In a word, Ted is a perfect gentleman. . . until he has an episode of self-mutilation. Then my dream horse turns into a nightmare.
Realizing a Problem
Self-mutilation syndrome is very little understood because it’s so rare. It’s heart-wrenching to own such an amazing horse—and then to watch that horse live in hell from moment to moment.
Ted was sold to me dishonestly. The seller provided me video and pics, so I bought Ted without ever seeing him in his stall, on his own time, which is when the episodes happen. Ted’s self-mutilation is probably why he was sold; the owners just got tired of watching his painful problem.
Living a Nightmare
If you’ve never seen self-mutilation, it’s awful. Episodes are both violent and scary. Ted would take off suddenly, spinning in circles around his stall, trying to bite his sheath and flanks, then aggressively kick out with both back feet, risking a broken foot or leg.
No amount of words from me stopped his uncontrollable behavior. I’d have to go in and halter Ted to get him out of his abusive frame of mind—which also put me in danger. I put him on a B-Calm supplement to try to settle him, but it never made any marked difference at all.
I was so depressed and discouraged! I’d grown fond of Ted. If I resold him, I’d have to sell him honest—and his condition would likely result in him ending up in the kill pen. I couldn’t do it.
So. . . I was stuck watching this beautiful, tortured animal on a daily basis, feeling totally helpless and hopeless. Until just a few weeks ago, I even considered putting him down.
Looking for a Solution
The info I’ve read about self-mutilation suggests trying to find any pain the horse might be in. My attending vet and I both believe that self-mutilation syndrome can be linked to ulcers. Ted’s episodes usually happened at feeding time, which made me specifically think ulcers might be his problem.
That hunch led me to look for supplements that help heal ulcers. I found a link to Redmond Equine and learned about Daily Gold Stress Relief. I was at my wits end and willing to try anything. I thought I’d give it a try.
Finding Hope
After watching my horse throw about and harm himself for a full two months, and trying to manage him without success, I’ve finally found a solution to Ted’s problem. Daily Gold is working! It’s almost TOO good to be true!
Within just two days of putting Ted on the product, I saw a noticeable difference. His episodes were less extreme and less frequent. Now, after two weeks, he’s gone from having several violent episodes of self-mutilation a day, to one very mild one every week or so—and he continues to improve.
Today, Ted is a different horse. I can see the syndrome is still there, but now he’ll look back to his flank and stop, or pull up to a wall and stop. No spinning, no biting, no kicking. He simply goes back to his feed and relaxes—a huge change from his previous mealtime episodes. I hope Ted’s progress continues, and I have full faith that it will!
Thank you, Redmond. I know what I saw in Ted before, I know what I see now, and I know Daily Gold has made the difference. Ted is a happier horse; I see it in every action and expression. I’m no longer stressed about him, and we can continue pursuing the dream of riding off into the sunset together.
-James Kelley
