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Horse Behavior and Training

How to help 19.1 Clyde overcome his phobia

By:

madhousemenagerie

Date:

2017-Dec-07 at 02:43AM

I have a wonderful Clyde named Jimmy. He is a fantastic horse and good about almost everything. The problem is that he has had ongoing chronic issues with scratches. I feel quite confident that his previous owner used multiple people and force to treat him. Now he has an amplified fear of me handling and treating his legs. At 19.1 and 2000 lbs this can become a safety issue quite quickly. I would appreciate any advice on how to help him overcome his demon.

JoHewittVINTA 2017-Dec-07 at 12:18PM

Hi & welcome to the Uni. As you don't have any accreditations yet I assume you are just starting your 'Monty journey'. You will get ample support here. Firstly, have you done join up? Study the lessons & get your breathing & body language right. Secondly, use a padded arm extension to get Jimmy confident with his legs being touched. You need to do daily repetitions to make his behaviour change permanent but this only needs to be very short sessions & be very generous with praise for any positive reaction, enthusiastically scratching his withers & neck. Good luck & let us know how you get on. Cheers. Jo.

madhousemenagerie 2017-Dec-07 at 02:11PM

I apologize, I may not have been as detailed in my situation. I can groom his legs and pick his size nine feet without problem. The behavior gets bad when I attempt to treat his legs for the scratches. He becomes agitated with any topical application . He becomes fearful and reactive.

JoHewittVINTA 2017-Dec-07 at 06:53PM

Hi. Sorry for the misunderstanding. I'm going to seem a bit thick but just to be clear, I don't quite understand your situation. Clydesdales have a huge amount of feathers to the point where you can barely see their hooves. I'm responding from Scotland, where the breed originated. All this very thick hair protects their lower legs but it also makes them vulnerable to mite infestation. When you refer to "the scratches" do you mean mites or minor cuts? If it's the former then they are almost impossible to treat effectively unless you clip his feathers off. If it's the latter then probably someone has already shaved his legs. Either way I suggest you work on his feet with warm water & a soft cloth or small sponge. Once he's accepting of that, work incrementally on his legs, gradually work so he can tolerate the warm water right up to his knees/hocks. Warm brine (salt water) is very effective for minor wounds. If it's mites ask your vet for a liquid treatment so you can mimic the water. Hope this is a bit more helpful. Cheers. Jo.

madhousemenagerie 2017-Dec-08 at 06:31PM

Thanks Jo. I appreciate your advice.