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Re: [RC] Magnesium for spooky horse? Heidi or Dr. Garlinghouse? - Jennifer Fleet

Yes, I'd like to hear also.

Shahtahr, the subject of my original post, is usually a laid back guy. I've taken him through a mounted police sensory clinic, where we had to ride across a teeter-totter, stick his face in mylar balloons, walk over tarps, and ride through flapping strips of black plastic hanging from an archway, among other scary things. He trusted me. He did every obstacle. He SAILED through that seminar.

Plastic bags on the trail? No problem if he sees them ahead of time. Empty trash cans with their hinged lids flapping in the wind? If I ask him, he'll approach them, although tentatively. But he'll do it and even touch them with his nose before I ask him to walk on.

BUT....trotting along and a bird flies out of a bush, or a dog pops his head over a fence, or something shiny glints in the sun (stuff that takes him by surprise, in other words) you can forget training, trust, etc. His first reaction is to spin. I haven't the faintest clue how to break him of it.

So, if Jim's got some training ideas, I'm all ears too!

Jennifer

Pam DeMerchant wrote:

So Jim,

What is your solution for inconsistent behavior? Days when your horse ignores everything you've ever taught him for years, ignores legs, crop, groundwork training? Then on another day, he's falling asleep on you, mellow, confident and sweet? Same rider, same tack, same trail, etc. Lol. I'm all ears!

Pam


-----Original Message----- From: Jim Holland <lanconn@xxxxxxx> Sent: Aug 31, 2005 5:45 PM To: 'Jennifer Fleet' <jlthompson@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: RE: [RC] Magnesium for spooky horse? Heidi or Dr. Garlinghouse?

Whoa, Whoa! Time out here! Every time I hear about behavior problems,
people want to fix it with feed. Get OVER it! It ain't FEED! Alfafa makes
them HOT, grain makes them HOT. Time to vent. My humble apologies in
advance for anyone I offend.


Folks, it's TRAINING! <sigh>  If your horse is "looking" at all that "stuff"
out there instead of flicking an ear back to you to see what YOU think, you
got a PROBLEM!  Spook in place, check with rider, yes.  Spook and spin, no,
no, no....

Got to a Parelli class, do some dressage, do something, but FORGET about
FIXING it with FEED.  Ain't gonna happen. If you CAN'T fix it with training,
then find another horse.  Like people, (New Orleans looting is an example)
there are horses who are NOT worth your trouble.  JMHO.

Jim, Sun of Dimanche+, and Mahada Magic

Richard T. "Jim" Holland
Three Creeks Farm
175 Hells Hollow Drive
Blue Ridge, Ga 30513
(706) 258-2830
www.threecreeksarabians.com
Callsign KI4BEN
-----Original Message-----
From: ridecamp-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:ridecamp-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Jennifer Fleet
Sent: Wednesday, August 31, 2005 5:45 PM
To: ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [RC] Magnesium for spooky horse? Heidi or Dr. Garlinghouse?

Okay, I've had it with the spook and spins.  After almost three years of
riding Shahtahr and managing to sit his huge spooks, he finally dumped me at
a CTR this weekend.   He was unusually nervous and spooky during the morning
of the ride, and did three huge spooks at NOTHING (drop and spins) within an
hour.  The second one sent me flying.

I have heard that supplementing with magnesium can have a calming effect on
some horses.  I used it on my mare years ago and I recall it helping
somewhat.

My gelding is on the following feed:

morning:
1 flake alfalfa or alfalfa/bermuda mix (depending on what the barn owner
buys)

evening:
1 1/2 flakes orchard grass hay that I supply (he'd get grass both feedings
but I have to pay for it on top of full  board and at $15/bale I can't
afford it)
2 scoops Platinum Peformance vitamin/mineral supplement
1 cup ground flax seed
2,000 iu vitamin E
5 lbs carrots
glucosamine and MSM supplements (MSM is withdrawn before rides)


So....given the above, I'm wondering if additional magnesium would help....he already gets alfafa in the morning, which I believe has a high magnesium content, so it might be pointless to try.

Platinum Peformance has a producet called Platinum Gentle that is magnesium,
calcium, and thianine (sp?) - an amino acid that has a calming affect - it
is all legal for competition and is formulated to be fed along with Platinum
Performance without causing any imbalances.

Could this be of any benefit, seeing's how my horse is already getting
alfalfa in the a.m. ?

Any other suggestions to try?   Valium, Prozac, Xanax, a bullet?   LOL
Just kidding Shahtahr!

Jennifer






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Replies
RE: [RC] Magnesium for spooky horse? Heidi or Dr. Garlinghouse?, Pam DeMerchant