I love the new lesson on leading and am looking forward to the second.
I am hoping there will also be some answers too on how to handle an upstart 3-year old who, although he has been trained to lead well from the start (Dually halter and all) - still has a mind of his own and will try and snap at my hand or the line when he feels bored or simply disagrees with me being the leader.
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What I am looking for is a way to respond to this without getting into a fight with him. (I sense that he is willing to take a challenge if ticked off.)
I can't back him up fast because he has come down with some ataxia - possibly a case of Wobbler's disease, we don't know for sure yet - :( and while he is fully capable to do a back up, I can't rush him into it as he is prone to lose control over his hindlegs and might fall over. .
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Btw. any experiences with horses with some form of ataxia/Wobbler's would be of great value to me.
I know there is an operation available in the US, and that some race horses have gone on to actually win races afterwards, but that is not an option for me.
(I wonder if Monty has has heard of them/dealt with Wobbler's horses?)
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I don't mean the sad stories that tell of how bad it got and "had to put him down", but maybe some ideas on things to do, and how to do them.
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About This Week’s Lesson
Leading and good manners
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Hi Kicki
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Sorry to hear about your 3 year old. I have never experienced anything like this myself, but I looked it up out of curiosity and this is what I found.
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My Equine Vetinary Manual says that Wobblers Disease mostly affects 1 - 2 year old male Thoroughbreds and is rare in other breeds. The wobbles the horse experiences are caused by the narrowing of the spinal canal in the neck which constricts the spinal cord blocking or partially blocking the nerve messages from the brain to the hind limbs resulting in unsteadiness.
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It also says that Non-steroidal Anti-inflammatory drugs can be used to reduce the narrowing of the spinal canal (I am assuming that would be if the narrowing is caused by swelling) and that you can control the horse's feed intake to control his or her growth (it doesn't say how that would help). Other than that surgery is required.
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Also according to my book, Wobbler's Disease can be mistaken for Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis which results in similar symptoms.
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One question I have for you though, is can your horse trot?
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The reason I ask is that in my Pat Coleby book she talks about a condition called Stringhalt. It mostly affects the back legs (but can affect the front legs too) and according to her, this condition results from a magnesium deficiency. She also believes that Wobblers has a similar cause. Apparently horses with Stringhalt can walk and canter, but have trouble trotting.
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Sorry I could not provide any suggestions on anything you can do, but I am sure your Vet will be able to provide you with a definitive diagnosis and suitable treatment options :-)
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I can imagine that your horse would be hard to school if he is unsteady on his feet... Quite a challenge.
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Hope it all works out well for you both.
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Kind regards,
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Gen
Hi Gen,
Thank you for the input and info. :)
Yes, Wobbler's is caused by a narrowed spinal canal.
My horse has had his neck x-rayed, but the changes seen are well with normal so IF it is Wobbler's, it is somewhere along his back/spine.
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There are other causes too, like lyme disease (from ticks) and a number of viral infections.
EPM doesn't exist in Sweden, so that's not an option here, but he does carry some sort of viral infection we haven't been able to identify.
It *could* cause the ataxia, but you can't medicate against a virus, so it's wait and see for the coming months and fingers crossed that his body will fight off the infection.
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To answer your question; yes, he can trot. (I would be so lucky if he was stringhalt!)
His hind leg action is a bit over energetic, though.
The basic problem (at any gate really) is that if he is surprised and sidesteps, he has problem finding his legs again; making him look a bit drunk actually. So I need to avoid slippery footing, or situations where he can get excited and lose concentration.
Hi again Kicki
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I really hope you can find what is causing his problem. It would be great if you could let us know what it is when you find out :-)
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Kind regards,
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Gen
Hi Kicki and Gen. Thanks for your info Gen. I am aware of stringhalt but not Wobbler's. Sounds awful so my thoughts are with you Kicki. It would be very hard to school your youngster with the dually in this condition so I can't be much help. Perhaps if you could try smaller sharper tugs on the dually that wont unbalance him immediately as he goes to nip? My mare was doing this on the rope halter but the dually has corrected it. However she is very smart and reverts to this naughty behaviour whenever she has the rope halter on. After she has had a harder riding session she is again putting her ears back at me in the paddock as I approach so I simply send her away and waite for her to behave on those occasions. This is a mare thing and I doubt that your fellow would be that cheeky.
Hi, ladies,
Thanks for the good thoughts. I appreciate them.
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I will be sure to keep you updated if there is a breakthrough. :) My vet is thinking along the lines of "If it looks like a duck and walks like a duck, it probably is a duck", but I am keeping a bit of hope up since there is no cure for Wobblers' and, ultimately, it becomes a question of whether I can keep him, or if he is too much at risk to hurt himself or others around him.
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MaggieF,
Thanks for the suggestion! I will try that.
*LOL* about your girl being smart enough to know which halter she has on! Nalle figured that out early on too!
Hi Kicki,
I did some research on wobblers syndrome and I was very sad when I was reading it.
My thoughts go out to you and your dear horse.
Wishing you well,
Ronda
Thank you, Ronda!
Kicki Sorry to hear about your
Have you thought about this nipping as a way of your horse trying to tell you he can not do what you are asking. This is what my horses nipping turned out to be. The way we go through it was pretty simple. Every time he came at me I gently stroked a spot he trusted me to touch. After a few days my horse started to relax and was willing to try instead of nip. I did not push him just let him do what I asked at his pace (with in reason). Now he will turn towards me but does not nip. He gives me this look and I rethink what I am asking and if he is really well enough to do it that day.
Remember your horse has a disability and his training really has to be in very small increments. He can do it with confidence & Trust in you.
Good Luck with the Process and Enjoy Him All You Can.
Thanks for your input, amberpony! :)
You make a very good point, and I recognize your story with my mare. She is very clear on what she can and can't do.
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In Nalle's case it is definitely: "I don't WANT to" rather than "I CAN'T!" as he has done this since long before this condition developed.
That said, we haven't had much problems with leading for months now. :) So maybe it is just the "terrible threes" that is rearing its ugly head.
Hi Kicki,
I didn't get my first pony till i was 40 something. Cracker was a beautiful ride drive cob with a wonderful character.
However, he would challenge me at every level - in hand and ridden He was 31/2 to 4yrs old. Everyone, friends, tutors, vets talked about my lack of experience; he's taking the mick etc etc ... but actually some years later i found out he was seriously poorly with a very rare problem which included a degree of ataxia which only i seemed to see. so I have a few questions about your youngster.
Does the ataxia come and go?
What happens if you pull his tail as you stand to one side of him?
Does he sometimes appear confused or bump into things - just for short periods of time?
Has he ever had an unexplained temperature?
Has he had a blood test and did it show any results indicating that he may be in pain?
Do you keep him in a barn/stable and off the grass for long periods?
Has he ever laid down for no apparent reason or does he sleep alot for his age?
Has he ever had any colic type symptoms?
That's enough for now and hope you are able to say no to all the above
Sorry to hear your cavallo didn't work - hope you find a buyer.
Liz