February 2021 – Mid-Month | Blogging from Madalyn Ward, DVM

Holistic Horsekeeping
How to have a healthy happy horse Dr. Madalyn Ward

What to do before you temperament type a new horse

“This is not the same horse I bought.” This is the statement those of us who type horses hear so often. These cases are so hard. Imagine that you have just moved to a new state and you don’t know anyone, where anything is, what the local laws are and you have a new job. I bet you might not be totally yourself. You might be a bit grouchy and you might even have some health issues come up. When a horse is sold and moved to a new barn he goes through all these same stresses. This is often when a Temperament Consultant is called in.

It is almost impossible for a Typer to make an accurate assessment at this point. Instead, here is what you want to do first.

1. Get as much history as possible. What was the horse’s diet, how was he trimmed or shod, have his teeth been checked, was he on supplements or getting joint injections, how was he trained, what kind of saddle was he ridden in, did he have any previous health issues, what vaccines did he get and was he dewormed regularly.

How was he managed, did he have turnout with other horses, how did he get along with other horses, did he have another horse or person he was very attached to?

These are just a few of the questions you want to ask so, if your horse was doing well when you bought him, you can keep as many things the same as possible. If your horse was not doing well before he came to you then you want to make changes to his previous management.

2. Give your horse time. Don’t expect him to perform up to his previous capabilities immediately. It may take a horse 6 to 18 months to fully accept a new environment.

3. Assume he may be experiencing some digestive upset. Give him a probiotic/algae mix to support his gut microbiome. Consider hemp oil to help him with expected anxiety. The one I use only requires about 1/2 to 1cc a day to support the endocannabinoid system so that all the body systems can find balance.

4. Consider working with an animal communicator. A good communicator can help you instill trust in your new horse that you have his best interests in mind and want to help him settle in.

5. Consider a Homeopathic Consult to address any current health or behavior issues.

6. Get body work done. If your horse had a clean vet check you probably don’t need an additional lameness exam but a good body worker may pick up subtle pain or imbalances in your horse’s body.

Our Temperament Consultants would love to help you with your new horse and be ready to do your part to help your typer get a clear picture of who your horse really is.

For more information visit: https://horsetemperament.com/index.html

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