I'm trying to increase my ex-race horses confidence in hacking out on our own - I've seen a few posts about Bach remedies and thought it might help us a little to achieve our goal. I've been taking Rescue Remedy for a number of years and hadn't really thought about using it on animals - I'm not sure if rescue remedy is right for him or if there is a specific remedy I should try for his issues.
He finished racing about a year ago and when I got him he was very withdrawn, depressed and quite thin. I've now got him up to weight, more confident and he is very happy and enjoying life again. He happily hacks out with others - bar the typically TB spookyness, and he frets if he thinks he's getting left behind (but nothing we can't handle), but he is not used to hacking out alone and gets very upset. We always manage to get out of the yard but then within 5 minutes he's shouting and getting all upset - at which point he will not listen to me and will not move away from the leg, he just spins round and dances about/ bunny hops until he's in a panicky sweaty mess. He'll stand and shiver, then when asked to move forward (in any direction - home or away) he'll just start spinning around again . On some occasions he has been so upset that the only option has been for me to get off, calm him down and then walk him back to the yard. Its even worse if his shouting is responded to by another horse, or if we see/ meet other horses out on the hack (even if they are in the far distant). At the moment I am trying to take him out for very short periods coming home before he gets upset and trying to increase how far we go each time .... small baby steps!
He finished racing about a year ago and when I got him he was very withdrawn, depressed and quite thin. I've now got him up to weight, more confident and he is very happy and enjoying life again. He happily hacks out with others - bar the typically TB spookyness, and he frets if he thinks he's getting left behind (but nothing we can't handle), but he is not used to hacking out alone and gets very upset. We always manage to get out of the yard but then within 5 minutes he's shouting and getting all upset - at which point he will not listen to me and will not move away from the leg, he just spins round and dances about/ bunny hops until he's in a panicky sweaty mess. He'll stand and shiver, then when asked to move forward (in any direction - home or away) he'll just start spinning around again . On some occasions he has been so upset that the only option has been for me to get off, calm him down and then walk him back to the yard. Its even worse if his shouting is responded to by another horse, or if we see/ meet other horses out on the hack (even if they are in the far distant). At the moment I am trying to take him out for very short periods coming home before he gets upset and trying to increase how far we go each time .... small baby steps!
