>>> Exactly, but the key is to stall BEFORE they get that itchy.
My very early, very preliminary theory is that a big factor is the personal mannerisms of the individual horse. Tivar is an extreme case of a horse that has to DO something when he's stressed. I don't think I've ever met another as extreme as he is in this regards...and it's so odd, since he's such a mild-mannered and reliable trail horse, and not at all what you'd call a hyper horse. When he was showing signs of ulcers, he'd bite at his sides, at the rider's stirrups, or he'd grab the leadline and mouth it - something, anything. I suspect he's that way with his itchies too - he can't leave them alone, so the itching-scratching cycle may start much earlier with a horse like him. Obviously, I'm not quite 48 hours into this, but I'm also drawing from what I saw in him two years ago. My "answer" (again, just 48 hours into this, so who knows if I'm on the right track...) is to give him something else to do that he likes. I'm luckier than Janice, in that I have these intentionally-neglected pastures so he can graze all he wants. Seriously, it took me years to get my pastures in this state of minimalism, such that they have something to graze on, without having too much to eat. Most people have only dry lots or lush pasture, and I think that's what Janice has. Her choice was to leave him on the good grass all the time and have him be a porker, or leave him on a sand lot. Those were the only choices I had until about five years ago, and I'm glad I finally gave up on trying to maintain "good" pastures. I can only hope this arrangement will help Tivar - so far, so good, but it's VERY early. Karen Thomas, NC
