Aggressive & Herd Bound Behaviour

AGGRESSIVE & HERD-BOUND BEHAVIOUR 

 

 

BROWNIE 7YR TB GELDING. OFF TRACK FOR APPROX. 2YRS PRIOR.

 

Symptoms on arrival

 

• Kicking in float.
• Tense and uptight.
• Pushy, over bearing and dangerous to handle.
• Not thinking straight.
• Ran fence line and had a complete melt down in paddock and had to put in yard.
• Very tight through top line and muscles in front of shoulder very buried under should blades.
• Tail swishy and easily annoyed.
• Sweating profusely.
• Dangerous to ride and would threaten to rear.
• Cantering very badly when lunged. Back legs together and Brownie kick up within 2-3 strides of canter, then coming back to a trot.
• Blood tests showed potassium level at 4.3 three weeks after arrival so reading would have been around 4.5+ on arrival.
• Diet – premix feed, short pasture, some salt.

 

Treatment

 

• 25g Duwell vitamins and mineral powder.
• 60-80mls Duwell magnesium liquid.
• 50gm salt.
• Hard feed of extruded rice. Flaxseed oil, oaten chaff, beet pulp.
• Adlib hay.
• No pasture. Brownie was removed from grass so his potassium levels could be reduced more quickly.

 

Results

 

• Improvement in behaviour was observed within a few days.
• Tail swishing took 3-4 weeks to disappear.
• Complete relaxation of muscles took 6-7 weeks to happen.
• He was returned to pasture grazing once his mineral levels were in balance.

 

We have observed in Brownie and all other horses in case studies, when potassium levels are under 3.9 the horse will be calm and relaxed generally.

At this point Brownie received 3 massage treatments that further aided in his rehabilitation. This was useful at this point but not before, as high potassium levels cause an inability to relax and muscle inflammation, therefore touching or massaging them is painful. Massage and bodywork is only recommend to the level the horse can tolerate. Mineral balance must be fixed first.