2020 OTTB Mare - 2 or 3 starts, off track since July 2023.
I have a horse here that is stumping me. She is VERY sweet and loving, and she is an absolute blast to ride as long as there is NOTHING going on. If there is anything out of the ordinary, she is very nervous/looky, but will usually settle after 15-20 minutes, but if something else changes shes immediately back to nervous distracted and looking. Overall she is an extremely anxious horse in general, but is super chill when all is right in her world, a touch lazy, with excellent lateral aids and has a lot of try and is a pleaser. Ace makes it worse, lunging works her up. Her naughty is maybe some hopping, baby tantrums, and throwing her head but ignore and add leg and she usually settles very nicely. When introduced to scary things she prefers under saddle and is more nervous handled on the ground.
She also has an easily triggered overload point, and when she hits that, we will be going one direction and once thats triggered she has a slam on the brakes so hard shes almost going backwards, while doing a drop her shoulder and spin move that gets me off every single time. I try to avoid triggering it, and it has been dramatically helped by a magnesium supplement (e-zium), and up until saturday she hadn’t done it since December 2023, which is also when she started the magnesium. Its happen 3x now, cantering September 2023 (loud noise behind some trees from a neighbor, trotting December 2023 - horse in opposite corner coming head on, and trotting this past Saturday (June 28 2025) horse in opposite corner coming head on that I turned to avoid but obviously not in time. All 3 falls have been easy, landing on feet then butt but this last time I held the reins and she yanked me backwards and I landed on my head and now have a decent concussion.
When I come off, she then panics because she alone, and runs around screaming for her friends. This past time however, she bolted for her field and ran through the arena fence (3 rail vinyl) without even attempting to jump or stop, flipping over it pulling a shoe and giving herself a decent laceration…and scaring the absolute dog $h*t out of me.
She did have a bout of very mild hind lameness + back soreness this spring, Vet diagnosed her with low heels in the rear, and some hock changes and the soreness is gone with a 2 degree wedge pad and hock injections. We x rayed her lumbar region where she was sore, but it was hard to see much and one spot looked close but he didnt feel like that was the issue. While figuring that out, I did run out of the Ezium and didnt reorder, and her first few rides back she has been very distracted/looky/spooky but she had been back on it since June 10 and has improved. Oddly enough while back sore, she was the most focused shes every been (and she was painfully back sore…vet wanted to see what she did undersaddle) and other then being lazier was quiet happy and not fussy…which makes part of me wonder if the soreness acted like a twitch distracting her from what is making her like this? Or she was sore and didnt feel like fighting.
Treated with abler and sucrolfate and finished her weaning dose last week (she is very obvious when she has ulcers).
Saddle fits well (black country ricochet), and I am very experienced with sensitive horses and have a light seat and hands. Goes in a miklem or regular noseband based on mood with a level 1 meyler. Had body work last Thursday with no problem spots noted other then mild neck soreness consistent with tension. Had chiro last month with no large issues noted.
Gets 1 scoop TC senior gold 2x a day, in during the day for the heat, but otherwise plenty of turnout in a small mare only field on a fairly busy road (arena is as well) but traffic does not bother her. Regumate does not affect behavior and she is not a super mareish in season (and she came out of season 2 weeks ago).
I guess I am just asking for thoughts or ideas or something? I really adore this horse but this has been going on now for almost 2 years and it is absolutely ridiculous that I still cant trot if there’s another horse in the arena without dying (eta when she is in a mood. If not she doesnt care). She is still very fussy with a bit, but has made huge strides in acceptance and is light years better then she was in the past.
Right now shes on stall rest for the leg (keeping leg wrapped to avoid ripping stitches out from swelling). I am going to order thia - cal since I’ve had some decent results with that and its cheap, and keep her on the ezium. I was going to talk to the vet about bloodwork when he comes out this week for another horse and possibly vision…but I really dont think its vision. Oddly enough when in her herd she is the first to investigate scary things, and she is not any better or worse in the dark.
Any mind blowing supplements? Exercises or thoughts ? Shes so sweet and so nice, but I train and manage a barn and I absolutely cannot afford to get broken. I got her through an adoption agency so do have the option to send her back