Strange behavior on a scaredy mare...

[brasstackminis]

So I have this young mare that I bought awhile ago that is super scared. I have been buttering her up with alfalfa cubes in small pieces making her come up to me to get them...this has been going on for awhile. She started off being so scared she would not get close and if you had her haltered and tied, she would not take the treats for anything! So she is getting better and currently has a halter on to ease in catching when necessary. She is a smart little thing and knows the difference between any movement other than a cookie offering.

So on to the strange behavior. I had her by her halter and was feeding her the treats and rubbing her back of shedding coat, petting her neck and running my hands across her ears, eyes, forehead and she was very tolerant. Such an improvement! Not a flinch or jerk. Then I saw her lymph glands behind her jawbone and scratched it a little. SHE FREAKED!!! I went back to petting, rubbing and all was well. I scratched her a little on a different part of her neck and total freak out! So no matter where the scratching, she is freaking. I know she has a super low tolerance for pain. I have NEVER seen a horse react more violently to the needle for a banamine shot!

So, anyone ever had a horse that would not tolerate a little scratch? I have arabians who don't like curry combs in certian areas, but never a horse who would not tolerate it at all...and I can give them a backscratch! I am wondering if she has some sort of problem I have never heard of before. Anyone have any thoughts? I am contemplating taking her to the local vet who does accupuncture and chiro to see what he thinks. I have called the regular vet before and they acted like I was coo-coo :arg! She is not a registered mare and the size of a larger shetland. She is broke to ride and is super calm once you get on her. Not afriad of traffic, dogs, or anything else! She is just weird to me...I am having a hard time understanding what makes her tick. Well besides food. She LOVES food!

 

[muffntuf]

How long have you had her?

 

[brasstackminis]

Close to a year now. I have kind of just left her alone at first. I thought maybe there were some soreness issues brought on by a cute, but very large and unschooled, young rider bouncing around on her and yanking on her. The time off didn't really change her though. I have decided to start focusing on just making her believe I am not a saber-toothed, horse eating human. She talks to me when she sees me, but still stretches herself sooooo far to get that treat. I used to have to throw them at her!

 

[Marty]

She could have been beaten in the head or face or hurt by the bridle. Maybe a tooth problem. Its anyone's guess but a good vet exam may be in order. Good luck. She's lovely.

 

[targetsmom]

First thoughts are a tooth issue or something in her past. We have a scraredy mare too, and learned just this week that she is terrified of one of our lead ropes! It is a thick, big horse rope, red and braided, but can't catch this mare, even in her stall, if you have this lead in your hand. Any other lead, she is OK. We know she had some rough treatment in her past so we can only guess it had something to do with a thick lead rope. You may never know with your mare.

 

[Jill]

I agree it sounds like she may have been mistreated in the past or have some kind of the dental issue that's hurting her.

The banamine shot thing jumped out at me and I just wanted to advise not to give banamine by injection. My vet has long recommended that we give this orally, and it has been the topic of discussion here on LB as well. We use the injectable, but dose it orally. 1cc per 100 pounds. It can make a nasty abscess when I injected. I know not on topic, but in the event it can help you or others reading....

 

[stormy]

I think I would be looking for a chiropracter, not all jumpy horses have been abused...so many it is some kind of pain issue they just can not explain to us...another option, call Bonnie Fogg.

 

[shorthorsemom]

Sounds like pain somewhere, my guess would be dental, you would at least want to rule that out.

 

[brasstackminis]

While I will definately have the dental checked too...the behavior is not limited to the head area. If I scratch her anywhere she freaks. As far as the banamine...have you ever tasted that stuff? No ,I know the risks and I will not give the injectable orally, even though you can. It burns and tastes horrible! Trust me! She never got the shot because the act of getting ready to just put the needle in her neck caused a HUGE explosion. She may be about 42 inches tall, but she was the closest I have ever felt to a horse trying to kill me! I have 12 horses right now and have had horses for almost 20 years! She is unlike anything I have ever encountered...I would sell her, but I don't feel she is safe for children, which is what she would be good for if I could figure this out. Driving is in her future, but I am trying to sort out possible problems before we go there. She ground drove nicely the one time I did it. If I can sort this out, she may not be for sale...she is a lot of fun if you are not trying to groom or catch her!

 

[Riverrose28]

Is there some way you can contact the breeder of this mare? Just to find out if her birth was a bad one? We have a guy here we can't sell cause he is crazy, everything is fight, and my vet says it may have been cause by lack of oxegen during delivery, he also is blind in one eye. I would recommend getting a vet exam, and see what turns up, and maybe contact the breeder.

 

[Jill]

I've had horses a long time, too (big and small), and have lots of horses. While it's not often needed, when we give banamine it is the injectable form in the mouth and this is per our vets and also most people here on LB if I'm remembering past discussions correctly. But, one reason we all have our own horses is that we all have our own ways and ideas.

 

[eagles ring farm]

Just a suggestion which worked for us on a horse really really bad for shots might work with getting used to scratching too

He was horrible to give a shot so we put a couple cups of grain in a small bucket and while he is eating you can give any kind of shot or even draw blood for coggins without a flinch from him. worked like a charm everytime for us for quite a few years now

But we have never tried without doing it again

 

[Lewella]

Any back trail on her that might lead to her identity? I'm willing to bet she was ASPC registered (or at least eligible) at some point.

 

[brasstackminis]

No tracking on this mare. I got her from some horse trader

His little girl rode her and I am sure she weighed more than I do and I am not thin!

She had a foal that was weaned the year I got her. She apparently was only with the guy I bought her from for a month, because her coggins papers were a month old, from another guy and actually were not her papers, but her filly's. UGH!

I figured that all out when I called the vet on the coggins papers to figure out about the age listed on the coggins papers...anyways, they used a hackamore on her never a bridle, and she was broke to ride... this all the information I have on her.

Yesterday a group of little kids came over to get some help with horses. They have several small ponies/large minis that they ride around on, but have NO education on the do's and don'ts of horses. So we pulled out Knick Knack and used her to ride. She was her typical scared self...well who wouldn't with 6 little aliens zipping back and forth...they were so excited. Good kids and very attentive, but not what my place is used to. So when they were riding her in the round pen, she was generally fine, until I would approach them to show them something like how to adjust their reins or how to dismount. She would try to leave the country!

Luckily I could get a hold on her so it was not too big of a deal. I just wish I knew what her deal was.

 

[Riverrose28]

As I recommended before, get an exam, check eyes, blood work for kidney/liver. Since you don't know the breeder, it might help answer some questions, but, your story sounds eerily familiar to a story one of my husbands co-workers told us several years ago. He was looking for a riding pony for his daughter, we recommended a horse or a welsh pony. Well he looked at several shetlands and they were all unacceptable. Back then some would let you take ponies home for a two week trial to see if it worked out. He brought home a pony, shetland, after a day he just knew this mare was too high strung for his daughter, as she fought him for everything. Daughter says Dad let me try, this pony would do anything for this kid, but hated adults. Maybe this is her problem. Long story short he bought her the pony and just stayed away from her and let the kids handle her.

 

[billiethekid40]

One thing you should look into is supplimenting with vitimin B and Magnesium. I had a horse (still have him actually) who had a lot of issues like this when I got him. He was extrememly sensitive to touch, and even had a tail with an almost constant vibrating twitch. I started supplimenting him with Magnesium and a B vitamin complex and within two weeks his extreme sensitivity got a LOT better and his tail twitch dissapeared. It took him over a year to begin acting like a more normal horse and he still is a bit of a jumpy fellow but no longer needs to be supplimented. If you want more info send me a PM and I can help you look up some of the websites I used when I got him. For a sensitive horse the harness alone might be torture to wear if just scratching her makes her skin crawl!

 

[Helicopter]

My bet is that somewhere along the line this little mare has had a lot of needles adminstered with the scratch, scratch, scratch...whack...technique and she knows that a scratch is going to be followed by pain.

That's my 2 bobs worth.

 

[Sandee]

My bet is that somewhere along the line this little mare has had a lot of needles adminstered with the scratch, scratch, scratch...whack...technique and she knows that a scratch is going to be followed by pain.

That's my 2 bobs worth.

I agree. My mare was sick as a baby; had a IV drip and all but was fine with shots......Until one bad incident when she was about 5. Now at 7 the farrier is ok. Everyone else can touch but the vet is just a definite no - NO! She has to be twitched to get her shots now. Looongg memories!

 

[wildoak]

Chiropractor or equine massage therapist would be a good place to start, assume you have already had her vet checked. Try some TTouch on her.....it's non invasive, can't hurt anything and I've found it's a relaxing touch that helps most horses be calmer. We had a filly born 4 or 5 years ago who was just loony from birth. She was tense, afraid to be touched and obviously fearful. I stalled her for a few days with her dam and just spent a lot of time holding and working on her - found her crest, as a newborn, was rock hard. I did a lot of TTouch and within a couple of days she changed radically - maybe something that happened during birth, I don't know, but she was tight and tense and painful all over, and after doing this her crest softened, she relaxed and her eye softened as well. She's still a little tense and needle phobic, but she is a different mare and that's all I did initially. Have had her adjusted since, helps too.

Have to agree with Jill on the banamine - I had a neck abscess years ago from a vet administered shot, it's not pretty.

Jan