Re: Where do we go from here? (Selenium test)

["navion" <navion@lightspeed.net>]

>I think the "go,go,go" could be a flight reflex--he wants to get it over
with.


        Having had some experience with one horse with a history of tying
up, I learned (at least in his case) that the mental aspect is more
important than any physical cause.  Ti's comment on the flight instinct
causing his go-go-go is very insightful.  He hurt before and wants to escape
that pain again. He is back at a ride and remembers that is where he hurt.
It finally dawned on me when I read an article on tying up by race track
horses. They got so bad they tied up upon arriving at the race track.  (had
to be all mental).  Both that article and comments by Ti on this list in
prior years have discussed breaking the cycle is the only cure.  For us it
was riding very slow, eating grass along the trail, taking the maximum time
to do an endurance ride in the most relaxed way possible.  Eventually the
horse learns he will not get hurt completing a ride. (but unfortunately
their memory is so good it takes a long time and will never be forgotten
totally.) Then you can start to go faster again, but in my case never really
fast as I think it would bring back memories and cause the anxiety which
would trigger another episode. And I don't want to risk that.
   I am not discounting all the other factors in tying up, feed,
electrolytes, dehydration etc. It is those things that cause the first tying
up episodes. But if you look at chronic horses I bet you will see a mental
cause that outways all the other factors.

>
>Of all these, the most important is consistent daily exercise--once you've
>broken out of the syndrome and have a reasonably normal horse.
>
     "Broken out of the syndrome and have a reasonably normal horse."
   Again there is a lot in those words you might miss

Jim Mitchell