As someone who owns an older TB w/fetlock sore issues, I would also recommend upside down bell boots. The various bedsore boots worked OK but didn’t hold up very well. Horze makes some inexpensive neoprene bells that are very soft and thick. They work well and hold up longer than you would think.
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I was doing the upside down bell boots until the snow got bad and became snow cone cups, lol. She’s too excited to go out in the morning to take boots off so they have to stay on.
I can see how that would impact their performance! I do have to keep a closer eye on them in any kind of wet weather usually because of mud.
Ah. Patience.
I wonder what would happen if you tuned yourself to her. Stand belly to belly, and breathe with her. Inhale when she inhales, exhale when she exhales. I used to do this with my mare. It forced me to slow down and become present to her. It was a wonderful way to start our time together, and refocus me from my crappy day or terrible traffic.
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My gelding who also came to me in bad condition (mental and physical) took about a year for his body to get to a place where his mind was ready to be fully receptive. He is doing great right now–it’ll happen with your mare too.
If you are concerned about getting calories/supplements to her when she’s not a great grain eater, beet pulp could be a great options. I’ve yet to meet a horse who doesn’t love beet pulp, it’s forage so gentle on the system, and a good vehicle for supplements. It’s also a great way to get added water in for those that aren’t great drinkers.
Are you treating for ulcers? That might be part of the reason she does not eat as much grain. There is a long thread on this board about nexium for ulcers–which is easy and relatively inexpensive compared to some other options. There are also people who have seen a lot of sucess with gutX.
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Yes, it’s true that when horses do not feel well they often present as depressed and introverted. That’s a really good point. Even our normally extroverted friendly people oriented horses suck back a little if they have a mild virus, a hoof abscess, a hint of colic. It’s actually an important symptom.
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Have you done any X-rays of the feet? I would want to make sure those are giving you a stable foundation and you don’t have a palmar angle issue or thin soles that make all 4 of them equally uncomfortable and lead to body soreness from trying to compensate.
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So we’ve had some progress!
My friend found a lady that does Reiki and Delilah just LOVED it! She stood still and just soaked it all in. She’s been pretty chill to be groomed and accept the touch and TLC.
The week after I was finally able to get an Osteopath out to see her, they are difficult to find and get out! The lady picked up on her issues in minutes and did some adjustments that were welcomed by Delilah. My next visit up to see her she was much more happy and relaxed.
The Osteopath fells with a few more treatments she will be comfortable enough to lay down to sleep, have a better stomach, less neck and head pain enough to ride at the trot!
I did my monthly hack around the field at a walk and she was so happy to be out.
Fingers crossed I’m finally on the right path🤞
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I love stories like this.
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So happy to hear!
In addition to the excellent advice you’ve gotten, I’d suggest really changing up the ring work. I think many horses get ring sour because they’re “lesson” horses who just go around in ovals. I use PVC ground raild to shake things up and also use colored dog-training cones. The cones are a visual marker that “we’re going to turn here” and “things will happen here”, etc. They can participate some in the exercise by knowing what is going to happen. That builds confidence. Many, many ex-school horses are “checked out” because their input doesn’t matter.
This is where praise comes in (that many have mentioned here). Praise your horse for participating, even if the answer is wrong. Gently say “that’s not what I’m looking for but thanks. Try again”. This approach will hopefully get your horse out of a “whatever” shell that many school horses can fall into. They often have just been told “you are wrong” with changing aids depending on the rider. Horses tune out and get upset with the differing instructions from different riders.
You are now tuning your horse into YOUR aids, take the time to explain them to her.
Body work is great! Good luck with your mare! She landed in a great home!!!
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I agree. I’d also keep sessions in the ring short.
You could, for example, do some very relaxed “work” outside the arena for 20 minutes, then trot in, do a few pre-arranged exercises for 10 minutes, then trot out again and go about your business.
You can change up the exercises done in the ring, change up the way you enter and leave, change up the point in the ride when you go in, and so on. Heap on the praise, of course, and add a few treats for good measure.
I use this method for horses that are sluggish or balky as well as sour, and it really seems to help.
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Threads like these make me feel so good - so thank you for those endorphins. T touch - yes! just take your fingers (anchor with your thumb) and do “circle and a 1/4” movements. Just deep enough you feel the tissue, sink in ever so slightly and do the circles. Do one and move next to it and do another and over and over. Start at her neck. Please do report back on that ok? I think that work is a game changer. All body work. I adopted a horse terribly traumatized who was even terrified of bodywork in the beginning. She’s become such a bodywork junkie now . Got acupuncture again last night and she KNOWS what’s going on and from minute one was like bring.it.on.
Also a third recommend for Tri Amino - those three POWERFUL amino acids: Lysine, Threonine and Methione - talk about turning feet around and helping tissue rebuild in the body…yep.
My other idea is deep bedding. Since moving my two home I bed quite deeply at night and oh my are they laying down. I read a research paper about horses that were bedded on 6" were more likely to lay down and get good rest. I tell you I clean my stalls last at 9pm at night and in the morning they are sometimes manure on both sides of their bodies. NEVER ever was that the case in my 25 yrs of boarding. Tells me serious laying down is going on and on both sides.
So happy you are avoiding the arena and promise you this girl will come around in time and get that you are someone who thinks about her happiness first. You will be her heart human.
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This girlie has been so rewarding to work with. Reiki was the turning point for her, it seems to have helped with her anxiety. Osteopath has helped greatly with her ouchies. Both will be part of her monthly maintenance.
Here’s the best part! Her saddle that fit 6 months ago does not fit at all, super tight. She has gained so much weight and muscle in the last few months that she is a tank and needs a 7” gullet for a saddle to come close to fitting! Going to borrow my friends saddle to get on her to walk around as it fits the best. Waiting to hear back from the saddle fitter to get met measured and saddle ideas.
Hopefully this summer she’s the rockstar I know she is and we can have adventures under saddle!
Thanks for everyone’s suggestions, they have helped guide me to the success I’m having😊
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So happy to hear of your success!
Something I have found to be a great tool in helping “sour” horses is using positive reinforcement (think clicker training) and introducing a start/stop cue- for them to use for you! It is incredible to see the immediate and immense difference in a horse when they realize that they get to decide how much to do, and when to stop. It is a great avenue for turning training into a “conversation” and the research behind it is compelling. It is a bit of a commitment- it does no good to introduce this cue and then ignore it, as this destroys the trust- but it has been a total game changer with some very difficult horses.
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I use clicker training now too and yes, agree another great idea. Mary Kitzmiller is a very well known trainer in the western and Mustang world and she has a really good instructional video. I’d already explored the training principles w Shawna Karrisch and Mustang Maddy but also found great value in Mary’s video.
It’s like agility dogs and how they get so KEEN and WANT to work with you. Same thing with the positiveness of clicker training.
Just thought I would provide an update!
Working with the osteopath has been a game changer for her. She has lots of deep issues that we are working through, seeing so much improvement in her.
We did the 28 days of full tube of GastroGuard and just starting the half a tube daily. This made the most change in her. I can groom her head to toe now with very minimal attitude and drama.
Eating grain is still hit and miss. She will be good for a few weeks then go on strike again.
Because her body is feeling better we are going to try to put front shoes on her again. She’s foot sore to work barefoot but happy enough to go out and in the paddock.
Going to try a grain free diet with her when I run out of her current supplements. I have had luck with it in the past and think she’s telling me she wants it too. I tried on her rainsheet from last winter and it’s super tight, so hopefully her other ones fit or I’m going shopping, lol.
If the shoes make her feel better enough to ride then hacking will begin to start building up her muscles.
Been a long year but totally worth every bit.
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Thanks for the update. We’d love a picture of her ya know. 
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Grain causes pain when they eat it, when they have ulcers. The best idea is the ad lib hay, you have for her, however for horses with ulcers, and all horses, it is better if they eat off the ground. It is how they are designed, it lets the saliva run down their throat, etc.
LOL She certainly loves to roll. If she is still suffering from the lack of sleep and falling. You should not stand next to her, you haven’t mentioned her falling for a bit so I hope that is a thing of the past.
Dodge was given to us from our riding school. They use the German Martingale on them. He had a split hoof from the coronet down. We took him although we never knew if he would be sound.
A girl found him in the Doggers pen. He just looked so sad her heart broke and they brought him home. He is called Dodge because he dodged a bullet. After they fed him up and got on him they found out he was trained. It is criminal that a hiporse like that had ended up where he did. He was her husband horse for a while until he stopped riding. Then he was given to our riding school.
We had both ridden him at the school. For me you had to, in the beginning ask him to do something four times. Then he realised that you were to be listened to. Hubby learned to canter on him.
He was the opposite to your mare and had been out in a yard of mud and still being fed. He reared on the girl who only had a short lead when she brought him to the float.
We brought him home and put him in the paddock with the arena. He cantered and cantered and cantered and cantered the whole day, not a lame step.
He was taken off the grain and left to chill, we ed him biotin.
Close to a year, his hoof had healed, no open crack. I told hubby we would start lunging him, no way was he to get on him as he is a tb who hasn’t been worked for a year.
A lovely school horse was on the lunge, I hopped on him. He was totally dead to the leg and broken necked.
By using soft aides and always riding him with the poll as the highest he became a great partner.
Hubby LOVES him. He is a horse that actually prefers canter to trot, so hubby has really improved in his confidence with canter.
Sim is actually a better teacher for him. Dodge just puts his head in a fake frame so hubby is happy and toddles around.
Hubby’s words, “You just let him do what he wants and he is happy.”
Well yes you could say that about any horse or animal or person!
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Love your update and the photos. Clearly a much happier horse.
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