sensitive ears

montananative · Post by **montananative** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 1:49 pm

there is a horse i would really like to buy in the near future but he, like most horses, has a little flaw. when i go to put his bridle on once i touch his ears he freks out.

this horse was a reject race horse and when i got to him he was not rode for two yrs, then i rode him hard for about a yr while i was workin on a ranch, he simmered down alot when i started ridin him and at the beggining he never freaked when i touched his ears but was real sensitive. then one day he was not having it anymore. would freak out and run away when i would go to slip the bridle over his head. any ideas of what i was doin wrong or what i could do to get him less sensitive around his ears. this is his only flaw, hes got tons of speed, heart, amazing in the mtns, and easy to catch!

Machias · Post by **Machias** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 3:44 pm

Have you checked to see if he has any cyst or sores down in his ears? Sounds like he has been eared before. I ride mules and we treat them ears with lots of respect and carefulness. They have some bridles out there with a snap on one side so you don't have to even mess with the ears, you might consider one of those.

montananative · Post by **montananative** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 5:38 pm

no never did check him close for sores, the day he ran away i was able to catch him and get him bridled and then he was fine until i went to take it off, he will let ya touch around his nose and face but once you get to his ears he tenses up, throws his head etc.

catdogs · Post by **catdogs** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 6:40 pm

I'd say he's been ear twitched too! He may come out of it in time. Start by petting his neck then slowly working your way up to his ears. Do this over the course of a couple weeks. He should get used to it and start trusting you. If he takes a bridle or lets you touch his ears, give him a treat.

Budd Denny · Post by **Budd Denny** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 6:48 pm

My first guess would have been that maybe a farrier had eared him to many times while being trimmed, but being a ex-race horse I'm sure he stands good for a farrier. Like Machias said look for sours. I once watched a video of a fella breaking a horse of ear shyness. He would rub the horses face, neck, eyes, nose then slip up and touch the ears but he would let go quicker then the horse could react, he done this several, several times till the horse got use to it. When he was done he was rubbing the inside of the horses ears with out a reaction from the horse.

montananative · Post by **montananative** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 11:28 pm

thanks for the info, he does lift his feet fine, i never put shoes on him i did pull shoes off him and he didnt fight or nothin. just out of curiousity whats it mean for a ferrier to "ear" em. thats again guys

Machias · Post by **Machias** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 11:49 pm

earing is some nut job trying to control a horse or mule by hanging onto their ear and yanking the crap out of it. Horse and mule's ears should always be handled gently, same a putting the bit in and out, lest you bump their teeth and they begin raising their heads when you try to bridle.

jjjjranch · Post by **jjjjranch** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 7:36 am

Don't know if you solved the problem or not. Is your bridle's too tight...if it's curling the corners of his mouth it may be...and it'd be hard to get over his ears, might be irritating to him. Look for ear mites too when ya look for sores. They fly when they are mature if you rub the inside of the ear. You will probably also find many little scabs on the inside of his ear. If this is the case, you can dob a cotton ball with fly dope and rub it on the inside. You might haveta get the vet ta tranq him first.

Dan V · Post by **Dan V** » Sat Oct 04, 2008 3:49 am

You said his ears have always been sensitive, but he recently began acting worse. I think JJJJ could be right on the money $$ with the ear mites. They are pretty easy to treat. Your vet should have some stuff to put down the ear and kill them.

If its not medical, just hobble him before you briddle him.

Shorty · Post by **Shorty** » Sat Oct 04, 2008 1:21 pm

This is not an uncommon problem her at home. You'll have a horse thats been fine all his life. Then one day you'll go to bridle them and the fight is on. The first thing I do is tranq them and look in their ears. Almost every time you'll pull a tick out. Those ticks that dig theirselves in really bother them. Then put some sort of salve on the sore and they'll feel better in a day or two.

In the warmer months gnats or ear mites are a problem as a few of you have already said. Your also right about putting some fly dope on their ears and they will get better. You'll have to do it every day or every couple days. Also don't expect the horse to get over the ear shyness over night. They remember their ears have been hurting them and it takes awhile to regain their confidence. Sometime you can work with them by rubbing their face and neck as stated by someone already. You can also unbuckle your bridle and put it on that way. Either way should works out fine. The difference is, rubbing on them will regain their confidence quicker but it takes alittle time everyday. Also watch your face when your doing this. If they shake their head they can hit you in the face and break your nose (experianced this one). The thing about unbuckling the headstall is that your hopeing they forget about their ears being sensitive. 5This may or may not happen.

If the horse was a race horse theirs a pretty good chance it's been eared. I know alot of people that work, train, or shoe horses on the track. The thing you have to rember is that track horses are expendable. Either run or their gone and the trainer and owner want to find this out as quick as possible. A horse that doesnt run is costing the owner and trainer money. They put them in a box stall at two years old and feed them the highest powered feed they can. Thats like locking a seven year old kid in the bathroom and feeding them snickers and red bull. When you open the door after a couple days of that you'd probably have to grab them by the ear to controll them to.

They come streight out of the stall get rode, shawed or doctored and go streight back in the stall. It takes most shoers 30 plus minutes to get one horse done. It takes me a hell of alot longer than that. These track shoers can usually blow through one in 15. They learn to do it that fast because the horses attention span is no longer than that. Alot of those horses spend that 15 minutes with someone hanging off their ear. If this horse was one of those it's going to be a long process getting him over it. Good luck to you and sorry for babbling on. I've had too much coffee this morning and I'm stuck in a hotel room. LOL

Mike Leonard · Post by **Mike Leonard** » Sat Oct 04, 2008 11:27 pm

Shorty you may have had too much coffee or Red Bull but you are right as the mail buddy!

Remember Pendelton and I don't mean Oregon! LOL!

larry · Post by **larry** » Sun Oct 05, 2008 12:02 am

If it is not medical, I would hobble his front feet and tie his head low to the hobbles. Then go ahead and rub his ears, once he realizes he is not being hurt and everything will be OK, he should come around after repitition. If you have to you can also tie up a hind leg to keep him a little more stationary if he throws a fit. Not very many people know how to handle horses like this any more and have gone for the gimmicks of sneaking around them and avoiding the problem instead of curing it. If you are not comfortable with this stuff, buy a gentle horse.

montananative · Post by **montananative** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 1:35 pm

i dont mind wild horses, not the problem. i have not been around him lately but my cousin rode him the other day and said he was fine. i know how to properly size a bridle so i know it wasnt to tight. there were two wrinkles where the bit goes back. he is super gentle horse and can pretty much do it all. funny to rope off of a tall gangly thougrobred though:D

Kiamiachi Outfitters · Wed Oct 29, 2008 10:24 pm

we some times buy mules that are ear savy we twitchem check em an put small amount of sweet oil in em this will get the mites if any then we use a old time bridal that buckels on top the worst thing you could do is fight the problem if you like the horse out think him an the problem will proably go away

catdogger · Post by **catdogger** » Sun Jan 04, 2009 1:01 am

we ride mules and some of them come with that same issue we use the hear gear with the buckel on top.just so we dont fight them some time they realize they arent geting hurt and they get over it.i seen a reply on it about mabey a farrier might have eared him.i have seen that done and i also i'm in the farrier bussines and if any ever tries to do that to your horse/mule i would ask them to leave if they need to twist something twist their toung it works good and you dont hurt the animal.we do it with some mules cause they dont like the nose twich.

sensitive ears

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