Posted 2007-09-08 4:19 PM (#67473) Subject: calming a horse while in a trailer
Member
Posts: 44 Location: Pineville Missouri
Have just bought another new trailer and been working on getting my 20 year old mare to load. Have cleared this obstacle, has never been hard to load. But when loaded, she is anxious and has always been. Been thinking about trying Calm X to help her relax. Has any one used this or other calming agents? Been working diligently loading and unloading here in the trailer. Let me know. Dan
Posted 2007-09-10 1:00 PM (#67593 - in reply to #67473) Subject: RE: calming a horse while in a trailer
Expert
Posts: 1989 Location: South Central OK
Calm X will help but you really shouldn't feed grain in a trailer. Feeding can make a bad horse worse, when the grain runs out they'll turn to other bad habits. I only feed hay if we are hauling more than 4 hours. Hay will fill up a hungry tummy and stick to their ribs.
Posted 2007-09-10 1:32 PM (#67599 - in reply to #67473) Subject: RE: calming a horse while in a trailer
Elite Veteran
Posts: 648 Location: Coconut Creek, FL
One theory I've read is that when a horse is trailered, their stomach acids can churn around in there and upset their tummies. Most horses are fine with this, but with nervous horses it can cause ulcers or aggravate an ulcer they may already have since they are nervous horses.
I used to have a QH that was fine at home, but coliced several times during the night on camping trips. It drove me crazy. I suggested uclers to the vet, but this was back in the early 90's and he said only racing horses get them.... now he agrees with me that it probably was ulcers.
Anyway - as a preventative I always give about a half syringe full of Miracle clay. It's a natural clay product (Dynamite sells it) mix it with water to make a thick paste. The theory is it coats the stomach to prevent the stomach acids from causing pain. It could be your horse knows it's gonna hurt and she's reacting to it. Same as a horse that has a saddle that doesn't fit and when you girth it up, it reacts by rearing, collasping, etc
I figure it's a great prevenative to keep them from getting ulcers as they say about 80-85% of riding horses have them.... pretty scary statistics....
Posted 2007-09-14 6:14 PM (#67887 - in reply to #67473) Subject: RE: calming a horse while in a trailer
Regular
Posts: 93 Location: Cherokee, Ia
Hang a hay bag (not a net.) This always give my mare something to do, even if its only a 2 hr trip. Should never feed grain, due to possiblity of colic, that's what I've always heard.......from vets and old cowboys!. Sometimes, my mare won't even eat that much of the hay, but gives her something to do until we get where we're goin'! Never had a problem when using canvas or cordura hay bags. The nets just have too many openings!!
calming a horse while in a trailer
