I decided to go ahead and scratch O from the drive fest that was going on today in Burnet. Her fat leg is about 70% better than it was, but I didn't want to chance it and risk anything happening. I'm pretty sure all would have been completely fine, as she was never lame, but why risk it? She means more to me than just a silly schooling show. Not to mention the fact that Sunrise Ridge is now *gulp* just two weeks away. Where did winter go!?
O seems to be out of heat now, although it's not clear if P is (admittedly I can never really tell when she's in anyway). Unfortunately this blazing flare of hormones has triggered Dylan to start up his favorite vice again - fencewalking. If you remember, when he arrived he was literally the worst fencewalker I have EVER met - and I've met some real addicts. I actually had the fencewalking completely cut down to nothing for the last several months, aside from the occasional prancing and screaming that went on when the neighbor's stallion was turned out in their arena across the road. I had taken away most of the little barricades that I had put up against the fence to stop his walking. I thought we were doing very well.
And then the mares came into heat, and not surprisingly he lost his mind a little bit. He was right back to stalking the fence. I certainly can't blame him, it's just in his nature to be worried about them when their hormones are raging, but still. It's very hard to keep weight on a walking horse, and it's also very hard on my fencelines.
So, we created what I like to call Battleground Fencewalker.
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You can see where he was just walking around the barricades and ignoring them. I change up the pattern a bit every time I see him making a habit out of one certain path, so that he has to alter his course again. As long as the mares are standing around just eating or hanging out, he is content to just eat and hang out himself. But if they are running around, or go up the hill, or do anything that he hasn't approved of - he's not happy about it. He's that Stage 5 Clinger boyfriend who gets all freaked out when his women make a decision without him.
Vices like this are annoying and super hard to break. If you have a confirmed one that comes to your place, you're already on the losing side - it's so much easier to prevent habits from ever starting in the first place. You can get them to stop, if all the cards are in order, but if one card slips back out of the deck they can start up all over again. It's like the default back to their chosen drug. Or, if you prevent one habit from happening but don't change any of the environmental reasons why it might be happening - like putting a cribbing collar on a cribber but still leaving it in it's stall all the time and not giving it adequate forage, time outside, etc - then it might manifest itself into new vices, like weaving or walking or whatever. Putting Dylan out 24/7 with forage, and having Zuul there to keep him company.... that really helped him. Really, REALLY helped! But, I can't change springtime hormones... I just have to work with what I have. Thankfully, nobody else on my property has any vices whatsoever.
Does your horse have a vice that you just can't stand? What is it? And how to you go about preventing or helping it?
I can't think of anything. Pawing is one I can't stand, but luckily neither of mine are bad about it. Chrome does it sometimes when he's bored of standing still while we are riding or he's tied up, but I scold him and that's the end of it. The mare I had growing up, you could do anything and she'd keep pawing. It was so annoying!!! I hope the hormones settle soon so Dylan can get back to chilling out.
ReplyDeleteMy old horse was a major pawer, it made me insane because he was already clubbed footed on his favorite side. I'd about lose it watching him stand and grind off what precious little toe he had.
ReplyDeleteUgh, that has to be so frustrating for you, because it isn't as easy to fix as a horse that cribs or chews. I have never had a horse with a super bad habit, just one that would pin his ears at feed time. We wouldn't set his feed pan down until he put his ears up. Course as soon as he got his food he pinned his ears again, and would eat with them pinned, but it made us feel a bit better.
ReplyDeleteI owned a fence walker once. Like you say, keeping her busy and providing the right environment helped, but as soon as the tiniest trigger happened, she'd start again and as you know, it only takes a day or two of it to trash your fence lines and burn off tons of weight. We have a horse at the barn right now who repetitively kicks out with one of her hind legs when she's nervous or upset. I love, love this horse, but I'm not sure I could handle owning her. Boots are a help, but sometimes she needs to wear a kicking chain to prevent damage to herself and others. Sorry, no magic fixes here...my fence walking mare is 24 now and as far as I know it's still something she does every time she gets attached to a horse in a neighboring pasture, or one of her pasture mates leave.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if this is a vice, but it pissed me off anyway. When I feed Hampton from a bucket on the fence (he eats outdoors most days) he still stick his nose in it and FLING the bucket HARD. If the bucket is not secured, it of course goes flying - spilling grain (and supplements) everywhere). I have tried various ways of using twine to secure the bucket. It sort of works, but he still rings his nose along the inside and spills some out. Ugh. HORSE just eat!
ReplyDeleteThat's so annoying! My horse sort of does the same thing and also likes to grab buckets with his teeth and flip them upside down. You would think as much as he loves his feed that he wouldn't dump it... I solved it by getting one of those big rubber buckets and feeding him on the ground. He can still move it around and even pick it up, but it doesn't flip easy and it's heavy enough he pretty much gave up the habit. You can see the bucket in this post. http://rdxhorses.blogspot.com/2015/10/canter-comparison-video-randomness.html When he's eating the sides come almost up to his eyes and it's fairly heavy. It's also great for slowing down horses who eat too fast, which was my original reason for getting it. :)
DeleteOh wait here is a post with a picture of him actually eating out of it. You can see the donkey can tip it, but it just doesn't tip over far enough to spill the feet very easily. Chrome also will paw at it sometimes, but even when he gets a hoof in it he rarely flips it. http://rdxhorses.blogspot.com/2015/09/chrome-ride-113-new-shampoo.html I hope this helps!
DeleteHow frustrating for you! C'mon Dylan, just chill, dude!
ReplyDeleteUgh, my horse is a cribber. I HATE it, but it was one of my concessions when I bought him.
ReplyDelete