i have a thoroughbred i rescued and he is a great horse. i have recently moved stables and he all of a sudden has become nervous i used to ride him alone on trails alone. now when i try and take himout he is nervous and dances the whole time. some people think he is having seperation anxiety being alone and leaving my other horses that he is turned out with all day long. i have changed his feed to buckeye safe and easy and i had him on wendals calmer because he weaves a little in his stall. but now heseems really nervous. i dont know if it is because he is getting a better quality of feed now. i ordered quiessence to try this any other suggestions? this is just so out of his nature i am at a loss on why the change. the lady at the barn adds vegetable oil to his food she thought he was to skinny. would this add nervous and energy? help if anyone has a suggestion he is 7 years old about 17 hands tall a beauty.
wkedwith

Where are you from? ohio

How did you locate this forum? i boughta supplement

Hello Wkedwitch,

My first reaction would be to give him Quiessence, which you have started. Is it helping any? Are you giving him the full 4 ounce dose?

I truly feel that this behavioral change is due to the change in his environment and losing his buddies. This change can be very threatening to a horse and compromise his feeling of security. I would recommend contacting a behavioral specialist in the field to assist you. Horses that are not used to be stalled also have a great deal of trouble with this since all horses are naturally claustrophobic and ideally, they should have as much outdoor grazing time as possible.

From the nutritional perspective, in addition to the Quiessence, consider giving him Ration Plus. This will help him hold his weight and keep the bacterial flora in his hind gut healthy. This is critical because stress can lead to changes in the microbe population and the risk of colic is increased. Plus, when you boost their health, they are better able to produce B vitamins which also calm the nervous system.

Finally, make sure that he is getting all the hay and/or pasture that he wants. He needs to chew throughout the day to produce saliva, which acts as a natural antacid. Otherwise, the acid that is constantly secreted in his stomach will wear an ulcer in his stomach lining. You didn't mention about his hay and/or pasture consumption, but I thought I'd throw this in for good measure.

All the best,

Dr. Getty

P.S. About the oil -- feeding corn oil or soybean oil can increase inflammation so this may not be desirable. But, in terms of behavior, it should not have any negative effect.

Where are you from? Bayfield, CO

i believe in turnout and pasture they go out from 800am til dark so they are out all day. he is turned out with my other 2. this is why people say it is seperation anxiety because they have run of the pasture because most of the other horses at the barn stay in all day they are "show horses") and when they are in they have hay in front of them 100% of the time. the lady that runs the barn believe sin keeping them fat. so she keeps hay in front of him 24/7 or they are turned out. he has been on quiessence for about 5 days and i have not noticed a change yet. i was giving him 2 scoops your response says 4 scoops? i will try that. thank you i also give all of mine nutraflax so any other suggestions? my tb diet copnsists of feed safe and easy. nutraflax, hay all day it is a grass hay and pasture a joint supplement actiflex, and quiessence any other suggestions will be appreciated

annette

Where are you from? ohio

How did you locate this forum? quiessence

Hi Annette,

Excellent! Your care is great. Give the Quiessence some time and yes, increase the dosage until you see some results.

But, if you don't see any slight improvement in behavior within another couple of weeks, then I really think that it is not a nutritional situation, but due to anxiety. So, I hope you're able to find ways to resolve that for him.

Keep me posted,

Dr. Getty

Where are you from? Bayfield, CO

can you suggest a joint supplement to start my tb on also

Where are you from? ohio

How did you locate this forum? i boughta supplement

Hi Annette,

I have two supplements that I like. The first is brand new and very effective toward inflammation and pain. It's called Equinyl Combo with Hyaluronic Acid. It's made by Vita Flex and contains microlactin, which they've patented under the name "Comfort X" to reduce inflammation. Its glucosamine content is time-released, which is another nice feature, making it better utilized. I have received very positive feedback so far on this product.

The second one is one I've offered for a long time and is also excellent. It is Actiflex 4000 (also comes in a powder) and has made a significant change in my old horse that has arthritis in his stifle.

So, my recommdation is to go with the Actiflex for mild arthritis and for more pain relief, go with the Equinyl Combo w/HA.

All the best,

Dr. Getty

Where are you from? Bayfield, CO