something as different or out of place. He’s definitely much more athletic than the type I was aiming for, but I could live with that if I could get a handle on the anxiety issue, which kind of makes me dread riding him at times honestly.

[fivestrideline]

I’ve had Nexium work… and also not work. I’d scope, before or at least as step one of your next vet appointment. Your timeline is CLASSIC ulcers, despite the lack of girthiness - and since you haven’t done any of the “approved” drugs I’d put real money on ulcers. (This comes from someone who used Nexium successfully).

You could also try a week of a tube a day of UlcerGard, but you could be dealing with other types of ulcers as well. Gut issues can make them hyper reactive to “minor” issues like the in-progress hoof angles and the KS - because it makes them carry themselves in a way that will aggravate those problems + put them over threshold.

[Simkie]

I agree that scoping and Lyme/EPM testing is a reasonable place to start. You may want to add vit e and selenium?

If that doesn’t point in any specific direction, a lameness workup is probably a better choice than scatter shot imaging. Let the horse (and the vet) tell you what areas are worth a closer look.

If that’s still not clarifying, I’d take a good, hard, honest look at your set up. Not every barn is suitable for every horse. Your place might be perfect, but this guy may need something different.

[Sdel]

I’d look a lot closer at the lower legs. My retired guy goes from very chill out of work to crazy dangerous the more he is worked and is subtly NQR. It was completely unpredictable. Finally found a bone spur that interferes with the ligaments in a hind fetlock. I’ve had several lameness evals on him over the last year and a half and he was always deemed sound in the legs until around 3 weeks ago.

[luvmyhackney]

If he was mine, I’d scope for ulcers and do a full lameness work up with feet included. He hurts somewhere.

Then I’d turn him out for three months and focus on ground work and getting his mind in a good spot. He sounds like he has some herd bound issues on top of his pain issues.

[Posting_Trot]

I’d also endorse the Lyme/EPM tests. If you’re in an area that doesn’t have much Lyme disease, you may have to push the vet to test for it and then treat it if the test comes back in the “equivocal” range. (I’m not sure that’s what the mid-range is called, but you get the idea). Make sure that they do the Cornell Test.

Here’s some information on the disease and the Cornell test:
Lyme disease information

[awaywego]

Voting for Lyme, ulcers, or both.

[OverandOnward]

I am by no means an expert, you doubtless know far more than I do about working with horses like this.

My OTTB was highly anxious after the track and some months of pasture rest. Overall he was/is a sociable sort who likes people and other horses. He can just handle change with a lot of horizon-gazing, inattention and spookiness, and just generally overreaction to everything.

I found that the biggest problem with escalation was the horse fixating on something that had nothing to do with what we were doing. A sight, sound, whatever – he was riveted by something, somewhere, often horizon-gazing at it, and kind of forgot about the work we were doing. It upset him to be brought back to work focus, then he would have real problems with being more anxious over his divided attention.

I found that the biggest challenge and the biggest fix was getting him to pay attention to me at all times while I was with him. Gently but firmly and insistently draw his attention back to me when he was fixating on something else, near or far. Even just a halter shake, a lead line shake, maybe a hand on his halter to move his head and neck. He gets relief from that pressure when he adjusts his attention, and not until then.

And, keep giving him a reason to focus on me. Some task big or small. As tiny as turning back to me while on the ground, as big as making this circle we are riding.

He would resist that, for a long time. But over time he’s developed a new state of mind of staying primarily on the handler, rather than the distractions. Now he can be calmer because he doesn’t have the other fixations to be anxious about.

The handler is the source of security. The handler handles the problems, as it were, and keeps him safe and directed. It isn’t necessary for him to become wound up and stressed over all the things. He can just chill, because the handler or rider is always giving him some kind of direction.

To make this work is work. For the handler/rider, there is no mental cruising. You can give the horse a break from the work (while keeping his focus). But you can’t take one until the session is done. And even then the person’s focus is needed through the cool-out and put away.

My thought is that horses new to the process don’t seem to understand why sometimes they have to focus on the handler/rider, but other times they are on their own. That’s my read on their behavior. It is much better if the handler/rider keeps them on point while the horse is present, and the horse knows this is something they can count on.

All this behavioral work does not, of course, take the place of the vet assessment. It doesn’t mean that ulcers etc. might also play a role.

[OverandOnward]

Plus, from the horse’s point of view, maybe he thinks he’s experiencing more serious changes. Came off the track. Lived at pasture. Now is working. There were changing training protocols. In his mind, maybe those are entirely different situations, even if the location is the same for at least some.

[dmveventer]

Is he still getting turned out alone? Solo turnout would not be my first choice for a young Thoroughbred, I’d try putting him out with a group and see if that makes a difference. Some horses may be ok with just having others in sight over the fence but for a lot of them that’s not enough, and could definitely fuel the anxiety. If nothing else, having other horses to run around with and burn some energy may take the edge off when you’re handling him.

Otherwise your next steps are where I’d be looking, and several of those are pretty easy to check. The neck rads would be pretty far down my list since you have much better options to rule out first, there’s nothing that screams neck to me from what you’ve described.

And if your vet seriously “isn’t a big fan of OTTBs” I’d consider getting a second opinion from someone with a more open mind. You know better than we do if there’s actual breed bias at play or not with your vet.

[Simkie]

@dmveventer

And if your vet seriously “isn’t a big fan of OTTBs” I’d consider getting a second opinion from someone with a more open mind. You know better than we do if there’s actual breed bias at play or not with your vet.

Ooh yeah, excellent point.

[The_Pleasant_Pheasant]

@luvmyhackney

He sounds like he has some herd bound issues on top of his pain issues.

Surprisingly, he doesn’t act herd bound at all. There have been times he has been the last horse out (for a solid 30 minutes) when we had to bring everyone in for storms and it didn’t really bother him at all. He was waiting quietly by the gate when I finally got to him to bring him in. He’s also been the only horse turned out on the entire farm at times, and again, no issues. Same with being the only horse in the barn.

It’s more that he seems oddly terrified of any horses that he doesn’t see on a regular basis. Paint horse paddocked behind him? All good. If he catches sight of the other Paint horse that is stall boarded and turned out on the other side of the farm? Cue the melt down.

[The_Pleasant_Pheasant]

@OverandOnward

I found that the biggest problem with escalation was the horse fixating on something that had nothing to do with what we were doing. A sight, sound, whatever – he was riveted by something, somewhere, often horizon-gazing at it, and kind of forgot about the work we were doing. It upset him to be brought back to work focus, then he would have real problems with being more anxious over his divided attention.

I found that the biggest challenge and the biggest fix was getting him to pay attention to me at all times while I was with him. Gently but firmly and insistently draw his attention back to me when he was fixating on something else, near or far. Even just a halter shake, a lead line shake, maybe a hand on his halter to move his head and neck. He gets relief from that pressure when he adjusts his attention, and not until then.

Yes!! This is it exactly!!

This is why I feel like the Trazadone has been so helpful. Before he was on the Trazadone, he would become a complete terrorist when I tried to gently redirect his attention, on the ground or in the saddle. Redirection would always immediately lead to aggressive behavior (biting, rearing) that I would then feel like I had to correct, which devolved into a fight with no winner. On the Trazadone, I can redirect him without him getting aggressive and we can successfully move past the distraction. I feel like it provides me a window of opportunity to get a word in edgewise when his mind monkeys start their circus.

But eventually he is going to have to come off it, which means I have to get a good handle on how to safely divert his attention. This is helpful to hear though, that you have been able to work through it- it gives me a glimmer of hope. Perhaps I need to revisit the ground work and make sure he is more solid there while also trying to avoid it turning into a fight. Maybe if I ignore the acting out instead of correcting, but keep quietly insisting he pay attention, I might have a better result? It makes me cringe to think about ignoring bad behavior, but since what I was doing wasn’t working for him, perhaps a slightly unconventional approach is needed.

[The_Pleasant_Pheasant]

@dmveventer

Is he still getting turned out alone? Solo turnout would not be my first choice for a young Thoroughbred, I’d try putting him out with a group and see if that makes a difference. Some horses may be ok with just having others in sight over the fence but for a lot of them that’s not enough, and could definitely fuel the anxiety. If nothing else, having other horses to run around with and burn some energy may take the edge off when you’re handling him.

Otherwise your next steps are where I’d be looking, and several of those are pretty easy to check. The neck rads would be pretty far down my list since you have much better options to rule out first, there’s nothing that screams neck to me from what you’ve described.

And if your vet seriously “isn’t a big fan of OTTBs” I’d consider getting a second opinion from someone with a more open mind. You know better than we do if there’s actual breed bias at play or not with your vet.

He is still on solo turn out- I could probably figure out a way to get him turned out with some of the lesson herd, but it would be very logistically challenging to manage. I’ve considered it a few times, but have tucked it away as more of a Hail Mary option.

Re: the vet and breed bias. It’s not terrible, it’s more that he is going to see an OTTB with KS and want that to be the first place to start. Whereas I have that further down on my treatment/diagnostic list. As long as I have a clear picture of where I want to start and what I want to do, he will happily do whatever I ask him to do. We’ve worked together for long enough that we view each other more as semi -colleagues rather than a traditional vet/client relationship. I might have to steer him a bit, but I do trust him implicitly.

[OverandOnward]

@The_Pleasant_Pheasant

But eventually he is going to have to come off it, which means I have to get a good handle on how to safely divert his attention. This is helpful to hear though, that you have been able to work through it- it gives me a glimmer of hope.

This is not a quick fix, sorry to say. Months to get him consistently directing his attention toward me. It was a long ingrained habit to fixate on distractions. It took absolute consistency to divert, and I had to pay attention at all times. I was a little nagging - more than a little, maybe.

On the ground, longeing and riding, btw. The problem was just as annoying under saddle as it was on the ground.

Now that he’s coming around about this, he is so much calmer and less reactive when he can maintain his main focus on me.

Also I have to be sure that I’m not reacting to his reacting & behavior. No irritation/annoyance. No tensing in the saddle. My brain has to divide into two halves, the half that is ready to quit with this horse , and the half that is serenely unbothered by everything. Only the second half has permission to express itself.

I normally do not ride with earbuds for distracting noises in my ear(s). But this horse is an exception. I’m much more mentally organized – and not overreacting to every twitch of the horse – with a carefully designed playlist in one ear. One that tracks the various elements of the ride time.

Another thing that helps keep up the motivation is to look back a few weeks and months, to gauge progress. It takes that long to see it. That keeps the human motivated.

Good luck. It sounds as if he is in good hands!

[Bogie]

Sadly, I can relate all too well with what you’re going through. The OTTB I took in last year (who was very underweight), came out this spring with a lot more strength and a lot more attitude. I also have been trying the TRT exercises with him (some success). What’s worked for me is round penning him. He started rearing as a way to object to work (I have had him checked out by a vet) but in the round pen he has to go forward. I’m not convinced I have the skills or the desire to work through this because I think rearing is just an acceptable answer especially when it’s because you asked a horse to trot in long lines (which he was fine doing last fall). Sigh. Horses.

[anonevent]

I would just treat for ulcers to rule that in or out, but it is between you and your vet if you’d prefer to scope first. No harm in blood tests for EPM & Lyme. It’s inexpensive and non-invasive. It sounds like you have lots of EPM experience, but the drugs made my horse Hulk out. The vet had not given me a heads up about that.

[tohorse]

Have one just like yours, almost identical except mare and close processes not exactly clinical kissing spine (no degradation) at least not 2 years ago when x-rayed.

It was a whole saga lasting about 2 years, you wouldn’t believe the stuff this horse put me through.

Long story short is that among a series of injuries she got on the field was a minor front suspensory tear, so I made a decision to turn her out at a retirement facility far away for a year. Briefly before that I moved her to another barn too.

Once I moved barns SHE BECAME NORMAL AGAIN. I haven’t had an emergency vet bill since I moved and in 2022 she managed to get us to about 5k out of pocket AFTER insurance. My other horse and many others was thriving in * that* place so I have on reason to believe that it was poorly managed but for some reason she really didn’t like it there. It was just too high energy for her I think.

She’s now back in my care at another boarding barn for over a month and knock on wood she’s been really easy to manage so I’m cautiously optimistic although let’s see where we are another half a year from now.

I haven’t yet ridden her as she’s horribly out of shape but I’m doing lots of groundwork a la Warwick Schiller / TRT and it’s kind of working. No explosive reactions, hardly any heard boundedness. Easy to lead, very respectful of your space. Better behaved than my other one. In short, a completely different horse.

Aside from the big thing which is the change of place things I’m doing differently this time:

1. No program, no expectations. Managing her anxiety is No. 1 priority so I’m doing what I feel like, sometimes just handgrazing.
2. No grain, she gets a mineral supplement, MSM+Vit C+ glucosamine for joints, high amounts of magnesium oxide, cup of flax and cup of brewers yeast a day dressed in beet pulp + alfalfa cubes.
3. Focus on her feeling good in her body - lots of core conditioning exercises, belly lifts, turns on forehand and TRT groundwork patterns.

Hard to say what’s making the most difference but she’s been a totally different horse this time around.

[RhythmNCruise]

I’m going to say ulcers and that maybe the Nexium isn’t doing the trick. I’d try a week of Ulcergard (full tube each day) and see how that goes. It can’t hurt (except your pocketbook).

My gelding was just like this and I didn’t think he had enough of the other symptoms to be truly ulcery. Fat, slick, good appetite, not girthy, etc. But when you described your fella freezing at the sight of something as simple as another horse being ridden or hand-walked in the distance and feeling his heart pounding, I know that exactly. They are truly scared, and it makes no sense for them to be that way. Mine was just like this. He was out of his mind anxious over every little thing. A month of Ulcergard and he was back to normal.

Also, I know you say he’s on a low NSC feed and not a candidate for all-forage, but you can definitely keep a horse in good condition on a forage-based diet. A horse like this I’d try removing anything with soy (which is in most horse feeds). I feed and love Triple Crown Balancer Gold. Granted, my dude is an easy-ish keeper, and is actually on a weight LOSS program right now, but I bulk him up with LOTS of hay and alfalfa/beet pulp pellets plus canola oil and flaxseed meal. I’m reducing each of those right now to slim him down. When he was boarded at a barn that refused to feed ample hay and instead tried to load him up with bagged feed to keep his weight up, he always looked lacking, especially over his topline…even some ribs peeking through. Now he’s on a very small amount of “feed” (ration balancer, hay/beet pulp pellets, supplements) and ample hay and grass and he’s a blimp. But he’s also had his ulcers treated, which is going to help him maintain condition too.

So…yeah. Ulcers would still be my guess. He just might need a more aggressive treatment to actually get rid of them.

[islgrl]

me too! I vote for lyme and/or ulcers. I would definitely scope, its the only way to be sure.