young,sudden stall shy @ shows

Question
QUESTION: Hello.Please help. My daughter has trained a well bred Arab mare/5 yr old this past May.Has been to shows.been at this big Fair 2 past years.Well behaved/loves Show.Moved to new barn 3 months ago.Group Turnout @ nite w/hot weather.Went off feed 3-4 wks ago.Lost wt.Vet check A-ok.Last week started wheat oil for wt prob..Gets to Fair & is psychotic in stall.REARING/WANTS OUT of that place.pawing,crying.[open top stall door but not open @ sides as used to./breaks tie at indoor bathstall/ballistic.[our fault/she is used to outside] totally stressed.I have a freaked-out horse, all of a sudden, in a new environ. She is FINE if NOT in stall & FINE if IN STALL but can see other horses.BIG/First A show in 2 wks.Horse seems afraid to be without other horses in a new place.So uncharacter.Did she get hot from the oil?Is someone bothering her/or scared @ nite out? WHAT? Should we turn her out alone/in day? Change stall?Any ideas? THANK YOU.

ANSWER: Hi Louise!

First, I need to know if you own the Arab.  I cannot give training advice to non-owners of the horse in question.

Second, If she is yours, when did you accquire her?  If recently, did you actually see her in high stress environments before you bought her OR were you just told she did all this and you took it on good faith.  A common occurrence in the horse world.  The seller says, "Oh yes!  I showed her all last year and she was fantastic!"  But, they never tell you she was heavily drugged the whole time.  And now you have taken her to all these place sober.  Yikes.

Solange



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hello.My daughter bought the horse,just turned 3 in 2005 & has trained her.They have done very well @local Shows & never had any prob, as I mentioned,for 2 yrs.Most of the particulars are in the first part of my original letter. Thanx, Louise

Answer
Hi Louise!

Arabs are naturally intelligent, high-strung horses and occasionally they experience something that to them, is worth freaking out over.  Sometimes it is an obvious confrontation, injury or situation.  Sometimes it is so subtle you never saw it coming or when/how it happened.

The only thing you mentioned that was a specific change was moving to a new barn and her T/O at night.  Horses who have never slept outside (alone or in a herd) can become easily stressed from the fear and uncertainty of laying down and being that vulnerable.  I have seen horses go their entire lives never once lying down outside, if they are always stalled at night.

Or it could be a case of her now being herd-bound.  She is very young (mentally) was most likely was low in the pecking order and now only feels safe with her herd and Boss Mare.  You used to be her herd, she was a people's horse, now she is a horse's horse and feels more comfortable with them.  Perfectly natural...just bad for showing.  This is why show horses are stalled so much with little T/O.  Only when they are much older and secure in themselves can show horses flip easily from stall to pasture, from show ring to trail riding.....it takes years of experience.

What to do?  You have to start all over again and make her S-L-O-W-L-Y do what she fears the most.  A classic case of desensitization.  You can let her stay in T/O with the herd but, you must work with her and train her to leave them at odd times and that nothing bad will ever happen when she does.  You or your daughter must become her Boss Mare so that she always feels safest with you.  Get it?  Then, you may take her anywhere you wish, anytime.  How do you think Roy Rogers got Trigger to be ridden into a hospital Children's ward, stand quietly and then rear for them while he yelled "Hi Ho Silver and away!"?

You must be patient, consistent and above all firm and nonchalant in your leadership.  You have to learn to talk to her in her language and earn her trust back.  If you have no idea what I am saying, research it and devise a training program to get her back on your wavelength.  You can use John Lyons methods or ask a local trainer who has experience in teaching clients to communicate with their horse to come out and evaluate your situation.  You need to change how you think ABOUT her and start thinking LIKE her.  Then, you will have an amazing and willing riding partner for the next 20 years!

Good luck and remember to always wear an ASTM/SEI approved helmet!

Solange

P.S. I know you would love an easy answer and you can go to your show in 2 weeks.  I would avoid all stress situations until this is 99% resolved or she will backslide (or worse injure herself or you) and you will have to train her again.