The HIGH STRUNG Horse 

What makes a horse “high strung”? Lets start with defining the term itself: 

HIGH STRUNG: Over-reacting, a level of nervousness, the apparent inability to settle down and relax! 

Signs of being “high strung”:

  1. Jumpiness, spookiness, high-headedness, gawks or star-gazes
  2. Over responds to cues or disobeying cues
  3. Rushes gaits or is “jiggy”
  4. Always seems anxious or nervous
  5. Not reliable

Possible causes:

  1. OVER-FED. Fat is stored energy, fat is stored energy, FAT is stored energy! If your horse is fat, he has excess energy! He may act high strung then simply “crash” and have no energy as he is most likely out of shape too. I suggest that pleasure horses are fed grass hay, with MINIMAL crimped oats (enough to hide any supplements or additives you feed) and daily fresh foods like carrots and apples. I also suggest that most horses NOT be fed sweet feed. If you have a question about feed, e-mail me or talk to your Vet.
  2. LACK OF RIDER ABILITY. You may have more horse that you can handle AND the horse knows it! Get help from a professional if you are not sure.
  3. LACK OF WORK. Even great horses act like idiots when they have no job. Some horses have a high level of energy (just like some people) and they need to have LOTS of regular work to be mentally and physically happy. This is especially true of some working breeds (like endurance types). When selecting a horse, honestly consider the amount of work you plan to do when deciding on breed, type, sex and age.
  4. LACK OF TRAINING/COMMUNICATION. The horse may simply not understand what you want when you ask. This can lead to unnecessary punishment and a vicious cycle of behavior. This is one cause I see ALL TOO OFTEN.
  5. LACK OF HORSE ABILITY. You may be asking for more that the horse can give and this sets the horse up to always feel pressured. Pressure leads to anxiety!

 

 

If I had to list the most common cause it would be #1: Over-fed. A sedentary horse rarely needs grain or alfalfa hay. Furthermore, riding once a week or less is not enough! To maintain an aerobic level of fitness, the horse must have a MINIMUM of 20 minutes of brisk exercise every other day. It takes 30 days to get in basic aerobic shape. It takes 6 MONTHS to get the skeletal system in shape. It is far easier to get your horse in shape and maintain a level of fitness year ‘round! Keep in mind that you should be able to feel your horses ribs but not see them!