Stallions and Calming Supplements

[HorseMom]

I just purchased a stallion a couple months ago. When I first got him he was so hyper. I just associated his hyperness with the fact that his last owners never took him out of a small dirt paddock and he was enjoying his new found freedom. I started to work him by letting him into the arena and free longeing him. However its been 4 months since a bought him and he still runs around like lunatic without slowing down, even without me there to get him to stretch his legs. He gets himself so worked up that he'll be dripping sweat. I try to cool him out but even then he won't stop. He has a very short attention span as well. I've been researching different calming supplements that have claimed that they will calm a hyper horse down and help him focus, but I'm a little unsure. Does anyone have any experience with calming supplements? Would they work for a stallion?

Heather

 

[mininik]

I've seen horses (including stallions) do well on Quietex. I'm curious though how much exercise your horse is actually getting? I know he's running himself, but are you out there giving him something to do that's physically and mentally stimulating several days a week, as well? Also, is he kept alone or near other horses? Are there mares in heat nearby? Has he been bred, or are you planning on breeding or gelding him? Another important factor in all of this is feed. What are you feeding him?

 

[HorseMom]

I've been free lunging him daily for about an hour with some cavallettis every now and then. After he gets some of the energy out of him he is able to pay attention a little better and we go through an easy obstacle course. He has a Jolly ball that he plays with often, not to mention removing his buckets to toss and throw as well. I have him on 1/2 cup of Legends with a flake of hay in both the am and pm. There are no horses that are within touching distance. He doesn't play well with others. We've tried. There are mares in a pasture nearby that he watches and gets all study when they look at him. We are planning to breed him but I want to get him showing before I do. Is there anything that I should change before putting him on a calming supplement?

Heather

 

[MiLo Minis]

For how many years was he kept in a small dirt paddock by himself? Horses are herd animals and that can be devastating to their psyche. If he was kept there for any length of time 4 months is not enough time to heal - you need to be patient. I would try the calming suppplements but I would also look at a companion for him.

When you say he doesn't get along well with others what you are seeing is likely the result of him not having been raised in a herd environment - no other horses have taught him the manners he needs to get along. He needs to be slowly introduced to companions over a fence and then you need to be prepared to see a bit of violence when they are physically put together. Horses rarely injure each other severely when getting to know each other so you may just have to tough it out while the other horse/horses teach him how to behave in a herd.

What you are feeding him should be fine as long as he is not dropping weight from all the self exercise. The calming supplements will not make a drastic and sudden change in him but they certainly won't hurt and may help some. Have you tried taking him for walks outside of the pen?

Finally you may have to consider there are some horses that are high strung and you may never get him past this in which case you will have to decide if he is the right horse for you or perhaps he might be better off if he was gelded.

I hope this helps!

 

[HorseMom]

For how many years was he kept in a small dirt paddock by himself? Horses are herd animals and that can be devastating to their psyche. If he was kept there for any length of time 4 months is not enough time to heal - you need to be patient. I would try the calming suppplements but I would also look at a companion for him.

When you say he doesn't get along well with others what you are seeing is likely the result of him not having been raised in a herd environment - no other horses have taught him the manners he needs to get along. He needs to be slowly introduced to companions over a fence and then you need to be prepared to see a bit of violence when they are physically put together. Horses rarely injure each other severely when getting to know each other so you may just have to tough it out while the other horse/horses teach him how to behave in a herd.

What you are feeding him should be fine as long as he is not dropping weight from all the self exercise. The calming supplements will not make a drastic and sudden change in him but they certainly won't hurt and may help some. Have you tried taking him for walks outside of the pen?

Finally you may have to consider there are some horses that are high strung and you may never get him past this in which case you will have to decide if he is the right horse for you or perhaps he might be better off if he was gelded.

I hope this helps!

Poor guy was kept in his pen for 6 years with minimal contact with humans and other horses. Your reasoning for his attitude towards others is helpful. I never really thought about that. I had thought about getting him a playmate but was scared that I would be stuck with another animal if it didn't work out. All the other horses on the farm are large horses. I don't want to throw him in with them. If I was to get him a buddy, what sort of personality should I look for? Would a goat be a good companion or should it be another mini?

Before winter set in I would take him out to graze and relax. He was still full of energy, but he enjoyed his time out. Theres 2 women who have been playing with him for me since I'm 7 months pregnant and with work being what it is right now due to the holidays. He has improved a bit since he's had regular human contact.

Thanks.

Heather

 

[MiLo Minis]

Putting a Mini stallion out with full size horses would definitely not be a good idea. If you aren't going to use him for breeding I would for sure consider gelding him - that would help him a lot with at least some of his frustration. Six years is a long time for a herd animal to be isolated - it will likely take him quite some time to get past that and keeping him as a stallion, if its not necessary, will make it take longer. Another gelding would be about the best solution but a goat would work in a pinch. You will still need to be very careful introducing them because if he is not used to goats he may be aggressive towards it or even terrified of it. The other thing you can do is spend LOTS of time with him yourself, or have your friends continue to do it, but you will need to be consistant and firm with him or he will possibly be agressive towards you. You will basically become his "herd" and as he has not learned manners in a herd situation could behave badly. Be careful. I wouldn't play with him but rather continue with interesting exercises for him such as the freelunging and obstacles, etc.

 

[outlawridge]

One thing I have found helpful in stressful situations for a horse is for me to sit in their area and read out loud. Sounds kind of funny, I know, but your presence in a calming manner and the sound of your voice in the rythmic tones when you read is soothing to them. Don't know if this will help your boy or not but might be worth a shot. He was starved for attention sounds like, and this will take some time.

Regarding calming agents, I don't like to use chemicals or commercial type products and have had GREAT success with hops. Here's a blurb from one of my treasured books....

Complete Holistic Care and Healing for Horses. The Owner's Veterinary Guide to Alternative Methods and Remedies. By Mary L. Brennan, DVM

(she practices traditional and alternative vet medicine)

Natural Tranquilizers-

Hops: Hops, an herb best known as an ingredient used in making beer, can be very relaxing when used in tiny amounts. I have seen hops used successfully when the dosage was as little as 1/2 teaspoon and as much as one tablespoon. Just mix the herb in a small amount of grain and feed it to the horse. As a general rule, for a horse under 1000 pounds, start with 1/2 teaspoon and increase the dose to one teaspoon if relaxation is not achieved. If your horse is larger you can start with a teaspoon. Overdosing is not harmful. Hops also works well when used as aromatherapy.

She also writes about using Lemon Balm essential oil in aromatherapy for a natural sedative and a few others. Then she goes into pharmaceutical sedatives. This has been a very interesting and helpful book for me. Not sure what the initial dosage would be for a mini but I used almost one tablespoon with an Arab mare and it worked great, she never seemed drugged, plus she didn't seem even tired, just calm.

 

[Chilli's Mum]

Hey that's very interesting about hops - I didn't know that so thanks!

One thing we do here when we wean the bubs is have a radio playing, it seems to settle them. They prefer the cricket, I think because it is the voices, so the reading out loud idea might work the same way.

Personally, in your situation I would probably geld him but if you want to breed from him maybe look into semen collection and freezing? It does sound like he is making himself miserable and he might be much happier as a gelding where he can run with other horses and develop some social skills.

 

[Nichcole]

My stallion was the same way, he had minimal handleing ( it took for ever to catch him). I gave him a buddy and he was way different. Once I bred him for the first time he calmed way down and once my mare was in foal I left them togeather.

When I work with him I started by lunging him on a line so I could help with his gaits . I also gave him some thing to do besides going around in circles. We have a obstacle cousre set up with jumps , ditches ect and I lunge him over and around things.