Managing the Anxious Horse

 

You’re headed down the trail, enjoying a pleasant chat with your riding buddy, when a grouse suddenly flushes from the brush. Your horse spooks and bolts as you grab the reins and try to bring him to a stop. While you’re not happy with his reaction, you’re not really surprised: He spooks all the time.

 

Granted, horses are prey animals, and by their very nature have a fight or flight response when facing novel or frightening stimuli. But your horse seems more anxious than most. He cries when left by his friends; startles at shadows; fusses in the crossties; and becomes a sweaty mess in the trailer. Why is he so anxious all the time, and can you do anything about his dramatic reactions?

 

To find out, we talked to veterinarians, researchers, and equine professionals, about causes of anxious behavior in horses and solutions to help keep you, your horse, and those around you safe. Here’s what they have to say about the possibilities.

 

CAUSE: Your horse's vision is compromised.

 

Horses rely on their eyesight for survival, so it’s no surprise that a horse with vision changes or loss might become anxious and easily frightened. “Vision loss can be associated with spooking, stopping, refusing jumps, bolting, bucking, and any other response horses make to fear,” says Mary Lassaline, DVM, PhD, MA, Dipl. ACVO, an equine ophthalmology specialist at the University of California, Davis, Veterinary Teaching Hospital. 

 

Lassaline describes two types of eye issues that can lead to vision changes: cloudiness that obstructs vision in an eye that could otherwise see (picture sitting in a car with a foggy windshield) and a functional issue that makes the eye unable to do its job (the car with a clear windshield, but a dead engine). Both can impede or eliminate a horse’s vision and cause behavioral changes, such as a horse becoming anxious in situations he used to handle without issue.

 

 

 

Solution If you suspect your horse’s vision is fading, Lassaline suggests contacting your veterinarian and scheduling an eye exam. Veterinarians can often diagnose the cause of vision loss there on the farm. However, “in some cases, more advanced testing might be necessary, and this may warrant referral to a veterinary ophthalmologist,” she says. 

 

Vision impairment doesn’t mean retirement for all horses, Lassaline says, but you need to keep both human and horse safety at front of mind. She offers advice for helping relieve a seeing-impaired horse’s anxiety: “Help the horse to use other senses,” Lassaline says. “For example, talk to the horse in a calm voice, put a hand on (his) neck or shoulder when approaching him to let him know where you are. In addition to keeping his environment consistent and helping him navigate safely, taking the time to retrain a visually impaired horse can really improve the quality of life for both horse and owner. If the horse has one visual eye, let him turn his head to use that eye to see both sides. If the horse is completely blind, be his eyes and teach him that he can trust you. Take everything slowly and stay calm, and don’t push the horse if he is afraid.”