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5/31/06: How can I help my horse that hates any kind of strong smell, like fly spray, rubbing alcohol or vinegar and he won't let you near him enough to begin desensitizing him? I am not looking forward to getting him inured to those.

5/23/06: I recently purchased a retired Thoroughbred mare that is far too thin and slightly nervous. Would it help her settle if I put some weight on her?

5/17/06: I’ve used Join-Up several times over the last couple of years with my now 5 year-old gelding. As Join-Up is similar to what a mare would do to discipline an unruly youngster, I’ve always wondered if horses perceive Join-Up as similar to the “punishment” of being sent away from the herd by a mare. I’ve actually used it with my horse to both improve my body language, our communication and relationship and as a “punishment” when his playful mouthing turned into a nip. I’m just wondering if he knows the difference.

5/10/06: I have a horse that has a reoccurring melanoma situated high on the inner thigh of a beautiful Thoroughbred mare. I have had it surgically removed twice and it is currently reoccurring. This particular growth is squarely over a large blood vessel. The vets tell me that they would not like to attempt further surgeries. Any suggestions?

5/03/06: In your opinion, Monty, do animals grieve?

Answers to May 2006 Ask Monty Questions

Question: How can I help my horse that hates any kind of strong smell, like fly spray, rubbing alcohol or vinegar and he won't let you near him enough to begin desensitizing him. I am not looking forward to getting him inured to those.

Answer: I have used Automatic Sprayers that dispense insecticide and fragrance to desensitize any horse that have this particular challenge. A quick search on the internet found an appropriate product on www.horse.com but I imagine your local feed and tack store may also carry an automatic dispenser that would work. Visit this link to learn more.

It’s best the horse doesn’t see you place the dispenser high up in the box stall. He should not associate you with the sound or odor. The procedure is to auto-dispense the offending aerosol every fifteen minutes until the horse becomes oblivious to the sound first and then the odor as well. This may take a few days depending on the horse, but it may be quicker. Increase the interval times gradually until the horse is no longer bothered by the element at all. Once this has been accomplished, you should have little problem with spray bottles or aerosol cans. As always, I recommend introducing any desensitizing exercise gradually. In the case of automatic spray mechanisms, they should first be placed well away from your horse and then gradually brought closer as the response dictates. If one observes a dangerous anxiety level, move them away until the response is moderated, then begin to bring them closer.

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Question: I recently purchased a retired Thoroughbred mare that is far too thin and slightly nervous. Would it help her settle if I put some weight on her?

Answer: Congratulations on your purchase of a retired racehorse. I believe they can be transformed in to useful riding horses and even successful competition performers. I have had a great deal of experience in this area and would be happy to share some of my tricks from the past.

If you have not done so, I recommend that you get a thorough vet examination including appropriate tests for peptic ulcers.

It is quite ironic that you have sent me this question at this point in time. While on my February tour of the UK. I had a very enjoyable experience. Three of the young ladies on our British team asked me to attend an auction sale with them. The sale was of retiring race horses. [Caption link to Press Releases] Sabiango was brought back to health by Monty and won the Whittingham Memorial Handicap and the Kentucky Cup Turf

The girls informed me that they wanted an attractive prospect to perform in the horse show ring in the working Hunter division. I agreed and attended the sale with them. There were approximately 400 Thoroughbreds on offer in this sale held at the Ascot Race Park near London.

Obviously I looked at a lot of young horses and as I recall I was getting fairly tired and thought we probably wouldn’t see the desirable prospect. At this juncture I caught a glimpse of a mare being led behind the stable. I matched the hip # to the catalog page and found that she was called Lady Montague: a seven year old bright bay standing 17.2 hands.

I was immediately stricken by a gorgeous athlete that moved like a lanky panther. She seemed to have a kind disposition and was undisturbed by the activity of a typical sale. While I tell you that she was stunning in appearance I have to admit that her body condition would remind you of a competing greyhound. Lady Montague was a poster girl for four legged anorexia.

It is now approximately 80 days from the purchase and I am pleased to report that she is a Rembrandt for beauty at this point in time. I have received several reports that would indicate that she is a virtual certainty to qualify for the Horse of the Year Show in the Hunter division in Birmingham, England.

So what did we do? I set out a program of slow but lengthy regular exercise. The girls did a lot of long trotting building up to approximately four miles per day. I outlined a course of action which includes minimal cantering just to prepare her for the requirements she will face in the show ring. She settled to her work well and the girls came up with a stable name: Nessie. She was putting on a lot of weight and with her height, one of the girls decided that her nickname would be taken from the Loch Ness Monster.

In addition to her exercise program, the girls called in an equine dentist that took care of a mouth that appeared to have had little attention in the past. The stable’s veterinarian gave Nessie a good examination and set her up on a program to eliminate internal parasites. With the physical aspects cared for, the next step was to build Nessie a nutritional program that would put on weight, but not fire her up with energy-laden carbohydrates.

Nessie was not a particularly aggressive eater. She picked at her hay which we provided free choice offering her the best quality we could find. I wanted her to consume 8-12 pounds per day of a concentrate ration and at first that seemed utterly impossible. The concentrate ration consisted of very little hard grain but was quite heavy in stabilized rice bran. There was some chopped alfalfa and molasses in there and the protein supplement was linseed.

The problem was that Nessie would pick at this ration consuming only 1-2 pounds per day the first week. It was during this time that I encouraged the girls to experiment with flavored electrolytes. It was when they hit upon the apple flavoring that Nessie came alive. During the second week she progressed to the extent that she was eating six pounds per day.

At the end of the second week, one of the girls experimented with an additional plan. She crushed an apple or two and then mixed the pulp into the ration. This, along with the electrolytes, moved Nessie upward to the 8 pounds level. As she put on weight, Nessie settled into a quiet routine, far less nervous than the original Lady Montague. Nessie is now eating 10-12 pounds per day and looks the absolute picture of perfection.

I am sure that this is far more than you expected to hear about how to deal with a thin racehorse but I live for this kind of work and it pleases me greatly that I had the opportunity to help. Please inform us of your progress and know we are happy to help in any way we can with further information.

-Monty

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Question: I’ve used Join-Up several times over the last couple of years with my now 5 year-old gelding. As Join-Up is similar to what a mare would do to discipline an unruly youngster, I’ve always wondered if horses perceive Join-Up as similar to the “punishment” of being sent away from the herd by a mare. I’ve actually used it with my horse to both improve my body language, our communication and relationship and as a “punishment” when his playful mouthing turned into a nip. I’m just wondering if he knows the difference.

Answer: I am pleased that you are learning to do Join-Up and using it successfully with your horse. Yes it can be used to improve your body language and your relationship with your horse. I prefer to use the word discipline over the word punishment, as there is no harsh consequence.

Join-Up is the language of the horse, and therefore he does not concern himself with the reasons for your actions. He will only judge you on the moment in question.

- Monty

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Question: I have a horse that has a reoccurring melanoma situated high on the inner thigh of a beautiful Thoroughbred mare. I have had it surgically removed twice and it is currently reoccurring. This particular growth is squarely over a large blood vessel. The vets tell me that they would not like to attempt further surgeries. Any suggestions?

Answer: I have seen some dramatic results in cases such as this with the use of the supplement Transfer Factor. Your situation sounds dire and I suppose there are simply no guarantees in circumstances such as this. I have however seen massive lesions which have disappeared within 6 months of the onset of systemically introduced Transfer Factor obtained through 4Life Research, 9580 S. 300 W., Sandy, Utah 84070 (801)562-3600

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Question: In your opinion, Monty, do animals grieve?

Answer: It is my opinion that horses can grieve. I further believe that grieving takes place, for the most part, when the animals can see the dead or dying. Once they are apart, grieving normally stops very quickly. Many animals grieve for days with the loss of an offspring, I believe horses fall into this catagory.

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