Old school horse threw a fit on me last Tuesday in Bakersfield

I was reshoeing a 20 year old mare that had been dead quiet for her last owner. She flipped out when I picked up her hind foot, caught me right in the ribs. Ended up having to sedate her with 2cc of ace and work real slow. Anyone else seeing more horses that just can't handle the stand anymore?

2 comments

2 Comments

oscarh161mo ago

Wait, you're saying that mare actually had her previous owner fooled for years? That's wild to me. A horse that age suddenly losing it over a hind foot pick up usually means something pretty bad is going on physically. I had a similar thing happen with a 22 year old gelding once, he was fine for the first year I had him then one day just started shaking and pulling away. Turned out he had a bone chip in his hock that only showed up on an x-ray. Did you check for anything like that or just straight to the ace?

black.laura1mo ago

That mare's age is probably a big part of it. A twenty year old horse that's been quiet for someone else might have been masking pain or arthritis for years, and picking up that hind foot just hit a breaking point. I've noticed a lot of older horses are getting stiffer and more sore, and they just don't have the patience they used to. The previous owner might have had a lighter touch or the mare had learned to tolerate it until something changed physically. Sedating her was the right call, she was telling you she couldn't handle it anymore. It seems like we're seeing more of this because people are keeping horses sound longer with better care, but their bodies still get worn out.