MAJOR problems with Bertie being riggy...help!

[amandaxx1]

Hi All, been busy lately so haven’t been on for a few weeks, hope everyone remembers me and more importantly lovely Bertie boy…..

Anyway he’s been giving me serious grief the past few weeks, he’s always acted a bit riggy - as in stands near the mares field when their in season etc but nothing major (mares and gelding are turned out in separate fields)

Basically, the past week has been spent trying to make Bertie stay in his field and stop jumping over the wall/ trashing the fence etc to get in with the mares. It’s a problem because they’re a nasty bunch and I don’t want him to get hurt. The dirty boy actually mounted one of the ponies though ….. :sad-no:

He had to move fields twice and still managed to break through to the point where yesterday the only thing I could think to do was put him in his stable for the day until the farmer sorted the fence out properly. The farmer has now built the wall back up and put lots more electric fence up so, fingers crossed, he won’t escape now. But he is still neighing at the mares and legs it up the field every morning when I turn him out to go look at them.

I don’t think he is a rig because he has never acted this bad in the past, it’s only been this summer and much more over the past month or so. I also don’t know how old he was when he was gelded.

I’ve seen something by Global Herbs called ‘Rig Calm’ which I’m going to look into, does anyone have any advice or knowledge of anything like this? It’s getting to be a real problem with him escaping, especially mounting the other horses; he’s going to end up getting seriously injured or injuring one of the mares. A woman at the yard has already been kicked trying to get him out (by another horse).

Thanks x

[black crow]

It's most likely that he isnt a rig [they are more uncommon then people think!] and him just being a bit too much of a male, Rig calm supplements are really good. Just make sure that the levels are good, i.e a cheaper supplement you may need to be feeding more of.

I keep nearly putting Rowan on rig calm as he's got in with Spider a few times and has mounted her. At the moment he's gone back to being fine, but will no doubt escape and try to visit her again.

Is there another field he can go to that is farther away from the mares? maybe have geldings on one side or something? I would deffinatley get him on rig calm. Are the fence posts 4ft? If not id try and get them up a bit to that height and keep the fencing on. Do you know if any of the mares have come into season, or does he seem worsewhen they are in season?

I would say though if the rig calm or a similar supplement doesnt do a great deal, i would be tempted to get him blood tested just incase there is a chance that he's a false/real rig


xxx

[CityLights]

naughty boy, are there some different mares this time maybe one smells extra sexy!

havent used rig calm but global herbs products can be very good and have used some for mares with hormone porblems in the past.

might be something to try using vix to stop him smelling the mares, some people use vix to prevent them from being able to smell them when they are showing stallions, heard people also use bromine but im not sure but have a friend who always uses vix but i suppose he already knows where the mares are now

[amandaxx1]

Thanks for your replies guys.

BC – I moved him 3 fields away from them and he trashed through 2 other horses fields to get to them! This was just electric fencing though which wasn’t very powerful, this has been sorted now but he’s back in his original field with a dry stone wall and electric fencing high up now to (hopefully) stop him. He is worse when they come into season yes. And if it doesn’t calm down with a supplement I will be asking the vet for advice, thanks xx

S&W do you mean to just put vix round his nostrils? Would this not make his eyes sting abit cos I think it would mine lol

[lozy]

Put a bit in each nostril, have done it for young colts traveling with mares or at shows when being pillocks. Have used rig calm on my tb who was late cut and it worked well. His behavior was only ever a problem in the field and it settled right down when on rig calm.

[My Crazy Clan]

If you want to know for sure have him tested, its better to know now, I don't think its expensive.

He could have been gelded late, hes quite a stocky well build boy, could explain why or maybe not, boys will be boys and their all get fruity now and again.

[Loony]

Eek don't know what to suggest but hope you sort it soon! Sounds a nightmare. xx

[CityLights]

S&W do you mean to just put vix round his nostrils? Would this not make his eyes sting abit cos I think it would mine lol

might make his eyes sting not sure but tend to just stick a load up the nose and all over his muzzle, will feel all tingly to him

[My Crazy Clan]

Surly putting vix on a horse is not nice, if feels horrible when its on humans but horses can't speak.

[CityLights]

Surly putting vix on a horse is not nice, if feels horrible when its on humans but horses can't speak.

possibly not but neither is jumping into a field of mares that dont like him and give him a good kicing

[sparkey]

I would get him blood tested. That seems like quite excessive behaviour.

[loubylou]

I have used the global herbs rig calm supplement for an over excited gelding, and Chesters new owner used it with him- both has worked well however I knew for a fact both of these horses were not rigs, just not long cut (less than a year) so still had a little testosterone. It may be worth you getting him tested just incase, and this would then help you form an 'action plan' of what to do :)

[beenie]

our Jake use dto act pretty much like that at the old yard, he'd hump anything in season!! but he seem to have calmed down on his own, the mare he lives with now is in season and she is always prancing ourond him and he totally ignors her!! i havent a clue why he has changed though!

[amandaxx1]

Thanks for all your advice guys, its all really helpful.

He's still acting odd and parading up and down the wall like a loon but so far (touch wood) he hasnt got out again. My friend is always having the vet for her horse for one thing or another so next time she does I might see about getting him tested. Then if he doesnt calm down much in the next few weeks I'll get the rig calm stuff. I hope it works, its very expensive..

[torgrosset]

Amanda I do feel for you! We've been through a similar thing when Bailey was a youngster. He showed very riggy behaviour (similar to Bertie's) whilst he was away being backed. At home he was kept in a mixed herd and we never had any problems, however the lady who was backing him said he was getting dangerous and insisted her vet blood test him and it came back positive. He was then kept away from mares completely and his behaviour was 100% better. My dad contacted our own vet who had cut him as a baby and they did their own blood test on him, which apparently went to the same lab and came back negative!!!! It was very odd at the time and although now (5+ years later) his behaviour is better, he is still quite "riggy" with Kiz and if in the same field he tries to mount her & bites her neck & pins her down (which is why they're kept seperated - he's 17hh and she's 11.1hh so I'm worried he'll physically hurt her), however he is in the same field with his mum Ginny and shows no riggy behaviour at all. He's very odd and a bit irratic with his behaviour, but it is managable. Incidentally he's in the field next to Kiz and he's never tried to go through the fence to get to her, but if they neet over the gate she gets all silly with him and squeals and squirts, which I think sets him off too! Silly tarty mare!

[torgrosset]

Oh by the way, forgot to add, Global Herbs are excellent! I use a couple of their products for Kiz and they work really well.