Monday, July 28, 2008

Do You Have A Sensitive Horse?


Kola is my sensitive girl. I've learned over the nearly two years I've had her within my company that she is very sensitive. She tends to stress colic with bad storms in combination with heat cycles and I'm now getting better at detecting it and intervening with a dose of pro-bio and banamine. She also has been lower on the totem poll. Misty has always been alpha, however lately the table seems to be turning which surprises me. I've noticed this week, that perhaps Kola is tired of being nipped at and is aggressing the nips now at Misty. Maybe that is why Misty has been more evasive of me than she has ever been. Also Misty's attitude is a little bit different lately. She seems to be a bit bent out of shape. I think where Kola stresses, it comes out physically and Misty stresses, she takes it out in attitude. On a good note, I also noticed that the for the first time in nearly two years of the two of them being together they were joined in a display of I'll groom you if you groom me. Interesting horse behavior. When they came down with the "slobbers", it was Kola who really suffered and needed the attention rather than Misty. Steve keeps saying, "Kola really has a sensitive tummy!". So which of yours is most sensitive and how does it play out? Do you know about it ? Do you have to intervene with supplements or drugs?

11 comments:

BrownEyed Cowgirl said...

We are very lucky. In all of these years we have only ever had 2 "sensitive" horses. Both Paints-huh? Wonder if there is a correlation?

Paint Mare-coliced from stress, heat, heat-cycle, the turn of the moon-silly old hag. I think she had ulcers. It took a couple of years but my mom finally got tired of fighting it and we turned her out to pasture. Not a single episode since.

Megan's Paint Gelding-gets stressed at shows, starts standing all stretched out like he has to pee, runs himself in and out and gets to where he does not want to back. Once we figured it out it was stress and not ulcers or kidney problems, we started running cold water over his back legs and giving him White Lightening when he starts. He comes out of it within a couple of minutes now.

Nuzzling Muzzles said...

My alpha mare is confident as long as she is around her herd. However, if I put her in the trailer she instantly loses her bowels out of nervousness. For a while there she was colicking on every holiday. It was almost as if she picked up on the change in the human routine and got upset by it.

I usually treat her colic episodes with Pro-bios, Bute, walking and grooming. I know she's sick when she paws the ground repeatedly, hangs her head low, rolls and doesn't shake it off when she gets up, or lays down and stays down.

My boy at the bottom of the totem pole gets nervous when being trailered too, but has never colicked.

My filly in the middle of the pecking order never gets nervous and has never colicked.

Since I feed them all the same amount the same way, I think that some horses just have an aptitude to colic, and it could be triggered by emotions.

Nuzzling Muzzles said...

I have something waiting for you over at Nuzzling Muzzles.

Callie said...

BECS, Interesting about the paints, although technically Kola is a Spotted Saddle Horse, but they had to breed with a paint to get the color going.

I agree, NuzMuz, They do have their individual personalities and some seem to take things in stride while others are prone to nervousness.

Netherfieldmom said...

My Haflinger-cross had runny poo forever, but no other "symptoms". She was happy, fat, energetic, etc. Probiotics helped but never cured it. The vet suggested Tagamet, saying many more horses have ulcers than we ever thought. So she went on 6400 mg/day for 30 days and then followed up with "Neigh-lox" at $150/5-gal bucket for two more months and now she's great. I can't recommend that stuff highly enough. Not cheap though. I have a neighbor with a full Haflinger and she says he has a touchy tummy.

Andrea said...

I had a TB gelding that would always colic when I took him somewhere new. I think he hated being left.

Other than that we have some pretty easy going horses.

Train Wreck said...

Thanks for stopping by my "Manly post!" Yes those videos are too funny!

Sensitive horses... no! THankfully sounds like you have quite the Horse soap opera there!! We have six horses, My mare is the lead mareand my Dun colt is low man on the totem pole!! I feel bad for him because he is so sweet! I tell my husband the other horses pick on him cuz he is most handsome and all the others are jealous!!

Victoria Cummings said...

Have you ever tried Rescue Remedy? It's available in most health food stores. I just cut a little hole in a piece of apple or carrot and use a few drops. I give it to Siete about a half hour before she is going into a stressful situation - and then, I take a few drops myself! I also give it to my dog when a thunderstorm is coming in. It can't hurt and who knows, it may help settle Kola down. I think that Misty might be jealous of all the attention Kola was getting.

Grey Horse Matters said...

So far I have had only one sensitive horse, he would gas colic whenever we had a weather change. The best thing we could do for him was give him some Banamine and walk him until it passed.

kdwhorses said...

We too are lucky! We have some pretty laid back horses!

Callie said...

Thanks All, for weighin' in. I'm curious as to rememdies everyone uses. I may consider that stuff, Victoria. Especially if you tell me works on the dogs!