Pole pressure causing pain

[Valrory]

Tesoro really got my dander up yesterday & I thought he was just being a jerk. I was trying to worm him and he would throw his head up to get away from me. So I put my hand on the side of the halter to get a little more control of his head & he got more agitated & started to come up off the ground. I untied him and lunged him a bit. Tried again (untied) and same thing, put downward pressure on the lead or halter & up he goes. This happened several times & my patience was going downhill fast.

I got my husband to come & help me hold him so I could worm him. Tesoro went straight up in the air & pawed out & struck my husband's hand.

So the big lunge line came out & he was lunge. Tesoro started to chew so we let him settle down & I went to worm again (hand on the halter) & up he went. Did this routine a couple of times. I finally got the wormer down him, but this time I did not hold the halter, but used one hand to open his mouth. My husband was holding the lead rope, but not really tight.

I was frazzled last night and did not think about it then, but now that I think back to last night & other times that myself or someone has had to put pressure on the halter, Tesoro has reacted badly by coming up off the ground. Last night was by far the worst. So now, I'm wondering if the halter putting pressure on the pole, is causing some really bad discomfort or pain.

It's not been just the halter either. With the bridle, if you hold the reins, he's fine, but if you hold the bridle cheek piece, he reacts.

[pnalley]

It could be pain or it could be the flight response.

Has he ahd any injuries that you can track down? Like yanking back really hard while tied up? Rearing & flipping over?

3 years ago I would never have believed that a horse can respond really well to a chiropractor, but it sure has helped ChaChi.

[motorgypsy]

Sounds more like he had a bad experience with worming or is just afraid of having it done. Rearing is just a typical avoidance response so I wouldn't think it was pain but more likely fear of what might be going to happen or something that did happen. We have one mare who was tube wormed when younger who was really bad about being wormed and Arwen - who has never had anything evil happen to her would rear to avoid a shot and she will strike out too. We finally just had to tie her head to the ground on each side to stop this because it was dangerous. We use stretchy lines so she can't yank and hurt herself. She did the same thing about bitting also. It's just a typical avoidance response to anything they don't like. A lot of them really do better when you don't try to put any pressure on them. I helped one girl worm her gelding and she held him with a loose line and I just snuck up and shoved it in before he could move and he was fine. Same thing with farriers - some are just a lot better on a loose line. A tight line means something bad is going to happen to some of them for some reason.:confused::confused::confused: Good luck!

[Red Ryder]

I agree w/ MG's

What I do [Pooh is the only one I have that gives me a problem] I tie him short to the post that forms his stall door so I can have both had free. By using the post I have room to work in the stall door opening. He is still inside his stall.

I place my L hand on his face and insert my L thumb in the blank tooth space on his L side [R side facing him] rub around a few minutes [with my right hand in pisition to insert the paste]. then I use my right index finger, insert into the blank tooth space. left thumb always in his mouth rubbing his gums. then I put the wormer under my extended right index finger and insert the tube and bingo he's wormed.

It will also help to have him blind folded so he can't see what you have in your right hand.

[motorgypsy]

I read somewhere that it's a good idea to teach a horse to accept a blind fold. One more reason to do it.

[Valrory]

Well, that can of Whoop A++ that got opened on him Sunday night seem to help. He was a gentleman last night. My husband lightly held him & I used my left hand to open his mouth & voila.....2 doses of wormer down the hatch!

I'm still going to check out his right ear. I used to bridle him left ear first then right and he would toss his head or come up a little. I switched to right ear first, then left and he is fine.