Wow.
Maybe it's horses in general, or maybe it's TB's? Do other horse owners out there sometimes wonder if their horses are like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde?
Lazarus was a sweet calm boy when I first arrived. Being a good patient and taking some weight off his legs. He allowed me to come into his stall while still laying down and rub on him for a good 10 minutes.
Awww, my sweet boy! My Bubba...
Everyone was in a chill mood, it was a balmy 35 degrees and the sun was out for the afternoon.
Then the wind picked up, the sun hid away and my TB shot up from his snooze like someone lite a fire under him. From there, he was sweaty again (note: I had the vet out today and he said Laz is still doing fine..just normal ups/downs), and then ornery.
Then all the other horses were playful, running and bucking down to their pastures and back up to Lazarus and down again. That pissed him off. He wanted to run, he wanted to play with them. But what he could do, was hump his back, scream a little "weeeiii" and bunny hop around. He literally was spinning around pivoting on his left hind leg holding his right up protecting it. He dug a hole in his sand paddock (which thanks I had to fill back in!) He's done that before and calmed right down. Well, this time, he did it during my re-wrapping of his legs and almost jumped on top of me! It scared me! I think sometimes when he's in his crazy TB moments, he doesn't see/hear/think about me. I can equate it to my lab. Some days he is chill on the couch wagging his tail lazily and other days he is running so psycho that he practically blows my knee caps out. I had to wait 20 minutes for Laz to calm himself down (actually the other horses calmed down which in turn calmed him down) to finish wrapping him. I stood in the doorway on his stall/paddock just waiting and somewhat hiding so he couldn't knock me over. Yikes! I've been feeling like he's calming down and being such a gentleman lately that I'm hoping he doesn't come out of this and reverts back to crazy TB!!
I think the truth is...there will be days where he does and I'll have to embrace it and keep working.
Such is a Thoroughbred. :)
When I was nursing one of my OTTTBs with a nasty hoof abscess and other issues, He would go from depressed and sullen, to downright angry like that.
ReplyDeleteHe was uncomfortable, cooped up, irritated at me for always poking and prodding, and doctoring, and medicating and fussing over him. It just gets to be to much for them sometimes.
And I do think they forget about us when they're in a "mood".... even if it's a happy mood.
One time, I had someone riding one of my TBs in training. We were working on canter cues that morning. She put him into a working trot and then cued him to canter from the trot and BAM! He bucked her off. Bad. I was on the other horse watching from the other end of the arena, and I saw the whole thing - and he was just jubilant when he bucked. It was like, "Oh, YAY! Time to canter - whoohoo!" and he bucked. After she fell off and was on the ground, he stopped, walked back over to her, kind of like "Ooops. I forgot you were up there. Sorry about that."
TBs are certainly unusual in many ways; but it makes owning them so interesting sometimes.:)
haha...at least he is feeling good enough to be a butt head right? Gen just turned 18 and he still has TB moments so I hate to break it to you, but I don't think it is going away. Usually if I yell at him so he hears my voice and turn him to see me he knocks the silly stuff off though and lets me do what I need to do. Not when he was hurt though. I think stall rest is enough to make any horse crazy! Gen had to be drugged after 2 months because he turned crazy without being allowed to run.
ReplyDeleteWell said, both of you! Hosanna-I've been 'emergency dismounted' from Laz's back without my doing, and he too looked confused like "hey..what are you doing down there?"
ReplyDeleteLOL! In fact today we worked on his ground manners a bit, refresher courses are coming up as he is healing and able to handle it!
OTB- Gen is so cute that it's hard to see him as a pisser! I agree, stall rest sucks for them. Today we opened his pen up that doubled the size for about 10 minutes and he seemed to think "YESSS!!!" :)
TB's are just wired differently than other breeds, I think. One minute they are hot, and the next, calm and fine. You just never know what horse is waiting for you at the barn that day. The love they give, though, is sooooo worth it! That Laz - he has probably had enough of all this and is ready to play.
ReplyDeleteWell, naughty behavior is definitely a good sign -- it means he's feeling better! Yes, it's annoying, but it's certainly better than a depressed, ouchy horsey.
ReplyDeleteIn order to help Laz keep some condition, you might want to try doing some simple exercises with him. There's a video here -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSia13Fa9EA&feature=player_embedded -- that has some great ideas, especially the "belly lifts". The belly lifts will help tone his topline and core muscles. I also recently got a book/DVD called Activate Your Horse's Core that has further exercises you could do with him. Of course, you might want to consult your vet for some of them, but I certainly don't think the carrot stretches or belly lifts could possibly be harmful to his feet.
Good luck!